One of the most challenging aspects of running a consulting business is to determine whether a prospective client is right for your personality and consulting style. Taking on clients with incompatible personalities usually leads to turbulent, unsuccessful consulting relationships.
Client screening techniques reduce your risk of getting stuck with a difficult client and increase your chances of finding those who seek long-term consulting relationships. Such clients are more likely to refer you to their friends and colleagues.
Your goal in pre-qualifying potential clients is to find qualified prospects. This refers to people who:
- Have an actual need for your services
- Are willing to pay the fees you charge
- Will benefit from working with you
- Have a compatible personality and style
Client Screening Techniques
An effective prequalifying technique consists of sending an information kit and questionnaire via email to people who contact you after seeing your ads or visiting your website.
Your information kit should outline your consulting style, your background, fees, and any other information that is relevant to your business.
The questionnaire that you send along with your information kit will allow you to get a sense of a potential client’s needs, wishes, and personality. Having this information will help you to determine whether it’s worth it to contact the prospect again and continue selling your consulting services.
Once you have studied a potential client’s responses to your questionnaire, you can call the prospect to learn more about them, and decide whether or not you should continue trying to convert them into consulting clients.
If you feel that a potential client is not right for you, it might be better to refer them to a colleague or acquaintance on your network. Taking on clients who won’t get anything out of working with you may lead to problems down the road, such as bad online reviews or negative comments on social media about your consulting skills.
Avoid Wasting Time by Using Client screening Methods
As a consultant running your own business, you have only a limited amount of time for promoting and selling you services to potential clients. You can easily waste an entire day dealing with people who are just looking for free information and have no intention of paying you to be their consultant. The only way to lower the odds of this happening is to have a client screening process in place to eliminate unqualified prospects.
You can easily create checklists and questionnaires that will help you to separate potential clients who are genuinely interested in your services, from those who are going to waste your time.
Using a pre-qualifying technique takes more work and discipline than simply offering your services to anyone who calls you, but in the long run leads to higher-quality clients. Your marketing efforts will also become more enjoyable and productive.
Learn More Best Practices for Developing Your Consulting Business
If you would like more in-depth knowledge on promoting your services, please read the following book:
Selling Your Services MP3 – Robert W. Bly
For more tips and best practices on succeeding as a freelance consultant, consider:
How to Succeed as an Independent Marketing Consultant – by Robert W. Bly
Bob Bly is one of the top copywriters and marketing consultants in the country. His books provide practical advice related to marketing, sales, and small business opportunities.
About the Author
Mark Bellini is a freelance copywriter and marketing consultant who focuses on creating marketing funnels (sequences) for small service-based businesses and internet marketers.
To learn why marketing funnels are the most recommended marketing strategy for small businesses, please visit www.writingconversions.com/downloads/
Note: Mark is an affiliate for Bly.com.
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