Relationships vs Transactions

Delores is a marketing consultant.  She has heard that Stan's company needs someone to write the advertising copy for a new product.  If she starts her first meeting with Stan saying, "I'd like to write the advertising copy for your new product," Stan might hire her to do that.

On the other hand, if she starts the meeting with a conversation about marketing and an overview of all the different services she provides to her clients, she lays the groundwork for a long-term relationship.  Of course, she should still focus his attention on the copywriting job quickly so neither of them feels their time has been wasted, but he may think of other things she could do for his company as well.

What is your attitude when you approach a prospective client?  As consultants, we are selling our services, which means we are asking the client to enter into a relationship with us.  If you look at each deal as a separate transaction, there's a risk that you'll skip the important step of establishing the relationship before you try to close the deal.