Creating Your Business Opportunity 7
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How do you put those precepts into practice?
Whether you are in radio consulting, management consulting, computer consulting, or any other kind of consulting, the way to put theory into practice is to first be an expert in what you do and then to bend over backward to satisfy the client.
José Kirchner, a corporate consultant and human resources trainer in Carmichael, California, describes this scenario as being typical of the kind of effort needed to create a workshop series for one of his clients:
I get a request for a workshop such as a series of five two-hour briefings/workshops on sexual harassment. The target audience is supervisors and managers of all departments. They hired me because word of mouth in a neighboring city said I'd do it right, and their Employee Assistance Program uses me as a trainer—a lot!
I contact the program manager for their Employee Assistance Program (EAP). He tells me the supervisors do not utilize the EAP or its management consultants for corrective actions to the extent other city governments do. He wants me to clarify the role of management consultants and how they can be of help in a case of possible sexual harassment—early on, before it actually becomes sexual harassment, if possible.
Contact with the personnel director will tell me a bit more about what is going on: Is there a policy? Have there been incidents? What are the attitudes? Is there a particular work area where this has been a problem? Is there anything he wants me to cover specifically? Does he agree with my proposed approach?
I will also contact the Health, Safety, and Training Officer to get more specific information on each department and possible contacts in each.
Then I will fine-tune my PowerPoint presentation, adding and deleting slides, which are the main focus points for the audience. I then prepare some handouts and send them for preparation and distribution.
After the first workshop, I will consult a bit more, especially with the HST Officer, and make any necessary revisions. At the end of the series, I will meet with her, and with the personnel director, then give feedback to the training director and program manager at the EAP. All of my contacts are annotated in my client database. I may also prepare written recommendations and a summary. And all participants fill out a one-page program evaluation, which I review and turn over to the personnel director.
Obviously, the specific tasks a consultant will need to perform will differ depending on the type of consulting job. Overall, it is this kind of client contact and client focus that is required to establish a consulting practice and develop it into a profitable business.
How long does it take to build up a good business as a consultant?
Once you have established a track record for solving problems, it will take a year or more to establish a business. Things may be lean at first, but if you continually promote yourself, are good at what you do, and are professional in the way you work, your reputation and business will grow.
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