Start Selling Your Knowledge As Consultant

Starting a consulting business is generally easier to do as this is a natural switch for many people. For example, you are an expert of accounting for big corporation. When you are retired and start providing service for your friends or relative, it is natural.

However the challenge is to go beyond your warm market. How to get the job from others? Then you would start thinking as a real entrepreneur.

Your Nieche

Today the norm for marketing new business is going to nieche. You narrow down your target market to as specific as possible. And yet you would earn more than enough if you succeed in that market.

Even big corporations tend to dominate certain nieche. If you look at big 5 consulting firms, you can observe the segmentation of their services such as accounting, business management, strategic, etc. The days were long gone when one firm did everything.

You can pick one area where you are strong. For example, you are a senior project manager, then you can market yourself as professional project management consultant.

Be Familiar With Culture

Each business has its own culture. People in management consulting tends to be conservative, suit-dressed type. While in IT, the culture is more casual.

Learn the lingo of upper management. Remember, you are there to solve business problem. Go to seminars and courses about finance and investing. Learn about business writing. Things like memo writing, email writing, and report writing.

Follow this culture and set your standard one step higher. If the culture is casual, set yourself semi-formal, not same casual. If email messages start with direct first name, you start with dear firstname.

Marketing Your Business

There is no silver bullet in marketing your consulting business. The first step is to market your service to potential customers who already know you. There is not much barrier between you and your friends or relatives.

Of course you may have to sacrifice the earning. Even you may have to do voluntary work initially. Your main objective is to gain referral. This is more important for long term success. Get those referrals in writing after completion of your service.

Then you can start marketing beyond your warm market after you collect enough referrals. There are many skills you need to be successful here. It is worth spending some investment to learn sales and marketing skill. This is going to be the lifeblood of your business.