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IT Pro seeks advice from consulting firms
Question:
Go for it Bill!! I’ve been consulting off and on for the last 15 years. The off was when I found a client that didn’t want to pay my exhorbitant fees and I didn’t want to struggle with marketing my services. Unfortunately my first consting stint wasn’t by choice. The company I worked for and who hired and moved me 300 miles, picked my brain and then hired someone at half the salary and half my age to carry out my business plan. I figured if I was that good I’d go into consulting. My expertise is Telephone Marketing. My clients have been small manufacturers, consultants, network marketers (MLM), software developers, catalogers, electronic publishers and internet resellers. The explosion of the Internet as a marketing tool and the explosion in communications technology have changed ALL the rules and at the same time helped me to find a way to have a consulting business that wouldn’t suffer from others lack of integrity. To take advantage of emerging technology, I decided to add Unified Messaging to my tool box. Unified Messaging is a software solution that allows you to collect your emails on the phone. It also reduces cold calling, and telephone tag, identifies your hottest prospects for your business or services and lets you screen calls so you only take calls from people you want to talk to (a real time saver, especially for SOHO’s). Unified Messaging will help my clients super-size their marketing activities without sending their expenses in to hyper drive. (The commercial is now over.) My marketplace are SOHO’s (Small Office Home Office). The local Chamber of Commerce is the hotbed of SOHO’s. 17 years ago I taught Telesales Skills courses at the Chamber for members and thats where I generated additional business. Times are changing which is why I’ve added Unified messaging. My marketing strategy now includes building a website. If you can keep one foot in the company and try testing consulting that would be the best way. Consulting is not for the faint of heart or those that have no marketing or sales savvy. Good Luck!! Marilyn Geiger, President The Geiger Group Technology Solutions for Savvy Communicators – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I am an I.T. Professional with 11 years experience thinking of starting a >local consulting business. I am seeking advice from others who have succeeded >in doing this. >How did you get started? How much money did you have to start with? How did >you go about getting your first clients? >Thanks. >Bill Dennis >Orlando, Florida
Response:
> I am an I.T. Professional with 11 years experience thinking of starting > a local consulting business. I am seeking advice from others who have > succeeded in doing this.
Although I consult in a different field I think there is one thing that is essential that too many people overlook, especially technically oriented people, and that is sales. I have discovered in my practice that it was a lot more difficult to keep up with the sales than I thought it would be. You need to be able to devote almost 50% of your time to sales and marketing, and a lot of this will be continuing followup phone calls to people you meet. It is networking of the human kind, and it is essential to keep a positive attitude about it, while getting put off numerous times from people who originally may have sounded interested in moving rather quickly. It can be discouraging and if you are not a high people contact kind of person it will be especially difficult to devote the needed time and energy to this essential aspect of the business. You have the advantage of working in a field whose need is generally more recognizable to your prospect, while at the same time the disadvantage of being in a field that is crowded with lots of competition. Good luck. Bob Culmer — When you pay employees, your money talks. We help you make it say the right things. http://www.flash.net/~fulminat/fulm3.html
Response:
Bill, First, what tpye pf service are you starting? The type is dependant upon your approach. Regards, Joe Henning – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I am an I.T. Professional with 11 years experience thinking of starting a > local consulting business. I am seeking advice from others who have succeeded > in doing this. > How did you get started? How much money did you have to start with? How did > you go about getting your first clients? > Thanks. > Bill Dennis > Orlando, Florida
Response:
I do both customized software development and networking. Software specialty ranges anywhere from government, financial, telecom, database, etc. As for networks, I do it all: wiring, server build, network install, admin, troubleshoot, etc. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Bill, >First, what tpye pf service are you starting? The type is dependant upon your >approach. >Regards, >Joe Henning > I am an I.T. Professional with 11 years experience thinking of starting a > local consulting business. I am seeking advice from others who have > succeeded > in doing this. > How did you get started? How much money did you have to start with? How did > you go about getting your first clients? > Thanks. > Bill Dennis > Orlando, Florida
Response:
I am an I.T. Professional with 11 years experience thinking of starting a local consulting business. I am seeking advice from others who have succeeded in doing this. How did you get started? How much money did you have to start with? How did you go about getting your first clients? Thanks. Bill Dennis Orlando, Florida