“But, we’re in the relationship management business. We don’t need a strong internet presence.” . . .
I hear it all the time from former colleagues and friends in the consulting business. Guess what folks, this isn’t 2002 anymore. An internet presence isn’t just for e-commerce and tech startups. Today, relationships are initializing for the first time via internet introductions and traditional consultants need to learn that there are more ways to sell your services than meeting someone face to face.
In consulting, networking and face-to-face interaction continue to be the name of the game – make a connection and build the relationship gradually over time. There are plenty of competitors out there and client retention requires frequent contact and communication. Most firms believe that (besides email) the internet as a relationship management platform comes in a far second place to pounding the pavement. And yes, personal interaction is vital to acquiring and maintaining clients, HOWEVER a sizable internet presence will increase your firm’s visibility as an expert in a field, lift brand awareness, and, in turn, make those initial cold calls or prospective client meet-ups 100x easier with increased conversion rates.
Your consultants already host speaking events to increase their credibility and visibility, why not record those speaking events and host them on your website? Your consultants already co-publish industry papers and articles in trade journals, why not provide the same content in a SEO friendly form on your website or run smaller more frequent industry news on a blog? You could host industry events calendars and interactive webinar presentations that allow clients to interact on your site, etc. The list goes on.
A dynamic, interactive web platform chalk full of top industry specific information is a gold mine for researchers, journalists, and potential clients.
In an industry that’s saturated with competition, placing yourself as the online information and knowledge center for your field of expertise will pay dividends well into the future. Even better, once you attract a digital audience online, you can see how well your efforts convert. Imagine having statistically significant data to show how well your “relationship management” efforts convert to new or continued client engagements. That’s powerful stuff that very few in the consulting industry are utilizing today (I’ll write more on this in the future).
Speaking engagements, client dinners, and hand shakes happen once. Quality web content is timeless, viral, and measurable. Utilize it.
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Why Consultants Need an Internet Presence
“But, we’re in the relationship management business. We don’t need a strong internet presence.” . . .
I hear it all the time from former colleagues and friends in the consulting business. Guess what folks, this isn’t 2002 anymore. An internet presence isn’t just for e-commerce and tech startups. Today, relationships are initializing for the first time via internet introductions and traditional consultants need to learn that there are more ways to sell your services than meeting someone face to face.
In consulting, networking and face-to-face interaction continue to be the name of the game – make a connection and build the relationship gradually over time. There are plenty of competitors out there and client retention requires frequent contact and communication. Most firms believe that (besides email) the internet as a relationship management platform comes in a far second place to pounding the pavement. And yes, personal interaction is vital to acquiring and maintaining clients, HOWEVER a sizable internet presence will increase your firm’s visibility as an expert in a field, lift brand awareness, and, in turn, make those initial cold calls or prospective client meet-ups 100x easier with increased conversion rates.
Your consultants already host speaking events to increase their credibility and visibility, why not record those speaking events and host them on your website? Your consultants already co-publish industry papers and articles in trade journals, why not provide the same content in a SEO friendly form on your website or run smaller more frequent industry news on a blog? You could host industry events calendars and interactive webinar presentations that allow clients to interact on your site, etc. The list goes on.
A dynamic, interactive web platform chalk full of top industry specific information is a gold mine for researchers, journalists, and potential clients.
In an industry that’s saturated with competition, placing yourself as the online information and knowledge center for your field of expertise will pay dividends well into the future. Even better, once you attract a digital audience online, you can see how well your efforts convert. Imagine having statistically significant data to show how well your “relationship management” efforts convert to new or continued client engagements. That’s powerful stuff that very few in the consulting industry are utilizing today (I’ll write more on this in the future).
Speaking engagements, client dinners, and hand shakes happen once. Quality web content is timeless, viral, and measurable. Utilize it.