If you are easily upset or a strict Pacifist, you may want to refrain from continuing. Read the article on “Never Upsetting A Client” or “It’s Better Not to Obtain the Sale Than to Raise Your Voice.” I’m sure you’ll enjoy those art…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Oops, sorry, where was I? Ah, yes: Making not-so-nice.

Consultants tend to threaten internal people by the mere dint of our profession. We are likely to fix something not working; improve something that will work even better; streamline things and end redundancies and waste; and save time by eliminating pointless activities. And that’s just until I’ve had my coffee at 10 and am caffeinated.

Dig In, Everyone

We cause this threat because there are people present who have directly caused the failures, lack of progress, waste, and convolution, or who have passively stood by and watched it gum up the works like tar winding around an axel.

Despite what you may think, these scoundrels are usually not the executives who are considering hiring us. In my consulting odyssey, I’ve encountered stupid executives perhaps 10% of the time in publicly-held companies. (All bets are off in family and closely-held organizations.) After all, there are a lot of filters, weeders, and trimmers in organizational life, and you have to be extremely lucky and partly invisible to get to the top when you’ve accomplished very little.

No, usually those responsible for monumental inaction and cupidity are at middle management, and they particularly reside in the human resource and training areas. (Please send your well-intentioned letters to the editors of RainToday, not me.) There is a reason these people are there: They can’t make it anywhere else, particularly in key and sensitive line and support areas. The longer they are in HR or training, the worse you can assume they are. They dig in like clams swept ashore by the tide before the next wave can dislodge them or a seagull devour them.

These are the people who don’t return calls, and get all bollixed up in methodology and the latest fads (Yes, let’s roll people down the stairwells while exchanging flags on our belts to show true trust and total……….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz).

Okay, I’m back. High level and secure people call you back, treat you as equals, and aren’t easily threatened.

Throw Dale Carnegie Out

The worst approach in selling professional services is to be concerned about offending lower level people. I don’t mean that you should walk in with guns blazing (though I’ve done that), but you’re not there to win friends and influence people. At least not just any people.

You’re there to find the buyer and establish a relationship.

Sometimes, these “gatekeepers” are quite amenable to guiding you to the buyer. Sometimes they will point in the general direction and burrow back into the sand. And sometimes, when they perceive you as a threat, they will hide and throw rocks.

Never let a relationship with a non-buyer dissuade you from approaching a true, economic buyer. I know that sounds harsh and one should never say “never.” (Who believes THAT?) But I mean it. I am faced with questions all the time about the pain of “going around” a low level person, or the fear that they won’t help you later on once the project begins.

I’ve got news for you: No lower level person is powerful enough to derail a project you’ve set up correctly with a true buyer. Their best interest is to jump on board that train before it picks up too much speed. And here’s an additional thought: No bank that I know of accepts a gatekeeper’s preserved good feelings as a mortgage payment. You may want to test this, conditions vary.

The Bottom Line Is the Bottom Line

Thus, your job is to build your business by obtaining paying clients, which is accomplished by establishing strong relationships with buyers. Working briefly with lower level people who can pave the way makes sense. Standing in the road while they throw the paving blocks at you makes no sense.

Life is too short and business too unpredictable to waste time with people who can say “no” but can’t say “yes.” They are often easy to see and love having lunch. But there is no nutrition in those meals.

© Alan Weiss 2007 All rights reserved.

Alan Weiss, Ph.D., is a contributing editor to RainToday.com and has been cited by the New York Post as “one of the most highly respected independent consultants in the country.” His clients have included The Federal Reserve Bank, Hewlett-Packard, Mercedes, JP Morgan Chase and over 200 similar world-class organizations. He has written 26 books which appear in 8 languages. He conducts a global mentoring program. You can reach him via his web site: http://www.summitconsulting.com or his blog: http://www.contrarianconsulting.com.