When you’re figuring out how to run your own consulting firm, you will need some basic IT sales skills to effectively get your small business
prospects, customers and clients signed on for a sophisticated network
solution. Because businesses are often resistant to change, you will
have to be prepared to discuss the benefits of what you're proposing in
bottom-line business terms. In other words unless you're selling to IT
managers, avoid IT jargon at all costs.

The following 3 pieces of advice can help you learn how to start a consulting business by working on your sales techniques.

1. Know Your Clients’ Hot Buttons. When you are selling
to the decision makers at your potential client sites, you need to
figure out how to speak directly to the hot buttons, sometimes called
points of pain, that drive them crazy about the current way their
business operates. You also need to relate this message to return on
investment (ROI) and bottom-line savings potential. Unsure where to
start? Start by asking, "what's the single biggest Information
Technology problem that your company currently has?"

2. You
Don’t Have to Be a Natural Sales Person to Start a Consulting Business.
While being a natural sales person certainly can help most of the time,
anyone with the proper motivation and training who's starting a
consulting business can certainly learn how to sell IT services
effectively. If you are the type that is a little nervous about selling
or not a natural, figure out where your areas of weakness are in the
sales process and work on them.

3. No
Matter What, Do What Makes You Feel Comfortable. As you start a
consulting business, you need to adopt a sales style that you are
comfortable with … even if initially you find the sales process
painful. You will not be effective in your sales meetings if you are
going against your personality. So you have to find your strengths when
it comes to sales and focus on developing those to their fullest. For
many that are a little shy or introverted, it makes sense to focus your
business development efforts on connecting up with other shy,
introverted decision makers... perhaps accountants, engineers,
scientists or others in highly-technical fields.