Pillar 02 / Cluster 2B

Navigating the long B2B sales process

TL;DR: How consulting engagements really get bought inside companies, and how to lead a sale you are mostly not in the room for.

Why does buying consulting take so long inside a company, and how do you lead a process you're not in the room for?

Explore This Cluster

6 Questions About Navigating the long B2B sales process

Why does it take so long for companies to say yes?

Companies take months to say yes because you're selling into a system that protects itself. A B2B sale runs three to eighteen months, and it isn't about you.

How do I sell when there are multiple decision-makers?

Selling to multiple decision-makers means equipping one person to sell for you. How to find out who decides, and what to hand your contact for rooms you miss.

My contact loves me but her boss has to approve it

Your contact is about to present your work in a meeting you won't attend. What she needs to carry, and how to ask to be in the room without going around her.

How many sales conversations does it take to get a client?

Plan on several conversations over three to eighteen months, and most never becoming anything. Why there's no honest average, and the number that matters more.

Should I take a small project just to get in the door?

Take the small project when it's a first phase with its own value. Refuse it when it's your engagement at a discount. How to tell which you're offering.

Should I keep pursuing an opportunity that's been stalled for months?

Keep a stalled opportunity alive on a light cadence, and take it out of your plans for the quarter. How to tell a dormant opportunity from a dead one.

Continue Exploring

Related Clusters

Pillar 02 / Cluster 2A

Leading comfortable sales conversations with consulting clients

How to run sales conversations that feel like being a peer and an expert, never a salesperson.

Pillar 02 / Cluster 2C

Following up with potential clients without chasing

How to stay in a sales process with persistence and integrity after the other side goes quiet.

Pillar 02 / Cluster 2D

Writing consulting proposals that win

What a winning consulting proposal contains, and how to handle the moments before and after sending it.

Mary G, nonprofit consultant
I just secured a contract for 500% more than I was originally going to quote. I was ready to undervalue my bid and ask for $7,000 but I reached out to Leah and the team for a pep talk and I'm glad I did, because we are now going under contract for $37,500!! I'm stoked!
Denise F, marketing consultant
I was my reviewing my revenue dashboard and it showed that I earned $100K more in 2024 compared to the year before. I joined the Academy in May 2024 and it has transformed my sales approach entirely.
Sarah J, fundraising consultant
We used to book clients just in time to keep income flowing, and we now have a 6-month cushion!
The newsletter

Get more of the clients you want, and get paid more for your work

Leah writes to women running B2B consulting businesses every week, about getting clients on purpose and getting paid for the value of the work.

Sign up for the newsletter Apply to The Academy