Recently, in a spurt of ‘abundance thinking’, where I was convinced that 2010 is going to be a MUCH better year than 2009 (I can’t afford to think otherwise, can you?!), I decided to do an inventory of people/resources I can turn to when my workload is too heavy to do it all myself.

Like many fellow consultants, I can perform every function needed to support most client projects myself, but have found it very wise to outsource certain portions of my research projects when I have a heavy client load in order to ensure that my time is spent on the things that are: 1) high value activities, worthy of my $100+ hourly rate and 2) things that only I can do based on my unique talents or the client relationship.

In an effort to streamline the process when I need to turn to other resources, I created a spreadsheet that provides me with a quick glance at the resources I’ve qualified and established relationships with over the past 10 years.  Some of the features of the spreadsheet:

• Every row is a different person/resource
• The first few columns include contact information, notes about the resource and their specialty
• The rest of the columns are categories of resources such as Interviewing, Analysis, Recruiting, Panels/Lists, etc.
• I put an X in each column/category that a given resource can help with

Having this quick reference allows me to rapidly scan a given column when I have the need for support in any given area.  When I meet/qualify new resources, I add them to the spreadsheet, which ensures that I think of them when the need arises.  This saves me a LOT of time and helps me make sure I make the right choice for each project, which helps ensure high quality results for my clients.

Let’s all think ‘abundance’ for 2010 and do a similar inventory of our resources…and if you don’t HAVE back-up resources, be sure to find some…WIC is a great source of qualified people who can partner with you to help in almost any element of your work.

Welcome back to work, everyone…hoping that everyone took some good family time off over the holidays since it sure seemed like our clients did!

The great thing about taking a little break is that it gives perspective–and I come back optimistic and eager about the new year…I saw trends over the holiday that are quite promising…I was asked to submit 3 different proposals, which doesn’t normally happen…I have 3 projects booked for this month, which doesn’t normally happen.  With those kinds of things happening, it’s easy to forget about all that doom and gloom ‘R’ word talk…

But I’m not going to get TOO comfy even with such good signs–this is a year to go back to basics and to really get clear on my target customers and how I can help them…especially in times like these.

Some thoughts that I’m having and have already begun to implement:

- Update my website (it’s been awhile…and it’s looking dated, especially re: resources I have links to as well as my products/services sheet which doesn’t represent my most favorite new service I’m providing!).  Check out the topic of the S. Bay WIC Luncheon on March 9: 10 Tricks for Updating Your Website.

- Keep my eye out for news/trends that would be helpful for my customers to know about–and tell them (I did this over the weekend and got a big thank you from my customer for keeping them in mind–talk about immediate gratification!).  Check out www.marketresearch.com for inexpensive research reports or www.findarticles.com to find current news items for an industry, your client’s competitors, etc.

- Do some prospecting–I have been reliant upon the steady stream of referrals that I’ve gotten over the past 10 years to feed my business, but in times like these, doing some intentional, deliberate prospecting makes a lot of sense–it will expand my pool of prospects beyond my personal network which increases the odds of finding someone who needs my services incrementally.

- Partner up with others–I’m a broken record on this one (see my first blog entry!), but working closely with some of my trusted colleagues to brainstorm, share successes, keep one another focused on what we all need to be doing, looking for opportunities to refer one another, and looking for ways to help one another overcome barriers are all the benefits of partnering with other consultants.  There is never a BAD time for collaboration, but a tough economy is a GREAT time for collaboration.

Let’s hear from you about what you are planning to do differently this year–either to overcome the impact of the shaky economy or to get you to your next goals for your business…we have so much to learn from one another!

Jen

In times like these, we’re tested as consultants in almost every way. Here are just three:

- What clients want or need may be even harder to define than it normally is – or it may be constantly changing.

- Despite budgets that are tighter, requirements may not be much lighter than in more lavishly-funded times.

- While we work hard to help clients stay focused and achieving important goals, our own focus may be regularly challenged in large and small ways.

One blog I’ve noticed recently, Lateral Action, provides creative inspiration and ideas with a very practical – and productive – edge. Check it out. Two recent posts may be especially helpful, The Ultimate Productivity Toolbox for Creative People and The Top 10 Social Networks for Creative People.

…it’s a philosophy I’ve always followed. And it’s one that I know has made a difference in the quantity and quality of work that I receive. Well, as it turns out a small survey (Ensuring Sustainable Value from Consultants) conducted by UK-based Management Consultancies Association (MCA) supports my party-of-one “research.”

Act as if You’re an Employee
RainToday.com (you’ll begin to see a regular thread in my posts, as I often read articles by them that I think others would find interesting), had a short article in their October 8 Rainmaker Report: “Good Consultants with Bad Reputations? How to Leave Clients Satisfied with Your Quality of Work” by Fiona Czerniawaska.

