Consulting Success Podcast

When working hard doesn't work, there has to be something else. A defining moment happened in John Mitchell’s life where he was afraid he was not getting the exceptional life of freedom, lifestyle, and sense of accomplishment that he had always wanted. His search for the top book on success and achievement ever written led him to Napoleon Hill’s book Think and Grow Rich. From that, he developed the 12-Minute-A-Day Methodology. Applying this science will influence your actions and thoughts to help you operate on a higher level than you ever had before. He shares that what you envision in detail on a daily basis is what shows up in your life. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the Consulting Success Community today: Mentioned in this episode:Get Expert Insights into Your Consulting Business: Claim Your FREE Growth Session Now!Want to get personalized feedback and actionable insights on your consulting business from seasoned experts who've been in your shoes? The Consulting Success Clarity Coaching Program offers just that, and you can experience a taste of it with a FREE, no-obligation Growth Session. On this call, you'll explore how to optimize your business model, refine your messaging, and build a predictable stream of high-value clients. https://www.consultingsuccess.com/grow AI is Transforming Consulting. Don't Get Left Behind.Want to reduce your business development time by up to 8 hours a week and learn the strategies that are already helping consultants increase their fees by 30% or more? In the AI Masterclass, Michel Fortin will show you exactly how to use AI to work smarter, not harder, and deliver more value. Unlock these proven strategies. Learn more & register here: https://www.consultingsuccess.com/ai-consulting

Have you ever felt like you needed to do something else but didn't know what that was? Jason Treu is the CEO’s secret weapon. His work as an executive coach revolves around helping entrepreneurs, executives and rising stars increase their leadership and performance. He helps them map out their business blueprint, either starting their business from scratch or taking them to the next level. Working with over a hundred high performing individuals, Jason learned that 75% of people's challenges are not external. He realizes that getting to know his clients on a deeper level helps him get that level of trust and transparency to start delving deep into their psyche and help them beat the business mind games to get to where they need to go and move the roadblocks standing in the way of their success. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Join the Consulting Success Community today: Mentioned in this episode:Get Expert Insights into Your Consulting Business: Claim Your FREE Growth Session Now!Want to get personalized feedback and actionable insights on your consulting business from seasoned experts who've been in your shoes? The Consulting Success Clarity Coaching Program offers just that, and you can experience a taste of it with a FREE, no-obligation Growth Session. On this call, you'll explore how to optimize your business model, refine your messaging, and build a predictable stream of high-value clients. https://www.consultingsuccess.com/grow AI is Transforming Consulting. Don't Get Left Behind.Want to reduce your business development time by up to 8 hours a week and learn the strategies that are already helping consultants increase their fees by 30% or more? In the AI Masterclass, Michel Fortin will show you exactly how to use AI to work smarter, not harder, and deliver more value. Unlock these proven strategies. Learn more & register here: https://www.consultingsuccess.com/ai-consulting

Today I’m very excited to be joined by Perry Marshall. Perry is the author of several fantastic sales and marketing books and splits his time between higher-end client work and equity in companies as well as his science and technology project Evolution 2.0. Today we’re diving deep into the ways you can find your ideal clients, how to successfully manage your sales, marketing strategies, and business growth, and what to do next when you finally reach the level of consulting success that you’ve been working towards. Perry shares some really great insights into the ways you can reach those goals even sooner than you hoped and I know you’ll be inspired by his success. It’s all on this episode of The Consulting Success Podcast with Perry Marshall. 30 Ways to Find Your Next New ClientMost people know Perry as the author of sales and marketing books, but that is just the tip of his professional iceberg. Like Perry, successful consultants tend to have a wide variety of services they can offer the world. Consultants are thought leaders and thought leaders are naturally prolific with their ideas.Each one of those ideas just may be the one that will land your next new client. You can’t be afraid to act on any one of them.There is safety in casting your net wide, and Perry shares multiple ideas on how you can do just that. From writing books to hosting workshops and securing speaking engagements on podcasts and in seminars, every effort to gain greater exposure in the marketplace will bring greater security to your work. By utilizing different formats and materials, you are reaching all kinds of customers and adding diversity to your portfolio.But before you extend yourself too far, you’ll want to listen to the cautionary tale that Perry shares about securing this kind of diversity. It took several steps to gain legitimacy for his work, at which point he traded revenue for longevity. You’ll hear him explain why the trade-off was completely worth it and you just may be inspired to find ways that you can step out of your niche to become a more recognized expert in your field.Just like Perry, there will be times when you need to adjust your approach to your consulting business along the way. If none of your marketing strategies will provide you any return for another five years, you need to find a way to speed things up.On the other hand, if you’ve found an instantly successful strategy, examine it to see if there is a way you can make it a long-term sustainable facet of your business strategy. In both scenarios, the efforts you put in have the potential of producing great results. The Evolution of Sales and MarketingIf you can dedicate two years to your business, you can achieve consulting success.In the early stages of your consulting business, it is critical that you remain very focused on generating immediate revenue. Once you’ve got that pipeline of business in place, you can look forward to the next level of business.But how do you get there? Perry has four action points to help you get started.First, send out regular emails that are filled with high-quality content. Every email you send should make your readers want to read the next one, as well. And you never know which email will help you secure your next client.Second, dig a deep trench. Your business is your castle, and you have to protect it from destruction with a secure moat. If you can do this, you can immunize yourself from competition.You can start digging your trench by asking yourself this question — how hard would it be for someone else to do the same thing I’m doing? If your work is easily duplicated, your business is not going to last for long. You can prevent this duplication from happening by following Perry’s next point.Third, you have to build your network. You will hear this advice on every episode of The Consulting Success Podcast. Any time that you commit to your network increases the security of your business. Network growth can be as small and simple as gathering positive reviews on Google. But when you get to your customers first — before your competition does — you can start building your business first. And that advantage brings with it security and success.Finally, you need to ask yourself, “How can every client that I get create more value for every client that I already have?” You can make this happen by digging deeper into your niche. By specializing and identifying your ideal client, you are securing your position as the industry expert. And once you do this, the clients will come more easily than ever.Specializing is a critical step to building your consulting business. You can’t afford not to, even when considering the potential work that you might be leaving behind. If you’re hesitant to specialize, you need to listen to Perry’s explanation of the ‘disqualification process’ that comes with focusing your efforts. Instead of trying to convince people that they should work you with, you need to identify the kinds of people and businesses that you are not willing to work with.Taking every gig that comes along may be where you had to start in the early stages of developing your consultancy, but as your business grows you have to be selective. The consultant that is willing to dig deep and create stability for their company is the one that is going to rise to the top.For Perry, this meant focusing in on GoogleAds. For you, it might mean something else. Whatever it is, if you can gain the attention of your specialized marketplace, you will find success. By securing your position as the specialist, you will get where you want to be. People may not be able to remember five different things you can do, but if you can be remembered for one good thing, you can also make yourself available to help them with their other problems that you can solve. Managing Business GrowthIn 2008, Perry decided it was time to expand his business. Companies around the world were retreating, but Perry saw an opportunity for growth. He took a chance, and his efforts were just about 50% successful. But the lessons he learned through the process were crucial ones.The biggest lesson Perry learned was this — at least half of the work that you do can be automated. Most likely, only 25% of the work of your business cannot be done by anyone else but you. Are you putting your effort where