"I would be terrified if my sales depended on referrals" - Philip Morgan In the consulting and professional services space, the vast, vast majority of business is generated through referrals - that is word of mouth recommendations. In my research project, referrals and networking were the number one source of leads for independent consultants, as well as consulting firms…
One thing I wanted to achieve with my research project was to identify the best way to do lead generation for consultants. I looked at the different lead generation strategies and channels that could be used to acquire new business. Selling in the professional services space is very different from the consumer market - much of that difference is due…
During a time of market uncertainty, projects are being paused or cancelled everywhere - but there are many opportunities still available. Some industries are even growing right now! Whether you're in a growing or declining industry, it's crucial that your messaging is very clear so that you have the best chance of winning prospective clients. Your call to action is…
![[Research] Marketing Best Practices for Consulting Firms](https://marketingforconsultants.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/fig-15-03-2020_08-31-52-512x288.jpg)
How do consulting firms find new clients? How should they find new clients? These are crucial questions at the best of times, and even moreso in the economic downturn that we're likely to experience due to COVID-19. I sought to answer these questions, and more, by surveying over 800 consultants in firms mostly sized 1-10 staff. A massive thank you…
Now that you've got some educational or thought-leadership type content planned, the next step is to get it in front of your target audience. Have a Profile Everywhere I recommend that you have a business profile on all of the major networks that looks professional and contains your positioning statement and call to action. Cover all the major networks: LinkedIn…
How do you position yourself as a thought leader and authority? Content Marketing One approach is to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise by creating "content". I'm sure you've heard about content marketing. I love the idea, but I'm not so crazy about the name "content marketing". It feels very generic, and doesn't speak to what we're trying to do, but it…
In my last article, I wrote about why your website sucks and your web designer hates you: https://marketingforconsultants.com/why-your-website-sucks/ On LinkedIn, Philip asked me: If I'm my own web designer, does this still apply? ;) Yes. Yes, it does! Why Is It so Difficult to Self-build an Effective Website? Apart from the lawyer joke references - "A web designer who works…
Many web design trends and technologies have come and gone since I started building websites in the dark ages of 1996. But one crucial issue hasn’t changed much since day one: “Web design” is not really about “design” at all. If you've spoken to many business owners, you've probably heard some of them say something like this: “Our website sucks,…
For me, the single most important thing you must have clarity on in your business is your "positioning statement". Your positioning statement defines your brand position, identifies your ideal customer and the problem you solve for them. A quick note on terminology: positioning statement can also be referred to as "value proposition", “Unique Value Proposition”, “UVP” and the older “USP”…
In the previous article, I challenged you to focus on just one target vertical as your market. Most consulting firms have a wide range of different ways that you can help your clients, for the many different problems that you can solve for them. Where Does It Hurt? For the purposes of this challenge, I'm asking you to find out…
A fundamental element of a marketing strategy for a consulting business is to have a specific target market. You can probably help a whole range of different clients, and you might be tempted to keep your target market as broad as possible, particularly when times are tough and the economy is down. After all, the more potential customers in your…
Marketing in the world of consulting may not be easy, but it is quite simple. It's all about understanding trust. Trust is more valuable than cash. Trust is the currency of professional services The purchase of consulting services is very different from other types of purchases, which is why so much of the marketing advice you see is simply not…
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