How You Can Turn 1 Consulting Client Into 10

You're a seasoned B2B consultant with a wealth of expertise and a track record of success. Yet, there's a lingering problem that's hard to ignore...

– your client list isn't growing.

Despite your experience, you find yourself in a cycle where business development activities, seem daunting.

Maybe you've even brushed business development as 'just cold calling,' a strategy beneath your level of expertise. But here's the hard truth: this mindset is holding you back from unlocking a trove of potential new clients, eager for the exact solutions you offer.

Think about the opportunities slipping through your fingers each day. While you might excel in delivering results, there's a missing piece in the puzzle – leveraging those results to attract new clients proactively.

How do you turn your scepticism and fear into a proactive strategy that not only attracts new clients but also aligns with your professional ethos?

I was talking to a founder in a Boutique consultancy this week and he was sceptical of doing anything proactive to generate new business, so I asked him this:

"Have you delivered a client project recently where you got great results and they'd give you permission to use a case study"

"Yes, we have. 1 really notable 1 in the Manufacturing sector".

I also knew that as an ESG Consultancy (broad category of his consulting niche) the service he offers is equally applicable to the supply chain of his client, so I asked:

"How many companies do you think are in the supply chain of your client?"

"About 400, I guess"

So that led me to ask...

"How many have you contacted to say 'we have done [service] for client X and wondered how much the challenge of [problem service solves] is for you?"

"Hmmmm..." He said. "None"

And I think the penny started to drop. It also started to dawn on him that he had more amazing clients that also had supply chains that needed his service.

Probably more than he could ever possibly service.

Proactive business development is not cold calling. It is a strategic initiative to bring in board ideal clients.

Part of that strategy is leveraging a methodology I've developed called 'The Bullseye Method'.

What Is the Bullseye Method?:

This is an easy to implement process to turn 1 client into 10+.

Very often you will get a client because of a referral or from an unexpected source. You’ll do a great job for them and they love you. You finish the project and then scratch your head as to where the next clients will come from.

In this process we take the results and social proof from that success and use it to open up opportunities that recognise the brand name of that client. These can be:

• Competitors
• Their supply chain
• The people they supply
• People in the same associations

When To Use:

1. When you have recent experience of a successful project for a client
2. When you created tangible value and can prove it
3. When other companies have the same prevailing problem
4. When it is ethical to target your clients competition

Why It Works:

• Fear of missing out on ‘insider knowledge’ on what their competition is doing
• Ideas, ideas, ideas…
• Demonstrable expertise in the area
• Taking them a ready made solution with little risk

How To Use:

Work through the following questions?

What project or projects have you recently completed that you solved a major pain for a client??

• ??
• ??

What are the main pain points that you solved in that business???

• ??
• ???

What system or approach did you use or develop to help you do this??

• ?
• ??

What?insight?has?that?system or approach?given you that you can use to educate other businesses with??

• ?
• ??

What are the?results you have achieved? Be as SPECIFIC as possible in numbers and facts.??

• ???
• ??
• ??
• ??
• ??

The following is a starting point for us and we may build out more comprehensive lists later. I want?to?see your knowledge of the market and the application of this principle.??

If it is ethical to do so, what competing companies can you approach??

• ??
• ??
• ??
• ??
• ??

Their Strategic partners??

• ??
• ????
• ??
• ??
• ?

Their Clients??

• ?
• ???
• ??
• ??
• ?

Their Supply Chain??

• ??
• ?
• ??
• ??

The Process:

Don’t over complicate this.

• Profile the companies identified above.. Identify 3 to 5 people you can contact in each company.
• Contact them using whatever mechanism you are most comfortable with now i.e. if you are a proficient Linkedin inmail user then use that approach, if you are set up for cold email then use that approach
• If you need email addresses use a service like Appollo or Prospeo
• Work through them as fast as you can. Speed and recency to the existing client project are critical.

The Scripts:

The work you did above will help you fill in the blanks in the scripts:

COLD – CALL: [If this sends a shudder down your spin outsource it for around ￡400 a day]

Hi John, it’s [NAME] from [Company], I don’t know how relevant this is to you… at the moment… [PAUSE]

We recently finished off a project with [NAME DROP] where we [RESULT IS ALSO A PAIN] which is on track to [SAVE/MAKE] them [RESULT]?

Reason: The very specific reason for the call is to see how relevant [RESULT IS ALSO A PAIN] is to you at the moment.

[let them speak and ask questions – I’m curious]

Explain Benefit:

Based on what you told me specifically about [feed back what you heard] you’d be a great fit for our [fancy name strategy session]. It’s a very structured process for no more than 20 minutes where you will immediately benefit from:

1. Being ahead of your industry by being aware of one of the biggest market changes for the last 2 years.
2. 2 case studies of how other leaders in the industry have [removed problem[ of course [name drop]
3. An insight into your options to how you specifically? can eliminate any exposure to [problem]

At the end of the meeting you will clearly see how this affects your business and if you want us to see if there is a fit with what we do then great. If not, no problem and I guarantee it will be the most important meeting you have that week and will position you ahead of the game.?

Are you ok with that?

Ask:

Which session works best for you next Wednesday at 11 AM or 3PM?

COLD – EMAIL:

Subject: A question about [pain/result] at [Company]

EG: Subject: A question about staff churn at Pepsi…

Body:

Hi Jane, - I don’t know how relevant this is to you…

We recently completed a project with Coke where we reduced their staff churn from 28% to 18% in the crucial first 3 month of employment period. This is on track to save them ￡700k this and every future year.

So the very specific purpose of this email is to find out how relevant the challenge of staff churn is to Pepsi.

Feel free to say no, but do you want to jump on a quick call to run through some ideas I have about how the specialist knowledge we developed could help Pepsi?

Peter

NOW – Rewrite for your expertise and results:

The finishing touches:

• Build the list -?
• Cold email/Linkedin contact/cold call them
• Don’t overcomplicate it

Set up a call to run them through your pitch deck.?

Rinse and repeat as a systematic business development process.

Grab a subscription to my free newsletter via email - if you aren't already

It’s the roadmap to attracting prospects, signing clients, and growing your consulting business. — Click Here .

2. Work with me and a group of your peers to build a leveraged consulting business - The Consulting Revenue Accelerator

3. I'm taking on 1 new client where I step in as a Fractional CMO in your Consulting Business - You're probably over ￡750K and growing. Message me here on Linkedin

?