Be Interested, Not Interesting: Chris Colbert on Selling Yourself as a Consultant

"The harder it is, the greater the value."

Chris Colbert has spent most of his working life in B2B sales, from selling photocopiers and fax machines in Melbourne in the mid 1990s to general management with budgets of more than $100 million. When a restructure ended his corporate career in his early 40s, he started his second curve with The Herbal Connection, an organic herbs and spices business he built with his wife. He also coaches senior consultants in consultative selling.

In this episode of Your Second Curve, Dr. Arnd Halbach, author of Your Second Curve, talks with Chris about how to sell yourself as an advisor or consultant. They cover why you should be interested, not interesting, how curiosity about a client turns into a closed deal, why selling a service is no different from selling a product, and how to get past the fear of prospecting and the identity shift of calling yourself a salesperson. Chris also shares how AI is changing his own business and how he thinks about retirement.