Will you pay $$$ for my experience, knowledge and skills

[Johannp]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking at starting a small consulting firm on a part time basis.

My top 10 skills are:
1. Leadership skills
2. Very good at selling – Salesmanship is my main forte
3. Marketing – I can help anyone market any product they want
4. Very good at managing
5. High level of admin skills
6. Strong knowledge of the shipping, freight forwarding and customs industry.
7. Have experience in owning and operating my own business
8. Good with people
9. Have a strong sound of property knowledge
10. Great at training others

My question to you is this:
Do you think any of this skills will benefit your business?
Or if some one could train you or your current staff would it be a benefit for your company?

[Elsee]

Hi John,

Any one of those skills could make the basis for a good consultancy. I would suggest though, that you pick one, and focus on it. Most great single person consultancy companies thrive by being very focussed.

[Johannp]

Originally Posted by Elsee

Hi John,

Any one of those skills could make the basis for a good consultancy. I would suggest though, that you pick one, and focus on it. Most great single person consultancy companies thrive by being very focussed.

___________________
Hi Thats a fair point
My strongest skills is Sales and Marketing + its a passion.
But is there a need for this???

[BlackCoffeeComms]

Oh my word there's a market for that.

I'm a copywriter and I'm ALWAYS being asked if I can also help with sales and marketing!

[NathanB]

It seems to me that many more people are seeking quality sales people, and shying away from sales consultants. I have seen similar hesitations in hiring marketing consultants.

The biggest obstacle being SME's generally don't have enough $ to buy advice and only want to buy results. Great (even just good) Marketeers and consultant can easily show you results but SME's don't want lessons in how to sell their product, they want to do it for them!

With that in mind, being a confident sales/marketing person, perhaps there is a market for a combination service where you sell a clients product at the same time as educating them on your methods as you integrate them while proving their success. I would imagine this would include you reinventing their marketing in the process. Add a guarantee to the above service and I believe you could charge through the teeth!

It would be like the business consulting version of daily deal website. You pick and choose your clients based on the viability you see in their product then using your magic, rip a very healthy margin of their success using your systems.

[Khalid Adam]

There's a demand for talent. More so in a bad economy because businesses are desperate and willing to listen if you know to influence and persuade ethically.

When money is tight, the best approach in my experience is results in advance. Prove to the prospects you know your stuff by creating videos and reports on how to achieve their goals faster.

when they are ready to meet you, ask for a deposit and say that it's refundable if within 20 minutes, they don't see the value. You will save a ton of time and deal with action takers.

All the best.

Originally Posted by NathanB

but SME's don't want lessons in how to sell their product, they want to do it for them!

.

[Johannp]

Thanks for the feedback every one.
The good thing is not only this is my talent but I am also passionate about it as well.

Maybe start on a part time basis and then grow!!!!

BlackCoffeeComms: You have said that you got asked to do sales and marketing too.
But my question is what do they ask you to do???

Cheers

[NathanB]

Originally Posted by Khalid Adam

There's a demand for talent. More so in a bad economy because businesses are desperate and willing to listen if you know to influence and persuade ethically.

When money is tight, the best approach in my experience is results in advance. Prove to the prospects you know your stuff by creating videos and reports on how to achieve their goals faster.

when they are ready to meet you, ask for a deposit and say that it's refundable if within 20 minutes, they don't see the value. You will save a ton of time and deal with action takers.

All the best.

I have to agree and disagree - I completely agree their is a market for talented people that can drive results how ever, quick fix business is becoming more and more predominant amongst the SME's just trying to stay afloat or start up in this tough economy. This is why Daily Deal websites are so so successful (and SOOO expensive).

Think about it like this - take a hair salon (or really any business) and put that business to this scenario.

Opportunity 1 - Outlay a couple of thousand on proven and skilled marketing consultant who will teach you how to achieve greater market position for your business.

Pros: Long term success, learn something.
Cons: Pay up front and regardless of the result, You still have to do all the work post recommendations & Your business accountable.

Opportunity 2 - Get a your product on a daily deal website (free) - sell a S**T load.

Pros: Short term success. Immediate cash flow. No upfront cost. They do all the work. You only pay for what you sell.
Cons: Cost you FAT chunk of your profit margin


My point is, I'm not saying marketing is bad. I am just saying that I think there is a real market for business development alone these lines. Take away the risk/up front cost to businesses and then jack up the price like crazy in exchange.

[yourvirtualboard]

People / Business will pay for results and if you can clearly define desired outcomes and then deliver them, yes people will pay for your services (well that's how I make my living).

As Elsee says pick one and in making that choice I'd suggest looking at where the greatest needs are. You may be brilliant at X but the market may prefer Y and a bit of research in the beginning never hurts.

Next step I guess is clearly defining what you have on offer in a way that clearly states the benefits and what engaging might deliver (tangibles / measurement). Then it's getting that first client (and everyone will have an opinion for you on how to do this), then the next and the next and pretty soon you'll have some runs on the board.

Good luck.

[BlackCoffeeComms]

Johann

When I get asked about sales and marketing, it's mainly asking about how they find their target audience. They have a great product (most of them do anyway) but it's not moving. Their audience doesn't even know they exist and many of them don't have B&M shopfronts.

I help them, for example, find out about expos/markets in their field. Or upcoming advertorial opportunities. A lot of them don't even know where to start with finding out what trade magazines cover their niche etc. Or what publications (on and off line) that their audience reads.

And social media marketing is a big one too - although there are a lot of people selling their "experience" in this area already.

My PR/Marketing/journalism background is incredibly broad, which is why I get asked this - and why I am usually happy to help or at least refer. That said, I chose to specialise in writing because that's my passion, so that will always come first.