Ideas for improving one's consulting practice and presence in the business community in order to improve lead generation and opportunities to bid on contracts.

1. How to Improve Your
Consulting Practice
Top 12 Reminders for Some Consultants
Phillip Andrews

2. 1. Network, Network, Network
(the right way) (yes, there are wrong ways)
• Smooze or Lose (Deloitte’s great moto and mandate to their partners).
i. Wine & Dine ➔ High cost (do not be afraid to spend money to make money).
ii.Time & Energy (the more you put into it, the more you get out of it).
• Networking is an art that gets perfected and mastered over several years. The
key to success in networking is to take people out sometime after a networking
event and meet them up close and personal.
• Moreover, the art involves you becoming a VIP or a person of interest. Become a
magnet.
• Having the right friends with their own power, money, right positions, and aura
also helps you to become a magnet.
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3. 3

4. 1. Network, Network, Network
(Cont’d)
• Always expand your network.
• Leverage the networks of others.
• Allow others to leverage your network. Give-and-Take builds great relationships.
4

5. 5

6. 6

7. 7

8. 8

9. 2. Belong To Societies, Organizations,
Associations, etc.
• Meet the right people, exchange business cards, etc. (belonging is NOT enough).
Here are some of them:
• First Friday Book Synopsis
• Business Navigators
• Tech Titans
• Success North Dallas
• Texas Consilium
• Special Interest Groups (for Cybersecurity, IoT, etc.)
• Institute of Management Consultants
• APICS
• Society of Manufacturing Engineers
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Don’t just attend their
meetings and then exit. Once
again, network, get to know
people, make friends, …

10. 3. Belong to NPOs and For-Profit
Organizations
• Roles: Member of Board Of Directors, member of Board Of Advisors member,
mentor for Innovation Centers and other institutions, etc. These roles add to
your value, aura, credibility, and connections to your network.
• View this activity as your personal Business Development. Offer real help, not
just seek titles. Make your role and value visible to others. It’s OK to brag the
right way.
• Also visit:https://intouchnetworks.com/en-us
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11. 4. Become Visible
• Publish articles, books, blogs, PPT presentations on SlideShare, etc.!
• The “Author” label on your forehead is extremely important.
• Give speeches on a regular basis.
• Seek sponsors; cultivate relationships with your sponsors!
• Leverage podcasts.
• Publish a newsletter or blog
• Advertise in the right media (i.e.: Dallas Business Journal, YELP, etc.).
• Create a company around you, even if your all alone. Register formally the
company name with the right agencies and institutions. Develop pages on Social
Media to advertise your company.
11

12. https://www.slideshare.net/Hingemarketing/slideshare-
become-visiblefaster092214
https://www.slideshare.net/jeffbullas/how-to-become-visible-
with-social-media
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13. 5. Have A Great Website
• Great Website ➔ dynamic mode! ➔ fresh content all the time, plus e-commerce
facilities.
• Lead Generation Engines (LGEs) for websites. Sample list:
• SEO
• PPC
• Landing Page (offering a freebie, like a PDF file, )
• Subscriptions
• Selling online content (articles, white papers, PPT presentations, etc.)
• Selling online advice
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14. 5. Have A Great Website
(Cont’d)
• Lead Generation Engines (LGEs) for websites. Sample list (cont’d):
• Selling “stuff”
• Books, Surveys, other
• Newsletter
• Chat Room, Blog/Vlog
• Emails
• Exchange of banners with other pertinent websites (partners, vendors, sponsors)
• Display Ads
• Connections to Social Media
• Google Ads, LI Ads, FB Ads, Quora Ads, Alignable Ads, etc.
• Live Chat
• Event (workshop, webinar, etc.) Scheduling
• Customer Surveys
Collect emails from your LGEs, in order
to use them for email campaigns and
direct communications.
Purchase email data bases, if needed.
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15. 5. Have A Great Website
(Cont’d)
• No need to elaborate on having a great website, as everyone knows the value and
the necessity of doing it the right way.
• Reminder: A well-designed website has minimum 5 lead generation engines!
• Visit: https://www.leadfeeder.com/blog/top-lead-generation-tools/#gref
https://liquidwebdesigns.com/business-
strategies/5-ways-to-improve-your-
websites-lead-generation-process/
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16. 6. Have The Right Marketing Collateral
• Biz cards, brochures, flyers, etc. ➔ both paper and electronic formats
https://blog.designcrowd.com/article/1648/2020-ultimate-
guide-to-effective-marketing-collateral 16

17. 7. Leverage The Digital Age
• Connect to LI, Twitter, FB, etc.
• More importantly become an expert on Digital Transformation because that’s the
hot topic for all consulting firms. Digital Transformation sells! It’s the future!
• Stay connected!
• See special presentation on this topic.
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18. 8. Offer “Freebies”
• Offer:
• Free seminars, free workshops
• Free advice
• Free essays
• Free white papers
• Free pens, keychains, small flashlights, etc.
• Announce them on your website and emails
• All of them should have your logo and contact information on them on
them
• Free some of your books (do not forget to autograph them)
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19. 9. Set Your Self Apart From The Masses
• As a consultant you need to establish yourself as a Thought Leader, an
intellectual, a prophet, a futurist, etc.
• Establish your personal Value Proposition and let the world know about it.
• Avoid becoming a “hired hand”, a contractor or subcontractor. (Reminder: Hired
hands and contractors are not considered consultants). The best consultants are
problem solvers, strategists, visionaries, game changers, change masters …
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20. An Example
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21. Another Example
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Also Visit: https://www.slideshare.net/Supernic67/leadership-
value-proposition

22. 10. Perform Brand Management on Yourself.
It’s the same as Reputation Management
• You are the brand!
• So, what is your brand? What label do you want people to affix on your
forehead? Does it fit with your bliss? (see #11)
• See special presentation on this topic.
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Also Visit:
https://www.skillsyouneed.co
m/rhubarb/building-
personal-brand.html

23. Be Careful What You Post
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24. 11.Follow Your Bliss and Higher Purpose ➔ Align
your career, brand, and persona with your Bliss and Higher Purpose!
• Stand for something! (be brave). (you will lose some customers, but you will gain much
respect from others, and more importantly from your self ➔ remember that you cannot
win them all and that’s OK).
• See special presentation on this topic.
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25. 25

26. 26

27. 12. Become An Adjunct Professor At A
University, If Possible
• Being a “professor” adds a lot to your credibility! Plus, it keeps you abreast of the
latest trends, developments, inventions, and all other important information that
establishes you as a thought leader.
• It becomes easy to make the transition from Adjunct Professor to Adjunct
Entrepreneur
• It also opens the door to a new career, just in case Consulting does not fit with
one’s Higher Purpose
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28. BOTTOM LINE:
•Be proactive and be involved!
•Put yourself on the spotlight!
Seek the higher ground!
Make yourself special and wanted!
Don’t betray your Higher Purpose!
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29. 1
6
5
4
3
2
7
8
9
10
11
12
They All Are Interrelated
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30. 2. Belong to Societies,
Organizations,
Associations
3. Belong to NPOs
and FPOs
5.Have and Maintain
a Great Website
6. Have the Right
Marketing Collateral
7. Connect to Social
Media
8. Offer Freebies
9. Set Yourself Apart
10.Perform Brand
Management
11. Follow Your Bliss
and Higher Purpose
12. Become an
Adjunct Professor
4. Become and
Remain Visible
1.
Network
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