{"id":8176,"date":"2021-10-07T22:10:20","date_gmt":"2021-10-07T22:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/?p=8176"},"modified":"2021-10-12T23:30:48","modified_gmt":"2021-10-12T23:30:48","slug":"how-to-grow-a-consulting-business-while-working-full-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/?p=8176","title":{"rendered":"A 4-Step Plan to Grow Your Consulting Business While Working Full-Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The internet is full of bad advice for growing your consulting business\u00a0(whether or not you\u2019re doing it full time). Stuff like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cRun Facebook ads.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cSend cold emails.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cPost twice a day on social media.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cStart blogging\u00a0once a week.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The last thing you want to do while juggling a full-time job\u00a0and consulting is to dump ad money down the Facebook drain.<\/p>\n<p>But making a shiny new website and updating your LinkedIn\u00a0with a cute \u201cLet\u2019s get in touch\u201d message at the end of your bio won\u2019t get potential clients banging down your door, either.<\/p>\n<p>Growing a successful consulting business\u00a0obviously takes time \u2014 time to find a strategy, execute, measure results, and repeat. But time is in short supply when you show up to your 9-5 <em>and<\/em>\u00a0execute whatever client work you have. That means whatever strategy you use for marketing your consulting business\u00a0needs to be <em>fast<\/em>\u00a0and <em>effective<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what I\u2019m here to talk about today.<\/p>\n<p>This post goes in depth on a four-step plan to get your next 10 clients &#8230; or however many you need to quit your day job.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m going to walk you through:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#step-1\">How to focus on ONE offer so you\u2019re not doing five different things for five different clientss.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#step-2\">How to know when you can go full-time on your consulting biz without losing sleep over income.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#step-3\">A specific, detailed, three-phase marketing plan for taking part-time consulting to full-time.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#step-4\">Rookie mistakes to avoid as you execute the plan.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sound good? Cool. One more thing before we jump in:<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re an adult, and I\u2019m not your babysitter, so do what you want. But sometimes people struggle with the balance between their day jobs\u00a0and their side businesses.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 0; margin-left: 0;\">\n<li style=\"display: flex; list-style-type: none;\">\u274c <span style=\"padding-left: 10px;\">Don\u2019t consult for direct competitors of your current employer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"display: flex; list-style-type: none;\">\u274c <span style=\"padding-left: 10px;\">Don\u2019t do your consulting work on company time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"display: flex; list-style-type: none;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; color: #0aab0a;\">\u2714 <\/span><span style=\"padding-left: 10px;\">Do check your employment contract to make sure they can\u2019t fire you for consulting on the side.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And if you\u2019re really worried, have a lawyer review your employment agreement\u00a0to make sure you\u2019re not on the wrong side of a non-compete\u00a0clause, creating a conflict of interest, etc.<\/p>\n<p>But enough about that. Let\u2019s dig into that four-step plan I promised.<\/p>\n<p id=\"step-1\"><em>Note: Want to <\/em><em>skyrocket<\/em><em>\u00a0revenue over the next 90 days? <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/predictable-leads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Book a complimentary call with one of our certified coaches<\/a><\/em><em>. We\u2019ll look under the hood of your business and pick two to three growth opportunities just for you.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Step 1: Pick a Short-Term\u00a0Specialty<\/h2>\n<p>Consultants hate niching down like a vampire hates garlic. But you know what? Garlic\u2019s good for you.<\/p>\n<p>I am NOT saying you have to go from offering \u201cmarketing advice for small businesses\u201d to \u201cmarketing advice for print shops\u201d and never expand to different clientele. But I am saying you should test it for 90 days.<\/p>\n<p>Step One is about finding one, highly specific offer you can make to prospective clients. <strong>This exercise only takes 30 minutes (or less) but will give you months of clarity in your business.<\/strong>\u00a0Don\u2019t skip it.<\/p>\n<p>So how do you find that one, highly specific offer?<\/p>\n<p>You start by evaluating your current clients. <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/how-to-find-clients-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">If you don\u2019t have any, then go read this article to find your first clients and scale<\/a>.\u00a0But if you\u2019ve already worked with five to 10 people, then you can use the plan I\u2019m about to show you.<\/p>\n<p>Think about the clients you\u2019ve worked with so far:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who did you like working with the most?<\/li>\n<li>What did you do for them?<\/li>\n<li>Was the money you made worth the time you spent?<\/li>\n<li>Were they happy with the results you got for them?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8174\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57.png\" alt=\"The perfect clientele is a trifecta: (1) Made good money, (2) cool to work with, and (3) client was satisfied.\" width=\"800\" height=\"935\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57.png 1368w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57-257x300.png 257w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57-876x1024.png 876w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57-768x898.