What does your consultancy actually sell?

If you think it's a service, solution, or product—think again. What you’re really offering is a transformation. Your clients are in their current state, facing challenges, and they want to reach a desired future state. In this post, I’ll explain how to define, communicate, and sell that transformation more effectively.

Defining the transformation

Your clients might not always know what transformation they need, but they can certainly feel the pain of their current state. Identifying and articulating that current state is critical to positioning yourself as the expert who understands them. Ask yourself:

• What pain points do my clients have right now?

• What mistakes are keeping them stuck in that pain?

• How can I name their current state in a way that resonates?

Example: Many of my clients, consultancy owners, are trapped in a feast-or-famine cycle. They rely on referrals and lack a system to generate consistent leads.

When you name the current state, it not only positions you as an expert but also creates empathy. Your clients will feel like you get them.

Understanding your clients’ future state

Just as you’ve named their current state, it’s crucial to understand their future state. This is where they want to be—the solution they strive for. Give it a name and show that you can guide them there.

• What does their future look like after the transformation?

• What is the emotional and tangible relief they’ll experience?

• What’s the outcome they desire most?

In my work with consultancy owners, their future state is systemised sustainable growth, with a predictable flow of new business that breaks the feast-or-famine cycle.

Foundational Transformation

Your clients’ Total Transformation is the long-term goal, but they need a Foundational Transformation to build trust and momentum. This foundational result should happen within three months—long enough to show tangible results but short enough to give clients a quick win. It also serves as a litmus test: are they the right fit to go through the entire transformation journey with you?

Example: In my consulting work, delivering a foundational transformation means helping clients put systems in place for consistent lead generation that generate ready-to-buy sales calls within the first three months. We can confidently move toward more significant results when they succeed in this phase.

Testing the client’s readiness

Offering a foundational transformation also allows you to test whether your client can achieve a more significant transformation. You’ll discover if they’re committed to the process and ready for the next steps. This saves both you and the client time and effort if they’re not fully on board.

Some clients, despite initial enthusiasm, won’t take the necessary steps. These clients often drain your energy and resources. It’s better to deliver the foundational transformation, part as friends, and focus your efforts on those ready to dive deeper.

Building trust through each step

Every transformation—big or small—helps to build trust. When you guide your clients through a series of small, transformative steps, they’ll gain confidence in your ability to help them. Each win increases their trust, making engaging in the larger, more complex transformations easier.

How to start selling transformations

Selling transformations means you focus on the emotional and practical changes your clients will experience, not just the services you provide. Engagement and conversion rates will rise when you communicate your offers through the transformation lens. You can learn more about structuring your solutions into an irresistible offer ecosystem in this post. 

Are you ready to start having more transformational sales conversations? Download the free Ready-To-Buy Playbook and start generating more ready-to-buy sales calls.