Joshua Feinberg .net

Anyone involved in computer consulting is going to come across some freeloaders that can cause major problems for their firm.  Here are three things you need to know to protect yourself against these moochers.

Item 1:  The Cause of the Problem

Where does the problem originate when it comes to computer consulting moochers?  It really starts when prospects have unrealistic expectations about what professional computer consulting services should cost.  

You have to be able to convince prospects that hiring your small business computer consulting firm is an investment and not an expense.  You need to provide proof that the tangible benefits of what you are delivering are greater than any out-of-pocket costs.  They are not going to invest in your computer consulting company if they think the costs outweigh the benefits.    

Item 2:  Think about the Prediction Tool for Small Business Computer Consulting

You are selling highly specialized computer consulting services, so your sales message will be very different from that of your competitors (or should be, if you want to sell yourself).  If you pay attention to the following prediction tool you can tip the scales in favor of your firm and avoid moochers.  

Simply look for small business decision makers that are used to paying for highly professional B2B services – accounting services, legal services, public relations services, marketing consulting, etc.  These people will already be investing in very skilled $100+/hour professional services, so hiring you as a computer consulting firm will not be confusing.  

Item 3:  Work Smart

You will have an easier time and be more efficient if you go after qualified leads and prospects than you will if you try to talk unqualified leads or prospects into something they don’t think they need.

In your local area alone, there are probably tons (hundreds … maybe even THOUSANDS) of qualified leads and prospects with real consulting needs that are used t paying for professional computer consulting services and have fairly realistic expectations about what they should pay.  

Don’t waste time on moochers when marketing your computer consulting business; instead, focus on those that are used to paying top dollar for sophisticated services.

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

If you are in the IT industry, as part of getting contracts for consultants, you will have to market to strangers.  But you can’t sell products as your leading item if you want to get “in!”

Contracts for consultants are not about selling products.  They are about selling yourself – “You, Inc.”  You need to sell your expertise if you are going to get hired!  The following are three tips you can use as you move forward

Contracts for Consultants Tip 1:  Which Selling Points Add Value?

You can’t sell just plain old products by themselves; instead, you have to sell your company’s value and stay away from product-hungry customers.

You can’t compete on just price when you have no value-added services.  If you want to grow your company and stay alive for years to come, you need to think about where you can add value to make your services and solutions more complex and enticing to your prospects.  

How can you sell “You, Inc.”?  How can you change your marketing approach so you are attracting REAL clients and long-term contracts for consultants?  You need to reach long-term clients that will need you on an on-going basis over an extended period of time.  Don’t think you have to have rock-bottom prices to sell services.  You DON’T.   

Contracts for Consultants Tip 2:  Your Expertise Distinguishes You

There are an awful lot of people in your area doing easy computer jobs, but you need to let people know you are doing the difficult projects and that you know the industry more than anyone else around you.  You need to be confident in the concept of being among an elite few in your respective region that can do what you do so you can attract buyers that are not price sensitive.

Contracts for Consultants Tip 3:  Your Experience and Having a Niche Equate to Higher Rates

When you no longer have to deal with price-sensitive buyers, you will be able to add some money to your margins.  Clients will know they have to pay more for the convenience of your very particular expertise.  You need to think about this mindset whenever you are designing marketing materials or advertising.  Successful contracts for consultants mean knowing that your business is about selling “You, Inc.” and not a brand name.

Submitted By:  Joshua Feinberg

Those that get involved in IT consulting often wonder how to set their rates.  As an IT consulting professional, how do small businesses view you, and how can you gauge the market to appropriately set your rates?

Referrals

There are some non-technical small business owners that might like to procure IT consulting services in an auction/marketplace setting.  But most, because of the importance of IT would rather get their services through word-of-mouth referrals from colleagues, organizations they belong to and vendors and trusted professionals such as their accountants and attorneys.

How Low Are IT Consulting Rates?

There are definitely factors putting downward pressure on hourly billing rates in the very low-end SOHO part of the IT consulting market.  Retailers such as Best Buy, Office Depot and CompUSA have decided to get involved with providing IT consulting services to small businesses and are causing trouble for some.  

Small Business IT Consulting

The small business IT consulting marketplace will continue to be fragmented.  The needs of home-based businesses are very different from the needs of small businesses with 25 employees … and these businesses are very different from those small businesses with 100 employees and an in-house IT person or department.  Different elements of the small business market purchase their IT consulting services in different ways, for different reasons and with very different budgets.

Submitted By:  Computer Consulting Kit

As your IT consulting business grows, you will probably have times when you need to offer new products or services to your clients.  How do you sell a new service or product in IT consulting?

Offer Proof

IT consulting sales people should provide PROOF that the product or service already works.  The best way to sell this concept is through case studies.  You should have either printed case studies or video interviews.  The closer the case study follows a journalistic style, the less sales resistance there will be.

What is a Case Study?

Case studies in IT consulting should answer the following four questions for your clients:

1.  What does the company featured in the case study do?

2.  What was the huge problem the company was facing?

3.  How did the new product or service you provided solve the huge problem?

4.  How different is the company’s business today as a result of the new product or service?

Case Studies Are Critical

Case studies are essential if you want to sell a new IT consulting product or service successfully.  You need to be prepared to virtually give away the product or service as part of your IT consulting business so you can build enough case studies to justify and support a launch.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit