You have started a consulting business and now you are looking to get clients as a new consultant. And soon you realize it’s not going to be as easy as ABC! So, do you give up?
Certainly not, if you follow the right strategies to get clients for your consulting business, even if are a newbie in this field.
Here, I am going to disclose 5 tips to get clients for a new consulting business. And definitely, I am going to keep these tips easy and simple, considering the fact that you have just started and might not be in a position to invest a huge amount in marketing and promotion.
So, here we go.
Seek Help from Your Known Circle- One of the Quickest Ways to Get Clients for a New Consulting Business
Don’t be shy to ask for referrals from your close friends, ex-colleagues, and acquaintances. But make sure you do it professionally and sincerely.
Once you set up the consulting business, be it from home or from a small office, this is the first thing you need to do. Prepare a list of people from your close circle who might be interested in your business, or, help you out with some referrals.
Then draft an email that sounds professional but with a personal touch. Try to avoid lines like “Hey, I have started this XYZ consulting business. Please hire me!”
Remember, even if you are trying to get clients for a new consulting business, it’s not a good idea to sound too desperate. Rather you saying “hire me”, explain to them the precise benefits of hiring you!
Offer Something For Free and Get Back Much More!
Now, you must be wondering, how to offer anything for free, because my budget is so limited? Well, the answer is, you don’t need to offer anything which is too expensive or doesn’t justify the cost.
Think carefully about what you can offer for free as a newbie consultant. Maybe you can offer the first consulting session for free. Or you can announce a discount for the first 30 clients. There are consultants who use the Facebook Live feature to offer a sneak peek into their services and expertise.
Else you can always work out attractive referral programs for new and existing clients. Make sure to promote the referral programs on your website front page, and social media platforms.
Look For Strategic Partnerships That Benefit Both the Parties
A famous quote by Helen Keller goes like this, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”. Drawing inspiration from her, I suggest you take strategic business partnerships seriously, to grow your consulting business fast.
Ideally in a strategic business partnership, two different businesses decide to collaborate to boost each other’s growth, be it related to marketing, finance, technology, etc.
Wondering how to implement a win-win business partnership in your consulting business? Let me explain.
Suppose you have started a fitness consulting business (it is in great demand, nowadays!). You can approach the local gyms, spas, and health clubs and even resorts for a strategic partnership. It can be a win-win situation for both. While your client network expands, the gym or spa enjoys some financial benefits too, by including your fitness consulting in their services.
However, you need to plan a strategic partnership very carefully, after weighing the pros and cons.
Focus on Expanding Your Professional Network in the Real World
Now that you have come so far, it’s time to build up a professional network, by interacting with people in the real world. Yes, it’s true that real-life networking has its own charm and benefits.
Once you start networking the right way, you will find how easy it is to get valuable contacts just by spending an hour or so with the right type of person.
Here are a few ways to engage in in-person networking:-
Join a Business Group or Meetup.
Organize your own networking group and invite like-minded people to be a part of it. You can start with a close circle of friends, and expand gradually.
Explore your online contacts to find out whom you can meet offline for professional networking purposes.
Attend business seminars, and events, even if it means spending a few bucks for registration.
Be a guest speaker at industry events, else you can organize your own events too.
Use LinkedIn Properly To Sell Your Consulting Services
LinkedIn is an absolutely amazing lead generation platform, provided it is used the right way. In fact, it can offer endless opportunities to small businesses and individual consultants.
However, to find success on LinkedIn, you need to work out a precise strategy. Start by asking yourself what sort of results you aim to achieve. Accordingly complete your LinkedIn profile by highlighting your areas of expertise. The next step is to build connections who might be interested in your specific services. As you send message to your connections or potential clients, don’t make it sound like a you are offering a business deal.
Rather than going into further details, I would suggest reading this blog which explains the right steps to get high-paying clients on LinkedIn.
Few More Tips to Get Clients For a New Consulting Business
You can start own blog and write valuable content. As more people read your blog posts and find them useful, they are likely to send inquiries about the consulting services.
Find influences in your field, who might be interested in introducing your consulting business on their social media platforms. However, this service might not be offered for free!
Offer to write a valuable piece of content for a niche magazine. Even better if you can write it in a storytelling format. Yes, there are many magazines who are interested in publishing such articles or stories that their readers find interesting.
Start own podcast or YouTube channel to offer quick tips and advice for free. Even better if you can interview some experts in your field, to add value to the podcast.
Conclude
As I said in the beginning, it’s not easy to get clients for a new consulting business. You are likely to face cutthroat competition and stiff challenges. However, by following the above tips sincerely, I am sure you will be able to emerge the winner!
Author Bio: Sweta is a veteran content creator and an informed reader with a special interest in small business, and entrepreneurship. She has written for several internet marketing firms and small businesses. Now she runs her own blog onlismallbiz.com, which publishes informative articles for small business owners and young entrepreneurs.
