Question

Topic: Career/Training

Advice On Starting Out As A Consultant

Posted by Anonymous on 11/28/2004 at 7:26 AM ET 250 Points
Hello all,

I am looking for some advice and words of wisdom....

After working for 9 years as a senior product manager and with 10 years junior IT and Marketing experience behind that I would like to set out as an independent marketing consultant focused on product management.

My industry specialism is telecoms and IT. I can also provide support to e-commerce businesses and to small start ups.

Can you offer any advice on how I get my first Client without reference cases etc?

Is a website important to me?

Do I need to print brochureware?

Any help woudl be appreciated.... I know this is a broad question but I could do with a thought shower :-)

thanks in advance
Dan
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 11/28/2004 at 3:33 PM Accepted
    Dan, you DO have some reference cases from your existing work experience.

    Another way to get some references is to do pro bono work for a charity, a start-up, a small biz, etc.

    For some thought-provoking material, I highly recommend you buy or borrow Peter Block's book Flawless Consulting : A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. It's a classic, and it's not just for outside consultants.

    Good luck!

    - Shelley
  • Posted on 11/28/2004 at 10:20 PM Accepted
    I have to respond to your question with a strong (and admittedly self-serving) recommendation: Get a copy of Rasputin For Hire and read it cover-to-cover. The sub-title is An inside look at management consulting between jobs or as a second career, and the book answers a whole bunch of questions that are, or should be, sloshing around in your brain right now.

    You can read the Introduction and Chapter 1 on the website (www.rasputinforhire.com), and you can get the book through Amazon.com, bn.com, at most bookstores in the United States, or through the website itself. There's also a neat self-assessment on the website that is kind of fun to take ... and it's very consistent with what most of the consultants interviewed for the book had to say.

    Among other things, the book includes:

    * 26 important lessons consultants can learn from Rasputin

    * The true essence of management consulting

    * 7 personal prerequisites and considerations for would-be consultants

    * 9 steps in every consulting project or client relationship

    * The role and value of the consulting proposal

    * A client’s-eye view of consulting

    * Common client misunderstandings – and how to deal with them

    * The 5 keys to consulting success

    * A round-table discussion with a panel of 8 savvy consultants who share their own experiences and advice

    Good luck. Let us all know how it goes!

    (End of commercial message.) ;-)
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 11/29/2004 at 9:23 PM Member
    Dan, I reread your question. You also asked about the importance of a website.

    If you have a business name, make sure you register a domain name to match. Then find a email/web hosting service so you can at least get your email address launched right away.

    There's no faster way to reduce your credibility than to say you can be reached via Dan @ yahoo.com ! ;]

    Your second priority in the near-term might be a simple one-page website. Later you can expand its breadth and depth to suit your needs.

    Make the website your brochureware for starters. Invest in hi-quality business cards that have your domain name on them.

    That's the other half of my two cents!

    Shelley ;]
  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 11/30/2004 at 5:19 AM Member
    Dennish's post reminded me of one more thing that I always advise people who are starting their own gig...

    If you're working from home, it's always better to say, "I'm working offsite today" or "I'll be operating offsite this week." (Working "onsite" means you're at the client's facility.)

    It's a subtle difference, but it's one of those little things that nudges your credibility up a bit.

    Okay, shutting up now.
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