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There is no shortage of business consulting firms in India.
The consulting business has so much potential that a new one keeps popping up in one or the other alley,
now and then.
But that isn’t the wonder.
It is, only a few of those business consulting firms are doing good in the market.
And why is that?
Because, a large chunk of such consulting firms in India does not know how to market their product in the right way and to garner client attention.
But how can you get new clients on board?
Only if there was a guidebook you could refer to, answering this question would have been easier.
Not that there aren’t any strategies, tips, or tricks that you can refer to for expanding your clientele, but you need to learn its basics first to make any changes in your existing business consulting structure.
Do you want your business to grow?
An expected answer to that question is, YES!
For if your consulting business has no clients, there is no business.
However, what consulting masterminds need to understand is, selling your consulting services isn’t the same as selling a lotion, a car, a house, or even a loan. Because most of the time, businesses aren’t even sure if they need a business consulting firm or not.
However, considering that the business consulting market is estimated to be between $130B to $150B annually and that professional consultants are amongst the highest-paid employees, there is an urgent need and demand for the same.
As a business owner, your job is to grab that need, turn it into an opportunity, and row your boat with a few clients to the shore.
Remember, there is fierce competition in the market, and you can achieve the leverage you think you deserve when you offer something that the other can’t.
One of the biggest USP for all the business consulting firms in India is low-cost, highly-skilled, efficient, and revenue-generating solutions.
Such USPs, coupled with the following tips, will launch your consulting business like a rocket out of the world!
You might have heard about the wonders of social media, especially LinkedIn for B2B conversion.
But have you tried it ever?
If you haven’t, then now is the time you should try to stay in front of your potential clients on LinkedIn.
You can even try out other social media channels, but what LinkedIn does to your B2B business, no other channel can. Showcase your brand stories on LinkedIn, post content tagging all those top companies along, market your content and success on LinkedIn, and watch potential clients flocking into your DMs.
You can even use automation tools or a paid LinkedIn account to make something out of your page.
Testimonials a.k.a. word of advice, or social proof, recommendations, and all the available synonyms in the dictionary, are important. Testimonials are proof that clients hold an opinion of your services and appreciate what your knowledge has done for them.
A company or client can review your services online, like on LinkedIn, and post a self-written testimonial for you. So, if you want to up your game, you can even create a video or an audio testimonial and post it on your social media channels and the internet.
All in all, getting testimonials is extremely effective. So, when you are looking for new potential clients, such words of appreciation might help in presenting a positive image in front of other people. It sorts of develops a sense of trust in your business, and that could lead to new inquiries.
One other way your business consulting firm can ace the game and appear more frequently on the internet is by blogging. It is a great way you can expand your clientele and maintain a running active blog on your business website.
How does it help your business?
It helps in online marketing.
Regularly publishing content that is informative, knowledgeable, and easy-to-understand helps you increase the engagement and reputation of your business. Plus, ranked top on the billion-dollar search engine called Google is profitable for your business.
The road goes this way; the more the visitors, the more the engagement, the better the traffic, the better the rank, which ultimately leads to developing a connection with potential clients.
As per statistics, blogs help generate 67% more leads than websites that don’t.
If you’re in the B2B business, there are some said tactics to follow, and blogging is one of them. Once you know your target niche, you will be able to position your content in a better way.
So, regular blogging can help you meet your prospective clients. Moreover, your blogs give a better sense of who you are and what you can offer them.
Some professionals would debate whether a newsletter is great for marketing or not, but remember, Old is always Gold.
And this is true for Email Newsletters.
Once you get a lead, you can always try to interact with them via newsletters. Or, you can even connect with your previous clients through these newsletters, reminding that your consulting business is alive and kicking.
A typical newsletter would detail content like:
Truth be told, there are several business consulting firms in India.
And if you want to make some noise in the game, you need to market yourself in a better manner.
No matter the size or reputation of a business, you need to sell yourself to your clients.
Consulting firms can put their best foot forward by selling your USPs to the people.
As a marketing consultant, you can talk about SEO, Google AdWords, Google Analytics, Facebook advertising, email marketing, cold emailing, web development, link building, SQL, recruiting, user interface design, and customer support.
These skills are required in the consulting market, and talking about its details and technicalities will give the impression that you know what you’re doing. And, this is what corporations are looking for!
Remember, your unique value proposition should be your key selling point, something that drives conversation between your new prospects and you. If you have a crystal-clear idea about your services, that’s what future clients would receive.
Large corporations post their requirements on job portals like Credo, and you can maybe cling on to it. Online job portals are the best locations you can look for specific project requirements and assessed whether you are up for it or not.
You can connect with several clients and sign contracts based on your will. You never know you might score well with a few clients on job portals and work full-time as a freelancer business consulting firm.
People have all sorts of questions and queries related to the consulting business. So, you can always join Facebook groups flooded with clients (both newbies and experienced people) and help with knowledge and feedback.
Moreover, you can Facebook search for people who need help. There are tons of requests and public posts that you can find online regarding business consulting services.
See if you add value to their lives by offering help. Maybe they have some business that needs consulting attention or some clients that you could tend to.
If you are into a particular niche or offer a set of services, partnering with other consulting businesses and firms, offering a different set of services expands your horizon.
Also, it is a highly beneficial strategy for your business since then you can approach those companies as well.
Working with a partner company broadens your knowledge and understanding of the business. And, in the long run, it will expand your client base, which leads to more contracts in the future, enlarging your referral network.
Case studies are, in fact, a summary of how you handled the consulting needs of a client and what marvels did you unravel or what milestones you achieved for them.
A case study is one way you can impress upon your future clients with your own work. You can include every information from SEO to social media to design, to market analysis, and to-go market strategy.
This way, you can show prospective clients that you do practice what you preach.
As per a report, B2B buyers’ study 70-90% of the buyer journey before they contact them.
So, you can maybe make your story compelling and attractive.
Turn your ideas into action!
A lot of people might read resources or this blog and take inspiration from it, but not actually do anything about it. And, this is where you’re wrong.
If you are inspired, you need to prepare as well.
There is a cut-throat competition going on for business consulting firms, and the only way you can win it is by implementing your ideas into productive strategies.
That is only how your business can grow.
