What to Offer Consulting Clients
The options for what to offer your consulting clients is practically unlimited. The decision should be based on your personal skill set, your likes and dislikes, your strengths and weaknesses, as well as available resources, the need for specific services and more.
Begin by looking at what other offline consultants are offering, especially those in your local area. While some duplication of services is unavoidable, you’ll eliminate some of your competition-and grow your business faster-by offering services that your clients can’t get anywhere else.
The first service you should offer every client is a diagnostic assessment of their current Internet marketing strategies. This should include a relatively short evaluation of the client’s current website, if applicable, and their current Internet marketing methods as well as systematic, objective advice as to how you can help them.
Since many clients who consider hiring an offline consultant may prefer to take small steps before jumping into a huge, full-blown Internet marketing campaign, it’s good business practice to help your clients see what you can do for them, how you work and think, and how you can help their company. Offering a short assessment of the prospective client’s current situation creates a way for a client who’s interested in your services to invest a small amount of time and money in a relationship with you without long-term financial risk or commitment.
While many offline consultants feel that a free evaluation is a good way to attract business, keep in mind that the old adage that “you get what you pay for” contains a lot of truth. Instead, offer a reasonably priced initial assessment that will help your client understand what’s lacking in his Internet marketing arena, then if he chooses he can hire you to “fix” the problems or do it himself.
In addition, a short assessment can be a powerful marketing strategy for offline consultants. By providing a “test-run” of sorts for new clients to try your services, you can bring in additional income while working to prove your value and develop long-term relationships. A successfully managed assessment can identify problems clients are currently facing, open doors to new projects, and grow your consulting business more quickly.
As to other services, website design and development is a basic requirement for an offline Internet marketing consultant. Since a website is key to building a business presence online, offering design services, promotion and marketing, and tools needed for all the above is probably a good place to start when planning the services you’ll provide.
Social marketing assistance and counsel is also a pretty sure bet. While you may want to outsource this area of the business, with the rising popularity of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, even people who don’t have a website understand the basics of how these methods can help build a business. You’ll find many consulting clients expect you to be able to help them set up an account, find followers and start interacting through these popular channels.
Podcasts, videos and webinars are another area you might want to add to your repertoire. Again, if you’re unfamiliar with these marketing methods yourself, outsource the actual work, but give your clients the option of hiring you to assist them in promoting their business online with these increasingly useful techniques.
While the possibilities for consulting services are endless, deciding in advance on those you plan to offer will help you have systems in place that you can include on your website and in your marketing materials such as signs, flyers and brochures. It will enable you to easily jump into your role as offline consultant as soon as your client signs a check for your services.
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