I interviewed a consultant from the SBDC

How did you get started consulting?

Book Yourself Solid – Some book I should probably read

The idea of productizing your consulting is really a great thing that’s only on the verge of catching on, or is kind of the thing that other consultants aren’t getting. Lots of people are giving advice but most people think that consulting has to do with Information and Advice, as opposed to actually producing something.

Training is a big deal.

Having a STANDARD developed is a big deal.

How do you feel about all the competition? It feels like there’s a lot, and of course there are plenty of online things to compete with now.

It’s ok, because there’s always room for new people who are solid and who can maintain mobility.

Also, if you have a great product, that’s all there is, you have a great product.

Your growth trajectory will be different – very word of mouth.

Would you say that as a consultant you have specific tools ready in your tool bag? – Have you developed those yourself, or taken them from others? Or maybe taken what others have and tweaked them?

Yes, it’s important to have some basic tools for identification and fixing problems.

Also, it will help the client to feel secure in knowing that you have a process and some standards.

What do you think has been the thing you’ve done which has given you the most initial touches with customers?

What do you think has been the thing that has kept them coming back? Or have you had much customer retention and reuse?

Personal relationships have definitely been the thing that has caused retention

What would you say is your main customer base? Small business, start-ups, corporations?

Would you say that for the most part, you have decided on an overall “customer base necessity” and you’re meeting that for yourself each year without marketing or reaching out much more?

Would you recommend that a new consultant start in the industry? Do you feel like there’s room in the current market, global, online, and otherwise?

What are the most basic qualifications you think a consultant should have?

Certifications are awesome – but you need to know sort of where you are trying to learn and definitely being opportunistic in learning chances.

I interviewed an independent consultant too:

My targets going in: Really, let him ask questions and talk as much as you can. You don’t know, what you don’t know. So, let him speak as much knowledge into your life as possible, so that you can then take all of that in without interfering with it.

Here are some questions or topics that I think might be useful to know:

How did you get started consulting?

Benefited so much personally as he was building his own companies, by his own mentors. Not necessarily a consultant or coach, but much more personal mentoring. It really was helpful and allowed him to take everything to a new level because they helped him deal with a lot of the personal hang-ups he would have had. Definitely invested in that, monetarily and time-wise. That very much inspired the sense of desiring to give back, and his mentors said to him “Hey, you might want to look in to providing this training and help for others in the future.” Very personally inspired to deal with people. Not as much money, but that isn’t his metric for success.

How do you feel about all the competition? It feels like there’s a lot, and of course there are plenty of online things to compete with now.

Absolutely zero competitive research – has a hard time researching competition because he feels it would detract his personal goals.

What he’s found SINCE he started, is that there really is a kind of saturated market, but a lot of people aren’t buying those services from people who are just “talking at” people.

He’s definitely recognized that while there are a ton of coaches, the difference is that there are a lot of wannabes, and he feels he has a real, tangible product and professional service that will be consistent.

Feels that his value proposition is that he is truly helpful in a personal way.

Would you say that as a consultant you have specific tools ready in your tool bag? – Have you developed those yourself, or taken them from others? Or maybe taken what others have and tweaked them?

Probably not as clearly articulated as I could. He has great listening and great questions, which he has found extremely valuable. He truly believes in the potential of his clients and that they can get the answers themselves, but his role is to be honest and clarify thoughts, and ask questions in order to help them stay directed to solution finding. “Awareness, and listening. Being self-aware and paying attention to the nuances of the conversation.”

Have true and useful models for what you’re doing, both in how business works and how personal interaction works. Mostly all in his head. Says it really requires him to be self-aware.

What do you think has been the thing you’ve done which has given you the most initial touches with customers?

There’s a difference in quality of leads from different sources. People with local connection and/or a personal connection have been the most valuable leads, and would say “50% of initial touches are from local or personal connections.” Local networking, or intentionally rubbing shoulders with people – maybe 20% of leads from that. Also, using SEO and google adwords to get some touches, but the quality of those things is fairly low. The commitment level of the people who are searching for this service online is low. It makes chasing that market very low. However, the lifetime value of a client is a very solid investment.

What do you think has been the thing that has kept them coming back? Or have you had much customer retention and reuse?

