Consulting Clients: How to Get Them - Using Your Network and Offline Methods

Here are several ways to find and keep great clients when you are starting or growing a consulting business, primarily using offline methods.

First, use your network and announce your consulting business. Send announcements to all of your friends and business contacts about your new consulting business. If you don’t have a “network” yet, now is the time to start building and maintaining it.

There are three great ways to update your network:

1. Mail a printed announcement on very high quality paper or card stock to your friends and business contacts. I know, it’s expensive and slow, but printed paper mail is more difficult to ignore than email. Look at the offerings of the Stuart F. Cooper Company, for example.

2. Email your friends and business contacts. Keep it low-key, friendly and personal. Spread out your emails over several days. You don’t want to be accused of sending SPAM. There are online services, such as iContact.com, that make sending emails easier, for a fee.

3. Send status updates over LinkedIn, Facebook and other online social networking services. (This is obviously for people who already have contacts and friends on these services.)

Many people make the common mistake of undervaluing their network. Don’t make this mistake. Hopefully, people in your network know and trust you and your work. That is priceless in terms of getting referrals and great clients. Also, your “passing acquaintances” may be the most valuable contacts you have. Your close friends probably share many of the same interests and friends as you do. Your acquaintances probably have different interests and different circles of friends, which can result in more referrals for you and your consulting business.

If you already have a consulting business established, you can update your network by sending out announcements or a newsletter. Announcements can cover anniversaries or significant events in your business or industry. A newsletter is an excellent way to keep your name on the top of mind of your prospects, clients and referral sources, provided that you send it out regularly -- monthly at least. Online, you can send status updates on LinkedIn and Facebook, and respond to questions posted by others. (This is in addition to having a web site, blog or other web presence, as I have discussed elsewhere.)

Second, use other offline methods. There are several other tried-and-true methods of marketing yourself as a consultant:

- Using business cards (if all of your consulting is online, you may not need business cards. However, most consultants will want them to share at conferences, etc. You can buy them at VistaPrint.com or sfcooper.com. Business cards are most effective when you follow up with some type of contact – even an email or note just to say “nice to meet you” after the fact);

- Giving presentations and speeches at conferences and events, and to interest groups (such as trade associations);

- Teaching classes (to your prospects) at colleges and adult education schools;

- Offering workshops and seminars live (or online over the web)

- Writing books, brochures, and articles for publication offline and online;

- Using press releases and publicity to gather media attention for your consulting business; and

This is just a sampling of the many effective ways to get great clients offline. No single method is a magic bullet. You need to try several to see which is most effective for you in your field. Why not take some simple steps to get started -- today?