Marketing Director Needs to Sell Self
Q: I'm currently a marketing director with a well-known national consumer packaging company. In order to have more flexibility in my personal and professional life, I'd like to pursue a career in consulting. What are some suggestions on the best steps to take? S.A., Toronto
A: You are coming at this from a good perspective; as a consultant, people "buy" your expertise. Since you are a marketing director for a brand name company, you're at an excellent starting point.
Remember, consulting is clients, clients, clients -- this is key. The first question I have is what kind of previous experience you've had with "selling" yourself? This is vital because you have to know what makes you unique in a highly competitive business. What do your experience and your education offer the market? Another key question: Who is your market? Who are you targeting and who do you know in the market? How will you package yourself? This includes your education, the developments you have made in your career journey, and the niche that differentiates you from others.
How good are you at getting work? This is the consultant's dilemma. I know quite a few people who, while of equal ability in their field, are set apart by their ability to acquire work. How good are you at negotiation? This is another essential strength. How self-motivated are you to work independently? All of these points are vital questions to bear in mind when considering the consulting field.
Once you have answers to those questions, here are some actions to take:
1. Develop your own personal branding statement and a 30-second commercial summing up what you have to offer.
2. Connect deeply within your network to let them know what you can do for them. Meet as often as possible over coffee or lunch because, in the beginning, this is more than likely where you will get most of your work.
3. Look for partners. You may be able to complement the work that others are doing with some of your own experience. There are many "virtual" consulting shops that work together on projects.
In the long term, you may end up building products or running into company opportunities that could lead to an extended relationship, thereby building a larger consulting practice with its own benefits. Either way, if you go for it, the worst-case scenario is that you will have gained new perspective. The best-case scenario is a whole new direction and wonderful opportunities.
A: You are coming at this from a good perspective; as a consultant, people "buy" your expertise. Since you are a marketing director for a brand name company, you're at an excellent starting point.
Remember, consulting is clients, clients, clients -- this is key. The first question I have is what kind of previous experience you've had with "selling" yourself? This is vital because you have to know what makes you unique in a highly competitive business. What do your experience and your education offer the market? Another key question: Who is your market? Who are you targeting and who do you know in the market? How will you package yourself? This includes your education, the developments you have made in your career journey, and the niche that differentiates you from others.
How good are you at getting work? This is the consultant's dilemma. I know quite a few people who, while of equal ability in their field, are set apart by their ability to acquire work. How good are you at negotiation? This is another essential strength. How self-motivated are you to work independently? All of these points are vital questions to bear in mind when considering the consulting field.
Once you have answers to those questions, here are some actions to take:
1. Develop your own personal branding statement and a 30-second commercial summing up what you have to offer.
2. Connect deeply within your network to let them know what you can do for them. Meet as often as possible over coffee or lunch because, in the beginning, this is more than likely where you will get most of your work.
3. Look for partners. You may be able to complement the work that others are doing with some of your own experience. There are many "virtual" consulting shops that work together on projects.
In the long term, you may end up building products or running into company opportunities that could lead to an extended relationship, thereby building a larger consulting practice with its own benefits. Either way, if you go for it, the worst-case scenario is that you will have gained new perspective. The best-case scenario is a whole new direction and wonderful opportunities.
posted by Alan Kearns at 12:48 PM
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