How to Become an Expert Consultant
http://www.careerfeed.net/articles/10431/1/How-to-Become-an-Expert-Consultant/Page1.html
Paul Marshall
Paul Marshall making money online since 2007 avid learner and committed to helping people succeed to be the best they can be. For life is short, prosperity and happiness is your right. If you want to start an online business check out
www.millionairecopycat.com now for full proof plan. By Paul Marshall
Published on 11/12/2009
To become an expert consultant in any field you first need to establish yourself as someone who can be trusted. In fact your name should be the first that a person can recall when he or she needs advise in your field of expertise.
So the basic question is how to build that trust and achieve that standing? Here are a few tips to achieve that trust:
1. The very first and key step is to build contacts in your field of expertise or niche. You should have references and contacts. The easiest way to do this is to join the relevant group in the Chamber of Commerce in your area, use Web 2.0 by joining LinkedIn, Twitter, and forums online. Participate in discussions and get to know people in your field.
2. Do some jobs for free for these new friends of yours, or charge a nominal fee. This will go a long way. Go online and find someone who needs some service in your area of expertise. Offer it for free and ensure that you do a good job. Once the job is done, ask for a testimonial and also ask for references.
3. You should have a website. Do not get a free website but get a domain and get your website hosted properly. On your website, list your services, the price and the terms clearly. Put the testimonials you have got on the website. Of course offer incentives like a free initial analysis of what the person needs and how your service could help them.
4. Building a client base is all about building relationships. Network with prospective clients and fellow consultants all the time. In fact this should be an ongoing process. Collect more email addresses every day. Do people some free service whenever you can. Exchange favors. If you feel that someone else in your field can do a job better than you can, refer them to your client. These favors put you on a better footing as time goes by.
5. After you have done a job for a client, follow the person up and ask for a feedback. If they were happy and satisfied, ask for a testimonial. If they were not happy, then offer them some extra service or refund them a bit of the fee. This will go a long way in assuaging the unhappiness and it will help build your reputation.
6. Go online and search for your name. Do this often because if people are talking about you and your services, you need to know. Satisfied customers are likely to recommend you to other people, and dissatisfied ones will make you lose business. If someone has aired a grouse on the net, go all out to appease the person.
7. Advertise, use classified ads, Craigslist and other resources like Twitter etc to bring you business. If you have a strong online presence, it helps your reputation and brings you more work.
If you take these steps consistently, you will build your reputation up in no time at all as an expert consultant.
1. The very first and key step is to build contacts in your field of expertise or niche. You should have references and contacts. The easiest way to do this is to join the relevant group in the Chamber of Commerce in your area, use Web 2.0 by joining LinkedIn, Twitter, and forums online. Participate in discussions and get to know people in your field.
2. Do some jobs for free for these new friends of yours, or charge a nominal fee. This will go a long way. Go online and find someone who needs some service in your area of expertise. Offer it for free and ensure that you do a good job. Once the job is done, ask for a testimonial and also ask for references.
3. You should have a website. Do not get a free website but get a domain and get your website hosted properly. On your website, list your services, the price and the terms clearly. Put the testimonials you have got on the website. Of course offer incentives like a free initial analysis of what the person needs and how your service could help them.
4. Building a client base is all about building relationships. Network with prospective clients and fellow consultants all the time. In fact this should be an ongoing process. Collect more email addresses every day. Do people some free service whenever you can. Exchange favors. If you feel that someone else in your field can do a job better than you can, refer them to your client. These favors put you on a better footing as time goes by.
5. After you have done a job for a client, follow the person up and ask for a feedback. If they were happy and satisfied, ask for a testimonial. If they were not happy, then offer them some extra service or refund them a bit of the fee. This will go a long way in assuaging the unhappiness and it will help build your reputation.
6. Go online and search for your name. Do this often because if people are talking about you and your services, you need to know. Satisfied customers are likely to recommend you to other people, and dissatisfied ones will make you lose business. If someone has aired a grouse on the net, go all out to appease the person.
7. Advertise, use classified ads, Craigslist and other resources like Twitter etc to bring you business. If you have a strong online presence, it helps your reputation and brings you more work.
If you take these steps consistently, you will build your reputation up in no time at all as an expert consultant.