When I grow up, I want to be like those awesome people who always seem to be putting the right people together– super connectors. I used to think you had to be some kind of extroverted freak who actually enjoyed … Read More
referrals
No Referrals, Thanks, We’re All Full
So many consultants and other expert businesses rely on referrals for business development. But you wouldn’t know it. You’d think many of them were trying to avoid referrals. Have you seen folks do any of these: What do to instead?
The 2 Words You Don’t Want in Your Positioning Statement
Your positioning statement, elevator pitch, brand story, whatever you want to call it, should be doing a lot of heavy lifting for you. But there are 2 very short words that always weaken your positioning. (And I know some folks … Read More
Positioning is a lever for consultants to make sales and marketing easier
Levers are one of the basic machines you may have learned about way back in high school physics. Or, if you go back even further, the see-saw on the playground provides a visceral appreciation of leverage. If you sit further … Read More
The secret 2 step sales process to get consulting clients: it’s not quantum mechanics!
Some consultants, especially when they are uncomfortable with the sales and marketing side of running their own practice, have a tendency to make sales more complicated than necessary. They buy lots of books, take classes, implement enterprise-level CRMs, etc. (So … Read More
What’s the best CRM for an independent consultant?
People constantly ask me, “what’s the best CRM for independent consultants?” Actually, they usually don’t even qualify the question that much. They just ask, “what’s the best CRM?” (“CRM” stands for Customer Relationship Management, but most folks use it more … Read More
As a solo consultant, you’re a sales manager (are you a good one?)
“I can’t be a sales manager! I’m a solo consultant, it’s right there in the name! I barely sell myself! I get almost all my business from referrals!” That’s the paradox. Those referral partners are your sales team. Do you … Read More
21 Day Independence Day Challenge
Does your positioning do most of the sales and marketing work for you? Or do you have to slog to get leads and then try to close them? When your positioning is doing the work for you, you have easier … Read More
Get More Referrals
Great referrals are the best way to get consulting clients. Yet so many consultants don’t do much to actively get more referrals. How can you change this? How can you get more (and better) referrals, without feeling slimy? First, make … Read More
How to choose between 2 consulting niches
When I ask people who their ideal client is, I often get answers like, “I serve a lot of different people/companies/industries.” That’s fine, but I wasn’t asking who you could conceivably serve– your Possible Client Profile (PCP, which is a … Read More