elaine biech building your consulting practice for © 2011 ebb associates inc

Elaine Biech

Building Your Consulting

Practicefor

Building Your Consulting

Practicefor

© 2011 ebb associates inc

Survey Says. . .

Marketing, Marketing, Marketing!Top five

Finding clients Marketing Writing winning proposals Developing marketing plans Building client relationships

Others: characteristics, expanding, time, finances, strategic and personal planning


If Elaine Could Answer

Most important thing about proposals?How do I work less and earn more?Should I narrow or broaden my range?How to find “big time clients?”How do I find clients who have money?How to change my career after 35 years?Why am I still doing this?


Objectives

This session will:Discuss an easy process to prepare

a marketing plan.Provide a sure-fire way to prospect.Generate marketing ideas &

answers.Help you focus on planning for your

future.Answer your questions.


Consistent with Yesterday*

To Be Successful at Marketing: Know your expertise areas Know where your clients are Send a consistent message Have to make time to market Deliver content, not ads Remember, it’s about them Keep your pipeline full; keep leads flowing Study your competition

*Thanks Paul & Marcy


What have you gottenyourself into?


Why Do YOU Want To Be A Foodservice

Consultant?

? ??

?

??

?

?


Why?

Get rich consulting?Avoid politics and paperwork?Be seen as an expert in your area?Have more free time?Be in a respected profession?Easily break into the field?Easy business to start?


The most important reason

to become a consultant is because

you want to.© 2011 ebb associates inc

Entrepreneur Attitude

Do you have what it takes?


What Value Does aConsultant Add?


Dollars and Sense

How much will clients pay?

Plan with the end in mind.

The 3x rule. Where to start;

when to increase. Bidding proposals. Add a guarantee.


How Much Will Clients Pay?

? ?

?

???

?

?


Pricing Ethics

Determine a consistent pricing structure

No bargains Find an equal trade off


Your reputation will be built by thousands of

actions, but may be lost by only one.


$ Tips to Stay in Business Look like a million from day one. Acquiring a new client takes 10x the

effort. You can be profitable and still go out

of business. Go for the big fish. “So what’s this going to cost?” Practice, partnership, or a company? Be compulsive about billing your

clients. The time to market is all the time. The most important time to market is

when you’re too busy.© 2011 ebb associates inc

Do Everything You Can to Grow Your Business!


The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Alan Kay

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Alan Kay


Predict Your Success?

Guarantee Business SuccessHigh quality product/service

customers want or needEfficient business processes in

placeEnsure customers know about

youCreate a solid business/marketing plan

Implement the plan© 2011 ebb associates inc

ABCs of MarketingA

Assess

The Situation

BBuild a Potential

Client Base

CContact

Potential Clients


Why a Plan?

FocusPace yourselfAchieve your goalsMeasure progressFinancial tool


Minimums You Should Consider

Commitment

Consistency

Creativity

Three Cs of Marketing

Three Cs of Marketing


Marketing is a combination

of intuition and logic.


MM U U

MMUU

The MUMU Measure

MemorableUniqueMailableUseful

MemorableUniqueMailableUseful


Sending a Keeper

Why and when?Who?How much?What? From where?What message?How?


Marketing: It’s in the Bag

Let’s “bag” your concernComplete the statement:

I need an idea for how to __________


Prospecting

Take the Chill Out of Cold Calls

1 Identify 20 Candidates2 Complete Company Profiles3 Gather Information About Each4 Compose Letters 5 Mail Letters and Follow Up as Promised


The larger the client, the larger the

discretionary funds available.


Uniqueness

How Can You Stand Apart?

Know Your Customer Needs

+Add Your Special Touch

= An Edge on the

Competition

An Edge on the

Competition


Your First Meeting

Constantly Improve:Evaluate your contracting

meetingsIdentify what you can do better

next time


Your personality, not your expertise, will

land many contracts.


A sale is not something you close; it closes itself

while you are busy serving your customer.


The 4 R’s

Relationships

Referrals

Reaping New Business

Repeat Business


Clients will ask you to discuss your skills. . .


However. . . they evaluate your character.


Marketing on a ShoeString Budget


Tightwad Marketing

What have you done?


Creativity Flourishes

•Someone you have not worked with

•Select one item

•Identify 3 ways your creativity could flourish . . .

•Someone you have not worked with

•Select one item

•Identify 3 ways your creativity could flourish . . .


Marketing ebbvice

Wallow in Your Junk MailGo for the Big Fish; You’ll Spend

the Same Time Baiting the HookMail a Lumpy EnvelopePersonalize Your MarketingThe Time to Market is all the TimeKeep yourself in Front of Your

Clients


In the End. . .

. . . There’s only one time to market:

all the time


You’re Always Marketing

As a Consultant you are always “on” and marketing:

When you deliver service on time and under budget

If you are honest, ethical, and easy to work with

If you have given more than you promised

Marketing and selling your services NEVER stops—you are selling YOU!


Fast Fourteen to Do Today

1414 1414

14141414 1414


ebb’s 13 Truths

1. You need clients more2. Listening is

imperative3. Do your homework4. Believe in what you do5. More specialized. . . 6. The time to market is

all the time7. Most important time

to market is when you are too busy to do so


ebb’s 13 Truths

8. A billable day is a billable day

9. If you’re in it only for the money

10.Satisfying your client is most important

11.Your personality, not your expertise will prevail

12.Dress for success


ebb’s 13 Truths

Most Importan

t

Most Importan

t


Quality

First, Last, and Everything In

Between


And now

it is time for you

to just . . .


Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!

Do it!Do it!


Elaine Biech

Marketing Your Consultant

Practicefor

Marketing Your Consultant

Practicefor


elaine biech building your consulting practice for © 2011 ebb associates inc

Documents

ebb associates

finding clients marketing

big time clients

important time

marketing plans

easy business

free time

business look