Often, I get the question “Hey, what should I do to build my business and get more clients?”
Friend, you’re asking the right questions. Here is my recommended reading list — and action items — for you to follow to focus on growing your consulting business.
- Start with the Independent Consulting Manual, a book I co-wrote with 13 of my closest consulting friends on how to run a successful independent consulting business. It will give you a broad overview of the steps, strategies, and systems.
Okay, now the key question. Do you want to:
- Get more clients?
- Charge more?
- Understand why your customers buy (and why they don’t)?
Get More Clients
- Read “The Positioning Manual” by Philip Morgan
- Read “Book Yourself Solid” by Michael Port
- Read “Million Dollar Consulting” by Alan Weiss
Charge More
- Read “Value Based Fees” by Alan Weiss
Understand Your Customers
- Read “Ultimate Sales Machine” by Chet Holmes
- Read “The Brain Audit” by Sean D’Souza
And while you do that…
Focus on answering these 7 questions for your business:
- Who is my target market? Who do I serve? What is my positioning statement? (Be as *specific *with this as possible)
- What problems is your target market experiencing? (Reach out to actual humans for 5-10 conversations to learn about their business needs)
- What offerings can I make available to solve the problems my target market is experiencing?
- How can I refine my messaging to speak directly to people in my target market and the problems they’re experiencing?
- What tasks am I repeating every day, week, or month in my business — and what tools will automate those processes for me?
- Where do my customers spend their time online — and how can I reach them there?
- What content can I create for my audience that educates them about the problems they’re experiencing and demonstrates my authority and expertise?
There, that’s your game plan for building your pipeline. :-)