Secret to Getting Consulting Referrals

Ask any successful consultant how they currently get their clients and more than 90% of them will tell you they come from consulting referrals.

A referral is when someone, whether a friend, family member, acquaintance or client, refers another prospective client to you.

They do this because they care for you, respect you, trust you or know you can get the job done. Meaning you know how to get results.

And sometimes it’s all of these reasons combined.

But by far the biggest reason is that a past or current client was or is satisfied with the work you did for them. And when someone they know asks if they know of anyone that can help them with their PR, marketing, management, etc… your name is the one that comes up.

Referrals are not only the most common way of receiving business they are also the most effective and cheapest… (more…)

2 Ways Consultants Use Conference Calls to Build Business

There’s no question that one-on-one consulting with clients is the most popular method around. But it’s not the only approach on the block…

Conference calls may sound outdated and boring, yet they’re actually very effective lead generators and are great for group client calls.

Let’s break both of these strategies down and then dig into each…

Lead Generation Using Conference Calls
I’ve shared with you before the impact of offering a free white paper or report to prospective buyers. It works and works extremely well.

While these mediums are great you can often pack a lot more emotion and feeling into a call (through voice) than you can through paper. And that’s where the conference call adds big value.

You can have prospects sign up for a free call on “The 10 Ways to be a Better Manager” if you’re a management consultant … or whatever it is you’ll cover. On the day of the call, everyone that signed up for it would dial in with the number you provide them with. They can then listen to you and a guest talk about this in as much detail as you choose to provide. (more…)

Global Consulting with Alan Waldman: Interview

We connected with Alan Waldman PhD to hear his story of becoming a consultant and what it’s like consulting all around the world. Alan is the head of Waldman Biomedical Consultancy and author of Adventures in Global Consulting and Discovered Global Wisdom.

1. What were your biggest challenges getting started as a consultant?
I began consulting initially as a second, part-time addition to my full-time position with a major not-for profit medical institution. This was done not only for added income, but also to help make sure that it was understood by industry what the products we (my company and field) needed.

In that sense, obtaining permission to do this, and finding time to do it, were the biggest initial challenge.

When I decided to become a full-time consultant, the biggest challenge was to learn how to do this as a business, how to bill, how to put together proposals, and, of course, how to find clients, and how to meet their needs.

2. How did you overcome those challenges?
There were several different steps I took to overcome the challenges.

One major step was to contact colleagues who had already become consultants, something not as common for people in the biomedical field then as it is now. From one of them, I was guided to advice she had received during courses on consulting—and to the realization, based on the information shared, that I both could and should double my rate from the one I used when it was a part-time job.

The other major step was actually to read books that were available, particularly Consulting by Robert Kelley, which provided excellent guidance on how to approach consulting as a profession, including self-examination, how to calculate rates, bid on projects, and, importantly, how to shift gears, as needed, from being the marketer to being the consultant to being the biller

3. Does being a consultant give you more freedom or are you working more than a 9-5 job?
Being a consultant does provide, along with a lack of security, opportunities for more freedom, and even for substantial income.

But, as a heading in the New York Times once said about consultants, it is easy to fall into the “Why Sleep, There Is No Money In It?” frame of mind, constantly trying to maximize income by working longer and longer (even when there is not a stressed client demanding you do it)

4. How would you recommend those new to consulting go about getting new clients?
From my experience, there are only a few methods that seem to be consistently successful with regard to finding, and equally important, getting work from, possible clients. (more…)

How To Become a Consultant – Part 1: Right For You?

I could give you a soft and cuddly picture of how rosy the life of a consultant is – but that would just be a load of rubbish. Becoming a consultant, and a successful one to boot, isn’t for the faint of heart.

Consultants Are Much Like Business Owners
Very little in life and in business is easy. And consulting is no different. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, being a consultant is much the same as being a business owner – really that’s what you are. All the headaches, ups and downs associated with owning a business will become part of your everyday life as a consultant.

There’s finding new clients, get agreements signed, invoicing and billing issues, client management issues, the list goes on. You get the point, right? There’s just lots of different parts you’ll need to stay on top of. (more…)

Stupid Management Consulting Interview Questions

The Business Insider just put up a collection (here) of management consulting interview questions that are considered by some as just plain stupid.

The 15 questions range from “Estimate the number of gallons of gasoline the typical gas station pumps in a given weekday” to “Estimate how much time it would take a single average size dump truck to move an average size mountain from one location to another one located 1 mile away.”

While not all the questions are quite so wild, there’s actually some very good ones, this is a fun read. Be sure to take a look and let me know what you think? Here’s the where you can see all the questions.

