11–20 of 83 posts
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Consulting-Giving-Getting-Suc... The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully by Gerald Weinberg
Some books you read to reflect upon or be better informed. His books instead, are likely to change the way you conduct your business, or validate correct behaviors you adopted instinctively.
The major lesson will be to ask for the sale. And work that into the conversation, so less "that'll be $99", but more like "So, would you like the blue or pink one?" If you don't ask for the sale, you won't get it. If you're solving a problem, making the sale is helping people. They came to you for help for a reason, so treat them well.
"No askie, no gettie" is something my co-founder and I say.
I'm the engineering side and struggle with it, but he's really good at it.
1. Find a recruiter who will work for you to place you in a 1099. Maybe pay them a commission for the lead or a successful placement.
2. See if a larger consulting company will subcontract to you.
3. Look for devops jobs in your network and see if they'd be open to a contractor.
3. Look for city/state/federal RFP opportunites recently funded or to be funded. Then go to step2
I have to be salesman for my own software sometimes. The approach varies with the market and proce level. But basically:
-be personable and professional
-take the time to understand their needs
-if you think you have something that fits their needs, ask for the sale ("would you like to discuss pricing?")
-follow up periodically until they buy or you decide they aren't interested
-don't try and sell something that is a bad fit
-develop a thicker skin
You don’t have to be dishonest or pushy.
Useful guideline:
- 1:many is marketing - 1:1 is sales
See also: https://successfulsoftware.net/2018/03/21/tracking-your-sale...
* Be consistent in your outreach
* Shortcuts like automation are a waste of time unless you're replicating success
* Always ask for the sale
* All meetings should have a next step / action. Preferably chain meetings together so you have the next one scheduled by end of current one.
* "SOGOTP" - you need to respectfully but quickly move conversations to *sales* convos. If someone isn't going to buy, recognize it quickly and move them to nurture instead of taking your time
The major lesson will be to ask for the sale. And work that into the conversation, so less "that'll be $99", but more like "So, would you like the blue or pink one?" If you don't ask for the sale, you won't get it. If you're solving a problem, making the sale is helping people. They came to you for help for a reason, so treat them well.
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Consulting-Giving-Getting-Suc... The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully by Gerald Weinberg
Seconded. All books by Gabriel Weinberg. Some books you read to reflect upon or be better informed. His books instead, are likely to change the way you conduct your business, or validate correct behaviors you adopted instinctively.
- Don't expect your client to understand the work you do the way you understand it.
- A corollary is that you cannot expect the client to put the same price on your work as you would or want.
- Another corollary is that you will inevitably lose some bids.
- Value-based pricing has been way simpler to deal with for me.
- Hourly pay only for a retainer or a fixed amount of hours per month ("I'll be there when you call."). Otherwise I find that incentives get misaligned.
- Requirements and client desires can change every single time you speak to them, so communicate often. I've been lucky with inflating time estimates by 25-33% to account for this inevitability.