Value Creation Tactics in Consultative Selling

The biggest mistake I made in business development? (And the one I see others make every week…) Asking for the business before I gave any value. ❌ I’d pitch. ❌ I’d present. ❌ I’d try to impress. But it rarely worked, and never felt right. What I finally learned was this: You don’t earn trust by selling. You earn it by giving, long before you ever make an ask. So, if you want to become the kind of advisor clients  seek out… ✅ Start with value.  ✅ Lead with generosity.  ✅ Then let trust do the rest. Here are 8 of my favorite ways to offer value before  asking for business: 1. Make a Strategic Introduction → Connect them to someone helpful. Your network  becomes part of your value. 2. Ask for Their Perspective → Curious questions create more respect than pitch  decks ever will. 3. Send a Thoughtful Surprise → A book, a note, a resource. Relevance shows you’re  paying attention and that matters. 4. Share Tailored Insights → Generic = forgettable. A timely idea, just for them, can  open big doors. 5. Invite Them to Something Exclusive → Roundtables or niche events. Scarcity adds value.  Inclusion builds connection. 6. Host a Problem-Solving Session → Brainstorm a real issue together. Let them experience  your thinking in action. 7. Offer a Mini-Diagnostic → Spot something they didn’t know was broken. It  reframes you from seller to solver. 8. Provide a Sample of Your Service → No pressure. Just a preview. Let them feel the value  before the ask. Here’s the shift: Don’t try to close a deal. Try to open a relationship. Give first.  Then give a little more. And I promise the results will take care of themselves. 👉 Which one will you try this week? ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full cheat sheet? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf 

The best AEs break the buyer / seller dynamic early and continually throughout a sales cycle. They provide value, serve as a trusted advisor, and foster constructive tension to drive action. The rubber band analogy always stuck with me, the best reps stretch the rubber band and create that healthy tension, just before the point where it snaps. It’s in that healthy tension where value is created and action is taken. You will be uncomfortable, and that’s a good thing. A few of my favorite ways to do this- 📊 Bring Insights: Share something they don’t know about their own business, reframing their problem in a way that makes them think differently. This positions you as an expert and shifts the dynamic from seller to advisor. You need to be able to add actual value to their business, beyond product promises. —“Most companies in your space think their biggest challenge is [X], but what they’re missing is how [hidden challenge / insight] is actually driving those inefficiencies. Here’s what top performers are doing differently to stay ahead…”— 💵 Reframe Value: Stop talking price - focus on the business impact. Show them the cost of doing nothing and tie your solution directly to the outcomes they care about. Make it impossible for them to ignore the value. —“Right now, you’re spending [X amount of time/resources] to address this, but it’s costing you [specific business impact]. If we can fix this, you’re looking at [clear business outcome]. What would that kind of impact mean for you this quarter?”— 🤝 Create Constructive Tension: Push them out of their comfort zone. Use data and smart questions to show why sticking with the status quo is risky. The goal is to make staying the same feel more uncomfortable than making a change. —“If nothing changes, how long can you sustain [current situation] before it starts affecting [key business priority]? Based on what I’ve learned, and other companies I’ve spoken to in your situation, it sounds like this isn’t something sustainable, would you agree?”— 🎯 Tailor to the Buyer: Know your audience. Speak to what matters most to each stakeholder - ROI for the economic buyer, seamless integration for the technical team, and real results for the end users. The more personal, the more effective. —“For you as the [economic buyer/technical lead/end user], I know [specific priority] is critical. Here’s how we’ve helped companies in similar roles solve [specific pain point] and achieve [measurable outcome]—does that align with what you’re trying to accomplish?”— Shed the bad habits from the ZIRP era, and start selling!