Business Word

The Quest for Work
Keeping Your Eyes and Ears Open Will Go a Long Way Toward keeping You Busy

by Peter Zvalo

Consulting work is not easy to come by. Getting your foot in the door and establishing a new client is usually a time-consuming and tedious process, beginning with a cold call (or searching databases for a suitable Request for Proposal), followed by setting up a sales appointment, and finally developing a proposal (which, depending on the requirement, may be dozens of pages long involving detailed descriptions of your work plan and costing projections). And even after all this effort, a good chance still exists that the prospective client will hire someone else, especially if they have solicited several competing proposals. Finding new clients can become a full-time job that puts a constraint on your time and quality of work. But for fledgling companies and new freelancers, this method of finding work is unavoidable (and is probably the main reason why everyone does not go into business for themselves).

A more efficient, and often overlooked, way of finding work is to nurture existing clients (assuming, of course, that you already have clients to nurture). For contract writers and editors, taking advantage of leads with existing clients is easy — but only if you keep your eyes and ears open.

During conversations and meetings with your client — essential components of fulfilling any existing requirements — he or she will occasionally mention related requirements that are coming down the pipeline, either within their own organization or another branch or division of the company. Your first reaction may be to gloss over this information and continue discussing the topic at hand, but if you have developed a good nose for leads, you will take note of them and raise them again at the end of the conversation. For example, if your client mentions that the marketing department will need to develop promotional material to support the user manual that you are writing, don’t be afraid to ask who is developing the marketing kit. Even if the answer is "I don’t know," you should ask who is responsible for overseeing development of marketing collateral. You now have a potential lead — that is, you are aware of a requirement that you are qualified to fill, and you have a contact person to whom you can direct your sales pitch.

In some cases, getting a lead may be even more straightforward. For example, if you are writing a communication plan, you can create your own leads in the recommendations that you propose. Indeed, such a plan can form the basis of a future proposal to develop the tools recommended in the plan. These tools may include such things as a Web site, booklets and brochures, presentations, speeches, and press releases. It is, of course, essential that you follow up with the client by asking whether the recommendations have been accepted by management and whether the work will be contracted to outside suppliers. A similar situation may also arise if you are developing a technical user guide. Often, follow-up opportunities for communications requirements such as online help and quick reference cards may be staring you in the face.

Successful consulting firms encourage their staff to develop the skills needed to identify good leads. These firms regard any staff person that has regular contact with clients as a de facto sales representative. More importantly, staff members should view themselves as an extension of the firm’s sales team, bringing in additional business with minimal overhead cost. Nurturing repeat business with established clients is a win-win proposition for all concerned: the client deals with a familiar and reliable company or individual; the consulting firm operates more efficiently by keeping its sales team small and focused on new markets. Oh yes, and the ultimate benefit is a steady income, which is after all, the name of the game.

Peter Zvalo is a Contributing Editor for Writer’s Block.