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57-1313x1536.png 1313w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8174\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57.png\" alt=\"The perfect clientele is a trifecta: (1) Made good money, (2) cool to work with, and (3) client was satisfied.\" width=\"800\" height=\"935\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57.png 1368w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57-257x300.png 257w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57-876x1024.png 876w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57-768x898.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/57-1313x1536.png 1313w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Out of the consulting gigs you\u2019ve worked so far, choose one that was profitable, you enjoyed, and your client was happy with.<\/p>\n<p>For some of you, this process is as simple as relaxing on your porch and reflecting on the last few months. If you need something more tangible to make your decision, try copying this example from an imaginary efficiency consultant:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8175\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58.png\" alt=\"What should your short-term specialization be? (And whether to pursue based on multiple factors)\" width=\"800\" height=\"646\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58-300x242.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58-1024x827.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58-768x620.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58-1536x1240.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8175\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58.png\" alt=\"What should your short-term specialization be? (And whether to pursue based on multiple factors)\" width=\"800\" height=\"646\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58-300x242.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58-1024x827.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58-768x620.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/58-1536x1240.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p id=\"step-2\">In this example, helping tech startups\u00a0organize their growing teams is the best offer to start with because it has the best combination of revenue, personal satisfaction, and client satisfaction.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 2: Figure Out EXACTLY How Many Clients You Need<\/h2>\n<p>After Step 1, you have:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>What kind of business or person you\u2019ll target with your offer.<\/li>\n<li>What, specifically, you will do for them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Step 2 is also short but <em>super<\/em>\u00a0effective at giving you a clear plan to move forward. Here\u2019s the goal for Step 2: Figure out how many clients you need to quit your full-time job.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the formula:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8169\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59.png\" alt=\"Take the income you want plus your expenses divided by the money you make per client = the number of clients needed.\" width=\"799\" height=\"242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59-300x91.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59-1024x310.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59-768x232.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59-1536x465.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8169\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59.png\" alt=\"Take the income you want plus your expenses divided by the money you make per client = the number of clients needed.\" width=\"799\" height=\"242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59-300x91.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59-1024x310.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59-768x232.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/59-1536x465.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>You can do this for your desired yearly income or monthly income. I think monthly income is easier.<\/p>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say you need to make $120,000 per year or $10,000 per month to replace your full-time job. If you charge $10,000 per client, you only need 12 clients in one year (assuming expenses are zero).<\/p>\n<p>If you charge $2,000 per client, then you need 5 clients per <em>month<\/em>. Unless you have $1,000 in expenses every month, in which case you\u2019ll need a 6th client every other month to meet your bottom line.<\/p>\n<p>Also keep in mind whether you do one-off engagements vs. repeating revenue. If your package pricing\u00a0is $1,000 every month per client and your goal is $10,000 per month, you need ten clients to hit that goal.<\/p>\n<p id=\"step-3\">One more thing \u2014 don\u2019t pull these numbers out of thin air. What did you charge for the offer you\u2019re now specializing in? Your fee should be the same (or a bit higher, if you have good reason to think you could have charged more).<\/p>\n<h2>Step 3: Make a Plan to Find Clients<\/h2>\n<p>Not everyone will come up with the same number for Step 2. But when you\u2019re done, you\u2019ll have:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Target audience.<\/li>\n<li>Chosen offer.<\/li>\n<li>Price for the chosen offer.<\/li>\n<li>Target # of clients to quit your job.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Step 3 is to make a client acquisition plan. We\u2019ll run through an example plan to find 10 clients. You can adjust it based on whether you need more or fewer clients.<\/p>\n<p>This plan has three phases. We\u2019ll explore each one in detail, but here is the summary:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Phase 1:<\/strong>\u00a0Word of mouth\/referrals. If you\u2019ve already provided your chosen service to a few clients, then you should be able to find one or two more just from referrals. If this is your first time\u00a0getting clients, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/how-to-find-clients-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">read this post on how to find clients instead<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Phase 2:<\/strong>\u00a0Go on a podcast tour. This will get you somewhere around\u00a0seven more clients\u00a0if you have a high-ticket offer. For lower-priced consulting, you\u2019ll get more than seven clients from this exercise.