How to Become an On-Demand Consultant

Recently, I was profiled in “The Five Faces of the On-Demand Economy” by Intuit’s Alex Chriss. Since then, I’ve received numerous requests for advice on how to become an on-demand consultant. And after dozens of coffee chats and phone calls in the past year on this topic, it’s about time I put this in writing.

Why I am here

As a business person, I was immediately impressed by the economic value the on-demand consulting model provides to both clients and freelance consultants. There is tremendous opportunity to disrupt the consulting industry. However, my passion for the on-demand industry also has been fueled by the positive externalities I’ve found. The media and on-demand platform providers often highlight flexibility and supplemental income as key benefits. I see much more.

From a ‘supply side’ perspective in the professional services sector, the on-demand model also:

• Serves as a meritocracy system and a mechanism to reduce biases inherent in traditional workplace settings
• Provides an environment that allows introverts to achieve their fullest productivity potential
• Helps parents lean in and lean out of their careers with greater ease 
• Provides fantastic opportunities to expand and diversify one’s career experiences and relationships

By helping to level the playing field with the above benefits, I see the on-demand industry enabling significant productivity improvements and unleashing vast amounts of untapped talent. These are topics I'll write about in coming months.

Today, I’ll share my keys to success in on-demand consulting.

How I found my on-demand platform

I had done independent consulting for several years while I explored several start-up concepts. Clients had come to me via word of mouth, but I knew formal business development would be needed in order to scale significantly.

It was sheer luck that I read an article about HourlyNerd  in the fall of 2014, and I was immediately intrigued by their business model to match independent consultants with client projects. I met their qualification criteria of an MBA degree from a top 40 program, and the types of projects they offered matched well with my capabilities. I decided to test them out.

Key success factors

Technology facilitates finding customers, but getting started is easier said than done. These are the factors that helped pave my way to success:

1. Throw ego out the window

It doesn’t matter how smart or experienced you are. On a new platform, you are building your reputation from scratch.

When I joined HourlyNerd, I was a ‘nobody’ in a sea of 10,000+ consultants. Despite my credentials, I didn’t expect to land a big strategic engagement the first day (or even month). I knew I’d have to earn my stripes.

2. Hustle

It’s competitive.  You need to hustle.

I had the HourlyNerd website up on every single electronic device in my household (3 computers and an iPad). No matter where I was in the house, I could easily monitor new project postings and bid quickly if I saw something of interest. I even kept the site up on my cell phone while I was out, and would sneak glances at it from red lights. On several occasions, I turned around to drive home to put in a bid.

3. Have patience

Your first project won't happen on the first day. It also takes time to develop the credibility to consistently win large enterprise projects. There are people who luck out with big projects right out of the gate, but others give up far too quickly.

I issued myself a 3 month challenge to experiment with HourlyNerd. If I gave it my all and it didn’t work out, I could simply go back to my personal network to find clients. But if it did work out, who knew where it could take me.

4. Don't ignore the little projects

It’s natural to be attracted to the 5- and 6-figure projects, but especially as a newcomer, you need to be a spot-on match to win a large engagement. Smaller projects are a great way to test the waters.

When you do projects that are below your usual rate, think of them as investments in your platform reputation. Instead of spending hard dollars on marketing expenses, use your own sweat equity to earn your credibility.

My first HourlyNerd project was $100. I did a 2 hour phone consultation to review a startup’s business plan.  That first 5-star review started me down the path to success.

5. Make a play for the perfect fit projects, even if the timing is not ideal

If you see a project that looks like it was made for you, bid on it and do whatever it takes to clear your calendar. This is especially important early on when you're going up against consultants with strong track records.

For the second project I won (a $1,500 one), I had a major schedule conflict and waffled for 2 days before I bid. Ultimately, I decided that the project was too perfect for me to ignore.  Sure enough, despite the late bid, I beat out the more established consultants.

6. Over deliver, every single time

If there is additional value you can provide to your client, do it. Clients big and small appreciate the extra mile, and their enthusiasm for you will shine in their testimonials and referrals. Always aim to delight.

I go ‘all-in’ with every single project. The consistency and quality of my client testimonials play an enormous role in winning future projects and earning repeat business.

Getting to the big leagues

As I neared the end of my 3 month HourlyNerd experiment, I had racked up 10 projects with rave reviews. But I still hadn’t won a big project.

Just as I was about to move on, HourlyNerd informed me that a Fortune 50 industrial company wanted to interview me for a major strategic project. I was a needle-in-a-haystack match for this engagement. I’m thankful I was in the right place at the right time and that I already had a strong reputation on the platform. This project catapulted me into the enterprise big leagues.

Looking forward

2015 exceeded my expectations in ways I never could have predicted, and I look forward to even more in 2016. 

As I further scale my business, Syndify, and expand my client network, I’ll continue to carve out time to engage with other on-demand consultants.  Their expertise and time has been incredibly valuable, whether they are lending an ear or playing a formal role on my projects.  But beyond that, the camaraderie and advice we share as part of the #NewEconomy is just as important to me.  The on-demand community has a lot to gain as a team together. I hope some of you will join me in the journey.