Selling Your Expertise

CHAPTER 7Opportunity Knocks: When a Need Presents Itself

Chapter 7: Opportunity Knocks: When a Need Presents Itself

When once asked by his daughter, who was five at the time, about what he does for a living, Mohamed Kande, the Global Advisory Leader for PwC introduced in Chapter 3, told her he's a consultant. Cocking her head to one side with a questioning look, she asked what that meant. Kande replied, “I'm basically a doctor for companies.”

It's no wonder Kande views himself as such. Like doctors, professional service providers need both technical expertise and strong diagnostic abilities to understand how to best apply that expertise. Research by Professor Susan Fiske¹ mentioned in Chapter 3 shows that doctors are typically rated as high warmth and high competence. Further, doctors don't look to prove themselves. (Kande remarks, “When you go to the doctor, they never start by telling you where they went to school, or what they've done. They start by asking, ‘How are you feeling?’”) Nor are doctors overly deferential—instead, they garner respect. They also don't prescribe a solution until they've assessed the situation. (I believe prescription without assessment is usually called “malpractice.”)

Most of these attributes should sound familiar. Like doctors, rainmakers deliver on their expertise. They are warm and competent and valued as trusted advisors. They instill confidence. They only suggest solutions after they've taken the time to more fully understand their clients' ...