Advice for Consultants selling Web Design or Marketing

I'm not an "offline" expert by any means, but I've been doing pretty decent the last few years with my company and thought I'd share some "basic advice"...whether it's an attorney, or a locksmith, the bottom line is every business wants more revenue/ROI, they don't care about the term HTML5 or PHP, they care about getting more business.

So as a "consultant" you should go in to your initial meeting with the intention of better understanding their current marketing setup, processes, etc. Once you've gotten that info, you can then package together a proposal which should outline a plan of attack, which you've successfully implemented in the past. Assuming they've agreed, you then implement and deliver!

I have many clients who have seen great results in the last few years because of a plan of attack I put together, not based on theory, but based on case studies, tests, etc.

Whether it's a client needing a responsive site, or a strategic email marketing campaign setup/tweaked, you've got to know your client needs and how you're going to tie in all systems to make it a success, you can't just guess, and hope it'll work. (That may work, but it's a huge risk...)

Bottom line, if you don't know 100% the web design or marketing service/systems you're selling and you haven't tested them successfully, then you're not in a position to sell yet, IMO. If you want to build a successful business that has longevity, then I would strongly recommend you are well prepared before you go in the trenches and start selling to local businesses.