Every year, Women in Consulting (WIC) conducts an annual survey on consulting best practices and compensation. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jennifer Berkley-Jackson on this survey for the past three years (this is the 11th anniversary of the survey—and Jen has done all eleven!), and every year, attitude appears amongst the advice participants offer for building your business.
And attitude really is everything. If you’re good but you have doubts, it impacts your business. If you’re impatient, it impacts your business. If you’re negative, it impacts your business. You get the idea.
Four of my favorite quotes from this year’s survey really some up the importance of attitude in consulting:
“Keep a positive attitude. Things can change dramatically in a week.”
“Stick with it—some days, just showing up counts for a lot. And remember, if it were all that damn easy, everybody would be doing it.”
“If you believe you have a service/product to offer the world, put together a strong plan to achieve specific goals. Don’t let nay-sayers take your vision from you. It takes up to three years to really get a business up and running, where your phone is ringing. Believe in yourself and don’t give up.”
“Be brave enough to raise your rates! If you were a full-time employee, you’d get a regular raise; and yet consultants are so timid to ask for a raise, they go for years without any increase.”
So, remember…
- Be bold
- Be positive
- Be generous
- Be patient
- Be yourself
- Believe in yourself and ask for what you’re worth
And…
…let me know what you do to keep your attitude flying high and how it helps your business.
And…
…if hasn’t worked for you, I want to hear from you, too!
And (the last one, I promise!)…
…if you want to learn more about the results of WIC’s 11th Annual Consulting Best Practices and Compensation Survey, join us for our webinar on November 7 at 11am PDT. If you can’t make it, the webinar will also be available on-demand. The full survey report will also be made available to WIC full and leaders’ network members around mid-October. If you’re not a full member and are interested in learning more, we have information on our website.
