Are you a needy data consultant?
Cards on the table - you've probably had a needy girlfriend/boyfriend in an early life, right?
You sensed a glimmer of long-term romantic potential and then…
“Hi, I left you 3 VMs yesterday, no reply … just saying … call me.”
There’s a fine line between ‘interested’ and ‘needy’.
If you cross it, chances are you’ll struggle to progress along the ‘buy cycle’ of romance.
Nowhere is this neediness more present than in the regular pitches I get from data firms who are clearly struggling to attract clients on LinkedIn.
Which is ironic seeing as I coach and train data firms who are struggling to attract clients on LinkedIn.
You've no doubt experienced this yourself. You check your LinkedIn app in the morning and there it is...
"Hi Dylan, great to connect on LinkedIn (five seconds ago).
Our firm provides the worlds leading solution to (insert super-broad data positioning here) data migration/integration/quality/Big Data etc...
We work with (insert list of big fancy clients here) and would love to work with your organisation.
What is the best number and time to call you on?"
There’s so many issues here, but let’s start with the first.
Why the hell have I been tagged as a prospect? That's crappy prospecting given the data that LinkedIn has on its members.
The chances of my ‘organisation' requiring any kind of 'big data solution' in the next 5 years are about 0.005%.
A cursory glance of my LinkedIn profile would confirm that we’re not on the FTSE 100.
We're a '2.5-man-band' on a busy week.
Secondly, these type of messages tend to quickly follow in a sequence...
"Hi Dylan, I pinged you last week about our rockstar data offering. You didn’t reply. What time is good for you to talk it through?"
"Hi Dylan, just wanted to catch you again before the weekend. I've sent two requests for a slot to talk further about your data solution needs. What day and time is good for you to talk?"
Eek. Too needy, right? You can smell the desperation.
And here’s the thing - when you think back to the times your bank account has been bone-dry and you’ve looked at the kids thinking - “Why do you need so many new shoes - you’re like the Imelda Marcos of nursery education” - perhaps you've witnessed that neediness for new clients starting to seep into your prospecting…
“Hey Bill, so I sent through the proposal...and still no word, I’m fricken starving here, the kids are on 3 square meals of Cheerios a day, chuck me a bone here, sign the bloody DATA IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL already!”
Now, of course that’s not what you’re writing, but that is what you’re saying - reading between the lines.
Real data experts aren’t needy.
True data experts don’t push and hassle.
They don’t spam with endless VMs and DMs.
They don’t need to - they’re in-demand.
In fact, they have limited capacity, they should be tough to hire.
What’s more, true data experts understand their value and the power they hold in the process of client acquisition.
You probably sense this but consulting is underpinned by a hidden balance of power that fuels the consulting dynamic.
As the consultant, you may think that the client has all the power, because they hold the money and the right to say "you’re hired".
But YOU also have power because you have the right to withhold your expertise.
Side Note #1: Of course, your power in this game only exists if you’re well-positioned and differentiated. If it can take your clients a couple of quick phone calls to replace you, then your power is limited, but that’s a topic for another day.
Side Note #2: Incidentally, this need for differentiation is also the reason I probably annoy my clients by first working with them on positioning and proposition development - when secretly, I know most of them just want to dive in to 'creating content’!
Here’s the thing…
You - dear reader, have some serious data skills.
You’ve got the experience of solving complex data issues for years, perhaps decades.
In the field of data, you’re a ‘hot catch’ (but let’s not get too carried away with the metaphor).
You need to demonstrate a professional blend of attentive/interested - but drop the begging.
(And being an arrogant ass doesn’t work either, that’s not attractive).
In particular, you can lay the foundation for your non-neediness in the way you leave your parting communication.
So…you’ve had a great meeting, you’ve talked through the prospects pains and gains - they seem keen ‘…but need time to discuss internally…’ - what do you do?
Just get the diaries out and plan a follow-up call or session together.
i.e. A specific date and time - not some fuzzy ‘let’s catch up soon’ offer.
And if they blow you off by not making the call, time and time again - the deal is dead.
Accept it. Don’t keep begging.
Just send a professional response:
“Hey Mary, it was good to meet you and agree an approach for moving forward.
I've tried several times to reach you at the times agreed. I sense the timing isn’t right for you and your team.
If the situation changes and you would like to re-engage then do reach out and we can discuss further.
From my side, I will continue to share insights and research with you and your team; hopefully we’ll get an opportunity to work together in future."
Cool. Calm. Professional. All toys firmly inside the pram.
And of course make sure you've got Mary in your LinkedIn content engagement process and when she's ready, she'll reach out.
(Mary probably hasn't responded because she's had enough of working for a team of execs that sees data as the exhaust spewing out of creaking legacy systems, something that should be administered, but certainly not 'data governed' and 'quality assured').
So, no begging.
You're going to keep sending Mary valuable insights (which is how she found you in the first place) so when the time is right, she'll re-engage.
And you move on to the next client.
The one who’s keen to work with you because they also have read your stuff and positioned you as a differentiated data expert.
And the reason you’re in-demand of course is that you’ve developed a system for generating leads, without that, neediness creeps in.
Recap
Confidence in your abilities and expertise is attractive so don’t beg. (Begging is cute for puppies, but not data experts).
Dial down the needy and remember you have real power in the prospecting relationship by taking your skills elsewhere (if you have the right position and proposition).
Get a system (such as myDataBrand, ahem) for consistently generating leads in the data space. (You’re far less needy when you have a client pipeline).
What next...
If any of this resonates and you want to (finally) figure out a way to become a data authority and start attracting clients in a more consistent, less frenetic, way then...book a breakthrough call today:
