Monthly Archives: November 2019
Gratitude… or Resentment?
Time for a Thanksgiving rant. I, for one, am weary of the whining and complaining that seems to be taking over the country, and even the world.
While I try to stay politically neutral on this blog, too many of today’s political leaders (if you can call them that) seem more focused on manipulating emotions rather than solving problems. Sorry if I stepped on toes, but as consultants we must call them as we see them.
The hot button the manipulators like to push is labeled “Resentment.” To counter that, I suggest we try pushing the button labeled “Gratitude.“
Trying to understand what happened in the last presidential election, I read several books analyzing the underlying conditions. A common theme was resentment, amplified by the political rhetoric. Thinly disguised as populism, it occurred on both sides – the right with “Lock Her Up” and the left “Occupy Wall Street.”
One of the books was The Politics of Resentment by Catherine Cramer. It started as a small research project at the University of Wisconsin to better understand how the university might better serve rural Wisconsin. Thus surprising outcome was the level of rural resentment against the “city dwellers.”
Many of the resenter’s assumptions were false (money spent on roads and other rural services), yet that did not stop Scott Walker and others from using that resentment to manipulate voters. Meanwhile, problems went unsolved. It also helped explained the Wisconsin swing to Trump.
So, do YOU like being manipulated? Emotions are powerful, but they often defy logic. Emotions do NOT solve problems, but they CAN divide and obstruct, making them a favorite tool of politicians.
Maybe it it time to step back, reflect, and show some gratitude. Maybe it is time to stop listening to the manipulators, and start thinking for ourselves. Maybe it is time to focus on solving problems and working to make the world a better place, as good consultants do!
In the spirit of Thanskgiving, here are five things I am grateful for:
- Living in a country where I am free to pursue my own dreams (such as starting/running a consulting firm.)
- Living in a time in history where exciting changes happen (instead of resenting those changes.)
- Living in the midst of abundance (food, clean water, health care, safety, and more.)
- Living relatively free of financial concerns (thanks to my consulting business and years of “selective frugality” and saving)
- Living with a spouse who supported me for over fifty years (Thanks, Mary!)
And five more reasons to be grateful:
- Clients who put their trust in us
- Colleagues and advisers who supported us
- A business partner who was a joy to work with (Rest in Peace)
- Parents who cared and encouraged (in spite of hard times)
- And a wonderful family (two sons, their wives, and six extraordinary grandchildren.)
How about you? What are YOU grateful for?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Uncle Daryl
© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.
Who is your ideal client? And how to find them…
The Number One question I’m asked by those interested in consulting is “How Do You Get Your Clients?”
My Number One answer is usually “Peddle your behind off.” Meaning, if you are not willing to market and sell your services, you are better off not pursuing independent consulting.
But to be successful, you need to be strategic about your marketing. As the esteemed business consultant Peter Drucker noted, “The better the marketing, the easier the sales.” Strategic marketing is the linch pin to starting and operating your own consulting practice.
Many blanch when faced with marketing and sales, particularly my engineering colleagues. But as mentioned in previous posts, this is not a big deal. It is just another problem to be addressed. And that is what do as consultants — solve problems.
So the first question to ask yourself is, “Who is my ideal client?” Consulting is a niche business — you can’t serve everyone, not do you want to. Like fishing, what type of fish are you going after? Bass? Trout? Or maybe deep sea fishing? You need to focus your efforts.
Many “experts” say to focus on the CEO, or at least the C-Suite. That might work for McKinsey, but not for most of us as individual practitioners. Seriously, is a CEO interested in solving a subtle engineering problem or marketing problem? Only if it is costing a LOT of money.
For us, we quickly realized our ideal clients were engineering managers, project managers, or directors or VPs in smaller companies. Those close enough to the action, and with budget authority to retain us. (Our projects were typically under $20K — even at those levels you don’t need many to succeed.)
The second question to ask yourself is, “How do I reach my ideal client?” This is where visibility and credibility become vital.
People buy professional services from those they know, like and trust. There are many ways to establish this — most revolve around writing, speaking, and networking. Here are 20 ways we have used to attract business.
A caveat — although social media is all the rage, don’t rely on that alone. Consider traditional marketing like magazine articles, speaking at conferences, or being active in professional organizations. The goal is to be in front of prospective clients in a positive light.
Consider geography. If your potential market is local, focus on local publications and events. If nationwide, focus on methods with nationwide coverage. We started out local, and later expanded to cover both.
What if I am just starting out? Practice aggressive networking. Reach out to friends, colleagues, and past employers. Let them know you are in business, and available to help. Give them specific examples of services you can provide.
A simple direct mail campaign can work wonders. So can phone calls. But DON’T ask for business — just ask for help in publicizing your services. That way you are not seen as a pest. But if anyone does need your services, they will ask you.
Make a list of the top 100-200 people you know, and reach out to 10 a week. If your market is local, you can even offer to meet for coffee. Ask for advice — ask about problems and trends they see. And although you may be excited about your business, don’t go into hyper sales mode. Just listen and learn.
All of the above take time and creative effort, but the payoff is there. As the late Howard Shenson (the consultant’s consultant) advised, the ultimate goal is to have clients clamoring for you. But they can only do that is you are visible and credible, and knowable and likable.
Cheers — Uncle Daryl
© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.
