Selling Yourself As A Continued Small Internet Consultant
Summary: A primary goal for a small business internet consultant is to add worth and profit to a client’s bottom line. In order to provide a successful marketing strategy to each client, you must first establish and prioritize their needs.
An important step in small business internet consulting is determining the most important needs of a prospective client and effectively convincing them how you can meet and/or exceed them. Don’t sell yourself short on your abilities, but don’t promise anything you can’t deliver, either.
If a client approaches you, it isn’t a hard sell, so you can make notes of all the specifics, tell him/her what the basics are, and establish a timeframe for getting started. Be sure to give yourself some research time to better understand their business and determine what you think are its most marketable features.
If you initiate the contact and are giving a sales pitch, try to know as much about the company or business as possible before you attempt contact. You should have preconceptions of what the client needs, but go guardedly about making too many comments. Research studies show if you can sell yourself without revealing a lot, it is an advantage to you.
When The Real Work Begins
Your real work in small business internet consulting begins after you have sold the client. Depending on how you structure your deal, you might be in charge of everything or just working in an advisory role. Try to sell your strongest points, and remember to price yourself out high enough that you are comfortable, and low enough that the customer will buy.
If you are strictly a consultant, you may do none of the work towards the client’s site, but you must be prepared to deal with those who do if the client needs your assistance.
Look To Outsourcers
You will need contacts for outsourcing article writing, programming, graphic design, and other segments if needed, preferably from sources you have used before and can rely on for quality and timely delivery.
Pricing out your scope of work can be difficult without knowing the extent of what you are doing. Website development can be very costly for your customer if you do not help him/her establish some kind of guidelines. It is your responsibility as a consultant to keep your client informed of ongoing and expected costs so there are no surprises.
Don’t get weighed down with too many details, but allow more time for directing every client in the way that best serves their particular concerns. In small business internet consulting, you sell yourself every day. You want to be needed so your customers remain with you. As long as you are providing them with something valuable that they know increases their bottom line, you have job security.