Branding for Consultants
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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR CONSULTANTS Branding Your Firm
description
Define your niche and then brand your consulting business
Transcript of Branding for Consultants
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR CONSULTANTS
Branding Your Firm
The Big Question
“What do you do?”
Workshop Objectives
The workshop aims to help you “brand” your consulting business (define and explain your niche):
Thought process
Exercises
Examples
Discussion Items
Introductions
What is a niche and why do I need one?
How to define your niche
Positioning - How to explain your niche
Sales Lead Dynamics Works with B2B service professionals,
primarily small consulting firms (1 – 10 employees)
Mission – Help clients find more sales leads Services
Strategy - Positioning and Branding Execution – Managing marketing projects;
making introductions; booking speaking & writing gigs
“Noodging” – Ensuring client completes his/her business development tasks, esp. networking
What is a Niche?
Your Expertise (Accounting, Marketing etc)
+ Target Market (Industry, Company Size etc)
OR Situation/Condition – Turnaround, Product
Launch
Example of A Niche
Specialty - Functional Area – IT Specialty – Installing CRM Systems
Target Market – Industry – Manufacturing Number of Salespeople: 50 - 250 Location - Northeast
Why do I need a niche?
Colleagues understand what you do and can refer you
Prospects understand what you do and determine if they need you
Market your services efficiently Target industries Networking venues Speaking & Writing
Position yourself as an expert
What is Your Expertise?
Functional Area – Finance, Marketing, Sales, HR etc
Specialty – Examples Finance – Budgeting, Controls HR – Training and Development Marketing – PR and Communications
Industry – Manufacturing, Banking etc Company Size: Fortune 1000, Middle
Market etc
What is your target market?
Demographics – Industry, company size, location etc
Situations/Conditions – Turnarounds, product launches
Psychographics – What the prospect wants/fears
Crafting your message
Step #1 – Define Your Niche
Step #2 – Explain it
What is the prospect’s
"Pain”?How can you help me make more money
by:
Increasing Revenue? Reducing Costs? Saving Time? Saving/Eliminating Effort?
Elements of Your Message
Who - Target Market What - Specialty Pain - Problem You Solve How – Results You Achieve Value – More revenue, lower costs etc Proof – Case Studies, Client
Testimonials
Positioning Statement - Simple
“We help IT Directors (target market) get projects completed faster (value) by getting IT professionals to work together more effectively (results).
Positioning Statement - Complex “I help large packaged goods companies
(Target Market) understand why consumers decide to buy one brand over another (Specialty). For example just last week I presented findings to a client where we uncovered X, Y, Z. (Results) It’s really interesting stuff that will likely to lead to $200 million in new sales (Value) over the next three years if they implement our recommended changes.”
Parsing your Positioning
Target Market – CPG Companies Specialty – Market Research Need/Problem – Looking for Growth Value – Additional Sales Proof – Previous Work
Maintain Your Focus
You can accept business from ANYPLACE BUT
Look for business in only a FEW places
