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
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
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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.
Contact Info for David Fields
Web address: http://davidafields.com
Travels from: Ridgefield, CT
Phone: (203) 438-7236
Contact:
Resources Mentioned by David Fields:
