Consultants can seldom get too much business. Even when very busy, I've always reached out to my network for more. I believe in "over-marketing," doing more than the bare minimum, to keep my pipeline full. After all, if you get too much work, you can always decline some.
This is one of my favorite letter templates—asking friends and acquaintances for advice and ideas. I use it regularly, and use it with my executive career clients who are seeking employment. It never fails. Friends and acquaintances are an ongoing source of new business. Whenever you reach an impasse or want to make a change, draw on their help—and be ready to help in return.
Dear Bob,
I'm writing to ask for your thoughts, advice, ideas-and assistance. While we have been hugely successful with 275 brand-name corporate clients, and counting—we are still in the hunt for new assignments.
Specifically, we're targeting companies that value their people and want to honor, protect, and develop their "human capital." Small or large, size makes no difference. Neither does geographic location. There's almost no company we can't help.
WE EXCEL AT:
- Career Development
- Executive Coaching
- Testing & Assessment using The Birkman Method
"A career blood test, X-Ray, CT scan, and MRI"
- Performance Improvement
- Senior Leadership Team Alignment
- Individual and Group Outplacement.
Now that I'm 57-years-young, my personal focus is primarily on the 40+ crowd: senior executives, business owner, top professionals, or management consultants with difficult, complex, or sophisticated career problems. Often their issue is, "been there, done that." These folks are highly paid, often financially independent. They want to maintain or improve their present compensation or net worth—or else they intend to work for personal satisfaction where money is not the primary driver.
Bob, your advice and assistance are enormously important to me. I plan to call you within the next 10 days to be sure you received this letter and to ask if you have any thoughts or ideas about people we should contact, or specific opportunities we should pursue. I appreciate your taking the time to help me and I look forward to talking to you soon.
