Last week I tried to talk you out of virtual (remote) consulting. Since then I''ve heard from many seasoned consulting veterans who agreed that it was nearly impossible, and then shared their experiences and imparted some wisdom. In short, there are more than a few of us doing this.
Thanks to all of you who responded with suggestions and warnings. Some of the messages I received were so articulate that it occurred to me that I should write a book with these folks. So, four lucky readers and I will be writing a book entitled (tentatively) The Virtual Consultant''s Handbook. (There''s a lesson here: You snooze, you lose.) When you''re done kicking yourself, read on to see some dos and don''ts to make virtual consulting successful.
Specialize
If you''re part of a larger consultancy, then this probably won''t apply to your organization, but for independents, this is critical. You want to be known as "the guy (gal) who does X." Forget about Web sites and business cards that say, "business solutions for blah, blah, blah." Businesses don''t want solutions in general, they want specific solutions.
There must be something you know and can do, something you can offer that you believe your clients don''t know or can''t do. That''s what you offer. That is what your Web site should scream and your business cards should announce. You''ll be considered for fewer jobs, but you''ll have a leg up on the jobs for which you do compete. Whether that specialty is "Peachtree integration with Siebel" or "CRM selection," there needs to be a thing you do that fits into less than a sentence. That thing also should be explained in plain English without any unusual acronyms or newly coined words and phrases. If you have to explain it, forget it.
Credibility Gets You Work
Most people starting out in virtual consulting are going to have one major problem: finding clients. Until you''ve made a name for yourself and have a large network of contacts, you have to sell yourself to people who don''t know who you are or why they should believe your promises. A spiffy Web site with the apparently requisite Flash presentation on the splash page doesn''t buy you this. Clients will certainly expect you to have a Web site, but don''t knock yourself out making it beautiful. It''s more important to make it informative.
One problem among independent consultants -- and the reason I think I heard from so few independents -- is that it''s common to believe that any time you answer a question for someone else, you''re giving away your secrets. I''m an independent consultant, yet I don''t mind sharing my secrets because I know what those of you who wrote also know: When you share your knowledge, people remember you and how knowledgeable you are long after they remember what you told them.
This brings us to my first suggestion for establishing credibility: Write about what you know about. I suggest you find a place you feel comfortable writing, and submit your writing regularly. McKinsey & Co. publishes the McKinsey Quarterly an excellent, free publication where they highlight the work and research of their own consultants. If you were shopping for a consultant (virtual or otherwise) and you came across this valuable content, you''d have little doubt that these people could do the job for you.
Don''t start with a regular column or even a guest expert column. Start with a mailing list or newsgroup. I recommend the ECTalk mailing list (sponsored by the ECommerce Guide). You can subscribe to the right of this column. Once a month, pick an intelligent question and give it a thoughtful, organized, articulate response. Don''t start answering every question or people will think you don''t have any paid work to do, which is not the impression you want to cultivate. By all means, don''t pick questions like, "please tell me everything I need to know to start an e-commerce site," because no matter how you answer, you''ll leave something out. Also, re-read twice anything you''re going to send to anyone. Flawless communication makes an impression.
When you''re comfortable enough with your writing, find a newsletter that will let you submit a 750-word column on a topic in your area of expertise. Try your local chamber of commerce, or the publication of any business group. Also consider writing something that is not too technical for your local paper. Contact the business editor, and make it clear that you don''t expect to be paid -- they might run it. Everyone needs good content.
Choose Your Clients Carefully
I think there''s an old saying, "choose your friends wisely and your enemies more wisely," or maybe that was just something I read in a fortune cookie. At any rate, the biggest mistake you can make as a consultant is picking the wrong clients.
The problem with picking the wrong clients is that, in addition to the hassle and time wasted doing work for clients that later refuse to pay, or move the goal posts, you can''t be working for someone else. Also, at least in the United States, your clients can sue you for just about everything -- even if it''s just to harass you. It''s your responsibility to do a background check on your clients just as it''s their responsibility to do a background check on you.
I know you think that your clients pick you, but it shouldn''t be that way. Just as smart women don''t sit around waiting for the first guy to propose and say "yes," smart consultants should participate in the courtship process, ending negotiations with clients that look like trouble.
When I''m negotiating with a potential client (or agent, or publisher, or co-author), I look for any signs that they''re not reliable. Do they return calls promptly? Do they answer all my questions fully? Do they call when we''ve scheduled a call? Particularly when you''re working remotely, you can''t afford to work with someone who''s not a reliable communicator.
So Much Wisdom, So Little Space
I''ve had to leave out most of what many of you sent me in thoughtful messages:
- Managing expectations (Diane)
- Getting everything in writing (Robert)
- Getting reciprocal commitment from the clients of the time they need to invest to get the job done (Diane)
- Pricing competitively (David)
- Spending some time establishing a face-to-face relationship (Dave)
- Documenting all the work you''re doing with dates and times (Robert)
- Delivering the finished product in person (Mark)
- Cultivating your network of contacts (Jim and Darrell)
Any of those topics could easily fill a chapter; perhaps some will.
Alexis D. Gutzman is an E-commerce Technology Author and Consultant and author of The HTML 4 Bible, FrontPage 2000 Answers!, and ColdFusion 4 for Dummies. Her newest book, The E-commerce Arsenal: 12 Technologies You Need to Prevail in the Digital Arena is now available. She can be reached at agutzman@internet.com
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