Table of Contents
For Sally
The road continues...
Acknowledgments
Theres pure joy in thanking those who helped bring this book to life. None of this would have been possible if my good friend, colleague and confidante, Marty Rosenthal, hadnt taken a chance and hired me as a consultant.
Over the past 20 years, my partner at Deloitte, Mike Deverell, taught me the art and craft of consulting and showed me how integrity, professionalism, and value draw clients to a consulting practice.
Ive been fortunate to work alongside some of the finest consultants in the profession. A very special thanks to Tom Dekar, John Demetra, Peter Gertler, Erik Gilberg, Greg Seal, Phil Strause, and Jack Witlin. Hundreds of others at Deloitte also shaped my thinking about this book. I wish I could thank each of you personally for your generosity and collegiality, but you know who you are.
Most of all I learned from clients. They always let you know when things are right and when theyre not.
From our first conversation, my co-author, Jay Levinson, provided the glue that holds this book together. From the roughest proposal outline to the completed manuscript, Jay steered the project with his experience and keen intellect. No problem was too big or small for Jays attention. All I had to do was ask and Jay was there to lend a hand.
It was a rare treat to work with my agents, Michael Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada. They knew exactly when to apply the right pressure to keep the project moving, and they never gave up on the idea. Without their guidance, this book would still be a pile of notes.
The team at John Wiley & Sons made the editing and production of the book seem like magic. My editor, Mike Hamilton, was there to answer every question, solve any problem, and keep the book on the right track. Deborah Schindlar, my Wiley production editor who worked with Pam Blackmon and her team at Publications Development Company; Kimberly Vaughn; and Michelle Becker brought the book from rough manuscript to the bookshelves, and I owe each of you a debt of gratitude.
Mark Steisel, my friend and colleague, contributed his blood, sweat, and tears to this book. Mark has a feel for the language that most of us simply dream about. His perseverance, editorial touch, and inspiration helped bring this book to a whole new level.
Every author has a secret weaponthat one person who is there to do whatever is needed, no matter what. My generous sister-in-law, Mary Dillon, is my secret weapon. Thank you, Mary, for tending to just about everything when writing and editing took over my life.
To my wife, Sally, you stuck by me when the going got the toughest. You gave selflessly of your days, nights, and weekends editing and reediting every last chapter of this book. I have no words to describe what your devotion has meant to me. You are in my mind and heart at all times. This book is for you.
M.W.M.
The Guerrilla Marketing brand has grown in 20 years from a single book to a library of books available around the world. One of the main reasons for that success is authors such as Michael W. McLaughlin who bring the spirit, the wisdom, and the practicality of Guerrilla Marketing to vibrant life.
I want to acknowledge Mikes painstaking work and superb writing. It is not easy to write a Guerrilla Marketing book. But he has done it with grace and aplomb.
I also single out for gratitude some of the same people that Mike has identified-Mark Steisel, writer and editor extraordinaire, and Mike Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada, the shepherds of the brand-who have been my literary agents since the first book-and will be my agents for many more books.
Finally, I thank Jeannie Huffman, president of Guerrilla Marketing International, who has built the brand, as people like Michael and I have crafted the words.
J.C.L.
Introduction
Are you a consultant? That title applies to professionals from actuarial advisors to Web site designers, including management consultants, accountants, architects, investment counselors, lawyers, public relations consultants, engineers, human resources experts, executive coaches, professional speakers, technology consultants, internal consultants, and others.
All consultants are different and each specialty requires unique skills. One of those skills, though it may not say so on your business card, is marketing. If youre not a top-notch marketer, expect an uphill road all the way. And dont expect that road to lead to the bank.
Professional service providers need powerful marketing now more than ever. You may be a brilliant advisor or strategist, but in our highly competitive world you must convince clients that your services are head and shoulders above the competition if you want to stay in business.
This book was written from the perspective of a management consultantcoauthor, Michael McLaughlin. But the message of guerrilla marketing is equally relevant for all professional service providers.
Whatever consulting you do, guerrilla marketing can separate your practice from the pack. Thats not to say that classical marketing principles have no validity. But they are not a potent enough response to the rapidly changing demands of todays clients.
Guerrilla marketing strategy and tactics will take you to the next level, where profits flow abundantly. Guerrillas use their time, energy, creativity, and knowledge to maximize the return on their marketing dollars. This book isnt about good marketing. Its about great marketing and long-term successan investment in your future.
Think of Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants as an owners manual for your career and your practice. In these pages, there is a wealth of information on why, where, when, and how to push your consulting practice to new performance levels.
The guidelines in this book are prescriptive but flexible. Work through them on a step-by-step basis to create a guerrilla marketing program that fits your objectives, markets, budget, and skills. You can find strategies and tools for handling every aspect of marketing a consulting practicefrom building market visibility to creating winning proposals and pricing your services.
We also include unbeatable guerrilla strategies for selling your services and creating profitable client relationships once youve been hired. Those relationships are keys to building a sustainable and profitable business.
If you want to review recent practices in just one area of marketing, you can simply flip to that chapter. Whichever way you use this book, you have access to the latest intelligence for creating a profitable guerrilla consulting practice.
If you are a consulting client or are thinking about becoming one, this book offers you many insights on how consultants work with clients. You might want to focus on the chapters about projects, proposals, and pricing. These and the other chapters can help you identify the traits you should look for in a consultant.
We look forward to seeing you in the trenchesand at the bank.
PartI
Marketing for Consultants the Guerrilla Way
Chapter 1
Why Consultants Need Guerrilla Marketing
New business will be won only to the extent that the client believes that the professional is interested, cares, and is trying to help.
