You Delivered a Brilliant Keynote. Your Pipeline Hasn't Changed.

You spent three months preparing. Travelled to deliver it. Nailed it. Several executives connected with you on LinkedIn before you left.

And your pipeline looks exactly the same as it did before you left.

At the conference dinner, you're seated next to a senior executive running precisely the type of organisation your service is designed for. The conversation flows—market challenges, industry shifts, the usual conference talk.

Then they say something revealing. A passing comment about their scepticism regarding solutions in your category. Or what they wish existed but doesn't.

That executive just told you exactly why they won't buy. And you smiled and changed the subject.

You're Treating Market Research Like Small Talk

Here's what I see working with senior consultants and MDs: They treat conference speaking as separate from business development. Deliver the keynote. Network professionally. Go home.

What they don't do is ask the strategic questions before accepting that speaking gig: Who's in the audience? What networking opportunities exist? Is there a chance to learn something I can't normally access? To build relationships with decision-makers who won't take my calls?

Let's be honest: This isn't a holiday. You're there for business.

After 25+ years working for global brands like L'Oréal, Colgate, Volkswagen, and Ryanair, here's what I learned: The consultants who generate real business from speaking aren't better networkers. They recognise they're doing market research—and they ask the questions everyone else is too afraid to ask.

What That Dinner Conversation Actually Gave You

When that executive mentions their challenge or reveals their scepticism, here's what you're being offered:

Access to a decision-maker who doesn't take your cold calls. Who doesn't respond to LinkedIn messages. Who wouldn't give you fifteen minutes if you asked.

But they're sitting beside you now. Away from operational firefighting. In the mindset to discuss strategic challenges. And they've just told you how they actually think about your category.

Most consultants avoid the next question because of a story in their head: "If I ask them to expand, they'll think I'm selling."

Here's the truth: They wouldn't have mentioned it if they didn't want to discuss it. Senior people don't make casual conversation about business problems for entertainment. When they bring up a challenge, they're signalling it's active.

It's not salesy to say: "That's interesting—what's driving that scepticism?" or "What would need to be different for you to feel confident about solutions in this space?"

That's strategic curiosity. And it's exactly what senior people expect from other senior people.

The Language You're Not Capturing

Your marketing talks about "solutions" and "frameworks." They talk about being "burnt before" or "sceptical of consultants who overpromise." They describe their problem in words you'd never use on your website because you're trying to sound professional.

But those exact words? That's what makes every other prospect in the same situation think "This person understands my reality."

That executive might not be the decision-maker. But they know who is. The Head of HR. The COO. Someone on their board. A peer dealing with the same challenge.

The follow-up isn't "Can I sell you my services?" It's "Who typically handles this in your organisation?" or "Would it make sense for me to grab a coffee with them while we're here?"

You're worried about looking salesy. They're worried about solving their problem. Those aren't the same thing.

What Changes When You Ask the Question

Here's what I see with consultants who understand this:

Their positioning becomes bang on because they stop guessing at objections. They know exactly what prevents buying decisions. Which benefits actually matter versus which ones just sound good in marketing.

Their website copy lands because they're using the actual language prospects use to describe their problems—not the sanitised professional version.

Their conversion improves because when someone talks to them, they're thinking "This person gets it."

That's the difference between consultants who generate business from speaking and those who generate LinkedIn connections.

About Strategic Visibility for Ambitious Leaders

After 25+ years managing high-stakes negotiations and strategic campaigns for global brands, I learned something critical: Everything is business development. The keynote positions you. The dinner conversation is where you learn what actually drives decisions. The follow-up is where you convert that intelligence.

My Strategic Visibility for Ambitious Leaders service works with senior consultants and MDs who recognise they're leaving opportunities unconverted. This isn't about building a personal brand from scratch—it's about systematic approaches to positioning your existing expertise where it deserves recognition.

Ready to stop treating market intelligence like small talk? Book a strategic consultation.