Consultant Time Management – You Gotta Do It

If you’re an independent consultant, time management will be one of the most critical areas to your consulting business.

Why so important?

• You’ll know how long it takes you to complete each part of a project so you can quote it more accurately next time.
• You’ll know whether you need to ask for more money, or if you’re righteous tell your client you were able to complete it in less time than expected.
• Some of your clients will require you to show a time log of your work if you’re doing hourly projects.
• For your own invoicing purposes. Especially for hourly projects it’s a quick and easy way to calculate total hours and your revenue.
• And this also allows you to see how many hours you’re spending each day, week, and month on each client and project.

So know that we’ve established there is value in time tracking. How should you go about it? (more…)

Crisis Management and Being Prepared to Respond

When a large corporation like Exxon has a sudden crisis that could threaten the future of the company, such as the Valdez oil spill, they immediately bring in the big guns – top PR consulting firms that specialize in crisis management.

But what if your client or employer is a small company that can’t afford the big guns, you are not a crisis management specialist, and the CEO calls you screaming because one of his delivery truck drivers was drinking on the job and ran a red light totaling the car of another driver?

Although crisis management is not your area of specialty, there are a few basic guidelines that you can follow that will assure the best recovery possible, a very happy CEO, and who knows, maybe even a raise.

The Most Important Rule – First, Last, and Always
The first and most important rule in crisis management is this: whatever you do, do it quickly, honestly, and completely! (more…)

Public Relations and Crisis Communication: Getting Ready for the Storm

A relatively new practice in public relations is crisis communication. Probably the most high-profile example of this is the tragic disappearance of the young high school graduate, Natalie Holloway.

This young girl was celebrating her passage from childhood to adulthood with her classmates on the tropical island of Aruba when she disappeared. All of the public relations personnel in the entire country were not equipped to deal with the damage that could be done by a grieving mother who wanted answers. Tourism, Aruba’s number one source of income, dropped dramatically.

There are two sides to the practice of crisis communication – issues management and crisis management. One deals with a perceived crisis while the other handles the real thing.

What da’ heck is Issues Management?
In issues management, the PR consulting professional’s job is to correct an unfavorable public perception. A great example of this is Wal-Mart, a giant corporation with an amazing success story that must work daily to overcome a controversial reputation. (more…)

Guest Post: Consulting in Multi-Cultural Europe

We’re very excited about today’s post. It comes from Aarni Heiskanen of AE Partners in Finland. Aarni is a long time consultant, and today will share some of his thoughts on what it’s like to be a consultant in Europe.
>> Aarni’s full bio here

The European Union currently has 27 member states, almost 500 million citizens and 23 official languages. This is certainly a very interesting environment for a consultant, but not without challenges. So far I’ve worked professionally with people from at least 12 European nations. Multi-national projects have taught me that the consideration of cultural differences helps me avoid cultural misunderstandings and is a factor in successful cooperation.

The change that the EU brought about
Finland joined the EU in 1995. From a consultant’s point of view many things changed thereafter. Suddenly it seemed that every project had an international touch point, be it a multi-national client, or a multi-national team.

It would be natural to presume that it is the large, multi-national clients that offer international commissions for consultants. However, I’ve had several SME clients that are active in Europe, or even globally, because they also sell services or products on the global market, co-operate with companies in other countries, or have a foreign owner seeking an M&A.

What are the opportunities for small consultancies?
Management consulting the way my colleagues and I do it is very much person oriented. We are trusted advisors. Our sales are based on referrals, and in the internationalized world we have found those referrals also cross borders. Thus the new, global business environment offers us a chance to expand our client base, even if we are not a massive player. It also offers opportunities for learning and development. Working with people from outside your neighbourhood is most often fun, interesting, and rewarding. (more…)

Guest Author: Aarni Heiskanen

I’m Aarni Heiskanen, a Certified Management Consultant CMC and a Master of Science in Architecture from Espoo, Finland. I’ve been a management consultant at my company AE Partners for over 10 years. Before that I worked as an R&D manager, a business process developer, and a designer.

My clients are usually established companies who want to develop new business models based on technological innovations. Owing to my professional background I work a lot with real estate and construction industry companies. In addition, I’ve helped ICT service providers make their offering customer-oriented.

I’m also a partner at Thinking Business, the developer of Thinking Portfolio®, an intuitive project portfolio management system.

Website: www.aepartners.eu
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aarniheiskanen
Twitter: www.twitter.com/aarnih

Planning a Public Relations Special Event It’s Party Time!

Every four years it’s the event at which everyone who’s anyone in the world of the elite wants to be seen.

