The business consultancy industry is at it’s peak. In the United Kingdom, the consulting industry has an estimated value of £9 billion, and the potential to earn big from working as a consultant is undoubtedly high. So it’s no wonder that more and more people want to jump on the wagon and grab this one big opportunity to financial freedom.
However, starting your journey as a consultant won’t be like a walk in the park. The competition in the industry is tough and, like you, there are a lot of consultants out there who are all looking for clients.
So it will be a big help if you know how to pull off the right approach to getting more clients. Here are some strategies that will work out in your favour.
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Attend Business Events
It’s essential that you attend local business events to meet and connect with potential clients. The first step to look for business events is to search online or to sign up for membership in your local chamber of commerce.
In business events, it’s a must that you contribute value. For instance, you can ask business owners about their business and introduce to them your field of expertise. If they ask you for advice, don’t hesitate to give your best responses.
In this way, you can leave a first good impression and gain the respect of your prospects that will surely make them want to have business with you in the near future.
Build Partnerships with People or Agencies Who Need Your Service
It takes a bit of time and effort to build this kind of relationship, but it’s an effective way to make more clients.
The idea is that you look for people or agencies who have a significant number of clients. One way or another, they may need your service to start or finish a project that they can’t provide themselves.
For instance, if you’re a freelance graphic designer, you can find agencies that offer services the same as yours, and create a strategic relationship with them. If they need additional experts for their hordes of clients, there’s a high chance that they’ll hook you up for a project.
Implement a Referral Program
Creating a referral program that offers anyone who refers to your service is an excellent way to boost your chances of getting more clients.
For instance, you can offer a 20% of the deal for every client referred to you as an incentive. You can also offer your clients a discount on their monthly fees to encourage them to refer your service to others. If more clients come your way, you’ll reach your goal of becoming big in your industry.
Boost Your Business Visibility
Brand visibility is an essential aspect of doing business. Of course, the more people are aware of your business, the more prospects and clients you’ll get.
For that purpose, you should keep in mind the marketing approaches, such as speaking, writing, networking, trade associations, and digital marketing to boost your business visibility. Following these marketing approaches will also make your business more reliable and credible because you have the chance to showcase your work to your prospects.
You can also employ physical advertising, such as having billboards or signs, to make your business known to the public. For instance, if you’re a medical consultant, you can reach out to shield co medical signs to provide your business with creative advertising materials so that people will be aware of the service you’re offering.
Get Published in a Niche Magazine
Building your credibility is a must in making yourself successful in the consultancy industry. And there are few better ways to create that credibility than getting yourself published in niche publications.
Many people think that this approach is difficult to do. Well, it’s only hard if you don’t have the will and the right knowledge of how to do it.
Basically, you just need you to look for a writer or editor and reach out. For instance, you can praise their writing or introduce a topic that may stimulate their interest. Once they respond and you get along with them, you can ask or tell them that you want to contribute to their content just like we have with this article for The Logo Creative.
Put Your Client’s Goal to the Forefront
If you want to have an excellent start with consultancy business, you need to keep in mind that consulting is all about your clients. Hence, you need to be aware of your clients’ business methods, styles, and aspirations to further the best of their interests. In this way, you’ll make them trust your service and, surely, they’ll recommend you to others.
Create an Email List
It’s an excellent long-term strategy to build an email and send regular emails to prospective clients. An email list is a great asset to your marketing, especially if you create one with the right people on it.
You should make sure that you include a regular content/newsletter or automated email sequences to make yourself more trustworthy and credible to your prospects.
Takeaway
Starting a consultancy service is not easy. For one, you need to get clients for you to have an income. In such a case, you need to market yourself so that prospects will get attracted to avail your service, it’s all about differentiating your business in today’s crowded market. If you’re struggling with it, the strategies above will be a great help for that purpose.