It's a Journey...The Keys Make it Easier
Russell Pearson CSP
Hall of Fame Inductee | Top Voice in Consulting | Host of the Your Consulting Business Podcast | Business Blacksmith – We Support Super Smart Consultants to Forge Successful Consulting Businesses.
There are three KEYS to Consulting Business Success.
Becoming excellent in each is the journey of a lifetime.
Becoming competent in each will give you most things in life.
I'll give you all three in this article, but before I do, let's define success a little.
Yes, success for you will be different than the next person.
You get choices.
But when I'm talking about Consulting Business Success, I look at our Select Consulting Model.
We define it as being paid well (YOU define what's good income) with the freedom and the flexibility to do what you want in life.
So it's a Professional Lifestyle that enables you to work when you want, with clients you enjoy, anywhere in the world.
Now you get to fill in the details.
At the end of the day, when you have these 3 things.
You'll have an abundance of choices to SELECT from.
For some people, this may feel like a long way off.
You could be working too many hours.
Perhaps stuck doing work you don't enjoy.
Don't have enough of the things you want, let alone an abundance of choices.
But there is a way to change all that.
And, it's with these 3 keys.
1. Experienced Expertise.
I say experienced expertise, because people may think I meant schooling or education.
I'm talking about the ability to apply knowledge to solve problems.
Fresh out of University is a tough place to start.
Get the practical experience and application under your belt.
Some of the best never went to school for it, they learned it on the job.
Decades of experience learning to solve a problem from a thousand different angles.
Their expertise lays where they've solved a problem many, many times.
A PhD, or a string of Masters Degrees will not hand you success.
Application of knowledge creates the wisdom you need to succeed.
2. A Client Acquisition System
When you have a system for acquiring clients, you'll never go hungry.
Consistent client flow is the number one determiner of success.
Because each client you work with is a tremendous opportunity to improve your offering.
You'll improve your delivery, your processes and your team.
Every client enhances your potential to be great...world class.
Yet the majority of struggling consultants don't have a Client Acquisition System.
Look, if you don't have one yourself. You can use ours.
If you don't have the specific steps, scripts and templates to land new clients WHEN YOU WANT...
...we're running a workshop walking you through OUR system next week.
It's called the Client CODEX and you can book a ticket here.
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It's such a fast way to close this gap.
3. Great Communication
As a consultant, communication is the bridge between your big brain and the client.
Your level of success relies on your level of communication excellence.
Great Communicators are both great listeners and conveyers of information.
They make others feel understood at the same time as clients understand their ideas and strategies.
The written words, verbal language, tone, and nonverbals.
These are all tools at the successful consultant's disposal.
There are plenty of smart people.
But it's those who have spent as much time improving their communication as they have on their professional expertise that really shine!
When you can communicate well, people will know, like, and trust you.
Great Communication is the third key to Consulting Business Success.
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There are other things.
Leadership, adaptability, and stick-to-itiveness.
But I often reflect on the 3 keys and rate myself in each area.
How do I score out of 10?
I'm never a 10 because there is so much potential in each.
I review my score, identify areas of improvement, make a plan, and get to work.
We do this every six weeks.
Because a Professional Lifestyle requires a Professional Approach.
[Sidebar] - Professional doesn't mean a stuffy suit and tie...it means taking things seriously.
In this case, a serious approach to improvement.
As I reflect on the last few months – The trips, the clients, the profits, and the time back in my week...I can tell you that the rewards are worth it.
So School's never out for the Professional!
It's a journey.
Stay Passionate!
~ Russell
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Russell Pearson is the founder of the FORGE. A Business Program for Consultants, Advisors, and Specialist Service Providers who want the freedom and flexibility to work when they want.
You can contact him directly here: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/russell-pearson/