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Phase 3:<\/strong>\u00a0Do webinars with your best podcast partners. This will get you at least two more clients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Remember that the exact numbers you get may be different from the plan. This is just an estimate to get you on the right track.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.onxseshawiir\">Phase 1: Get Referrals From Existing Clients<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t make this complicated. It\u2019s the simplest of the three phases in your plan to get 10 clients.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve chosen to offer compliance consulting to pediatricians. You\u2019ll audit their systems to make sure everything is HIPAA compliant, while helping them do so as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.<\/p>\n<p>Email or call every pediatrician&#8217;s office you\u2019ve offered this service to. And say something like this:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Hey Sally, I really enjoyed working with you. It was great that we were able to [get key <\/em><em>result<\/em><em>\u00a0for them]. I\u2019d love to help other pediatricians in the same way I helped you. Do you know anyone who might be interested?<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And if they say Yes, ask them to make an introduction:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Awesome, thanks Sally! Is it too much trouble to ask you for an introduction? I\u2019m sure it would mean a lot more coming from you than if I reached out as some random weirdo on the internet. <\/em>\ud83d\ude42<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Customize these notes to make it feel natural for you. But the basic step that most consultants skip is to just ask. It\u2019s good to remind them of the results you got for them (if you have something concrete to point to), but the key is just to ask. If all goes well, you could end up with your next client\u00a0this way.<\/p>\n<p>The specificity of your offer is important here. You\u2019re not offering vague help; you\u2019re asking past clients to refer you specifically to people similar to them for the work you did.<\/p>\n<p>How exactly the math shakes out depends on things like how many clients you\u2019ve done this for, how good you are at <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/how-to-close-a-sales-call\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">closing sales calls<\/a>, and how strong your relationship is with your client base. For example, if your close rate on referred clients is 33%, and you\u2019ve done this work for two clients, then you need each one to introduce you to three people to get two new clients.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.lg8owb8iac1q\">Phase 2: Go on a Podcast Tour<\/h3>\n<p>We just wrote a <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/booked-on-podcasts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">whole article<\/a>\u00a0on how to do a podcast tour because it\u2019s such a good (and easy) way to find clients, whether you\u2019re a consultant, freelancer, or course creator.<\/p>\n<p>What is a podcast tour?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s where you find podcast hosts who cater to your target audience and get on their shows.<\/p>\n<p>Say you\u2019re the efficiency consultant who\u2019s targeting rapidly growing tech startups\u00a0from our earlier example. You want their founders to know who you are and what you do. So you Google \u201cpodcasts for tech startups\u201d\u00a0and see this:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8170\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0.png\" alt=\"&quot;Podcasts for tech startups&quot; Google results page 1\" width=\"800\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1024x525.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-768x394.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1536x788.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8170\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0.png\" alt=\"&quot;Podcasts for tech startups&quot; Google results page 1\" width=\"800\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1024x525.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-768x394.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1536x788.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Boom. \ud83d\udca5<\/p>\n<p>Most interview-format podcast hosts are <em>dying<\/em>\u00a0to find people to talk to on their shows. They have an ever-present need for new content. You and your knowledge about organizing tech startup\u00a0teams are their new content.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you do:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Make a list of 50 podcasts with audiences that overlap with your target audience. The goal is for their listeners to be your best-fit clients.<\/li>\n<li>Pitch the podcast hosts.<\/li>\n<li>Go on every show that says yes, which should be around 50%, if you follow our process.<\/li>\n<li>Mention your consulting service in the first five minutes of the show.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure the episode includes a link to your site and a call-to-action for your offer.<\/li>\n<li>Watch the new business\u00a0roll in.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Diana Wu David, one of our coaching clients, did this to sell <em>thousands<\/em>\u00a0of copies of her book and drove over $8,000 in revenue to her online course.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/booked-on-podcasts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">In our write-up<\/a>, she explains exactly what she did. Stuff like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Her dead-simple outreach script.<\/li>\n<li>Specific tactics to get listeners to learn about your product and follow you.<\/li>\n<li>Why podcasts will drive leads to your business for months (and even years) after they air.