How To Become A Consultant 9 Steps To Doing It Right
How To Become A Consultant 9 Steps To Doing It Right
How To Become A Consultant 9 Steps To Doing It Right
Business consultant
Sales consultant
Marketing consultant
Accounting consultant
Technology consultant
Legal consultant
Do you have an area of expertise to advise on? Here are nine steps to
become a consultant. Follow them closely and you'll build a strong foundation
for future work, repeat clients, and expanding your reach and reputation.
2. Set goals.
3. Make a website.
4. Get certified.
Be honest about where your strengths and expertise lie -- and consider
strengths outside your nine-to-five focus. Maybe you have a landscaping side
hustle with enough client demand to take it full time. Or perhaps you're good
at closing difficult deals in the medical sales industry -- so good that your
colleagues are always asking for help.
To find your consulting specialty, consider areas you excel in at work, projects
you've gotten high marks on in performance reviews, or hobbies you've
mastered outside the office. You should also factor in what you enjoy -- if
you're doing this full-time, it needs to be an activity you're passionate about.
2. Set goals.
Setting goals helps you know what you're working towards. Do you want this
to stay a nights-and-weekends project? Do you hope to turn it into a full-time
business? Do you want to hire employees someday? Answer these questions
and plan accordingly.
Once you've identified broad goals for your business, narrow your focus to
more immediate needs. To do this, make sure your goals are SMART:
Specific: I will coach SMB sales teams on how to make better calls, send higher
quality emails, and follow up in an effective manner. The result will be more qualified
opportunities for reps resulting in more closed business and higher revenue for the
organization.
Measurable: Success will be measured by increased client pipeline and percentage of
client deals closed as well as referrals for my business.
Attainable: I have three clients already and bring in an average of one new referral
every month. I know there is demand for my service, and this cadence is manageable
for my workload and operating budget right now.
Relevant: This business model fits my skill set and allows me to benefit from my
success with sales outreach as identified by myself, my coworkers, and my
supervisors.
Time-Based:
o December 1: Review previous month's work and ask for at least one referral
o December 15: Have all coaching sessions scheduled before this date in anticipation
for holiday schedules
As your consultancy grows, so will your plans. Revisit your SMART goals on a
monthly or quarterly basis and adjust them as needed.
Once you've identified your niche, be clear about who your target audience is.
For example, if you help startup sales teams navigate early-stage scaleup,
hone in on your target market by answering these five questions:
1. "Where is my target audience located?" (Will you serve local clients only? Will you
accept national or regional clients? Will you exclude international clients?)
2. "What are their biggest pain points?" (What has driven them to search for your help?
What are their daily roadblocks to suggest? What are their scaling challenges?)
3. "Who is competing for their business?" (Who are your biggest competitors and how
do your services measure up? What sets you apart?)
4. "Am I targeting startups themselves the individual sales managers?" (Will you reach
out to businesses or network to individuals through local meetups or LinkedIn
outreach?)
5. "What motivates my target audience?" (What is your audience's end goal by choosing
your services? What do they hope to achieve for their team and for themselves?)
Getting specific about who your customer is and what's important to them
allows you to provide superior service and reach clients who are the perfect
match.
1. "Can I afford office space, and if so, how much can I afford?"
2. "Will a workplace enhance my business or help it grow?"
3. "Why do I need this space?" (i.e., do I meet with clients? Am I hiring some part-time
help?)
Once you've decided that office space will truly benefit your business,
consider what kind of space is right for your needs. Coworking spaces like We
Work and Galvanize are staples of many urban environments.
Join LinkedIn and Facebook groups your audience frequents, write and share
blog posts highlighting your expertise, and attend meetups or conferences in
your area. Be everywhere and talk to everyone who's a good fit for your
offering. No one's going to sell you as well as you, so brush off that elevator
pitch and get ready to sell yourself anything but short.
Deciding how much you'll charge clients can be the hardest part of starting a
consultancy. It's tempting to charge less than you're worth because you
haven't proven your results yet.
Research what comparative consultants are charging in your area (sites
like Glassdoor.com are great for this). And decide which of these common
types of consultant pricing would most fairly compensate you for the work
you're doing.
How much should you charge as a consultant?
Once you've decided what to charge, consider how you'll bill clients and
accept payment. There are many free and fee-based platforms --
like Invoicely, Freshbooks, and Due -- that allow you to automate billing cycles,
track and manage invoices and payments, and run reports on weekly,
quarterly, or yearly earnings.
And don't forget to consult with an accountant during tax season. If you're not
having taxes taken out of your payments, you'll need to budget for those when
taxes are due. An accountant can offer guidance on how to make this less of
a headache.
It's also difficult to turn down clients that aren't a good fit. Be honest when you
can't meet a prospective client's needs, and be proactive about introducing
them to someone who can. They'll benefit from a better match, and your
business won't lose sight of what it does best.
So, how do you find clients that are a good fit? Follow these guidelines.
1. Identify your ideal customer: What industry are they in? What type of services are
they looking for?
2. Find out where they hang out online: Which websites and social media sites are
they active on?
3. Learn what motivates them: What are the major pain points your potential
customers face?
4. Develop an outreach strategy: What are your primary tools for communicating (e.g.,
email, phone calls, social media)?
5. Size up the competition: What are competitors offering and what are the price
points?
6. Decide what sets you apart: What additional value does your work add that other
consultancies don't?
7. Be clear in communicating your unique value proposition: How will you share this
value proposition to potential clients?