it needs to be? Learn from Perry’s experiences and start focusing on that 25%. The Next Step After Achieving Consulting SuccessPicture it — you’ve finally arrived. Your business is successful, you’re turning away requests for work, and hand-selecting the clients you want to do business with. Maybe it’s even time to sell your business for a healthy profit.But is that the right step? Many successful consultants find that getting a big pile of money — while it sounds very nice — is not actually the answer to achieving true success in your life’s work.In the heart of so many consultants, success comes when we get to wake up in the morning, solve somebody else’s problems and feel truly useful in the world.That is what successful consultants want to do. If you feel like you’ve gotten lost along the way or like you’ve forgotten the true purpose of your work, you need to listen to my conversation with Perry.Your mindset about your work will affect your success more than anything else. No matter how big your company grows or how big your income is, your problems aren’t going to go away. But your approach to solving those problems will make all the difference in your success.I want to encourage you to enjoy the journey and embrace the lessons you’re learning along the way. When you do, true success will start to come easily. Join me and Perry Marshall today as he shares his story of finding consulting success on this episode of The Consulting Success Podcast. Key Takeaways:[:32] Introducing Perry Marshall, online marketing strategist, entrepreneur, and author.[5:39] The benefit of diversifying your portfolio and gaining exposure in the marketplace.[12:46] The evolution of Perry’s sales and marketing approach.[19:38] How important is specializing when growing your consulting business?[26:38] Lessons Perry has learned while managing business growth.[35:20] Your consulting business is finally successful — now what?[45:00] Connecting with Perry Marshall. Mentioned in This Episode:Perry Marshall 80/20 Sales and Marketing: The Definitive Guide to Working Less and Making More, by Perry Marshall Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords: How to Access 100 Million People in 10 Minutes, by Perry Marshall Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising: How to Access 1 Billion Potential Customers in 10 Minutes, by Perry Marshall Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsuccess.com Mentioned in this episode:Get Expert Insights into Your Consulting Business: Claim Your FREE Growth Session Now!Want to get personalized feedback and actionable insights on your consulting business from seasoned experts who've been in your shoes? The Consulting Success Clarity Coaching Program offers just that, and you can experience a taste of it with a FREE, no-obligation Growth Session. On this call, you'll explore how to optimize your business model, refine your messaging, and build a predictable stream of high-value clients. https://www.consultingsuccess.com/grow AI is Transforming Consulting. Don't Get Left Behind.Want to reduce your business development time by up to 8 hours a week and learn the strategies that are already helping consultants increase their fees by 30% or more? In the AI Masterclass, Michel Fortin will show you exactly how to use AI to work smarter, not harder, and deliver more value. Unlock these proven strategies. Learn more & register here: https://www.consultingsuccess.com/ai-consulting

Today I’m sharing another chapter from my newest book The Elite Consulting Mind: 16 Proven Mindsets to Attract More Clients, Increase Your Income and Achieve Meaningful Success. This book is full of principles — all proven by elite consultants — that you can use to overcome challenges, remove obstacles, and grow your business significantly. I want to share with you one of the 16 mindsets from the book that is a vital step in achieving next-level consulting success and the opportunity to work with high value clients.Whether you’re just getting into the consulting business or you are a seasoned consulting veteran but aren’t experiencing the level of success and results you desire, this book offers you the advantage you need. Join me as we explore one of the 16 mindsets that elite consultants employ on this special episode of The Consulting Success Podcast. Outreach, Imperfected“What is the most important step you could take right now to get more business?”I posed this question to Bella, a successful consultant who has worked for many high-powered businesses and has clearly enjoyed a successful consulting career. But on this day, she didn’t seem to be enjoying herself at all. She didn’t have an immediate answer to my question, so I tried a different approach.“How do you win new business?”This time she answered quickly, and we dove into a conversation about the essential first step of  meeting with potential clients. The problem that led her to me soon became apparent as she listed off to me the number of reasons why she didn’t feel prepared to put herself in front of new clients at this time. Her message wasn’t polished, her website wasn’t updated. … In short, she was paralyzed by imperfection.I’m sure that you, like most consultants, recognize that getting in front of new clients and creating conversations is the key to growing your business. Despite knowing this, too many consultants find reasons to avoid it. There always seems to be some excuse, a reason to delay, or something else to work on first. We avoid putting ourselves out there because we crave certainty. In hopes of making conditions as perfect as possible, too many consultants work on other things, and keep making excuses. The need to constantly attend to the website, the blog, or the research are just distractions that are keeping you from actually taking the action needed to gain real certainty.Messaging and marketing are two of the biggest hang-ups for far too many consultants. As you prepare your value proposition, many other questions may arise, which can too quickly lead to paralyzing doubts. These doubts lead to a constant tweaking of these details are simply keeping you from taking that critical first step of putting your message into action. Are You A Perfectionist?You want to know that everything is in order before you take action. You work hard to position every word and you wait for the starts to be perfectly aligned before proceeding. You just may be a perfectionist.The problem is that attaining perfection is extremely rare, and even when it does happen, it takes time. Let’s take a look at one of the most famous companies in the world that also happens to be filled with a history of errors and mistakes made in their 130 years in business. If you are a perfectionist, you need to hear the story of Coca-Cola.Despite their many blunders, Coca-Cola remains one of the most recognizable brands and in the world, in large part because they aren’t waiting for perfection to try new things. You shouldn't either. Anytime you start something new or do something you haven’t done before, you face uncertainty, but you can’t let that fear hold you back.When you fail to take action because you're not 100% confident that your message and marketing will hit the mark the first time, you are relying on a marketing of hope. If you’re relying solely on your network and referrals to help secure business, you will eventually run out of help. That’s when the trouble begins. Get The Momentum GoingIf you’re not doing outreach you’ll have fewer opportunities to get in front of your clients, which leads only to fewer conversations, fewer proposals, and fewer projects won. On the other hand, once you start doing outreach, momentum starts building. More conversations lead to more clients, which leads to more opportunities to identify value and make proposals to buyers. All of that will lead to more business.Take action today. Your message and your marketing don’t have to be perfect to create the results you want. Success doesn’t demand complete accuracy right from the start. You can adjust and optimize things along the way. Even without perfection in place, the most successful people simply get started. They implement ideas and they take action.It is possible to build your business and perfect your message at the same time. By doing so, your outreach will become consistently more effective. Course corrections are often necessary, but that never means that you shouldn’t keep trying. And eventually, you will reach the point that it feels easy to attract high value clients.You have a choice — you can either harness the power of imperfect action to your advantage, or you can hide behind theoretical perfection and do nothing. In this chapter of The Elite Consulting Mind, you will learn all about this mindset and the action that is critical for you to achieve next-level consulting success. You can find more information about The Elite Consulting Mind on our website at www.consultingsuccess.com/mindsetbook. Key Takeaways:[:33] The key to success is outreach, imperfected.[4:07] Perfectionism paralyzes opportunity and kills productivity.[8:30] How successful consultants share their imperfect message and marketing.[11:10] The magic that comes with attempted, although imperfect outreach. Mentioned in This Episode:The Elite Consulting Mind: 16 Proven Mindsets to Attract More Clients, Increase Your Income and Achieve Meaningful Success, by Michael Zipursky Tweetables:“Most consultants know that getting in front of new clients and creating conversations with them is the key to growing their business. Despite this, many of them find reasons to avoid it.”— Michael Zipursky“It’s only when you take steps toward the action that you want to achieve that you will start to find the certainty that you are looking for.” — Michael Zipursky“The only way to find out if your message works is to put it into action.” — Michael Zipursky“Success requires taking risks, and taking risks means stepping boldly into uncertainty.” — Michael Zipursky“Your message and your marketing don’t have to be perfect to create the results you want.” — Michael Zipursky Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsuccess.com Mentioned in this episode:AI is Transforming Consulting. Don't Get Left Behind.Want to reduce your business development time by up to 8 hours a week and learn the strategies that are already helping consultants increase their fees by 30% or more? In the AI Masterclass, Michel Fortin will show you exactly how to use AI to work smarter, not harder, and deliver more value. Unlock these proven strategies. Learn more & register here: https://www.consultingsuccess.com/ai-consultingGet Expert Insights into Your Consulting Business: Claim Your FREE Growth Session Now!Want to get personalized feedback and actionable insights on your consulting business from seasoned experts who've been in your shoes? The Consulting Success Clarity Coaching Program offers just that, and you can experience a taste of it with a FREE, no-obligation Growth Session. On this call, you'll explore how to optimize your business model, refine your messaging, and build a predictable stream of high-value clients. https://www.consultingsuccess.com/grow