For the most part, he is finding a gradual on-ramp with the clients. It’s definitely more of a courtship. But, he’s finding that he needs to make an effort to retain them from the very first conversation. It’s definitely a time investment, and he’s finding that he needs to do a little following-up and having patience. Customer retention has been based in two things:

1. They are driven on their own, and they’re coming back because of their own discontent with their own situation, and he’s helping them come to grips with their own potential and giving them hope and energy.

2. There’s a relationship, and it becomes an attachment thing, like having an ally.

What would you say is your main customer base? Small business, start-ups, corporations?

Definitely on the small end. There’s more of them and they’re easier to get to. People who haven’t started their business yet, or are just in the early stage are the greatest portion. Almost entirely individuals.

It happened with some intentionality, that he’s pitching himself toward entrepreneurs. Not really chasing the corporate market.

Would you say that for the most part, you have decided on an overall “customer base necessity” and you’re meeting that for yourself each year without marketing or reaching out much more?

Situation is a little unique because this venture has very little to do with his primary monetary sources; however, he has several metrics that he pays attention to. His biggest metric right now is how many active clients he has, people who are at least verbally committed to doing business with him in the future. Would like to have 12-16 active clients. Specifically, 16 total clients who are effectively weekly meetings. Personally, would like to have $100,000 coming from his coaching business. Another potential milestone, is that he would like to get the coaching business to the point where he could live off of it. Currently, his big win that he’s looking for is to make the coaching business come out to the black – he is still in the red. Mostly, he attributes those losses to Google Adwords investing.

Would you recommend that a new consultant start in the industry? Do you feel like there’s room in the current market, global, online, and otherwise?

What are the most basic qualifications you think a consultant should have?

Great self awareness, great awareness of others, great listening skills, and healthy models of how things work. How do people grow? How do people lead a team? You don’t have to be a genius, but you have to have some insight, and the ability to make people feel safe and on their side. Don’t make them feel stupid. (This is all for the things that he does)

What type of information do you think has been the most relevant for you to have? (Marketing, SEO, time management, writing?)

How do you feel about business plans and writing them? Do you feel like they should target one thing over another, even at the expense of a segment?

Do you feel like launching is more important than any other thing, or preparedness prior to launch?

What is the service that you feel you most often provide to customers? Writing, coaching, physical help, personal planning, business planning, web design, social media, just getting them to DO something?

Not a big provider of tangibles. If someone is particularly concerned about a specific area, “we” can talk about it, but it’s always in service of the deeper question of “am I ready to take this on?” So, not much in the way of tangible provision or specific direction in that sense. Providing more self-empowerment.

Do you feel like your regular content updates have given you something significant? For yourself or for your business?

Who do you feel has been the most influential to keeping you on a path of consistency when you take steps, and encouraging you to take those steps? Who do you go to for advice?

He does still have coaches and mentors, in fact it’s possible that it’s a little excessive and he’s planning on cutting back some. Has one personal, singular man who is providing the most longevity in mentoring and helping. Conversation with coaches is super important and his own personal drive. Also, results help! Sometimes the coaching advice you will get, will be opposite of each other! You have to remember what is YOU, and makes the most sense for you.

Do you feel that “personal” growth directly translates into “business” growth? Which one would you put on a pedestal, if you had to choose?

What reading material would you say is absolutely essential for general growth? Not “marketing” growth or “financial forecasting” growth, but the fundamental principals of what make up the industry?

He has invested a TON in learning about human development in general, and mostly in person with people who he admires. He’s sort of stalked people way above his pay grade and seen how they are operating currently. Not really any blog reading because with the personal interaction focus, he hasn’t seen much that would make sense in his specific offering.

How long did you plan before you decided to launch officially?

Never made a written business plan in anything that he has done, but he is a huge planner. Very strategic mind, and so writing a plan isn’t the “best” way of planning. There was no “whim” in any of his shots though, and so he would say a significant amount of planning has gone into everything he does. Probably 1 year saying “I want to do this, I want to intentionally prepare for this.” Then after the decision for sure to launch, there was about a 3 month materials gathering and setup before officially launching. Pretty much the timing was based in desire, for maybe 2 or 3 years, and then.

How did you decide your pricing? (Customer base, personal need, competitive pricing?)

Questions that I wanted to ask them but I didn’t get to: