| Now maybe your idea is to be a consultant or maybe | | | | not as cost but as investment. It is essential that to |
| you are an advisor or educator of some kind or | | | | become a business consultant and develop as one |
| perhaps you simply have knowledge and information | | | | you must learn marketing techniques - online and |
| about something that you want to make a living | | | | offline. |
| from? Whatever it is, if you have knowledge and | | | | 6. Test as many ways of marketing as you can think |
| information that people might pay for you could | | | | of, not just printing cards and sending out brochures |
| easily be sitting on a 6 or 7 figure business. | | | | - (these won't get business). Network, call people you |
| Being a consultant, advisor, educator, information and | | | | know, start building a list of online prospects, join |
| knowledge provider to others (whether they are | | | | groups and associations. |
| large or small businesses) means that you can make | | | | 7. Sell products as well as services - that means do |
| 6 and 7 figure incomes by simply selling your | | | | public workshops, seminars, CDs and DVDs of your |
| knowledge and expertise. And believe it or not you | | | | knowledge rather than just selling your time. |
| don't have to be the world's biggest expert on your | | | | 8. As a business consultant, you need to have an |
| topic. | | | | online presence. You don't need a full-blown website. |
| You just need to be clear on ten basic things: | | | | You just need a squeeze page or something that |
| 1. Find the demand for what you offer - you can do | | | | captures leads. That is a place people can go to that |
| this by talking to other providers of the same | | | | tells them what you do and for them to register their |
| solution as you offer. Or by going online and looking | | | | interest in what it is that you offer. You can |
| at the search results for the people typing in the | | | | supplement this with a profile on a social media site. |
| problems you want to solve (at Google's keyword | | | | 9. Write articles like this to drive people to that place. |
| Tool), or by asking those you think would want what | | | | Get them to register their interest in your area of |
| you offer. | | | | knowledge. Okay so you may not sell to them today |
| 2. In order to become a business consultant, you | | | | but one they are on your list you can promote to |
| need to be able to put out a message of what you | | | | them products and services you offer at any other |
| are promoting to groups of potential buyers and face | | | | time. |
| the possibility of rejection. It's okay, that happens to | | | | 10. Build relationships and trust. Be patient with your |
| us all - just don't be afraid of it. | | | | customers and clients and listen to them carefully. |
| 3. You need to be able to communicate the benefits | | | | What are their problems and pains that they are |
| of what you offer not just the features. That means | | | | trying to solve. Don't presume to know what they |
| what you customer will get as a result of your | | | | want until they communicate it to you. Then you are |
| service or product not just the way in which you'll | | | | in a much better position to do business with them. |
| provide it. | | | | Okay, this isn't everything there is to know about |
| 4. Network as much as you can and get the word | | | | how to become a business consultant, it's not |
| around about what you offer. Try to communicate it | | | | comprehensive but they are really important things |
| in as interesting a way as you can | | | | that I have learned over 14 years of responding to |
| 5. Invest in learning programmes on how to prospect, | | | | business needs. Hope they are helpful. |
| get leads and sell. See any expenditure on learning | | | | |