I’m very pleased to be joined today by Chester Elton, a recognized expert in business and leadership. Chester has worked together with his partner, Adrian Gostick, for over 20 years to create networks where people feel engaged, enabled, and energized. They are the authors of several leadership books, including the newly released The Best Team Wins: The New Science of High Performance. Known as “The Carrot Guys,” Chester and Adrian believe that as you motivate and recognize passionate people in the right positions and create a culture they connect with, business success will naturally follow. In our conversation, we dive into the importance of writing the best books, ways to successfully grow your consulting business, and how to increase your expertise so that you can increase your consulting fees, all on this episode of The Consulting Success Podcast with Chester Elton. Writing The Best BooksBefore becoming a world-renowned author and cultivator of successful business culture, Chester worked for his college newspaper at Brigham Young University in Utah. After graduation he worked in advertising in New York City, selling both ad space and ‘air space.’  Soon he started down the path of selling recognition programs, where he worked for 19 years to help businesses understand the importance of valuing and recognizing their employees. His first book was the genesis of his relationship with Adrian Gostick, as well as his positioning as a thought leader of recognition in the business world. 11 books, 1.5 million copies and 30 languages later, Chester and Adrian have clearly set themselves apart in exactly the ways they set out to.Any consultant who has ever considered writing a book recognizes the mountain before them.  It can seem entirely overwhelming to even know where to start. For Chester, there was little trepidation when faced with the daunting task of writing his first book, and he gives that credit to the support system that he surrounded himself with. Just as you’ve heard me say many times before, his network was the key to his success. His network became the critical link to his success. Between his partnership with Adrian, their editor, publisher, and the many mentors who supported them along the way, the partners were able to confidently conquer their first book, as well as the many other books that have followed. If you can surround yourself by people that will encourage you along the way, you will be able to conquer the mountain of expert writing as well, and you will enjoy the benefits that follow soon after.The quality writing that you produce, whether it be as monumental as your first book or as simple as a white paper or blog post, will be beneficial the success of your consulting business.  Writing helps to solidify your why — not just what you do and how you do it, but why you are doing it and why other people should listen to you as a thought leader in your industry. Charging Fees Like An ExpertOnce you have established yourself as an expert, you can charge the fees that accompany expertise. Chester and Adrian started their speaking engagements at a mere $1,000 per event.  But their success quickly escalated as they became more accomplished writers. As they charged more for their speaking events, they found that more important people started attending their sessions. When they started charging upwards of $20,000 per session, the CEO started showing up. As a result of their successful writing and speaking engagements, people began inquiring about the training options they offered. So once again the team tapped into their network, surrounded themselves with smart people and created a very successful training practice.Along pathway to success, Chester and Adrian have always been sure to keep their focus front and center. By remembering their why they have been able to continuously enjoy success and help people wake up in the morning to a job that they love. Chester talks about the inspiration he’s gained from Marshall Goldsmith, and you may find similarities between him and the mentors that you have chosen to surround yourself with as you pursue your consulting success. Chester is another example of the successful consulting truth that I constantly share — your network is the greatest tool that you have in your possession. The Intentional Evolution of a Successful BusinessCreating a successful consulting business requires intentionality. Chester shares his story of the natural evolution of his business and points out that the key to success was the intentional effort that he and Adrian put into it. Again, the main and recurring theme of Chester’s success — like so many other consultants — is the network that he leaned on. The people that he surrounded himself with helped him to realize the success that he enjoys today.Chester notes that one of the greatest things he’s learned from his mentors is the mistakes that they have made along the way. Like him, there is no reason for you to make every common consulting mistake yourself — you can connect yourself to the best people in your industry and let them teach you, based on their experiences.You should also not be afraid to grow slowly, or be afraid to have patience with your company as you figure out how to meet your financial and timeline goals. If you feel like you’re rushing, have the confidence to step back and patiently work through the problems in front of you so that you can get it right. You’ll want to hear his advice to understand how it can work for you, too.This advice he shares may seem obvious, but it has made all the difference in Chester’s success — intentionality shows through in everything you do. If you want to write a best-selling book, write a really great book! The intentionality that you put into any of your work will show through, and the transition from expert writer to expert speaker, and then to expert trainer will be a very natural one.In addition to writing, Chester shares a second critical part of success, which is being very public about the work you are doing. You have to be willing to put yourself out there and connect with as many people as you can. LinkedIn is an excellent resource for building your network in any industry, and I hope you are using it to your full advantage. If not, listen to the challenge that Chester has for you to optimize your publicity and network opportunities, and you just may realize that there is more you could be doing to maximize the intentional success of your consultancy. The Purpose Behind The Carrot GuysHaving a purpose is endearing to people. For Chester, the work of helping people motivate and appreciate their employees has become his purpose. He talks about his mascot, his motivation, and the voice that he has found from his work as one of the two very successful Carrot Guys.As you listen to this episode of The Consulting Success Podcast, ask yourself — as you enjoy the journey, what are you doing today to live the dream? When you know your answer, you will be able to hone your message and fine-tune your brand. If you can share the why of your work with your friends and your network, you will be able to stay focused and stay successful in your growing consulting business.As we wrap up our conversation, Chester shares some really great tips about the absolute importance of staying focused on your work, remembering your whys, and how you can find the consulting success you’ve been seeking as a result. You won’t want to miss out on the many ways that this advice has worked in his life, and you can hear all about it on this episode of The Consulting Success Podcast with Chester Elton. Key Takeaways:[:20] Meeting Chester Elton — leadership expert, cultivator of thriving business culture and accomplished author.[5:00] Finding the courage to author your first book starts with the strength of your network.[7:25] Key tips for positioning yourself as an expert consultant, speaker, and writer.[12:26] The intentional evolution of a successful consulting business.[18:44] Chester’s top business mistakes — learning experiences — that you can learn from.[22:13] Upcoming projects and excitement for Chester, starting with The Best Team Wins.[24:30] All about the whys behind The Carrot Guys.[27:09] Connecting with Chester. Mentioned in This Episode:Chester EltonThe Culture WorksThe Best Team Wins: The New Science of High Performance, by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent, and Accelerate Performance, by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton All In: How the Best Managers a Create Culture of Belief and Drive Big Results, by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton What Motivates Me: Put Your Passions to Work, by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton Managing With Carrots: Using Recognition to Attract and Retain the Best People, by Chester Elton and Adrian GostickMarshall Goldsmith’s MG100 I Am Third, by Gale Sayers Tweetables:“Writing helps to galvanize your philosophy of not just what you do and how you do it, but why you do it.” — Chester Elton“When you charge $1,000 you get the staff; when you charge $20,000 the CEO will show up.” — Chester Elton“Surround yourself with good people and smart people and realize — there are a lot of things you don’t know.” — Chester Elton“Don’t be afraid to be patient, and don’t be afraid to grow your business slowly.”  — Chester Elton Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsuccess.com Mentioned in this episode:AI is Transforming Consulting. Don't Get Left Behind.Want to reduce your business development time by up to 8 hours a week and learn the strategies that are already helping consultants increase their fees by 30% or more? In the AI Masterclass, Michel Fortin will show you exactly how to use AI to work smarter, not harder, and deliver more value. Unlock these proven strategies. Learn more & register here: https://www.consultingsuccess.com/ai-consultingGet Expert Insights into Your Consulting Business: Claim Your FREE Growth Session Now!Want to get personalized feedback and actionable insights on your consulting business from seasoned experts who've been in your shoes? The Consulting Success Clarity Coaching Program offers just that, and you can experience a taste of it with a FREE, no-obligation Growth Session. On this call, you'll explore how to optimize your business model, refine your messaging, and build a predictable stream of high-value clients. https://www.consultingsuccess.com/grow

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Jon DeWaal, a life transition specialist who helps people work through the personal side effects of making major life transitions. He describes his work as counseling, coaching, career counseling, and spiritual direction, all rolled into one. Jon has joined me today to discuss the questions you can ask yourself about your level of discipline, commitment, and ability to affect meaningful change in your growing consulting business. We examine the need to make changes in your business before you hit the bottom, the importance of discipline and conversations, and the difference between consultants who wish they could get things done and the ones who are willing to put in the work to make things happen, all on this episode of The Consulting Success Podcast with Jon DeWaal. Writing The Best Story For Your LifeIt took falling off a roof to make Jon realize that he wasn’t living the life he wanted.Fresh out of college, Jon had spent four years building up a business as an independent contractor when his life suddenly — and unexpectedly — started down a new path. After the fall, Jon found himself lying in a hospital bed examining his life situation. He reluctantly and painfully admitting that he no longer wanted to do the same work he had been doing, and a new chapter began. He started exploring different options with a close friend and mentor, and after realizing that he was part of a story that he no longer wanted to be in, Jon knew that change was on the horizon.Once he started contemplating the stories that he did want to see in his future, Jon realized that what he wanted more than anything was to make a meaningful impact on the world. More so than his potential house or salary size, Jon wondered what it would look like to leave a mark on a person. To use his gifts and strengths on their behalf, and to become a force that provoked with really good questions, a strong sense of presence, and a source of invitation — to help others see a different story for their personal and professional future.There is a good chance that you became a consultant because you have found yourself at a similar crossroads in your career. Taking the leap into consultancy might have meant a major shift in your life story, as well. If so, you’ll want to listen on to hear more about the success that Jon found once he began pursuing his new life dream. Main Challenges of Business OwnersEvery business owner is faced with a barrage of challenges, questions, and problems. The first challenge that Jon admits to dealing with, even with his own work, is the feeling of never spending enough time working on your business. Instead, business owners often find themselves down in the trenches doing work for the business. Too often, business owners haven’t built boundaries for themselves. They don’t have a clear focus on the direction that they want their business to go, and that can cause major problems with the growth of a company.Jon shares an example of a small company in Seattle that quickly grew from $250,000 to over $1 million in revenue. Because they weren’t adequately prepared for this growth, too much of their time was spent in reactive mode — putting out fires — and they needed the guidance of someone like Jon to help them refocus and move forward with their work. He asks deep and meaningful questions while helping businesses through this significant growth transition, including,“Who are you now as a business?”“What does it mean to create space and time to lead this organization differently?”These are not questions that can be answered, or acted upon, easily, but they are questions that you need to ask yourself. Examining your company’s weaknesses and identifying areas of needed growth is essential to the health of your business. There has to be dedicated space within each week, month, and year in order to effectively lead an organization rather than just stay in it day after day. Some of these ideas may seem new and overwhelming as your business starts to grow up, but taking the time to answer these questions and effect meaningful change in your business will offer you tremendous rewards.Many of Jon’s clients feel bombarded with the daily work, projects, and emergencies that every consultant faces — delivering on client projects, handling personal and professional situations and balancing a busy work schedule. There never seems to be enough time to dedicate productive time to work on the business, rather than just working in it. Does this sound familiar to you? The Number One Reason You Aren’t FocusedSo many clients that I talk to have the same problem — they aren’t spending enough time working on their business. Even though they know deep down that they need to spend more focused time growing and developing their business, they just can’t seem to find a way to make it happen. Jon has seen the same thing in his work, and he has an explanation for it. Jon shares what he believes is the number one reason for not getting the most important things done, and that is an overall lack of discipline.A lack of discipline creates so many problems in businesses, in particular with getting things done. Disciplines are essential to the success and health of your company, and they are so valuable because they help contain the creative places. Jon ask his clients some hard questions here as well —“What does it mean to actually own your schedule?”“Do you know where the value-adding activities are as you work to distinguish yourself in the marketplace?”“What do you need to become more of in your role as a business owner?”Asking yourself these kinds of questions can help you develop a core language and real sense of identity for your business as it grows. Once you understand the beliefs that are driving your behaviors, it becomes easier to form new habits that will help to drive your business forward and help you reach the milestones you’ve set for your consultancy. The Key Role of CommitmentI see a lot of consultants that will tell you that they want to grow their business — on the surface.  But there is a big difference between those who are truly committed and those who are simply interested in making growth changes. Too many consultants spend their time talking about their plans for change, but when it actually comes time for taking action, they find reasons and excuses to not put in the work that is required to get it done.You can wish for things to happen in your business, but it’s only when you really want to put in the work that things will really start to happen. It’s usually only when the pain has grown to a point that you decide you’re willing to do the hard work of creating new disciplines tied to the commitments that you want for your business that change starts to happen.But that doesn’t have to be the case for you! You don’t have to get to the point of pain to set goals and make change happen in your consultancy. You need to listen to my conversation with Jon to find out how you can avoid hitting that low point before taking your business to a higher level. There will have to be trade-offs in order to achieve the higher level of consulting success that you have been seeking, but it will be worth it.Change is a natural and essential part of growing your business, and you don’t need to fear it.  