Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants

Natural Born Seller

I'm always amazed when consultants tell me that they don't like (or want) to sell. Some seem to think that the whole sales thing is completely beneath them. Then there are others who believe they aren't any good at selling. My reaction to both views is, you're kidding, right?

In this month's issue of The Guerrilla Consultant, I write about why these perspectives are missing the point, and why consultants, by virtual of their profession, can and should be top performing sellers.

Read this month's issue.

The Downside of Client Relationships

Read almost any book on marketing professional services and you'll find an obligatory section on how important it is to build client relationships. That's sound advice but, as with most good things, there are potential drawbacks.

In this month's issue of The Guerrilla Consultant, we talk about the pitfalls of client relationships.

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The Knowledge Trap

Jumping to conclusions about any problem can be disastrous. When confronted with a small house fire, for instance, your first instinct might be to douse it with water.

In more than a few cases, though, spraying water causes a fire to spread, resulting in even more damage.

In this month's issue of the Guerrilla Consultant, we explore why jumping to conclusions about your client's issues can also be dangerous--for the client and for you--and what you can do about it.

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Should You Blog?

Many consultants ask if they should jump into blogging to add power to their market presence. Blogs certainly are pervasive. In fact, if you listen to the experts, you get the impression that everyone should be blogging.

In this month's issue of the Guerrilla Consultant, we talk about how you can decide if blogging is right for your business.

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"Where's Your Slide Deck?"

Whether it's a proposal, training seminar, status update, or final report, consultants use slides for nearly every presentation. When you show up to present (or even before), expect the client or meeting host to ask, "Where's your slide deck?"

Unfortunately, too many speakers misuse slide decks as a glorified cheat sheet for remembering what to say next. In this month's Guerrilla Consultant, we discuss some simple rules for transforming any slide presentation from a necessary evil into a powerful way to get your point across.

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The One Service Every Consultant Should Offer

In one of our recent webcasts, a participant asked me if there is one service every consultant should offer. I didn't hesitate with my answer.

No matter how different your practice is from that of other consultants, the one service you should offer to clients is a diagnostic assessment. You might refer to your service as a strategic assessment, gap analysis, business process evaluation, or even an initial consultation.

Whatever you choose to call it, the service is a relatively short, systematic project to evaluate a specific area of client concern and offer objective advice. The emphasis is on short, systematic, and objective.

In this month's issue of The Guerrilla Consultant, I'll discuss this service offering, which can form the basis for everything you do with your clients.   

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You Should See It Coming

Some memories fade with time, but a project that goes wrong can haunt you. We tend to relive profitless sinkholes, kicking ourselves anew each time.

Even though consultants learn quickly from debacles, in many cases, it's possible to sidestep such headaches entirely by heeding the clues clients give us.

In this month's issue of The Guerrilla Consultant, we discuss those clues and why it's sometimes better to pack up and walk away from a project rather than pursue it at all costs.

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Run with the Bulls

As 2007 wraps up, many consulting firms chalked up another year of double-digit revenue growth and strong profit performance. And the demand for consulting services appears bullish as we head into 2008.

You might think that selling services in times of high demand is the easiest of the market conditions we face. Some firms will find that a "rising tide" lifts their boats. But to reap the potential rewards from a bull market, you may need to make subtle changes in how you position your services.

In this month's issue of The Guerrilla Consultant, I discuss the challenges and essential strategies for consultants to succeed in any bull market.

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The Client's View

Over the years, I've asked my clients questions similar to this: "What's your take on what makes for an effective consulting relationship?"

As you'd expect, the answers are all over the map, and there's no science to my approach. But several key points come up over and over, regardless of industry, project type, or the client's position in the organization.

In this month's issue of The Guerrilla Consultant, I wrote about the answers that I hear most often from clients. Read this month's issue.

Let me know what you think.

Rules for Rainmakers

Ask ten successful consultants how they land profitable work, and you're likely to get ten different answers. You'll find some consultants who sell with apparent ease and others who sweat every sales encounter.

You'll also find some who, in spite of their best efforts, just can't sell. What separates the rainmakers from everyone else?

In our recent issue of The Guerrilla Consultant, we discuss why client insight will always trump sales techniques when consultants try to close sales, and how rainmakers use this simple rule to land new business.

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