About The Consultant's Way Podcast
The Consultant's Way podcast is your go-to resource for navigating the complexities of the consulting and professional services world. We bring you insightful conversations with industry thought leaders and executives from top Professional Services organizations, sharing their expertise on how to:
• Build high-performing consulting and professional services teams
• Differentiate your offerings and increase organizational growth
• Deliver exceptional client value and drive impactful outcomes

Brought to you by:
• McMann & Ransford: A strategy consulting firm with over 30 years of experience helping leading B2B organizations escape commoditization and achieve sustainable growth. Learn more: https://mcmannransford.com/
• The Consultant's Way: Your one-stop shop for training and enabling consultants and professional services teams to deliver exceptional client value. Learn more: https://www.consultantsway.com/

Connect with us:
• LinkedIn:
○ Dean McMann - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanmcmann/
○ Anthony Paluska - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-paluska-5081804b
• Email: podcast@consultantsway.com

Interested in being a guest?
We're always looking for insightful guests to share their expertise. Reach out to us via email or LinkedIn if you'd like to be considered for a future episode.
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In this episode of The Consultant’s Way Podcast, hosts Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska are joined by Andrew Cappiello, Director of Professional Services at CaptivateIQ, to explore critical insights into professional services within SaaS organizations. Andrew shares his journey from teaching middle school to leading professional services teams, emphasizing the parallels between teaching and consulting, particularly in navigating resistance and fostering growth.

The discussion centers on breaking free from the "implementation trap" often faced by SaaS professional services teams. Andrew explains how companies initially focus on scaling implementation roles to support product delivery but often fail to evolve these roles into more strategic, consultative positions. This stagnation not only impacts employee retention but also limits opportunities to build deeper client relationships. Andrew highlights the importance of shifting from transactional interactions to value-driven advisory models, which enhance client stickiness, improve margins, and foster long-term partnerships.

The conversation also delves into talent management and career progression within professional services. Andrew advocates for aligning individual career goals with organizational needs, allowing technical specialists to either remain as builders or evolve into advisory roles based on their aspirations. He underscores the value of blending seasoned industry experts with fresh perspectives to create high-performing, innovative teams.

A recurring theme is the importance of empowering team members to make bold recommendations to clients, even when it involves challenging conversations. Andrew and the hosts stress that true client satisfaction comes from delivering outcomes, not simply following instructions. They encourage a culture of experimentation and adaptability, arguing that risk-taking and iterative learning are essential for innovation and growth in consulting.

The episode concludes with Andrew’s reminder to embrace the challenges of professional services with humor and passion, as enjoying the process translates into better client interactions and team morale. This insightful discussion offers practical advice for navigating the complexities of consulting within SaaS and beyond.

Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska of The Consultant's Way Podcast explore the nuances of selling professional services, emphasizing the importance of engaging early in the decision-making process. They introduce a framework highlighting three pivotal questions executives consider when purchasing: whether to act, how to act, and with whom to act. To avoid being relegated to a mere vendor, they stress the need to focus on the "whether" and "how" stages, where the most value can be demonstrated, rather than competing solely on price during vendor selection.

The hosts underline the importance of building relationships by letting ideas carry the conversation and relaxing in meetings to foster genuine dialogue. Professional services, they note, are not product sales and should avoid the pitfalls of over-preparing or leading with case studies. Instead, success lies in showcasing expertise through insightful questions and tailored guidance that align with the client’s needs.

McMann and Paluska also discuss the challenges of integrating professional services into broader sales efforts, emphasizing the value of team selling. They note that collaboration between consultants and sales teams is essential to manage client expectations effectively and reduce risks. This requires preparation, empathy, and a unified approach to delivering solutions. The ability to navigate between technical and strategic conversations further enhances credibility and helps address challenges in complex sales environments.

Key attributes of successful professional services sellers include being content-rich, conceptual, and genuinely interested in client outcomes. They advocate for developing consultative skills alongside traditional sales practices, which can be trained and honed over time. Additionally, McMann argues that selling more services is a moral imperative—essential for creating lasting value for clients.

The episode concludes with practical advice for handling challenging meetings, interrupting constructively, and managing pricing conversations. By meeting clients where they are, sellers can reframe discussions to focus on partnership and mutual success. These strategies, McMann and Paluska assert, are vital for thriving in the professional services marketplace.

This episode of "The Consultant's Way Podcast" features Bill Henry, a seasoned executive who shares insights from his journey from consulting to running global product and software companies. Henry discusses the fundamental differences between pure professional services and product-attached services, particularly in the SaaS world, where too much services revenue can actually decrease company valuation.

The conversation explores the challenges of software implementation in the SaaS era, with Henry noting that many customers only realize a fraction of their software's value due to inadequate implementation processes. He emphasizes that while customer success teams are important, they don't fully address the need for tailored solutions that professional services provide.

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on Henry's international business experience, particularly in Europe. He highlights the misconception of treating Europe as a single market, explaining how different countries have distinct business cultures, decision-making processes, and market dynamics. For instance, he shares how SAP's dominance in Europe created unique challenges compared to the U.S. market.

Henry provides valuable insights into cross-cultural communication, describing how phrases like "quite okay" in Belgium versus "great" in America carry very different meanings. He also contrasts American and European approaches to problem-solving, noting that Europeans tend to take a more holistic, process-focused approach compared to the American tendency to attribute problems to individuals.

The discussion concludes with Henry sharing experiences about international contract negotiations, particularly in Asian markets, where signing a contract might be viewed as just an early milestone rather than the end of negotiations. He emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural nuances in communication, such as how "yes" might mean "I heard you, but I still disagree" in some Asian cultures, and how asking the right questions becomes crucial in cross-cultural business interactions.