Positioning your consulting practice is perhaps the most critical sales and marketing decision you can make, but it’s also hard, so a lot of consultants don’t really do a great job with it. This leads them to struggle unnecessarily. Why … Read More
Blog
As a consultant, are you a business owner or a subcontractor?
The phone rings and you can see the name of your client. What’s the feeling in your gut? Is it, “oh, great, I’m looking forward to talking to so-and-son”? Or is it, “not again, this so-and-so is draining the life … Read More
passing the bar test for positioning
What do you say when people ask what you do? In person? On your website? On LinkedIn? When you’re talking to your friends? What do your clients say you do for them? Is your answer consistent and authentic? For many … Read More
Competing against bigger firms
If you run a small firm, or perhaps your firm is you, you’ll sometimes find yourself competing against bigger firms. This can feel intimidating. These firms have more people, bigger budgets, slicker marketing, and often dedicated sales people. If you … Read More
Meet the new VP of HR
I like to think I’m pretty mentally strong, but I have to admit that morale hasn’t always been great during this pandemic. My board has been pushing for a VP of HR for over a year, and I finally decided … Read More
Small Business Weekly Planning Calendar
As a small business owner, it’s hard to juggle everything, but having a weekly planning calendar helps. It’s easy to feel busy without making progress on what’s most important. You can get to the end of the week and wonder … Read More
Living in the Zoo
When I was a very young child, I loved going to the zoo. I wanted to see the animals in real life. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the animals in the zoo seemed bored, depressed, and … Read More
Our own beliefs are the biggest sales obstacle
Sales is hard for anyone, but especially when you start your own professional services business, your own beliefs are often the biggest obstacle to sales. I started with some strange, self-limited beliefs about sales. Over time, I realized that I … Read More