How consulting businesses are working online
Let me be honest with you, Consultants can not sacrifice time on understanding every aspect of the digital world, and still taking care of their clients. How consulting businesses are working online?
I have been consulting for the last 30 years, in international companies, organizations, but also on a personal level, and suddenly I am facing the biggest disruption in my life like never before: Learning how to move my consulting services online.
My workflow till COVID-19 was structured, efficient, close and client-oriented. Now, the digitalisation speeds up and force us to learn, implement and manage:
Digital Marketing, Analytics, CRMs, Automatizations, SEO, LMS, Web design, Video-Production, Visualization, Video-Conferencing, Podcast, Webinars, etc, etc.
I found myself overwhelmed. Learning Chinese sounded easier than moving digital. I took the challenge, like millions of consultants around the world, and I started exploring the most efficient way of moving online.
After some months of exploring how to set up my consulting business online, I realized that traditional and online consulting have more in common than I originally thought, therefore the only challenge is finding the best platform and the tools for you.
I have now a clear panorama of what great consultants do to succeed, offline and now adapted online. And I want to share it with you:
How consulting businesses are working online? The 3 pillars of a successful Consultant.
1. Powerful Marketing: By transforming your expertise into powerful stories, reaching new clients and never stop providing value to the existing ones.
Before (Offline): I used to create, print out guide-books and send them to my clients. I also approached radio, newspaper and TV channels to discuss popular topics, or write case studies for universities.
Now (Online): Now, I write articles for my blog, SEO optimised, and break down this content into social media content. I learned how to research keywords, what is the best timing for posting and what formats and platforms are the most suitable for my social media.
2. Great Solutions: Designing great solutions for your clients will make you an outstanding consultant. And for this, you need to get to know very well your client´s needs.
Before (Offline): I used to schedule a call with managers, leaders and industry experts on what are the most pressing challenges.
Now (Online): I follow market trends online, I connect on Linkedin with other experts and start a meaningful conversation. After talking with my potential and current clients, I engage in specialised online forums that allow me to align my services with my client´s real needs.
Content is the king, but a powerful solution is our real kingdom.
3. Memorable Experiences: Delivering your solutions in the most memorable way possible is stamping your signature to your services. Satisfied clients are the best marketing campaign.
Before (Offline): I used to follow my presentation guide-book: Prepare my slides, hand over a workbook, facilitate discussions and collaborative learning.
Now (Online): Now, I focus on building a great experience, before, during and after an online session. A memorable experience starts with the very first e-mail. The roadmap needs to be clear, understandable and even gamified.
Visualisation is key and despite the boom of Zoom in online education, I personally prefer collaborative tools like Google Jamboard and Mural.
Are you also moving or planning to move your consulting business online?.
As I stated at the beginning of this post. Consultants can not sacrifice time on understanding every aspect of the digital world, and still delivering powerful solutions and taking care of clients.
At The Global School, we want to become a reliable partner, community and platform that can provide you with the digital infrastructure to succeed online. Join us NOW: https://theglobal.school/global-consultants/
__
Alejandro Rodriguez
Director of Consultants Success – Book a Meeting with me here.
