Every week someone tells me they want to be a consultant. It’s a job that seems so ideal. You get paid to help, you get to work with a variety of clients, you get to do things your way (mostly), and you’re seen as the expert. Then they ask me how do you do it?
I too thought of being a consultant years before I became one. 5 years ago I joined an in-house boutique consulting firm and 2 years ago started my own successful consulting firm. Truth is, becoming a consultant was many years in the making: gaining industry skills, building a network, and becoming business savvy. Below are seven steps that can help you become a successful consultant too.
1. Skills & Experience
If you’re going to help others, you better know what you’re doing. I feel being a consultant is a big responsibility. We have the potential to change the trajectory of an organization. There are two ways I recommend gaining experience: 1) join a consulting firm or 2) work within a mid-sized nonprofit organization, where you can serve in multiple capacities and learn on the job. Take stock of the skills you’ve learned. Having a clear vision of what you can provide to clients, will allow you to confidently serve as a consultant.
2. Network Connections
People often ask how I find my clients. I don’t think of it as finding clients. I see it as networking and relationship building. It’s about caring for the sector and fellow professionals in the field. Most consultants would agree following up with people you know is much more fruitful than making cold calls or responding to proposals where there is no existing connection. Take time to reflect on previous contacts that you have personally and professionally – you’ll be surprised with what you come up with. Don’t forget your alma mater or neighborhood/community connections (such as through your hobbies or church). Remember, it’s about building genuine connections. Geek out on relevant topics and before you know it, they’ll be asking for your consulting help.
3. Marketing & Branding
It’s not enough to have a big network. They need to know what you’re about/do (branding) and for you to be top of mind when they are looking for help (marketing). Branding and marketing take time and consistency. Identify one to two top priorities to focus all of your communication efforts on. From my 20 years of experience, no matter what I’m marketing, it takes 7 to 10 touch points before people will start to act or take real notice. This can be email, social media, or meetings. Even better, when others mention you, that counts too! It’s ok to start small. Establish a marketing communications calendar that is realistic for you. Even if it is just one social media post per week or one blog post per month. Give it a go!
4. Business Operations
This may perhaps be the least sexy of the tips but it’s just as important! Being organized will help you stay on top of all of your to dos and track your progress. Establish a process and routine that will help you stay organized. This can be 15 minutes at the beginning of your day or 30 minutes at the end of the week. Make time to manage your short term to-dos as well as your long term projects. Ensure you have a bank account, project management tools (can be in excel!), and insurance. You don’t need to have a perfect system set up right away. Start somewhere, then you can update your process to better meet your needs. Having these operations in place will help you reduce stress and make you a better consultant. It can help you better understand what your unique consulting process is and what the true costs of doing business is. This is critical if you want to work smarter, not harder.
5. Partnerships Matter
This has been a trying year in many ways. There were weeks, even months where I had to step back. Fortunately I had partnerships with fellow consultants that I could lean on. They are my support network — we are each other’s support network. They helped promote our work during times when I was less able to. Thanks to this, my marketing stayed active. There are multiple types of partnerships I engage in. Some I directly partner or subcontract with. Others we send referrals to each other. I meet with a small group regularly as a BrainTrust (a group of advisors). Some are leaders of networks – support them and continue to grow my network too. Much of what we do is about mutually helping each other out. I am excited to build each other up to bring more competent consultants to our sector.
6. Do What You Love
Do any of the points above resonate with you? Are there some that you’re excited to run with and others that cause you pause? Good! It’s important to know your strengths and gaps. What you’ll quickly find as a consultant is your time is limited. It’s precious! Instead of trying to do everything yourself, take note of what you find difficult or stressful. For me it was managing ongoing updates for my website (that yep, I built myself). I knew I needed to get outside help and not a moment too soon. My computer was so close to being thrown against the wall… ok not my best moment – but getting help worked! Being ok with asking for help allowed me to focus on what was most important – my clients.
7. You Do You
When it comes to being a consultant, clients are just as much contracting with you, as much as your service. There are many consultants out there, but there is only one you. Know what makes you and your approach unique. Share that and articulate why that is a benefit to working with you. For example, when it comes to strategy consulting I have a process, but it’s very much people centered. What’s important to me is not the final plan but the process in which we engage people in planning. I’ve found this facilitative, people centered approach to all that I do makes our projects much more successful in the long run. So don’t be shy. Take a moment to think about what you bring to consulting. This confidence will help build your brand and find you more relevant clients who are excited to work with YOU.
Being an independent consultant is exhilarating in many ways. We work with people addressing big missions and ideas. It can also be frustrating because we’re often called in when things won’t be easy (that’s why we exist!). Then we have to manage the ins and outs of running our own businesses. Hope you find these tips helpful.
Are you a fellow consultant serving mission-driven leaders?
Looking for a coach to help build out your consulting firm?
Are you with an organization or looking for expert support?
