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

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