Reflecting on this past week, my focus was on exercising my coaching skills. That comes as no surprise as coaching is fundamental to my leadership responsibilities. I was a bit surprised by the breath of my coaching responsibilities, though. It began by helping a client get his job search on track and ended with a coaching client finishing her PhD requirements. Most of the week was spent with my consulting team and prospective consultants. Interestingly, one of those prospects is a Mexican Citizen who wants to open an office for us in Mexico City. I like her passion and vision for developing Latin America.
The common thread to these discussions is what I call “the three pillars of success for independent consultants;” networking, public speaking, and writing. These three skills are the key to success in most if not all occupations. Another way to characterize these skills is Marketing. The objective is to be viewed as an expert in your field, someone who can be hired with confidence.
Professionals and Craftsmen must master the skills of their profession. If you’re an Accountant, you must know how to record transactions, balance accounts, and prepare accurate financial statements, among other things. A carpenter must know how to make precise cuts, create square corners, and minimize waste. In both examples, one must be familiar with codes, regulations, and best practices for the industry. That is a baseline requirement to compete.
If you want to build a business or expand your practice, you need a lot of people who know your capabilities, who can recommend you to prospective customers. So how do you accomplish that goal? Networking, public speaking, and writing.
I’ve written extensively about the importance of networking. It is necessary but time-consuming and inefficient with regard to the number of people you can influence at any time. It cannot be avoided, however. The relationships one builds by networking creates trust, facilitating referrals. A referral from a trusted colleague is a powerful introduction.
The second and third pillars provide leverage. Public speaking is a viable way to influence many people at the same time. It provides a platform to demonstrate your professional credentials to an audience eager to hear your message. Isn’t it better to sell your product to 20, 40, or 100 people at the same time than by talking to just one person?
Receiving public speaking invitations requires you to be adept at presenting general information about a relevant topic. By demonstrating your command of the issue, you indirectly sell your services. This isn’t about direct selling; it’s about reinforcing your credentials. No one wants to listen to a 40-minute infomercial, but they will listen to learn how others have resolved common problems.
Writing blog posts or articles provides even greater exposure and more latitude over the subject matter. Before the internet, the traditional method was to write articles or editorials for publications in industry magazines, newspapers, and periodicals. Today, we have many more options including social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and your company website. Additionally, you can create podcasts and YouTube videos to reach a larger audience. Supporting your writing campaign are email marketing applications like Constant Contact, AWeber, and Mail Chimp. Grammarly is an application that helps you with your grammar and punctuation, a digital editor as it were. With all of these resources available at modest cost, why wouldn’t you develop a writing discipline?
Distributing written information provides leverage that can easily put you on the national, and international stage. I have proof positive based on my conversation this week with the lady from Mexico City. The point is to present material that is interesting, relevant, and easy to read. Over time, you will create a loyal following. These fans are potential clients, ambassadors supplementing your selling efforts. Writing articles or blog posts leads to an expanded business development platform.
The three pillars are mutually reinforcing. Once you develop a message, tested and honed by networking, you can easily move on to public speaking. Public speaking takes your message to a broader audience while writing takes your message to a far larger audience. It’s a natural progression where one activity builds on the other. Plan for success as an independent consultant by mastering the Three Pillars!
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Jim Weber, Managing Partner
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