Change does not mean that things are going wrong. If you can embrace change and the uncertainty that can come with it, you may just find that even better things are about to happen for your business. You need to consider how you can apply the advice that Jon shares during our conversation in a very honest way and you may find that it will provide an even greater value for you. Building A Network and Securing New ClientsFor the past eight years, Jon has made a dedicated effort to expand his network in every way possible. In addition to his work with clients, he also teaches at a local educational institution, has weekly meetings with his network in BNI (Business Network International), and is a member of his local Chamber of Commerce. Each of these steps to build his network requires a measure of discipline and builds awareness around the work that he does.When he was about four years into his work, Jon reached the point that he was able to choose the kinds of clients that he wanted to work with. This is a milestone that every consultant wants to reach, and for Jon, it took years of disciplined work to achieve. There were moments of disappointment and setbacks, but Jon surrounded himself with people that encouraged him to keep moving forward, and the payoff has made it all worth it.Jon shares two words of advice for any consultant that wants to meet the milestones of success as soon as possible. First, there is great value in writing — sharing your content through newsletters, blog posts, and articles has the power to increase your credibility substantially. Trust in yourself and don’t be afraid to put your content out there for the world to learn from. It does require discipline, but the benefits it brings to your company will quickly become apparent.The second piece of advice he shares is to have the discipline to maintain positive and encouraging relationships no matter how busy your work and life become. For some, that may come through personal friendships, others it will be with a mentor or coach. Whatever it is for you, make sure that you take time to maintain the relationships that will help support you on your road to success.If you’ve been listening to The Consulting Success Podcast for any amount of time, you will recognize some of these same themes popping up, posing the need to ask yourself some hard and honest questions about your commitment to the success of your consultancy —“Are you disciplined enough to have continual conversations within your network?”“Are you committed to making meaningful and necessary changes for your consulting business?”If you’re unsure of your answers to these questions, along with the questions Jon posed earlier, then you need to listen to this episode. I know you will gain great insight into ways that you can increase your discipline and commit to real change as you listen to my conversation with Jon DeWaal on this episode of The Consulting Success Podcast. Key Takeaways:[:17] Introducing Jon DeWaal — life transition specialist, fall survivor, and asker of hard questions.[8:37] The most common challenge that business owners face is their busy-ness.[10:23] The need for real discipline and a lasting commitment to growing your business.[16:14] The benefits of embracing change as it comes to your consultancy.[21:04] Jon’s advice for building a business and securing new clients.[24:29] The value of sharing your content and maintaining your relationships.[29:48] How you can connect with Jon. Mentioned in This Episode:Liminal Space"Everything Is Waiting For You," by David WhyteBNI —  Business Network International  Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsuccess.com Mentioned in this episode:AI is Transforming Consulting. Don't Get Left Behind.Want to reduce your business development time by up to 8 hours a week and learn the strategies that are already helping consultants increase their fees by 30% or more? In the AI Masterclass, Michel Fortin will show you exactly how to use AI to work smarter, not harder, and deliver more value. Unlock these proven strategies. Learn more & register here: https://www.consultingsuccess.com/ai-consultingGet Expert Insights into Your Consulting Business: Claim Your FREE Growth Session Now!Want to get personalized feedback and actionable insights on your consulting business from seasoned experts who've been in your shoes? The Consulting Success Clarity Coaching Program offers just that, and you can experience a taste of it with a FREE, no-obligation Growth Session. On this call, you'll explore how to optimize your business model, refine your messaging, and build a predictable stream of high-value clients. https://www.consultingsuccess.com/grow

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Elizabeth Woolfe, a passionate consultant with a focus on nonprofit organizations in the healthcare industry. There is a common misconception in the consulting world that working with nonprofit organizations means that there are no profits to be had for consultants. Many consultants avoid working with nonprofits for this very reason, and you may be one of them. Elizabeth has joined me today to explain how you can create a thriving, successful consulting business in the nonprofit market. We discuss the importance of using your network, trusting yourself, and overcoming business anxiety. She shares examples of how to effectively ask for referrals and how to grow your business to the point that you can choose the clients you are working for. It’s all in this episode of the The Consulting Success Podcast with Elizabeth Woolfe. Does Non-Profit Equal No Profit For Consultants?We start out with Elizabeth sharing the story of how she got connected with nonprofit organizations. She has actually dedicated her career to working with nonprofit organizations once she recognized how greatly nonprofits would benefit from working with a consultant but are often the organizations that are the least able to afford to hire one.Elizabeth has always been interested in the healthcare industry. While her fear of chemistry did keep her from becoming a doctor, she stayed focused in the healthcare field and has had no regrets about her career path. After earning her Master’s in Public Health from UCLA, she began working with health education in New York. Once she was connected with those involved in the breast cancer movement, her work as a consultant began. She saw a need for more support in the movement and started linking organizations with companies that wanted to help with breast cancer awareness. Elizabeth, like so many other successful consultants, identified a gap in her industry and developed a way to fill it.There is a common misconception in the consulting world that working with non-profit organizations means that there are no profits to be had for consultants, and you may feel the same way. Perhaps you have seen an opportunity to fill a need in your industry but are hesitant because it doesn’t seem possible to get the value you are seeking. Too many consultants avoid working for this very reason, but I think my conversation with Elizabeth will change your mind.She shares four essential ideas on how you, too, can create a thriving, successful consulting business, either in the nonprofit or for-profit market, in this episode of The Consulting Success Podcast. Working Your NetworkThe first essential step to finding success in any industry is to build a network that is filled with people that you can rely on. When Elizabeth decided to start her consulting business, she told everyone she knew about her plan. The trust that people already had in her character and her ability to deliver results brought in some of her first jobs. Even today, almost all of her clients come to her via word of mouth. Her reputation precedes her in all that she does, and the result has always meant more opportunities for work.By actively working her network, Elizabeth has been able to grow her business and continually entertain project requests. She maintains that by being generous with her time and helping other people find solutions to their problems, she is benefitting as well from the strengthened network. There is plenty of room in the consulting world for more than one person to approach a problem, so she doesn’t consider sharing ideas and working through problems with other consultants as competition. Instead, she has been given even more opportunities and referrals as a result of her willingness to work alongside others.There is definitely a benefit to taking advantage of tools such as LinkedIn to help with networking, but there is no real substitute for making personal and real connections with people you have actually met and done business with. Introducing your colleagues to other colleagues will extend your reach, and as Elizabeth says, you really never know where your connections will take you until you actually start making them. Asking For ReferralsIf you’ve ever felt unsure of the best way to actually ask for referrals, you need to listen to my conversation with Elizabeth. Consultants generally don’t want to appear too pushy or “salesy” but asking for referrals is one of the best ways that you can secure more work for yourself. This is Elizabeth’s second critical step in finding success in your consulting business.Once you are deep in the work of your business and effectively connecting with others, asking for referrals should come as a natural part of the conversations that you are having with your clients. Be sure to listen for the specific examples that Elizabeth shares of dialogue that you can use to ask for referrals without putting anyone on the spot or pushing too far.An important distinction to make when asking for referrals is the reason why you are doing it. In Elizabeth’s case with working with nonprofits, the genuine care and concern that she has for helping these organizations succeed is the driving force behind her requests for referrals. When you truly care about making a difference in the success of your client’s work, your intentions will show through. Your clients will be happy to give you referrals because of the trust that they have in you, and the sincere efforts that you are making to serve others.Once you’ve pinpointed your motivation, whether or not you actually land the client doesn’t really matter. The genuine care that comes with your efforts will be apparent, and trust within in your network will continue to grow. You’ll want to listen to our conversation as Elizabeth shares the pivotal moment in which she realized that her success was determined by her motivation, and it started when she started feeling especially anxious about her work.Many consultants deal with anxiety when thinking about the future of their business, clients, and projects. When Elizabeth was faced with these questions, she was given some career-altering advice. She was told the same thing that you will hear me constant telling consultants — trust that what you do is important, use your network, and be confident in the things that your clients are learning from you.That is really the key to finding success in your consultancy. It is essential that you trust in the work that you are doing for the organizations you are working for, and that you believe in yourself. If you can master this step, you will be able to enjoy the confidence and success that comes as a result. Finding Balance While Building Your BusinessLike many consultants, Elizabeth started her consultancy as a result of wanting to achieve a greater balance in her life. Her desire to spend more time with her family and on her interests instead of commuting and working for other people gave her the push she needed to get started. This desire to find more balance brought with it the need to maintain that balance.  