Stop Selling What You Do
Here’s the thing – nobody wants to buy “project management services.” What they want is more time in their day. They want the peace of mind knowing their projects will stay on schedule. They want someone to take stuff off their plate.
I see this all the time. Take a company that sells point-of-sale systems to small businesses. They’re not really selling payment processing machines – they’re selling a simpler experience for customers and an easier way to track revenue.
The same principle applies across all B2B services. You have to lead with value before anybody’s going to want to engage with you. Define your value proposition around what problems you solve, not what services you provide.
The LinkedIn Game (And Why Most People Play It Wrong)
Let’s talk about LinkedIn for a minute. Everyone hates those generic connection requests followed by immediate sales pitches. You know the ones I’m talking about – “Hey, I can do this amazing thing for your business!” Delete.
Here’s what actually works: Find people in your target market and meaningfully engage with them. When starting out in B2B, it’s essential to be strategic. Spend time finding people in companies within your target revenue range, follow them, and actually read and comment on their posts. Gave them real insight and value, just as some random person on LinkedIn.
It’s labor intensive, sure. But you only need to spend an hour or two a week doing this. The key is building quality relationships from the get-go where you’re not trying to sell them something. That’s what actually sells them something.
Pricing: What People Actually Want
Here’s something I’ve learned after years of working with clients – everybody wants predictable costs. They want to know exactly how much they’re going to spend to get what they want.
I’m a big fan of contrast pricing – giving people three options where you really want them to pick the middle one. For example, you might offer packages at $250, $500, and $1,200 per month. The lowest tier has a tiny margin – you don’t really want anyone to choose it. It’s there to make the middle package look more attractive. And if they go for the premium package? Great! That’s where your best margins are.
The Power of Free (Sometimes)
Sometimes, the best way to get started in a new niche is to work with someone for free to develop your process. Use it as a case study. Your new clients don’t need to know that first one was free – they just need to know it worked.
90% of the time, if I’m testing something new with a client and I’m upfront about it being a test, they’re happy to have the work at a discount or even for free. Plus, they end up helping you build and refine your service. They become your best salespeople because they can genuinely talk about the value you provided.
The Human Element Isn’t Going Anywhere
Everyone’s talking about AI these days, and sure, it’s powerful. But here’s the truth: AI has no ability to emotionally connect with others. It has no emotions. And the basis of every business interaction, every sale, everything is human connection.
This is especially true in services like project management. You might be able to use AI to create project templates, but it can’t encourage a team, help remove roadblocks, or translate between different departments that technically speak English but are really speaking completely different languages.
Authentic Relationships Matter
The longer I’m in this business, the more I am confident that success comes down to two things: providing real value and building genuine relationships. Everything else – the marketing tactics, the pricing strategies, the sales techniques – they’re all just different ways of accomplishing those two things.
Don’t be afraid to say “I haven’t encountered that before, but I’ll figure it out.” People appreciate authenticity way more than pretend expertise. And remember, every client or potential client you talk to might say no – and that’s okay. When they say yes, it feels that much better.
The best clients often come from the most unexpected places. Sometimes it’s that person whose LinkedIn post you commented on three months ago who suddenly reaches out because they remembered how you helped them think about something differently.
This is the truth about B2B marketing. It’s not about quick wins or clever tactics. It’s about playing the long game, building relationships, and consistently providing value. Everything else falls into place after that. Be patient and be human.
