How Can I Market My Consulting Business (Part 1)

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    There are numerous sources of online information about how to market a consulting business, for example, use your browser to search at inc.com, marketingsuccess.com and entrepreneur.com. We have been teaching consulting skills for many years, and the advice that we hear from our students about what has been successful for their marketing often does not closely match the advice in the online information. In this post Part 1, we share the first five of the 10 most suggested strategies for successful marketing.

    #1 — Have a Passion for Helping People

    Without that passion, your marketing efforts will seem overblown or insincere – and the quality of your consulting will get poorer.

    #2 – Don’t Spend Too Much Time on Word-Smithing

    Rather than endless hours on words in your website or advertisements, spend more time getting experience and networking with colleagues and potential clients.

    #3 – Volunteer Your Expertise to Local Nonprofits

    That’s often a quick and effective way to get even more experience in the type of consulting that you want to do.

    #4 – Offer Free Information Sessions During Lunch

    Many companies allow local consultants and experts to present non-sales-oriented information about topics relevant to their companies.

    #5 — Marketing is About Your Client’s Needs, Not About Yours

    This is the first painful lesson that new professionals learn. Write about how your services meet the needs of clients, rather than about how your services work.

    Here is a link to numerous, free, online sources about marketing your consulting.

    What other ideas do you have?

    Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, faculty member of the Consultants Development Institute.org .