Building your business can become an all-consuming endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be.Instead of allowing your business to take over you, you have to take control of how you approach it. This is Elizabeth’s third step to success. Marketing, networking, and business development should become a habit that you want to attend to daily. For Elizabeth, this includes participating in educational opportunities such as presentations or webinars that focus on skills development and strategic business planning. Forming the habit of putting yourself in front of prospective clients will support your position as an expert in your marketplace, and you will see greater success in your consultancy as a result.Any efforts that you make to consistently and proactively advance your business will play a great role in your success. The defining difference between consultants that struggle and consultants that succeed is this: thinking about your marketing and thinking about your business plan is not enough. Implementing your plan and working on it day in and day out on a consistent basis will bring you success. As you feed your business engine daily, it will start to gain momentum and you will take your consultancy to the level that you can select who you want to do business with. Capitalizing On Your StrengthsAs we continue our conversation to explore some of the anxiety-inducing facets of consulting, Elizabeth shares some very wise counsel that is her fourth step to consulting success. It is critical that you truly know who you are, what you are good at, and what you enjoy doing. When you focus on these things, you will propel yourself toward success faster. If you overextend yourself or try to branch out beyond your skill set and focus on other things, you may be faced with unnecessary anxiety about your weaknesses and potential failures.Elizabeth shares some of the strategies that she uses to deliberately focus in on her strengths while also allowing herself opportunities for growth. You’ll want to hear her checklist for ideas of ways that you can expand your skill set, education, and expertise as well.Every consultant knows how tempting it can be to take any project that comes along, even if it’s not a great fit for your skillset. In my conversation with Elizabeth, you’ll remember why this is always a bad idea. If you really want to grow your business to the point that you can pick and chose the kinds of ideal clients that you want to work with, it is essential that you learn to say no to the ‘wrong fit’ projects.If you can’t do this you may end up doing work you don’t like with clients you don’t want to be working with. I can promise you that you will do your best work when you are able to charge the highest value for the best clients that you actually want to be working with.Intuition Consulting is the company that was born from Elizabeth’s ability to assess the best clients, the best projects, and the best value of work. By sticking with the standards she has set for herself, she can easily say no to the rest. Her success shows that this approach to business is always the best one, and you won’t want to miss out on the experiences and knowledge she shares that prove it, in this episode of the Consulting Success Podcast with Elizabeth Woolfe. Key Takeaways:[:20] Meeting Elizabeth Wolf, passionate and successful nonprofit organization consultant.[5:05] How your relationships will positively affect your consulting success.[9:03] Effective ways to ask for business referrals.[14:03] Building your confidence, trusting your motivation, and believing in yourself.[17:52] The importance of forming productive business and networking habits.[22:23] How to capitalize on your strengths to secure your success.[25:32] The importance of working with coaches and mentors.[26:23] Connecting with Elizabeth Woolfe. Mentioned in This Episode:Intuition ConsultingElizabeth Woolfe on LinkedIn Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsuccess.com Mentioned in this episode:AI is Transforming Consulting. Don't Get Left Behind.Want to reduce your business development time by up to 8 hours a week and learn the strategies that are already helping consultants increase their fees by 30% or more? In the AI Masterclass, Michel Fortin will show you exactly how to use AI to work smarter, not harder, and deliver more value. Unlock these proven strategies. Learn more & register here: https://www.consultingsuccess.com/ai-consultingGet Expert Insights into Your Consulting Business: Claim Your FREE Growth Session Now!Want to get personalized feedback and actionable insights on your consulting business from seasoned experts who've been in your shoes? The Consulting Success Clarity Coaching Program offers just that, and you can experience a taste of it with a FREE, no-obligation Growth Session. On this call, you'll explore how to optimize your business model, refine your messaging, and build a predictable stream of high-value clients. https://www.consultingsuccess.com/grow

On this episode, I’m talking with Emma Sharley, an experienced and very successful brand and marketing consultant in Australia. She works with retail, technology, and lifestyle client companies on setting up market and brand strategies, brand positioning, transitioning markets, and marketing new products lines. She also has a complementary start-up in the retail technology sector called ShopYou, which she co-founded in 2016. Emma has worked with both large corporations and smaller operations, and she’s joined me today to talk about the keys to success that have taken her consulting business to the next level. She shares three major tips for building out your portfolio, finding the all-important work-life balance and — you’ll have to hear it to believe it — why 4 a.m. is the magic hour for her most effective work. It just may inspire you to start waking up early as well, and it’s all in this episode of the The Consulting Success Podcast with Emma Sharley. Transitioning from Employee to ConsultantPrior to beginning her successful consultancy, Emma worked in sports marketing, fashion retail marketing, and telecommunications with companies in England including Westfield, Diane Von Furstenberg, Westpac, and T-Mobile. After returning to Australia, she worked mainly with marketing with fashion retailers, where she identified a need from retailers for accessible consulting and marketing advice. Following her entrepreneurial drive, Emma started her own consulting business and now works independently with retail, technology and lifestyle companies.The transition from employee to consultant for Westfield was made easier in part by the relationships that Emma had made in her first seven years with the company. I always recommend to consultants that are just starting out to try and secure work with previous employers whenever possible, and Emma is proof of the validity of this advice. You have already proven yourself to them and you are probably already aware of the needs within the company. By positioning yourself in such a way that you can continue to serve the needs of the company without working as an employee, you have easily created your first consulting project.Emma’s first project as a consultant with her employer entailed launching a new product into market, which she worked on for five months. During that time she focused only on that one project. By scaling back on her overall involvement with the company, she was able to increase her value to the organization as a consultant.Emma describes a valuable consultant as someone who brings a single focus to the outcomes that you are delivering. By allowing yourself to focus on one project, there is less noise and fewer distractions to keep you from completing high-quality work. The success she achieved on this first project then gave her the confidence she needed to approach other companies, and ES Consulting was born. Three Steps to Building Your PortfolioEmma shares the steps she took to successfully build her portfolio after securing her first client.  First, she set up her own channel on LinkedIn and Twitter and began confidently sharing content with the world. Anytime that you can begin to build a relationship of trust with potential clients, even before your first meeting, you are building your portfolio. If people know what they can expect from you based on the content you have shared through social media, they will be more likely to approach you to fulfill their business needs.Emma also started attending more events — a feat that was made easier by no longer being tied to her employer’s meeting schedule. Whenever possible, she took advantage of opportunities to build her network in the tech and fashion industries, and partnerships have emerged from her efforts.As Emma points out, your network looks completely different as a consultant than it does when you are someone else’s employee. There is great value that comes with building up a network of consultants and independents to help support each other and bounce ideas off of each other.  