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By Mark Amtower
Marketing guru Mark Amtower explains why you need a strategy that clearly differentiates your skillsets when you try to launch your own consulting firm
I get calls regularly from people who, for various reasons, are either looking to consult or to start a company. Most are seeking advice on how to get started. Some of these calls are easier than others.
Last fall I had a call from someone starting a solo cyber consulting firm and it quickly became clear to me that I could not help them. He claimed nine areas of expertise… NINE! And he wanted to proclaim them all publicly.
I don’t care how intelligent you are or if you really have deep knowledge in each area, if you are a solo consultant claiming nine areas of expertise your believability factor drops by a factor of, well, nine.
I tried to explain to him that claiming that many areas was going to dilute his ability to attract business, but he was adamant. He wanted to establish credentials in all nine areas.
I passed on advising him.
Whether you are going out on your own to consult or start a small contracting firm, you have to understand that your pipeline is never on auto-pilot. You may have some business from friends and from your last place of employment, but these are not permanent and they don’t come with a guarantee.
You need a strategy to successfully compete, and that includes a clear focus on your differentiated skillset.
Before starting, you need to determine
- What you do well enough to make money and be determined to get better at it, regardless of how good you currently are;
- Does your area of expertise represent a significant pain point in the market;
- What can you charge;
- Do you have credentials in your area of expertise, necessary certifications, experience, degrees;
- Decide who your target clients are, industry or government, or perhaps both;
- Figure out how to get on their radar in a positive manner;
- Develop content that demonstrates your expertise;
