Consultants, Now Is Not The Time To Water Down What You Do – But Niche It Even More
This was originally posted on my Seven Figure Consultant LinkedIn Newsletter. Subscribe today to get insights about how women are building powerful and impactful consulting businesses.
When big things happen and the status quo feels under threat, we all long for something consistent to hold onto.
For your clients, that consistency could be you.
We really haven’t seen anything like the coronavirus pandemic in living memory, and it’s unsettling, especially for those of us in the West who are used to getting on with life and feeling like we’re in control and we have a lot of autonomy in our daily lives.
We don’t want things to change in our work, in our daily lives, for our families.
We want things to be the same as they were before the crisis, and guess what.
Your clients feel that way too.
Anything you can do right now to establish that sense of normality for your clients will be really appealing to them.
They want to regain that sense of control.
They may not be able to see the way forward, or separate out their fear from the facts.
You can be the person who keeps a calm head right now and is there to help them navigate through the situation.
The key thing that happens in a time of crisis is panic and uncertainty – and your clients need you to show up, to be consistent, and to have a plan for the way forward.
Plan for continuity as much as you can:
- What can you keep the same for them?
- What can you help them implement so that THEY can keep operating as normal?
- What can you do to help them keep their staff on the payroll?
If they are feeling panicked, they may have a knee jerk reaction and pull back from existing contracts with you.
You need to be the person who gently demonstrates your value to them, and the value you can continue to bring.
If you’ve been doing your job right up to this point, you can literally say to them ‘this investment in my services has enabled THIS much growth’, and put an exact figure on it – and this is the evidence that may make the difference between your services being put on hold and carrying on as normal.
Don’t be afraid to be the rational voice in the room if your clients are freaking out. It’s not about you – it’s about the thing that will help them most, which at the moment is CONTINUITY.
That’s how you go about keeping your existing clients.
And you can still attract new clients, as many of my clients are right now.
Don’t assume that the bottom has dropped out of your market.
Do the research, have the conversations with your clients and potential clients, and keep an open mind about what is going on.
Don’t just assume you have to opt for low ticket offers right now.
This could be the time to work out an even more personalised way of working with your clients. They may need more from you, and more at a higher level.
Now is the time not to water down what you do but niche it even more.
There may be new opportunities opening up right in front of you, and you need to be primed and ready to see it.
🎧 To hear more of my advice for consultancy businesses in the light of the coronavirus crisis, listen to Episode 019 of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast – What To Do Next After A Crisis Hits Your Business
Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your feedback and future topics you’d like me to feature. You may also enjoy The Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, the show that takes you from booked up and burned out in your consulting business to THRIVING as the CEO of your 7 figure enterprise.