How Many of You Are Involved in Consulting?

[Ben Roy]

I'm wondering how many of you engage in the more traditional business of consulting, particularly with medium or large companies, or Internet start-up businesses.

I'd love to hear a bit about what types of services you offer, which I imagine includes overall strategy and advice, detailed help on marketing techniques, maybe buying advertising, arranging for outsourcing, and more.

In addition, I'd like to hear how you structure the fees for your engagements. Do you simply charge hourly for your work? Retainer?

[SeanIM]

SEO, PPC and Web 2.0 marketing is what I focus on with my consulting to small and large companies....

I have package prices, and hour rates for those that need additional consulting after...it's always nice to fit them into monthly retainers for a period of time.

[lakshaybehl]

I am going out for the fifth time this Sunday (26 OCT) for my consultancy project. Its an offline company that deals with coaching high school students Accountancy.

While I can not reveal much (obviously, right?). I can tell you what I will be doing...

1. Getting a domain and hosting
2. Creating a Squeeze Page with a short, quick video to get students to sign up
3. Set up Autoresponders and lists
4. Train the tutors on how to record a video using Camtasia (I'll buy them a copy)
5. Set up folow up emails with links to videos in them to get students/prospects salted up.
6. creating a Sales Page that they get afted trhey have seen 14 videos for free and are dying to get more of them.
7. Get everything up and running through as membership based area and get all the designs done..

Apart from this, lead generation is also my responsibility...
1. Flyers copy and design
2. Maqgazine Ad Design
3. newspaper Ad Design

And yes, my consultancy fees would be around $10,000 for all of this.

-Lakshay

P.S. PM me for more details... I have been doing it for 3 months now.

[Nato Guajardo]

I'm actually an IT consultant and make a very good living at it. I mostly deal with small businesses that range from 10-100 employees.

[sparrow]

I work with people and small companies making under 10 million, they seem to be the best to work with since they know how important it is to be competitive

Companies any bigger you end up with to much politics, and submitting reports and presentations, I have done work for some fortune 500 companies and I don't care for this, can't get your work done without jumping hoops

Ed

[Talltom1]

I'm totally involved in consulting work and it is reflected in my IM work as well (see my sig links below). I teach small/medium businesses how to become more competitive.

[TheMagicShow]

PPC/SEO/Landing page optimization/Kw Research......fun stuff

[Hamish Jones]

I am also involved in consultancy work- mosting relating to Marketing and Public Relations

[Mark Riddle]

I work with companies and individuals who are ready for a breakthrough.

Involves everything from markets, to marketing, Product and product selection.

I only work with a handful of people at a time, and seldom have openings for additional business.

Mark

[anymato]

There are a ton of very successful brick & mortar businesses out there that don't have a clue what to do on the web.

1st) I evaluate their company and decide if i can help them.

Most of these people have websites already but they expected it to be like the field of dreams - you build it & they will come.

That is never the case... if it were they wouldn't be talking to me.

2nd) If I am dealing directly with the owner I give them a 30 minute consultation... This is free.

3rd) The first meeting is I listen to them get an idea of what they do now & what they aren't doing.

4th) I go back to the office... And do my research.

I look at the competition, I am looking at the local market, Its not like Internet Marketing where your competition is scattered across the world. So it is much easier than trying to rank # 1 for dentist instead I just have to rank # 1 for OverlandPark dentist.

I always try to go for the residual income - Most companies I deal with are not utilizing a residual income stream. So I look for where one can be generated then I offer to manage it for them for a percentage depending on the amount of work involved I take between 10 & 50%.

5) I come back to the meeting show them a series of new site designs for them to choose from to get an idea of what style they like. We discuss email
management and implementing a testing program to increase their conversions. I do not disclose the residual factor of their business yet. (Today is a day for me to be a contractor expecting to be paid for my work, if you spill the beans about the residual they wont want to pay you & give you a percentage.) At this point I show the seo packages & then the price points. All of which have some sort of residual built in. (It is important to have the paperwork drawn up & ready to sign at this stage so that they don't get cold feet)

6) I get the paper work signed & collect a check for 50% of the work that we agreed to.

7) I go back to the office have my design team build the necessary pages & have my writer create some articles for the clients new blog.

8) I return to the client show him/her the progress & at this point I pitch the residual income offer to them. (This has worked for me nearly every time and at this point you have nothing to loose you already have their business.)

9) After they agree to the residual project ... It is important to set it up to where you control the project so that they can't operate that portion of their business without you. You can figure that out on your own - Its very simple just run everything though domains you own & scripts that are licensed to you. Its job security.

I have never come across a company that I couldn't improve their income. I have a current client that makes 400 to 800 sales per month. He is leaving a ton of money on the table.

I put together a package for him that will generate an additional 40 to 80k per month for him. I told him that I would be happy to put the back end together and manage it for him for 50% ... It only took him 10 seconds to say yes. That's 20 to 40k in my pocket every month just for adding a module to his business that took him 12 years to build up to this level & all I have to do is provide a service that his customers were asking him for. It's good for me & it's great for him (the client always looks upon this like its free money as they should because if I wasn't there to point it out they would never have been able recognize the opportunity.) I am not a people person but my clients love me... Why because I put money in their pockets.

Not all deals are going to be this big...

I set up a aquariums store web site - He already had a residual income stream in place but I found another one I noticed he had a ton of coral sitting on the shelves & he said he is buying all he can because coral is tough to come by... So after a couple of visits I suggested that he rent the coral instead of selling it - That way as the coral increases in value he will always have his stock in tact. And customers that normally couldn't afford to spend 1k on coral for their tank could just rent it for a monthly fee. We agreed that he would pay me 40% of all rentals. This is an obscure one since there was nothing for me to do on my end & it was based on a handshake agreement but I still get checks month after month.

You have to think outside the box a bit. And it really only works when you are dealing directly with the business owner.

Another tip is to over deliver... If you agree on 10 articles deliver 12 - If you agree to a 7 page site deliver 10 - Through in the terms - privacy - etc...
You aren't using these to get the job this is after you got the job ... You want all your clients to love you so that they recommend you to their friends.

I hope this helps some of you.

Sean

Internet Marketing Heroes LLC

[Kyle Tully]

Half my business is consulting & copywriting. I also teach others how to get started as a consultant at one of my membership sites.

Personally the services I offer are just about everything marketing related, anything from websites to salesletters to direct mail and advice.

I usually work on a per-project basis but have also had retainers, profit sharing and other similar arrangements. It really depends on the project and your relationship with the person.

[Ben Roy]

Originally Posted by anymato

Most of these people have websites already but they expected it to be like the field of dreams - you build it & they will come.

This is SO true Sean. I see this constantly.

Thanks for all those very specific examples. There are some great ideas in there.