How to Get Your First Consulting Client (Guide)
7 MIN
Discover the critical steps to land your first consulting client, such as qualifying potential clients, understanding how to sell your services and what differentiates you from other candidates, and learn how to market your services effectively.
GATE
How to Qualify Your Client
When you start a consulting business, selling is certainly one of the most difficult tasks at hand. For some, selling wisely comes naturally, but for others it can be the most frustrating part of being an independent consultant. Whether we feel unqualified for the role or just haven’t done it before, selling to others often comes with a sense of discomfort and uncertainty. However, we still need to seal these deals—and to do that we must sell.
Qualifying clients is a critical step in the sales process, and it will help you reach independent success quicker and easier.
What is qualifying?
In simple terms, qualifying is figuring out what the client needs, how your business can meet those needs, and how likely it is that a client will employ your services.
Qualifying (v.): Developing a conditional understanding of a potential client and their needs to increase the probability of closing the sale.
The goal is simple: To make sure there really is a good business fit between what consulting services you have to offer, and what the client is willing and able to buy.
Ask these qualifying questions
By asking a series of qualifying questions, you will immediately know whether you can meet the client’s needs. If your services are not in alignment, you will be able to quickly identify that this is not a highly probable opportunity. Then, you can move on to another lead.
Some questions to ask include:
- What is your client’s current situation?
- What needs do they have?
- What would they like to see from a solution?
- How can your consulting service help them get from where they are to where they would like to be?
Conduct a needs assessment
Start out by asking broad questions to determine the potential client’s understanding of their own needs. Let the discussion flow naturally, and over time, you’ll find yourself addressing their particular needs. Be open and empathetic, inviting them to share their thoughts and insights in depth. This step will not only help you understand clearly their situation, but it also gives them an opportunity to conclude that their situation is significant enough to take action.
Once your potential client has answered these (or similar) questions, you will get valuable information that allows you to tailor your sales pitch to each customer, ultimately winning you more deals. Meanwhile, understanding their budget (and ability to pay) will help you determine the right consulting rate in your proposals.
Qualifying doesn’t just stop there. In addition to pitching to more promising leads, it also attracts new prospects. Sharing your qualification process with your clients shows an honest and transparent business practice and gives your clients confidence from the outset. When approached with sincerity, the search for the perfect fit between client and consultant will benefit all sides.
Sample needs assessment questions:
- Would you describe what your current environment looks like?
- What does your ideal situation look like?
- What is your 6–month and 12–month strategy?
- How much is your problem currently costing you?
- What is your budget range for this project?
- What kind of growth are you anticipating from your ideal situation?
- Who in your organization is the primary point of contact for this consulting project?
- Have you worked with consultants on this project before?
- What worked, or didn’t work, for you in that scenario?
How to Land Your First Client
When you decide to become an independent consultant, one worry may dampen your excitement: landing your first client. Your strategy should be twofold:
- Ease a client’s fear of using a new or unproven consultant on a project. Accomplish this by creating solid examples of great work, compiling strong references, and developing a winning online presence.
- Ease your own “inner voice” of doubt by preparing and planning well for marketing strategies prior to your launch.
Get industry knowledge
You may be good at what you do, but are you “plugged in” to how leaders in your industry operate? Before you become an independent consultant, gain as much knowledge about your industry as you can. Visit and contribute to online forums and professional sites like LinkedIn. These sites are excellent places to share your expertise and grow your network. By exchanging knowledge, you can build credibility before you head out on your own as an independent. People will begin to regard you as a trusted source of information in your industry. The goal is to become the top-of-mind resource for projects in your field and learn from others who are offering similar services.
Ease into your sales pitch
How important is a practiced pitch to winning new business? Being able to articulate your value proposition at the right moment in a conversation is key. Networking your way to success by authentically connecting with others in a personal setting will be equally crucial. A pitch alone does not achieve results.
Ninety percent of all independent consultants find their first contract through their extended network. This means making announcements that you are looking to work with those who know you, or in other words, networking—not pitching. When you meet someone for the first time, shake their hand, look them in the eye and introduce yourself.
After that, ask them about their work. This is your chance to stand out from everyone else in the room by asking more specific questions about what they do. Use the information they provide to talk about what you do in context of their role.
Remember to:
- Be concise in the description of the “what” and “why” that differentiates you from our consultants.
- Stay targeted to the specific niche or role they play in their position.
- If possible, tell a personal story. Stories are memorable and can make your experience come alive.
- Meet more than one person. Work the room and make it a goal to talk to and get to know several people. Some events have alist of attendees available in advance. Review the list prior to the networking meeting to identify people you’d like to connect with at the event.