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>P.S. Going on a podcast tour is one example of our favorite marketing strategy: Using partnerships to get in front of other people\u2019s audiences. <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/partnership-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">You can learn more about partnership marketing, why it works so well, and how to do it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.fe4hder3lh7a\">Phase 3: Hold Webinars with Your Best Podcast Partners<\/h3>\n<p>Phase 2 will take most of your 90-day trial period. After you\u2019ve gone on 20-30 podcasts, you should have at least seven\u00a0more clients. That number could be higher or lower depending on your specific target audience and how strong your offer is.<\/p>\n<p>But assuming you get seven, that leaves two more to reach our job-quitting goal of ten consulting clients. And that means it\u2019s time to break out the webinar.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8173\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8173\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8173\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1.png\" alt=\"&quot;How to take your course or coaching to $10K per month without spending a dime on ads or posting content all over the place&quot; was Bryan's monthly webinar that drove dozens of leads.\" width=\"800\" height=\"445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1-1024x570.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1-768x427.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1-1536x854.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8173\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1.png\" alt=\"&quot;How to take your course or coaching to $10K per month without spending a dime on ads or posting content all over the place&quot; was Bryan's monthly webinar that drove dozens of leads.\" width=\"800\" height=\"445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1-1024x570.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1-768x427.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/pasted-image-0-1-1536x854.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8173\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><center><em>Me offering a monthly webinar that drove dozens of leads.<\/em><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019ve never done a webinar before, that\u2019s fine. We put together a full post on <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/webinar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how to run a webinar<\/a>, from pitching your partner to scripts for the call. Think of it as a teaching opportunity: You get in front of your best-fit clients, teach them something really useful, and invite them to learn more by joining your email list and scheduling a one-on-one call with you.<\/p>\n<p>If sales calls aren\u2019t your forte (and let\u2019s be honest, most of us make horrible salespeople without some guidance and practice), <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/how-to-close-a-sales-call\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">read our guide on how to close a sales call<\/a>. We give you our team\u2019s best practices and step-by-step instructions to close a coaching or consulting lead after a podcast or webinar presentation.<\/p>\n<p id=\"step-4\">If you follow our step-by-step instructions for running a webinar and closing the sale, that should bring you <em>at least<\/em>\u00a0two more consulting clients.\u00a0But we\u2019ve seen these drive plenty more sales depending on price point, audience engagement, etc.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 4: Execute the Plan! (And Avoid These Mistakes)<\/h2>\n<p>Now you have a complete plan to find your next 10+ clients. Go do the thing. And when you exhaust your temporary specialization, pick another one. Rinse and repeat.<\/p>\n<p>But while you\u2019re at it, avoid these rookie consultant mistakes:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Relying on 1-2 clients for all your income.<\/li>\n<li>Leaving your current job\u00a0before you have consistent income.<\/li>\n<li>Waiting for clients to come to you.<\/li>\n<li>Abandoning your temporary specialization too soon.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3 id=\"h.qyosrnv05ri0\">Mistake #1: Relying on One or Two Consulting Clients<\/h3>\n<p>If you can replace your day job\u00a0income with a <em>single <\/em>consulting gig, do you really have a consultancy? Or are you the equivalent of a full-time employee\u00a0with a new job\u00a0title and self-employment\u00a0taxes?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s tempting to take a big check from a big company and stop looking for more clients. But even the best clients don\u2019t stick around forever. Do you really want to sit around waiting for one of your only clients to leave? Can you take an income hit of 50%&#8230; or 100%?<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re like me, the answer is <em>absolutely not.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The best way to protect your income is to have four or more clients at any time. And to do enough marketing to add to that number whenever you need.<\/p>\n<p>The methods I went through in this post are more than enough to keep a steady flow of clients coming through your door. Your job is to craft an offer with the right balance of price and fulfillment effort so that you can juggle a healthy roster of clients and stay sane. \ud83d\ude43<\/p>\n<p>If your consulting work is really time-consuming, maybe it\u2019s time to found a consulting firm or at least pick up some freelancers to help you manage the workflow.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.vjffec50lltj\">Mistake #2: Quitting Your Day Job\u00a0Before You Have Consistent, Repeatable Income<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019ve seen some people jump straight into building their own business\u00a0before they even have client #1. No, it\u2019s not a good idea to give yourself a $20,000 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/article\/223135\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">runway<\/a>\u00a0and \u201cmake it happen\u201d if you\u2019ve never done this before.