Years ago, I spent months trying to get a consulting engagement with a 5,000+ person organization. My strategy? 👇
Focus on building a relationship with the Executive Director of a business unit – the person who signed the cheques.
I finally got in the door, but I quickly realized something crucial: while the Executive Director had the authority to sign off, they weren’t the one with the problem I was solving.
It was the middle managers, the leaders in the trenches, who were facing the day-to-day challenges. These were the people deeply invested in finding solutions. They were the ones who knew exactly what was needed and, as a result, had significant influence over which vendors and consultants were brought in.
So I changed my approach.
While building relationships with C-levels (or the person at the top) is obviously important, I also started to independently build relationships with these key influencers down the hierarchy. I got to know their pain points, understood their challenges, and made it clear how I could help.
The result?
They became my biggest advocates, bringing me into conversations with the Executive Director and championing my solutions.
The lesson?
Don’t ignore those who are truly facing the problem you solve. Build relationships with them; they might just be the key to your next big consulting engagement.
Ready to add $100k-$500k revenue to your consulting business in 12 months or less without burning out? Schedule a call and let me show you how.
Image credit: Dalle-3
