How to achieve the “pole position” in your daily business?

October 23rd, 2007 by Michael Gottschalk

In my opinion, there are two key factors that are decisive for long-term success of consultants. No matter if they are employed or self-employed:

Relationships with clients and a qualified business network

Throughout my whole professional live, I only have had long-term success with clients when I was actively involved in projects from the early stage (before the project even started). I was less successful when I was involved at the end of the delivery chain or from enquiries from purchase based on know-how and required skills. For me, the most promising indicator for success is if your customers see you as an expert in a certain field or trusted advisor to consultate. Then, you have achieved the top of the pyramide.

The pyramid shows four different stages that you can pass through. First, on the bottom of the pyramid, there is the supplier. He is the one who is enquired from the purchase department. Preferred suppliers, on the next level, are suppliers who listed on a special data sheet and will be enquired preferred by the purchase department. Having achieved this position in the market, the step to become a partner is not far away. Partners are specialists in a certain field who enjoy a special status due to good experiences when it comes to assigning projects. On the top of the pyramid, there is the trusted advisor who gives advice and support. He is often involved in the decision-making process and the planning right from the beginning.

How does this impact your daily work? In my opinion, the aim for long-term success is to build up a strong relationship with your client and hence, move from the position of a supplier to the one of a trusted advisor. As a trusted advisor, you are involved in the whole process – from the (early) planning to the implementation. Your expertise is asked for and therefore, your opinion (and of course, your approach) is highly valued.

You should ask yourself where on the pyramid you are and where do you want to go? Having identified your position, you should think about appropriate actions on how to work your way up to the top.

From my experience, I can say that this process is based on projects with an excellent track record and the circumstance, that your client has build up trust in you as a reliable person. But this will take time. At the end of the day, this will reduce your overall efforts to be billable with that you become a key player in your clients’s projects.

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