Episode 181: Guide to Winning Clients - Interview with David A. Fields

Founder of Ascendant Consulting

David Fields and Bill Ringle discuss proven methods to winning clients for consultants.

Key points that you’ll learn from this interview:

Tried and tested ways of getting more prospects
What it means to have “learning conversations”
The number one attribute of a right prospect
How to know it’s time to upgrade your network
The 5 marketing musts in consulting.
How to set a basic dashboard to measure outreach
A better way to ask for referrals
The significance of putting your client first

Interview Insights

Click to Read the Show Notes

1:52 What David is excited about in his life and business right now.

2:10 “One of the benefits of running a small business is that the practice serves you if you do it right.”

3:28 How having a book in accessible spaces leads to an influx of inquiries.

4:15 What it means to have a learning conversation

5:21 “In order for me to remain a thought leader in consulting I have to talk to people and understand what they’re doing.”

5:58 Why David is interested in how people have failed.

6:51”You have to be willing to admit you don’t know, and you need to have a genuine desire to learn.”

7:44 “The obstacles are all internal.”

8:54 Why if you’re targeting smaller company prospects, you need to make sure they have big issues.

11:14 “The place to start is not by defining your target.”

11:20 “The number one attribute of a right prospect is that you can reach them.”

12:32 Why you need to reach the influencer and the decision maker and make A1 relationships.

13:47 Trade associations and the 5 marketing musts in consulting.

14:40 How David helped a small firm explode their business through trade associations.

16:14 Why trade media is still relevant.

17:18 Ways to measure the success of your outreach.”

18:08 “There’s a difference between goals and behaviors.”

20:10 “Most people absolutely suck at asking for referrals.”

21:53 “People who are interesting are people who are doing things.”

22:53 “Consulting is not about you.”

24:29 How you interact with people everyday, how you respond, affects your business.

25:49 “We are wired to think about ourselves.”

25:59 Lightning Round

David Field’s Bio

David A. Fields works with boutique consulting firms and individual consultants across the globe that are eager to accelerate growth, increase profit and create lucrative, lifestyle-friendly practices. He has guided consultancies ranging from one-person startups to the consulting divisions of some of the world’s largest companies.

David still advises corporate clients too. After climbing the ranks to become a partner at a prestigious consulting firm in Connecticut, David co-founded Ascendant Consulting, where he has attracted clients such as Abbott Laboratories, Church & Dwight, FMC, Warner Home Video, and many others.

David’s books include Amazon’s highest-rated book on the business of consulting released in the past 20 years: The Irresistible Consultant’s Guide to Winning Clients.

He also leads the Ascendant Consortium, a unique, “general contractor” model in which David acts as both a client and consultant on the same project. The consortium now includes more than 150 consultants whose clients are a Who’s Who of the global business world. The Ascendant Consortium was a breakthrough for David professionally, and in this model high-dollar, high-margin projects are the norm.

David received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Carnegie Mellon. (Go plaid!) He is a hockey fanatic and eats egregious amounts of chocolate.

For more information, visit David Field’s website.