In addition to my work as a coach, I've also been running an IT consulting firm for the last 15 years. Here's a few secrets I've learned from that experience and from our peers.
I'm working on a research project right now where I'm interviewing a lot of our friends who are IT consultants for their best tips and tricks so I can share them with my IT consultant clients. Here's what I've learned so far:
1. Your work is to bring a balance of expert energy and learner energy – and to be in service to the client's goals.
One of our friends said, “I may be the expert on the technology, but the client is the expert on their business, their processes, and their industry. I'm always eager to learn from them.”
The same consultant said, “I know I'm not the very top in my field, but I'm in the top 25%. My job is to bring the knowledge from the top 25% to the other 75%.” First learning, then sharing.
That mix of confidence and humility goes a long way.
Another consultant I talked with was referred to by his peers as “genius level”, but has spent more time on the bench then the consultant I referenced above. The difference? The genius level guy “hasn't met a hill he isn't willing to die on” per one of the other consultants. Even if you are correct, the guy who fights with management doesn't get invited back as often as the one who is less of a genius but shows up in service.
2. Be visible.
The consultants I spoke with who've had the most success are always in sales and marketing mode (although they don't think of what they are doing as sales and marketing). They attend (and look for opportunities to present at) conferences and user groups for their technology and for associated niches or areas of expertise. They are in Facebook and LinkedIn groups. They are on Slack and Stack Overflow.
Top consultants aren't just building their profile by having the answers. Even asking questions can be a way to be visible. One consultant said if he posts about a problem he is having, he is often later contacted by potential clients who have the same problem and figure he must have the solution by now. So ironically, even admitting you don't know something can increase the perception of your expertise in the area in the future.
When the time comes to look for their next gig, top consultants have a warm network of contacts who are actively using the technology they are experts in they can hit up for work. Often just announcing their availability on social media is then sufficient to get them their next project.
3. Think (and talk) about your bill rate and time between projects in a positive way.
One consultant said he told a recruiter he needed $100 an hour for a project because he “would be unemployed six months out of the year”. (Note: clients pay based upon their perception of your value, not on the basis of your belief in your inability to find your next gig in a timely manner.) Another guy told me he'd never had more than a week of down time between projects in the last 15 years. Same skill set – different belief about the state of the market.
My husband charges a very high bill rate, but his belief about it is pure gold. “My clients pay me very good money to get them a result,” he says. With a belief like that he has the confidence to ask for and receive a high bill rate. This belief also keeps him focused on the client's end result (which means he tends to finish projects in a small amount of time, which helps keep the cost of the overall engagement down).
By the way – coaching is a great way to uncover, explore, and change unhelpful beliefs into profitable beliefs like this one. If you are ready to hire a coach to help you keep your pipeline full and your brain focused, schedule a call to review your goals and see how I can help.
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