Attending events that connect you with other such consultants will be of great value to your network.The third step, like the others, is one that you have heard me recommend many times. Building a better portfolio means that you have to position yourself as an expert in as many ways as possible. For Emma, this meant teaching with General Assembly and hosting workshops around digital marketing and brand and marketing technology. In this setting, she is able to share her knowledge with a more intimate group, with just 15 to 20 businesses present, and it was here that she was able to develop and refine her positioning and the value that she has to offer.By meeting so many businesses in the first few months as a consultant, Emma was able to really understand where she wanted to position herself. The key expanding a successful portfolio is that she did the work and put in the time. She put herself out there and favorably position herself within her field of expertise. She clearly stated the kinds of industries she wanted to work with and how she would work with them, which set both parties up for success long term.By following these steps and making the same commitment to growing your business, you will create for yourself the opportunity to experience the same kind of success as Emma. Be sure to listen to her story for ways that she found these opportunities and used them to build a stand-out portfolio. Overcoming Early ChallengesOnce her consultancy started taking off, one of the greatest challenges Emma faced in the early stages was accurate pricing. Her answer didn’t surprise me one bit — many new consultants deal with this same issue. Placing a monetary value on your time can be a difficult problem to solve, especially if there is no known pricing structure that you can model your pricing after. It is essential that you know what your weekly time and efforts really look like so that you can more effectively price your time for your clients.Emma encourages new consultants to not overlook this major aspect of successful consulting.  Yes, it can be difficult to know where exactly to place your pricing at first, but it is essential that you take the time to get it right.Another hurdle Emma faced early on was finding the right people to work with. There is a vast variety of work that consultants can offer businesses — but you can’t offer everything to everyone. It is critical that you set yourself up for success by connecting with the people that best fit with your skill set. This does take time, but like all of the legwork that you put into your consultancy, the rewards will come quickly if you do it right.Emma shares some of the ways that she has positioned herself for finding like-minded people and has secured new clients as a result. One of the most effective ways of doing this is by organizing events. By bringing people together to talk about the latest developments in the industry, connections are easily made and new clients often appear soon afterward. Tools like meetup.com can help you organize these kinds of events locally, and these collaborations can have a great impact on your network. You’ll want to listen to our conversation to hear how exactly she made this tool work for her. Finding Balance and Maintaining MomentumWhen I asked Emma about the one thing that she had to figure out before she really started enjoying her consulting success, her answer came quickly. You have to set yourself apart. In any industry, your reputation is everything. People want to do business with you based on who you are. Cultivating your personal brand is essential to set yourself apart in your industry and your marketing and content will sell your expertise for you — if you do do it right. When potential clients can get a good feel for who you are and what you have to offer them, you are establishing a relationship of trust before the first contact is ever made.Additionally, as we discussed before, placing a high value on your time is vital to your success.  For Emma, that means starting the critical focus work at 4 a.m. every day. Blocking out half days or whole days on her calendar — rather than scheduling her work down to the hour — actually enables her to accomplish more work over the course of each project. For anyone who is selling their time, it is critical to determine how to make the most of it throughout the week. You’ll want to hear the details on how this works best for Emma.Just as important to this is finding ways to step away from the work so that you can exhale. If you are constantly in high-stress work mode, you won’t be able to perform to the best of your ability. Finding ways to balance your work with the other facets of your life is far more effective than constantly operating in deadline mode.I often observe consultants that think they are too busy to effectively balance their work with personal life, family, or their health. Guaranteed, the first thing that takes a hit when consultants aren’t maintaining a good balance between work and personal life is their marketing. Your marketing is the key to the forward momentum of your business. If you don’t take the time to step away from your business recharge yourself, your work will start to coast. It’s like a car — your business can coast for a period of time, but if you don’t step on the gas, the car will eventually stop moving forward. It’s critical that you find a way that works for you to keep the momentum going. Prioritizing Your DayEmma shares the reasons why waking up at 4 AM has been a game changer for her success.  From fitting in exercise and feeling more energetic to maximizing her most creative hours so that she can consistently deliver her best effort work to her clients, Emma has found what works for her and is using it to her advantage. By ensuring that the high priority items are finished at the start of the day, she’s more readily available to handle whatever else the day may throw at her.My newest book The Elite Consulting Mind is a perfect example of the kind of work that can emerge as a result of harnessing your most creative hours. I rented a hotel room for a few days, removed myself from my family and from other external distractions and was able to make great headway in my book.For some, creative hours can be found in a new environment, whether it be in a coffee shop or in a new town, and for others, creativity comes in a different time of the day. If your days seem too long with not enough creative work getting done, you just may want to try Emma’s advice of utilizing the early hours of the morning. Whatever it may be, try something new, pinpoint what works and then make it work for you.I can promise you that the success that follows will make your efforts worth it. Building out your portfolio means expanding your network, positioning yourself as the authority, and then protecting yourself so that you can be the most successful consultant you can be. It’s worked for me, and you can hear how it’s worked for Emma, as well as how to connect with her in this episode of the Consulting Success Podcast with Emma Sharley. Key Takeaways:[:14] Introducing Emma Sharley, Australian brand and marketing consultant.[5:27] Making the transition from employee to consultant.[7:21] Building your portfolio starts with tapping into your network.[11:35] Overcoming the early challenges of setting up a consultancy.[14:08] Ideas for securing additional clients through networking.[17:00] Finding the critical work-life balance.[22:04] Why waking up early means success for Emma.[28:34] Connecting with Emma Sharley. Mentioned in This Episode:ES ConsultingShop YouEmma Sharley on General AssemblyMeetup.com The Elite Consulting Mind@emmasharley on Instagram @emsharley on TwitterEmma Sharley on LinkedIn Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Consulting Success Community today: consultingsuccess.com Mentioned in this episode:AI is Transforming Consulting. Don't Get Left Behind.Want to reduce your business development time by up to 8 hours a week and learn the strategies that are already helping consultants increase their fees by 30% or more? In the AI Masterclass, Michel Fortin will show you exactly how to use AI to work smarter, not harder, and deliver more value. Unlock these proven strategies. Learn more & register here: https://www.consultingsuccess.com/ai-consultingGet Expert Insights into Your Consulting Business: Claim Your FREE Growth Session Now!Want to get personalized feedback and actionable insights on your consulting business from seasoned experts who've been in your shoes? The Consulting Success Clarity Coaching Program offers just that, and you can experience a taste of it with a FREE, no-obligation Growth Session. On this call, you'll explore how to optimize your business model, refine your messaging, and build a predictable stream of high-value clients. https://www.consultingsuccess.com/grow

Today’s guest is Mindy Millward, a veteran consultant with over 20 years of experience from Navalent. You may remember my guest Ron Carucci, from episode 21, who recommended Mindy as an outstanding and insightful consultant, and he was right. I’m delighted to have her join me today. In this episode, we are discussing the importance of maintaining a long-term strategy and vision for your marketing and networking. We talk about how to find clients that are really ready to make lasting change, how to most effectively market your services, and whether it’s worth your time to compete with larger consultancy firms, particularly for the business of Fortune 500 companies. Mindy shares insights into how to correctly size your firm, the importance of getting connected with the decision makers of the company and how to spot the red flags that prove it’s time to walk away from a project. I think you’ll learn just as much from her insights and experiences as I did in this episode of The Consulting Success Podcast with Mindy Millward. Marketing To The Ideal ClientAs you are shaping and building up your consulting business, a majority of your time has to be spent on marketing. It is a widely accepted best practice idea to stay narrowly focused on both the company size and industry of your ideal client. This focus tends to narrow in the playing field and help you more easily locate companies that will benefit from your expertise.At Navalent, however, the consultants aren’t worried about the size of client they take on or the industry they are in. From Fortune 500 companies down to small start-ups, their main focus has always been simply to connect with the leaders of the company that are willing to make actual change within their organization.The common denominator of every ideal client at Navalent is the presence of a decision maker.  Many companies tend to not have decision makers readily available. Even though they desperately need the services consultants can offer them, they don’t have the liberty to institute the changes recommended to them.This can create a host of problems for consultants like you that are trying to make change happen. So rather than focusing on a particular size or industry of business, Mindy and her colleagues at Navalent maintain their focus on the complexities of problems within any company and their subsequent willingness and ability to solve those problems.The question you may be asking yourself then is how can you effectively market to your ideal client? If the size of business or particular industry doesn’t have to matter as much as you once thought it did, marketing can become a complicated hurdle to overcome. Mindy shares several insights into effective marketing, starting with correcting your focus.From pharmaceutical companies to financial firms, government agencies to educational institutions, any company that you focus on needs to have a desire for change. Starting with the hearts of the individual and working up to the entire organization as a whole, your work will only be effective if you are connecting with people and businesses that are ready to make a change. Your Network Is Your Greatest Marketing ToolDeveloping long-term relationships with collaborators or people that are connected to the CEO — and decision maker — of a company will be very beneficial. Any time that you make the effort to expand your network is time well invested in your consultancy. Companies will begin to come to you for help as they trust the relationship that you have formed with them. They will view your expertise as a beneficial business partner relationship rather than just as a consultant for hire. and as that trust in your work increases, clients will start to recommend you by word of mouth. Soon you will find yourself being passed from satisfied client to client with the requests for work coming directly to you.In addition to the networking side of marketing your consultancy, there is great value in writing. Providing high-quality and authority-based content that is readily available to clients and easily shared through social media is one of the best ways that you can build trust with potential clients.Both networking and writing work to create a long-term approach to marketing. These are not simple actions, but over time these efforts will be compounded to create greater opportunities for you to work with your ideal clients. Also, by identifying specific types of people that you want to work with, regardless of the company size, you will more easily be guided to your ideal clients.Mindy shares one experience in which these efforts worked for her, even though it took four years to complete the sale. That may seem like too long of a time to wait for your efforts to bring in revenue, but the long-term approach to marketing through networking is always going to offer you the greatest returns on your efforts. She explains the situation that Navalent is currently facing as both consultants and their networks are aging out. It is not possible to sustain solely a network-to-relationships ratio without creating major gaps for yourself that are not sustainable over the long run.Mindy explains why it is essential that you pursue both short-term and long-term opportunities in order to cover all aspects of your marketing. One easy way to do this is to ask yourself, “How am I adding value to this relationship or conversation?” regardless of whether it is paid work or not. Oftentimes a relationship may feel like it is not a good fit at first but can turn into something bigger as you’ve continued to add value to it.Another essential step is to market yourself in such a way that people can easily find you. Podcasts, blog posts, social media, and speaking engagements are all interactions that give people a chance to get familiar with your name and the work that you do. Look for ways to expand the value that you provide and the opportunities will more readily come to you. And once you are in a system, don’t limit yourself to being just the coaching people — position yourself as the organizational design or strategy expert as well. These steps will help secure more work for you in the future. Should You Compete With Larger Firms?If you are a smaller sized firm and have ever felt unsure about whether a larger company would take you seriously when competing with larger firms, Mindy has some checkpoints and words of advice that you need to listen to.First, it’s critical that you be realistic about the capacity of work you are able to take on. You are not entirely limited by your firm’s size; you can lean on associated resources and networks to help you successfully accomplish a larger scope of work when needed. Don’t shy away from selling huge pieces of work — instead, you can rely on your network to help you get the bigger jobs done.Second, don’t waste your time trying to compete in ways that you know you’re not going to win. Mindy shares an experience she recently had in which she turned down an RFP but was still able to position her firm in a place of authority despite competing against much larger consulting firms.Third, find the qualities of your firm that are unique to you and play them to the client. You don’t have to waste your time — or theirs — trying to be something that you’re not. Be honest about what you have to offer. If clients are looking for something entirely different from what you have to offer them, they will just be disappointed by your efforts. Don’t waste your time or theirs!You will always find greater success as a consultant when you focus on what you have to offer and don’t worry about the rest. If there are a good fit and the potential for adding real value to your clients, you have to help the client see that. Regardless of what other sized firms may be going after the work, your confidence will prove that you are the right choice for the job. How to Connect With The Ultimate Decision MakerThere is nothing more frustrating as a consultant than discovering that the work you have been hired to do will never make a lasting impact on a company. If you aren’t connected with the people in a company that actually have the power to affect change, you are wasting your time as their consultant. Mindy shares some of the best practices that have worked for her and her partners at Navalent to make sure that they are working with the people that have the decision making power necessary to effect change.You’ll want to hear some of the strategies she uses to effectively connect with the decision makers. From asking the right questions to conducting diagnostic interviews with clients before getting paid, Mindy has several examples that prove that her methods work. She highlights some of the red flags that keep her from pitching work to a company that isn’t really ready to make changes and outlines the characteristics of the client employees that will work as a consultant’s champions to get them in touch with the decision makers of the organization. Finding The Right Size FirmNow that you’ve learned how to reach your ideal clients, you have to grow your firm to just the right size to get the work done. The ideal company size is different for everyone, but as a firm that serves Fortune 500 companies, Navalent has grown to seven full-time consultants. Mindy shares the reasoning behind their current size as well as steps they have had to take to get the right fit consultants on their team. Not surprisingly, when you’re looking for partners, you will find that the best consultants for your firm will come from your network. As Mindy says, “know them before you need them.” It’s essential that you know the skills and capacity of other consultants before you sell the work that you need them to do. By doing this, you’re securing for yourself the capacity to conquer any size of a project that comes your way.Long-term thinking has the potential to pay off in so many ways in your consultancy firm, from developing your network to securing your ideal clients. As a successful consultant who has seen the benefits of long-term thinking in her work, Mindy Millward is full of great advice for anyone that is looking for the next step to securing work with a startup business or a Fortune 500 company. You’ll definitely want to hear her insights and learn from her experiences in this episode of the Consulting Success Podcast with Mindy Millward. Key Takeaways:[:17] Introducing Navalent partner and consulting expert Mindy Millward.[4:40] Targeting your ideal client, regardless of company size.[10:16] How to generate revenue while embracing long-term marketing opportunities.[14:10] Competing with larger firms means doing these three things.[20:05] The mindset required to secure the work with Fortune 500 companies.[24:02] Connecting with the ultimate decision maker within an organization.[31:06] Enlarging your firm’s capacity and finding the best consultants.[37:10] Connecting with Mindy Millward. Mentioned in This Episode:Mindy MillwardNavalent Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! 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Tony Signorelli, CEO of Signorelli Consulting Group, shares insights into creating a successful consulting firm, the importance of taking action when securing new clients, and using your network to your advantage. He discusses strategies for acquiring clients, building relationships, and establishing trust. Learn how to generate more revenue without adding more work hours to your day.