The Consultant's Best Client

I am often asked who my clients are and how I find them. Let me begin by describing my best client – any client who is or has been satisfied with my work.

One of my clients is one of the world’s largest hotel chains. I was the consultant who directed the development of training materials (more than 12 manuals, etc) for a new computerized reservations system. While the work was progressing well, I met important (read influential) people in other departments. Over the next two years I developed consulting business in the food & beverage, industrial engineering, and HR applications development.

In other words, social networking served a successful marketing function.

Your marketing should always prioritize current and past clients whenever you have the time – and especially if business is slow, as during a recession.

I must mention the rocks and shoals of an organization’s politics. As you make contacts you are associated with your “hero” (refer to my blog post on ‘making a hero’). If your hero is unpopular with someone you meet, that unpopularity will adhere to you. Be sure to ask your hero who the ‘problems’ in the company you might meet.