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
sales
What’s on your Not-to-do List for 2024?
Lots of folks make resolutions to do X, Y, or Z in the New Year. Nothing wrong with that, I say. Except that you might have made similar resolutions last year. And maybe the year before that. And before that. … 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
Use AI to make you more human, not less
A lot of excitement about AI for consultants is about creating content and trying to automate relationships. But speaking (out loud or in written form) is not the same as communicating. And communicating is not the same as connecting. If … Read More
The (Lack of) Fortune is in the (Lack of) Follow-up
Consulting projects are “considered purchases”, so the (lack of) follow-up is often the determining factor in the purchase decision. The larger the project, the more consideration buyers give (and the more you should give as a consultant– do you really … 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
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