Leverage past employers
Many consultants find their first project through their past employers. If you have informed your employer of your plans to transition to the independent workforce, consider having a frank discussion. Your employer may be open to the idea of hiring you as a consultant to continue to do the work you’ve already been performing. Be careful, though—this is a tricky situation—because your employer may perceive your request as an extended notice period. To win over your employer, you need to present a case for how this change will be beneficial for both parties. Perform a detailed analysis and develop a proposal for a new working relationship prior to your meeting.
This is why it’s so important to never burn bridges. Your employer can become your first client or a potential source for future work.
90% of all independent consultants find their first contract through their professional and extended network
How to Sell Your Expertise
Before you can open the door to a deeper discussion, the client must first believe that you have the skills and experience to meet their needs. To sell your first client, be prepared to speak to your credentials and level of seniority. Keep in mind that this phase may take place with or without you. For example, a former colleague may refer a potential client to you, providing them with your contact information. That prospective client might check out your LinkedIn profile before they ever call you.
Whether you meet your first client through referral, networking, or a chance meeting, find out as much as possible so that you can talk about your relevant skills and experience in alignment with their needs.
Be prepared to share your:
- Experience
- Level of seniority
- Specialized skillset
Sell your approach
After you have opened the door you will want the client to see that you are the problem-solver for their particular gap or pain point. This requires putting your expertise to work by diagnosing and providing a framework for solutions. This phase of landing your first client can take place in several stages. You may have an initial meeting or two that allows you to conduct a needs assessment followed by a written proposal. How you diagnose the problem and approach providing a solution are integral to winning the business.
Selling your approach may not happen in one meeting. In some organizations, you may have evaluators and approvers. The process could take several weeks or even several months. This is why it’s crucial to have more than one opportunity in your pipeline, even as your business matures. A steady flow of opportunity will ensure that your well never runs dry.
Sell your rate
There will come a time when you need to seal the deal. In this phase, you will want to remove obstacles that may be preventing the client from taking that final step. As a new consultant, this is where you may consider your pricing strategy. The client should feel that they are getting access to a valuable skill set and experience for an introductory rate. Be honest about being new to consulting and leverage that to secure your first deal. Also let them know you value good references and are willing to do a special deal with them to get started. You need to position this in the right way and not give away the farm. For example, you can offer to do the project for X number of dollars and then provide an additional benefit such as a small discount or supplemental service. People want to feel special, and if you’re looking for a client to take a risk on you as a brand-new consultant, give them a little bit of incentive. You can always readjust your rates in the future.
Choose your clients wisely
As you work to land that first deal, remember that it’s also important to carefully vet your potential clients. Be sure to match your expertise to their needs. It can be tempting to oversell your capabilities to get that first deal, but doing so can damage your credibility.
Make sure that your client has access to funds to pay you and has a good track record of paying invoices on time. You can use D&B to check your client’s credit rating and use online forums and reviews to see what other consultants and vendors have had to say about the client. When you work with an MBO client, we handle the collections process for you, helping free up valuable time that could be spent working forward on other client projects.
Once you land your first client, you can use that to create a pipeline of opportunity. It is not uncommon for other opportunities to crop up while working on a project. Maintain focus on your defined scope of work but do keep notes so that you can address the additional opportunities after completion of your original project. Once you have completed your deliverables on a project, prepare a list of additional tasks that could be done. By presenting these details to your client in a clear and organized manner, you can secure future projects. Consider starting conversations about additional opportunities three to four weeks before your contract finishes.
Effective networking requires you to listen to what others are saying and seek ways to meet their needs. If you are not qualified to help, be a resource by making a referral to someone else.
How to Network Effectively
Networking and selling yourself are critical for any solo business owner. A go-to network of relationships can guard against economic uncertainties by providing high quality referrals ready to buy. It’s crucial to dedicate effort even if your books are full. Without neglecting your current projects, you should have a constant flow of choices and opportunities to avoid the “feast or famine” cycle. You also want to ensure that you do not have all of your eggs in one basket. If you lose a client or a project ends, you do not want to be left scrambling for new income.
Take your networking online
Speak directly to people who are interested in the same things you are and use word of mouth referrals to win new consulting clients. To brand your business online, you should be on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, and any other social channels relevant to your industry.
Your professional profiles should contain all of the important information your clients may need and must be updated regularly with current content. Always keep it professional when it comes to your business profiles and maintain a consistent “personal brand.” It’s good “net”iquette to ensure you aren’t spamming all of your social networking contacts at every opportunity. Find a balance between sharing what is interesting to you and what is related to your business. Be a sensible social networker!
While the ultimate goal may be to reach customers or clients, the contacts that you make through networking on social media may be potential suppliers, industry influencers, or even media members. Your personal image and reputation play a major role in determining the opportunities that will come your way.
Use social media accounts to:
- Network with others
- Promote your business
- Create awareness of your products and services
Once the “house is in order” from a social media standpoint, creating a professional business website is a must.
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