Avoiding Common Consulting Business Mistakes

Nothing like hearing from a former Craft of Consulting member!?

Lena “graduated” after she was able to routinely fill her pipeline with clients.?

She shared her experiences with common mistakes entrepreneurs, including consultants make, on their road to business success.?

Here is what she wrote and my reflections.?

“They believe they should focus solely on improving their craft, but in reality, they need to learn about entrepreneurship. Personally, I've spent a lot of time and money believing that I needed to become a better Learning Consultant to attract clients. However, I soon realized that wasn't the issue at all. What I lacked was knowledge about how the entrepreneurship game is played!”?

Spot on!??

This “entrepreneurship game” is the business side of consulting.?

And your success depends on it.??

Because being wicked smart, having valuable expertise, and knowing how to get results is critical, but…?

If you can’t get the consulting business, price your services well, create seamless client experiences, effectively handle tricky client situations, and a whole host of other business requirements...??

None of your goodness will reach the people who need it, and/or you won’t get the income you need to have the business and life you want.???

“They lack a strategic approach to finding new clients. Instead of searching Google for everything and following contradictory approaches, they should adopt consistent techniques. Without achieving the desired results, they become frustrated, and their pool of contacts becomes confused.”??

That is exactly the problem.?

You can’t Google your way to a profitable business.?

You can find some decent advice out on the Internet, but if you don’t know the business of consulting, how can you tell good advice from bad??

It’s more helpful to find folks who know how because they have had to live with the results of the strategies they used.?

?And then once you find that, focus on clear strategies consistently executed.??

“They spend all their time on social media trying to reach thousands of followers, but the real value lies in reaching out to people directly.?90%?of Lena’s Moves?partnerships came through this method. Deb taught me how to approach it with genuine care and a desire to help people, rather than focusing solely on making sales. I hate pushy sales tactics, and her guidance has greatly benefited me!”?

A successful consulting business is based on relationships. Real relationships.?

When you first start, you will likely get most of your initial clients through existing relationships.?

That doesn’t mean marketing isn’t important, but that’s a longer-term strategy.?

Knowing when to apply which strategy and for what purpose will save you time and turmoil!?

And then there’s that sales thing so many consultants hate.?

And for good reason.?

We’ve all been on the icky side of pushy or impersonal sales process.?

Here’s the thing. If sales are only about a transaction, you’ll get fewer sales.?

(Back to that relationship thing I said!)?

Instead show you care (because you actually care) and focus on helping (because you truly want to help).?

Once you come from that perspective, selling your services will get easier. And more comfortable.??

“Deb offers a strategic and personalized approach via Loom videos. I appreciated her promptness (I always received her advice within a couple of hours), warmth (it is important to feel her genuine care, especially when you're super stressed), and accuracy!”??

Aww shucks!?

But, yes, that’s why I do what do.?

I remember how difficult and stressful everything felt when I started consulting.?

I remember all the missteps and mistakes, just because I didn’t know any better.?

And I remember when I finally felt like I figured it out enough to not worry.?

And I want that for you.?

So, I invite you to check out the Craft of Consulting Membership.?

It a community where I am laser focused on getting you the results that Lena got.?

Plus, if you apply and are accepted, you can check it out for free for 30 days to see if it’s a fit for you.?

Link to find out more about the membership: https://www.craftofconsulting.com/membership ??

Cheering you on!?

Deb?