One of the two key reminders I took from this article is the concept of blurring the consultant/employee line:

• Among consulting projects that have gone well, it was hard to find a single one that didn’t involve a joint client-consultant team
• Integration wasn’t just a question of people working together or being based in the same physical location
• 66 percent of satisfied clients thought teamwork was so effective that it was hard to tell whether someone was an employee or a consultant; 72 percent of dissatisfied clients disagreed

Look Beyond Just the Decision Makers
The other key reminder was the importance of the lateral relationships between consultants and members of a client’s staff who were involved in the project. These relationships were key in determining the success of an undertaking.

Often we, as consultants, talk about how critical it is to have access to decision makers — and it is. However, I argue that how we collaborate and partner with the other team members is equally important, a point that MCA’s research underscores:

• The eighty-one percent of satisfied people were those who believed their work with consultants represented a genuine partnership ; in contrast, just two percent of those dissatisfied felt that way
• The consultant who builds into his or her proposal an understanding of the need to engage people at all levels, and a plan for doing so, has a better chance of overcoming client skepticism and is more likely to deliver greater value in practice

Share Your Thoughts
I’d love to hear what your experiences are in this area. So, let the conversation begin.

One of the challenges all consultants have in running their businesses is finding and setting up the right technology to support them. Getting your technology set up right can make all the difference in your productivity. So let me give you my #1 organizational tip…

One of the best technology decisions I ever made for my business was getting my email set-up on a Microsoft Exchange server. Before this I collected my email through my POP account provided by my Web hosting service. I’m sure you’re familiar with POP accounts, but if you want to know more about the process find out here.

The Problem with POP Email

When I had POP email, I used Microsoft Outlook and would regularly get the mail from my server; but once it was downloaded, the only copy was on my laptop. If I was out of the office without my laptop, I couldn’t access any saved emails. For new emails, I could select a setting that left the mail on the server and then check email from another computer or a Smartphone. However, any action I’d taken on the emails would not be in sync with the ones on my laptop when I got back to my desk. Plus, it was more trouble than it was worth. And this was just the trouble with managing email, let alone my calendar and contacts.

Microsoft Exchange Makes Syncing a Breeze

With Microsoft Exchange, I can sync my emails, contacts, and calendar on both my laptops (a back-up in case one fails) and my Smartphone. It doesn’t matter which device I am using at a given time because the synchronization is automatic and instant. I can also check email from any Web browser and have access to all my saved email folders, calendars, and contacts — not just my Inbox. Most Smartphones these days allow you to connect to Microsoft Exchange servers, so you can check your email as well as have all your calendar and contacts sync wirelessly. One of the best parts about checking and responding to email on my Smartphone is that my sent messages also sync on the server, so copies are stored consistently.

Managing Virtual Teams Is Easier

I made the decision to use Microsoft Exchange when the only email box I needed was my own. As I’ve grown my business with subcontractors and a virtual assistant, it’s been easy to add mailboxes for them and have all these features available to my subcontractors as well. I am also able to take advantage of all the delegate features of Microsoft Exchange/Outlook so that my assistant can help set-up meetings, respond to messages on my behalf and manage my schedule. I really consider this an important aspect of leading a successful virtual team.

Server-Hosted Email Is Easier Than You Think!

Implementing a professional mail solution can seem intimidating for a solo practitioner or small-business owner. However, companies like 123Together, Mailstreet, 1&1, Intermedia, and others that provide shared Microsoft Exchange hosting services makes it easy. They offer straightforward and affordable mail solutions that don’t require you to invest in your own server or technical support. You use your Microsoft Exchange hosting service alongside your current web hosting service (you’ll get instructions on how to do this from the Microsoft Exchange service provider). So go ahead, make the change. You’ll find a professional mail solution that uses your own domain name is easier than you think.

Collaboration Is Hot!
Collaboration is a hot topic with several of my clients — it’s a strategic tool for them to be more innovative, competitive, and generally more effective. They’re implementing entire efforts around how to improve collaboration among their employees all over the globe.  As organizations go global, the question of how to make virtual relationships work effectively is a key one.

It’s not Just for the “Big Boys”
Collaboration as a strategy is essential for us as consultants, too. We’re not islands…we are more valuable to our clients when we collaborate and develop alliances with others who have complementary skills and experience. Some of the benefits that I’ve realized from working with virtual teams on various projects include:

• I offer my clients a broader base of experience/expertise/talent.
• I can juggle more/take on more projects.
• It’s just more fun!

How to Start YOUR Virtual Team
It takes a little homework to find the right people with whom to collaborate. Finding people with skills and expertise that complement what you bring to the party requires doing your homework and establishing a high level of trust. There must be trust in the person’s skills, as well as their overall work ethic and customer orientation. I guess it’s sort of like dating — compatibility is key! 

Then once you find the right people, forming your team and getting everyone on the same page is essential. An article on Making Things Happen offers 10 tips for creating an environment of trust within a virtual team. These are great tips for how to ensure that your new collaboration partners understand your business and goals, and are committed to working with you on those terms.

Encouraging Words
I don’t want to make this whole collaboration thing sound daunting…it really isn’t. Just start by finding a few trusted compadres to chat with about the possibilities …things will flow nicely from there.

I’m firmly committed to collaborating with others as a key strategy for my business. By working in tandem with a few select fellow consultants over the past five years, I’ve been able to expand my horizons and learn about different industries and new applications of my work that I may never have had a chance to work on if left to my own devices. I’d love to hear from others who’ve used collaboration and virtual teams in their businesses — feel free to share any advice you have for others who haven’t yet made the plunge!

Coincidentally, as the women of WIC worked to launch our first blog — to coincide with WIC’s 10th anniversary celebration on October 16 — two different articles on blogging reached my inbox. One was from a favorite e-newsletter of mine, the Rainmaker Report by RainToday.com, and the other came from the Silicon Valley WebGuild.

Look Before You Leap (Aka Plan Before You Blog)
Michael W. McLaughlin, contributing editor at RainToday.com, urges consultants to ask some key questions before they commit to starting a blog. Very practical advice, actually; and thankfully, we (WIC) answered these questions before we took the leap.

One in particular resonated with me, because it cuts to the heart of what WIC is all about — collaboration and support: “If your practice includes other consultants, could you tap them for help with blog content? Would you be able to rotate the writing assignments for your blog with others?”

As WIC’s director of marketing and PR, I was charted to get this puppy off the ground. And the first thing I did was tap my fellow WIC board members to help generate content. That’s how we tackle everything at WIC — together. And I’ve found that this approach carries over to our businesses as well.

In fact, we believe community is so key to a consultant’s success that we’ve devoted an entire category to the concept of successful virtual teams. So, if you’re thinking of starting a blog, I can think of no better way to get your toes wet than to collaborate with your fellow consultants.

Blogging Easy? Not Exactly.
Another five little words from Michael also captured my attention: “It’s easy to get started….” On that, I have to disagree — a little. Sure, it’s easy to set up a blog in WordPress. And, yes, it just takes a computer, a bit of writing skills, and virtually no capital outlay. But easy? Not exactly.

To launch a successful blog takes some planning, which Michael clearly suggests in his questions to ask. But if your blog is truly going to be a marketing tool and you want it gain traction, there’s some other upfront work that’s well worth the labor.

Determining the keywords you want to target, assessing whether you can gain traction in those areas, limiting yourself to a handful — yes only a handful — of beachhead categories, and uncovering all the various alternatives to include as subcategories under the beachheads takes time. And it’s time well spent. Oh, and it’s interesting, too. But, I thank God that we’ve the talents of Celeste Bishop on our side to guide WIC through this process.

And the keywords are just the beginning. After you launch the site, you want to continue to refine your keywords. At the same time, you need to scope out the ecosystem in which your blog lives, taking the time to comment on other people’s blogs as well. That’s what blogging is, one big conversation. And to be heard above the din requires you to not just talk at your house, but others’ as well.

So Should Consultants Blog? You Bet!
None of what I wrote here is meant to scare you off from blogging. It’s just a bit of guidance — from someone currently going through the process — to say think it through and be prepared. It can be a very successful component to your overall marketing plan, whether you’re starting a consulting business, running a consulting business, or looking to grow your consulting business.

Oh, and make sure to follow one of Michael’s other pieces of advice: “You often hear bloggers say that blogs invite informal writing, and that typos and grammatical errors come with the territory. Maybe that’s okay for Max the Golden Retriever [read his article to understand this reference], but it’s the kiss of death if you are marketing a high-end professional services business.”

Welcome to the new Women in Consulting (WIC) blog. As president of WIC, I’m excited about this new resource and hope you will be, too.

We at WIC are dedicated to providing a place to connect and share with other like-minded professionals who are interested in building strong businesses.

WIC was founded 10 years ago by a handful of women meeting in the back of a coffee shop in San Carlos, CA. Today, we’re over 400 members strong. Not only do we provide ongoing in-person programs for members, affiliates, and the community in general, but we also have a well-regarded extremely valuable email community that shares job leads, best practices, technical advice, and more.

This year we’re expanding our online presence in many ways.

• We’ve just released our newly redesigned, expanded website, with more resources in a much easier-to-use format.
• We’ve created WIC groups on LinkedIn and Facebook for our members.
• We’re introducing this blog as a resource for the WIC community and consultants in general.

We continue to look for ways to serve the vibrant, diverse, and collaborative community that is Women in Consulting. We’re focused on supporting women in all stages of the consulting lifecycle: from getting started to developing a core practice, refining the business, and then managing mature consulting practices.

As importantly, we exist for and because of our members. We’re a volunteer-based organization. Our volunteers tell us that working with WIC is doubly satisfying because not only do they have the opportunity to give back to the community, but it directly helps them grow their businesses. Please consider joining the ranks of successful women who’ve added WIC to their list of pro-bono consulting assignments.

I look forward to seeing all of you at our upcoming events or here online. And all of us here at WIC look forward to your input, thoughts, and comments on all of these initiatives and more.

Regards,
Linda