Become an In-Demand Consultant in 3 Easy Steps
Consulting is one of the most in-demand professions these days. Many people have a diverse and experienced background and are brilliant at what they do, but don't necessarily know how to package up their genius so that other people are willing to invest in it. This can be especially true of professionals like agency owners and done-for-you service providers. If you're an aspiring consultant, there are a few things you'll need to do to make sure you're a go-to thought partner among those you serve. Follow these three easy steps and you'll be on your way to becoming an in-demand consultant!
Getting Started as a Consultant in 3 Easy Steps
I started making money as a consultant several years ago when I closed down my brick and mortar chain, and I didn't necessarily know what it was that I was going to do next. This was a really difficult and uncertain time for me. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar going through the pandemic or through the great resignation or maybe even just an uncertain economy.
As an expert in your field, you’ve collected lessons you’ve learned or maybe you have advanced degrees. If you haven’t figured out how to connect all the dots in a way that makes sense for you, consulting might be something to consider. Unlike online courses or info products, transitioning into consulting work doesn't take much to get going. You really just need Zoom, a calculator, a notebook, a way of organizing yourself and ensuring that you have your client's best interest at heart. Ultimately, that's what makes a great consultant.
The goal of a consultancy is to help flatten the learning curve for an individual or an organization. As consultants, we can make it easier and faster for them to achieve a goal, typically a financial or organizational goal, because of where we're coming from and what we've experienced. Thought partners can provide customized and transformational advice in a way most programs really can’t.
Understand Your Ideal Client Profile
Begin by thoroughly understanding your ideal client profile. You probably have heard the saying, "The riches are in the niches." It really is true because as you become a specialist in a particular type of area, people will pursue getting to know you.
Knowing who your target audience is and having an understanding of the topics and industry you’re engaging with will help give you the confidence to communicate effectively and achieve meaningful results in any setting. By taking the time to do your research, not only will you understand what makes you stand out from others in the same industry, but others will know this about you as well.
It will also make it so much easier for people to refer others to you. For example, if you are a subject matter expert or a category expert then you have a specialty that maybe a generalist doesn't have or a specialist in another area doesn't have. So the other day a longtime peer of mine, who happens to be an expert in a particular type of marketing software called Hubspot, ran into somebody that wasn't as interested in that particular software but they were asking for somebody who knows the online course creation space (which is me). My peer was able to recommend a client to me that has best-selling books on Amazon and is a top-rated podcaster.
This was a fantastic referral because I'm the perfect person to solve that individual's problem, and when she made that connection to that referral, not only did she look really good by saying you know what that's not my specialty, but I know the perfect person for you. They were so excited and happy to connect with me which is what we all want when we're talking to potential clients.
Know Your Value Proposition
The second way to get started in consulting is to know exactly what it is that your clients want and need. This is what helps you create a scalable offer. A lot of times you'll hear people say consulting isn’t scalable and advise against getting into it because it's just one-on-one work. This isn't necessarily true. I have people in my organization that help me deliver on my consulting offer being very specific about who I help and how as well as being really clear on the types of solutions that I provide.
One of the ways I do this is through pattern recognition. I can get good at delivering the same types of solutions time and time again, because when they come to me in a lot of ways sometimes I know what they need more than they even know. It’s very common for me to get on a consultation call with somebody, and they may have a sense of what their problem is, but as I start asking more questions the answers start to reveal themselves to me. I can start seeing where the gaps are and where I can get them the quickest wins. I leverage this to build trust and create that long-term relationship that results in multi-year retainers.
Once your value proposition has been established, there's no limit to how far your consulting business can go; responding quickly to customer feedback and adjusting your services accordingly makes scaling a breeze. When you know exactly what your clients are looking for from their experience working with you, becoming an in-demand consultant becomes easy.
Build Trust with Clients
The third way to get started in consulting is helping your clients get a quick win up front. If you're new to consulting, I would challenge you to think in shorter time frames. There's no doubt you're good at what you do and you'll secure a consulting arrangement with opportunities to refine their processes, hone their marketing, streamline their operations, or improve their team structure.
A common mistake new consultants make is to share all the recommendations at once. This often happens because they’re eager to showcase their talent and want to give the clients their best work all at the same time. I can share with you that this is the last thing you want to do as a consultant.
When you share too many recommendations with your client at once not only do the clients get overwhelmed, but you've essentially worked yourself out of a consulting arrangement. Remember it may take years to implement maybe the 60 or 90 days of recommendations that you gave them, and it may be tempting for the client to ask to go off retainer and circle back when everything has been checked off.
What I recommend instead is to get the client one single win when you see all of the opportunities that they need to implement in their business that you know would transform their situation. Choose the lowest hanging fruit which is usually the most obvious glaring problem. This usually results in a tangible result within 30 days or less. Section it out, so for example, if you see 10 steps they could follow, choose the first one, have them implement it in their business, support them through that implementation, and then share the results. In this way, you build trust and set yourself up for that longer-term retainer or project down the road.
Building trust takes time; it doesn't happen initially as you get started in consulting. It starts with helping your client get one win, and then a win for another client. You'll start collecting testimonials on your website. This social proof is super important because you’ll be able to direct potential clients to the testimonials when they're considering working with you. Over time that flywheel effect will start taking place in your business, and that one small project will turn into a long-term retainer which will turn into another long-term retainer.
Start by finding someone that you can help with a short-term project right away. Then, as you develop your subject matter expertise particularly as a consultant, they'll begin to refer other clients to you that have a similar problem to them and then your reputation will grow. People will become more familiar with what you do and your reputation, and your referrals will start rolling in. Become an in-demand consultant by getting started with that first quick win and then building your business over time.
Get Started with Your In-Demand Consulting Services
If you want to achieve the level of success that comes with having an in-demand consulting business with a waitlist for your services, you probably already have the knowledge you need. As you start by understanding exactly who you work with and how you can flatten their learning curve by bringing them to a creative solution more quickly than they would on their own, you can then build trust by helping them achieve a quick win. Each victory demonstrates to future clients that you're reliable and trustworthy.
These are tried-and-true methods I've used for building my own business and for supporting the students in my consulting certification program, Fractional Freedom. This is a ten-week, hands-on program that allows you to put your skills into practice. With our help, hitting (and exceeding) your desired revenue goals will be easier than ever before.
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