<\/p>\n<p>A full-time job\u00a0is a blessing. I don\u2019t care if you hate the hours, the manager is mean, or it bores you out of your mind. Take that biweekly check to the bank. And spend your evenings and weekends building your business sustainably. As soon as you have a few clients and know you can keep getting more, feel free to give your boss a two week notice.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.1cwxklux8m2d\">Mistake #3: Waiting for Leads to Find You<\/h3>\n<p>In 2012, I thought I could get rich by quickly building an iPhone app. So I hired a developer, paid $2,000 for the work, and posted it on the app store. I never made back my $2,000.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>Because putting my app on the store and crossing my fingers wasn\u2019t a marketing strategy. Just like putting together a professional website and hoping for the email inquiries to roll in isn\u2019t either.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t care how perfect your LinkedIn\u00a0page is; you won\u2019t get enough consulting work\u00a0to grow your business if you never do the work to get in front of your target audience. Occasional <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/blog\/marketing-consulting-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cold outreach<\/a>\u00a0isn\u2019t going to cut it, either.<\/p>\n<p>Follow the steps above and you will have consistent leads every month. But you won\u2019t get them if you treat consulting as a low-priority side project.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.yzqhowxwhriq\">Mistake #4: Expanding Your Specialty Too Soon<\/h3>\n<p>Some people are cool with the idea of a temporary specialty. They figure out <em>one<\/em>\u00a0offer, and they calculate how many clients they need.\u00a0But it all falls apart when they land their first two or three clients.<\/p>\n<p>Why? Because they get too excited. And they want to try something new. So instead of systematically getting better at that one offer while moonlighting, they add in two or three more specialties and try to go after all of them at the same time. Then they burn out because they\u2019re trying to do too much at once.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For example:<\/strong>\u00a0Say you help real estate agents put together a lead generation strategy. Then a lawyer asks you for help, so now you do lead gen for lawyers, too. Then a different lawyer asks you to write an e-book for them, so now you offer that service on top of the other two &#8230; and so on until you\u2019re offering five different things to five different clients.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8171\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60.png\" alt=\"&quot;This is cool&quot; (cartoon man easily holding a tray with one ball on it).\" width=\"800\" height=\"309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60-300x116.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60-1024x396.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60-768x297.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60-1536x593.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8171\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60.png\" alt=\"&quot;This is cool&quot; (cartoon man easily holding a tray with one ball on it).\" width=\"800\" height=\"309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60-300x116.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60-1024x396.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60-768x297.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/60-1536x593.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8172\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62.png\" alt=\"&quot;OK bad idea, I'm overwhelmed&quot; (cartoon man trying to balance a tray with 6 balls on it).\" width=\"800\" height=\"309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62-300x116.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62-1024x396.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62-768x297.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62-1536x593.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8172\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62.png\" alt=\"&quot;OK bad idea, I'm overwhelmed&quot; (cartoon man trying to balance a tray with 6 balls on it).\" width=\"800\" height=\"309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62.png 1600w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62-300x116.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62-1024x396.png 1024w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62-768x297.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/62-1536x593.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n<p>Give your chosen offer at least 90 days. Depending on how much time you have to spend on your regular job\u00a0vs. your consulting business, it may take longer. Stick to the plan until you have enough clients from that offer to work full time.<\/p>\n<p>Then, it\u2019s up to you to decide when to add in another one. For some niches, you\u2019ll only ever need the one. For others, you may need one or two more. Just make sure you\u2019ve given yourself enough time to grow a stable consulting business\u00a0before switching your focus.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.pcrsrnjqn5a8\">Want to Skyrocket\u00a0Revenue Over the Next 90 Days?<\/h2>\n<p>This plan will work for most independent consultants\u00a0and course creators. But if you\u2019d like a personalized plan, we can do that for you.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/lp.growthtools.com\/predictable-leads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Book a complimentary call with one of our certified coaches<\/a>. We\u2019ll look under the hood of your business and pick two to three growth opportunities to skyrocket your revenue over the next 90 days.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The internet is full of bad advice for growing your consulting business\u00a0(whether or not you\u2019re doing it full time). Stuff&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marketing-coaching"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8176\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.growthtools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}