Men in black ties and women in elegant flowing gowns drift gracefully across the dance floor to the music of a full symphony orchestra while holding the finest fluted crystal ware brimming with only the best champagne. Suddenly the music stops and everyone knows it’s time. They stand in anticipation as the orchestra begins playing “Hail to the Chief.” As hearts are pounding and a mass inhaling can be heard, out comes the newly inaugurated President of the United States followed by the new First Lady in her designer gown every woman in the country has been dying to see. This is the public relations special event of all time.

Have you ever considered that the Inaugural Ball is nothing more than a public relations extravaganza? One of the more fun, albeit stressful, aspects of public relations is planning a special event. The events come in all forms, from gala fundraiser balls to family picnics and everything in between. Event planning is one of the many specialties that fall under the umbrella of Public Relations. It can be one of the most exciting practice areas if you can handle the pressure. There are numerous occasions for which a special event might be used. Following are some examples. (more…)

The Public Relations Press Kit

The PR professional has many tools in his toolbox, but most would agree that one of the most valuable public relations tools is the press kit.

Somewhat elaborately designed, the press kit is a compilation of thorough background information on your client along with information and photos relating to the product or service to be publicized. When done correctly, it gives the media representatives an appealing presentation of the information they will need for the story.

Building a Dynamite Press Kit

There are six main components to an effective press kit:

1. The Cover
You’ve always heard, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but if the general population followed that rule, Fabio would never have attained the celebrity status that he enjoys. The cover of a press kit, a pocket folder that contains the slicks, brochures, and pictures to be presented, should be graphically, albeit professionally, designed to set it apart from the myriad of press kits that inundate an editor’s desk.

2. Backgrounders
Backgrounders are information sheets on the background of the company and management team, the products and/or services offered by the company, and any new products and/or services being offered. (more…)

Gathering Info as a Business Management Consultant

It’s impossible to become a great business management consultant without learning the best way to uncover the problems within a company.

Some consultants tend to dive in feet first when they’re starting out, failing to explore the various ways to determine the issues within a company and attempt to resolve those concerns.

To bring a business back on track, you must be ready to perform plenty of research.

Of course, your approach to research is equally as important as the findings themselves.

What you find out about a business will ultimately determine its future path, whether the final outcome is increased sales, higher profit margins, or improved employee relations.

To a consultant, there is nothing sweeter than the sound of a project breaking open when the true source of conflict is unveiled.

Searching for the Problem
However, the investigative process is not always as clear-cut as many new consultants expect. (more…)

Part 2: Public Relations Press Conference – Making It Memorable

In part 1 of  public relations press conferences, I covered the basics of holding a PR press conference that will generate an audience, but if you want it to make a significant impact your presentation needs to memorable and impressionable. It only takes a little preparation to make that happen.

Setup
Stage your press conference site as though it is a theatrical show. Arrange ample, roomy, comfortable seating with adequate lighting optimally positioned. Check and recheck your sound system to make sure it is working properly and the volume is high enough to be heard, but not annoying. If you are holding it outside, make sure you check the weather forecast and plan accordingly.

Visuals

Any successful public speaker or teacher will tell you the more senses you can involve in your audience, the more they will retain. While it may be rather difficult reaching the senses of smell, taste, and touch (depending on your topic) using visuals can be extremely helpful. Make sure, however, that your visuals are eye-catching but professional-looking and to the point. (more…)

The Many Faces of a Public Relations Job

When you decide on a career in public relations, you may see yourself on top of the world planning gala fund raising events or charity balls. Or perhaps you envision your face on national television giving earth-shattering statements amidst a multitude of microphones. While your public relations job may entail some of these activities, your role as a PR professional may consist of a variety of responsibilities – from the excitement of crisis management to the tedious task of writing investor reports. Here are just a few examples:

Community Relations
Your client is a city of 25,000 residents with an aging population. Because of declining enrollment, the Board of Education has decided to close one of the elementary school buildings. Since it is in the basic nature of parents to object to any change that affects their children, there is a public outcry. How dare they close my child’s school that is just around the corner from our home! As the city’s PR consultant, it is your job to convince the storming citizenry that closing the building will benefit their children in the long run.

Crisis Management
A large manufacturer has “inadvertently” dumped toxic waste into a river that has long been the favorite fishing spot in the area. The enraged residents are calling for a boycott and demanding that the government severely penalize the company, forcing it to shut down. The managers hire you to quell the anger. You develop a campaign to show the public that the company representatives are every bit as outraged as they are, that the individuals responsible were immediately terminated, clean-up efforts have begun at the company’s expense, and the manufacturer is so repentant that from now on they will be making generous donations to local environmental causes. (more…)