Mentor's Corner
How To Obtain More Clients, Part 2: Volunteering
by Norman Daoust,
Principal Consultant of Daoust Associates
Do you want more clients? In this issue, we examine one method few consultants utilize effectively: volunteering. In upcoming issues, we’ll cover additional ways to obtain more clients.
Less then two months after I started my consulting practice in 2001, I received a phone call: “Norman, this is Sheri from CIHI. We’re involved in a national Client Registry project and are looking for someone to create a data dictionary and a data model. Would you be interested?” Within two weeks I had a signed contract. Why did they select me: “We’ve seen you model at HL7 meetings.” I’d been volunteering for that international non-profit healthcare standards organization for several years. Sheri noticed my email footer change to indicate my new consulting practice when I answered a question on one of the organization’s list servers (yet another method of volunteering). At the time I was still working on my first consulting engagement, which also resulted from my volunteer work for that same organization!
When asked what advice he had for new consultants, one of Alan Weiss’s three tips was volunteering.
Before I go any further, I’d like to dispel some clueless knee-jerk thoughts I’ve heard from consultants when I mention the term “volunteering”:
- I’m not suggesting you give away your services for free to potential clients;
- I’m not suggesting you volunteer to stuff envelopes in the privacy of your home office;
- I’m not suggesting you spend all your time volunteering.
You should publicly demonstrate your expertise and value for a public non-profit organization in a way that’s visible to potential clients.
Some of you are thinking, how do I do that?
Here are the steps you need to take so volunteering works for you:
- Find the non-profit organization whose members would be your top-tier clients. I know that some people will automatically think of the technical user group in their expertise, e.g. New England Java Users Group. Wrong! Your potential clients are not likely to be members of that organization. You need to find the organization your potential clients participate in.
- Volunteer in a public role that utilizes your areas of consulting expertise. It might mean leading a workshop (where your potential clients are the attendees) to help organizations analyze the effectiveness of their current operations. It might mean appearing as a panelist for a panel discussion. It might mean facilitating a group, as I did.
- Make certain everyone there knows you’re a consultant. This should be a no-brainer. Make certain that’s obvious every time you’re introduced (and, yes, you should write your own introduction whenever you’re presenting). Every single email message you send as a volunteer should have your standard footer advertising your business. When the organization publicly recognizes your efforts, make certain they include your name, company name, and contact information. This means the appropriate portions of your contact information are included on their web site, in their announcements, in their press releases, etc.
- Make certain your efforts are publicly recognized. Don’t be afraid to write the article that describes the benefits of your volunteer efforts.
- Be patient. High quality volunteering is like planting a garden: because it’s been successful in the past, you know you’ll harvest the fruits of your labors. However, due to the uncertainties, you can’t predict exactly when or how much. Don’t make the typical mistake of immediately quitting when you don’t receive instant gratification!
- Enjoy the benefits: more clients!
I must mention a powerful side effect of volunteering: you’ll receive referrals. I’ve received referrals from several other consultants that also volunteer for this same organization. That, of course, makes perfect sense: we’ve worked together as volunteers for several years, we share the same expertise, we know each others strengths and weaknesses, we’ve seen each other work, and we trust each other. These all significantly increase the likelihood of others giving you referrals.
Should volunteering be one of the facets of your marketing plan? Only if you want to expand your client base!
Do you have a volunteering success story to share? Do you have any additional suggestions or questions related to volunteering? Email them to
NormanD@DaoustAssociates for consideration for inclusion in our next issue.
Norman Daoust founded Daoust Associates in 2001 and is an expert in data and UML modeling, electronic data exchange, and training in those areas. Norman has never been known to turn down a speaking or writing opportunity. He can be reached at
NormanD@DaoustAssociates or view his website at
http://www.daoustassociates.com/
