Consultant Marketing Pain Payoff
Numerous coaches in my life have all said, “No pain, no gain.”
They were physical coaches. They were talking about my body. The brain discussion was always about handling or overcoming the pain.
But pain isn’t always physical.
Brain Pain
Your clients may exhibit this phenomenon. If they don’t you may not be doing your job as well as you should. Yes, I know that your intent is to lessen their pain by solving their problem. But sometimes you need to give them some pain to provide a longer-term solution.
The path to Legendary
There is a path every consultant must walk. The stepping-stones are:
- Memorable
- Unforgettable
- Indispensable
- Legendary
Memorable
In today’s world awareness of who you are is critical to staying engaged with clients. One client, plus another and yet another until you have an ongoing string of them. How you identify yourself, the words you use to tell strangers what you do are critical to your success. The more unique your identity, the more memorable you can be. Sometimes it pays to be controversial. A little pain can connect you to potential gain.
“Controversial gets you seen.
Results gets you paid.”
Jerry Fletcher
Unforgettable
This second stepping-stone is directly linked to what you deliver. Every step of your interaction with a contact from initial meeting to agreeing to work together to fulfilling the promise of the engagement is judged by what you bring to the partnership. Everything you bring.
The style you show whether chic, understated elegance, or casual competence all get linked to outcomes.
Your way of speaking whether it is “cut to the chase” or a meandering walk through the maze of the difficulty becomes a part of how you are regarded.
How you interpret data, analyze it and compare it to best practices becomes part and parcel of your persona.
The relationship you build with contacts, prospects, clients and referral sources become an immutable part of how they position you in their recommendations.
“Controversial gets you seen.
Results gets you paid.
Relationships get you referred”
Jerry Fletcher
Indispensable
One step further occurs when an engagement turns into an ongoing, often retainer-based, agreement to take on the role of continuing advisor for the client. This may range from on-call to regular hours or attendance at specific scheduled meetings.
You are indispensable when you deliver desired brain pain. It may be the sting of sweeping current analytics aside. It could be the twinge of long-term weakness revealed by analysis. It might be the agony of finding a new way of doing business in the face of an unexpected pandemic.
The point is: you are supplying a way of thinking that is not currently available in the organization.
“Controversial gets you seen.
Results gets you paid.
Relationships get you referred
A different slant makes you a star”
Jerry Fletcher
Legendary
The singular difference of a Legendary Consultant is that they change the way their clients think. The consultant’s way of approaching a problem becomes the standard for client executives. Your practices become best practices for that organization and its leadership.
Based on publication of your results and what underpins them a broader audience adopts your approach and puts you in this category reserved for only a few.
“Controversial gets you seen.
Results gets you paid.
Relationships get you referred
A different slant makes you a star
Imbuing wisdom gets renown.”
Jerry Fletcher
And so it goes.
His consulting practice, founded in 1990, is known for on and off-line Trust-based Consultant Marketing advice that builds businesses, brands and lives of joy.
Consulting: www.JerryFletcher.com
Speaking: www.NetworkingNinja.com
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Comments
Jerry Fletcher
3 years ago #8
Lada, The differences you cite are what makes belonging to an international community like this so valuable. Often, we assume that other cultures operate as the one we are most familiar with. Only by journeying with a guide from a different culture can we begin to understand the true similarities. And so it goes.
Lada 🏡 Prkic
3 years ago #7
Thanks for the compliments. :) Yes, there were many great engineers and innovators in my industry, but I wouldn't call them consultants. In Croatia, consultants are usually equated to construction project managers who provide advisory and professional services. Also, consultants are chartered engineers who conduct an audit of construction projects and other documentation required for construction works. They give their opinion on the technical correctness of the project solution, compliance of the project solution with the project task, legal regulations and project budget.
Jerry Fletcher
3 years ago #6
Thank you, Lada. There are all kinds of coaches. there are more of them working on minds than bodies I would wager. They specialize in all sorts of (to me) weird things. just a few of the specialties I'm aware of are money, voice, speaking, acting, leadership, entrepreneurship, writing, management, business, teamwork, dance and even communications. About half of that list have come to me for marketing consulting which includes some coaching on my part. That involves brain pain for both me and the client. Yes, I could call that mentoring but is a slightly different relationship in my lexicon. Legendary? The test is very simple. Has a consultant you know changed how people think about a problem or situation? Have they introduced practices that have now become Best Practices in your industry? I think back to some of your articles about concrete and structural engineering and I think you credited individuals with doing things differently that became standards. That is the mark of someone moving toward Legendary. Thank you for the compliment. I do appreciate it. You are one of the thoughtful members of this community that I always pause to read. And so it goes.
Jerry Fletcher
3 years ago #5
John, That is so true. I just have to figure out how to keep it from getting in the way of doing the work. And so it goes.
Jerry Fletcher
3 years ago #4
Ken, You are right. I deal mostly in the world of consultants not mandated but sought for their ability to solve client problems. But even in those cases it can be frustrating. One of my cardinal rules is that I work only with principals and only at their request. Often my clients find themselves hied by a CEO to "fix"a leader that reports to the CEO. Two come to mind. One has extensive training in psychology, The other builds his approach on analysis of the company's own data. Both get buy-in from each level of the client organization. In the kind of case you cite, Ken, my advice would be to position as the "value solution" that provides all the mandated requirements but goes beyond regulations to provide training to make the next job cost less in frustration and real dollars. Sometimes that is done by walking away from the first contract but keeping the prospect in the content loop that continually provides concrete examples of the consultant's difference. I've used that approach with two guys. We worked hard ot make their process faster and more accurate than the competition. And so it goes.
John Rylance
3 years ago #3
Lada 🏡 Prkic
3 years ago #2
Ken Boddie
3 years ago #1