Consultant’s Pyramid, Part 3: Serve an Existing Relationship

(Part 3 in the Consultant’s Pyramid series—a short blog series on keeping the project pipeline full).

Yesterday, I talked about the importance of billable work. As a consultant, billable work is your product. Products require inputs. Existing relationships—your network—are the fuel that drive new work. Thinking back as far as I can remember, nearly every significant event has come as the result of an existing relationship I had with someone. Web 2.0 is old news—very old news; the world has always relied on networking. Humans are social.

First, you build the relationship, then you find the opportunity.

Surely, you already have some contacts. Make it your goal to turn contacts into champions. Champions are those special people who believe in you and will selflessly try to make others believe in you. A network of loose acquaintances is one thing. However, a network brimming with champions is a network that will literally drag opportunities to your door.

Maintaining relationships needn’t be difficult, but it absolutely needs to be personal and sincere. “Serving a Relationship” means you are a servant. Ask a restaurant owner what they think of a recent news article that affects the food services industry. Ask an existing customer what challenges they’re facing. Share a recent success with a friend—and be sure to listen when they talk about theirs. Give something away that you no longer need. Offer a little bit of time that you don’t think you can spare. Whatever you think your own needs are, practice putting your needs aside temporarily. If success is your goal, the other person needs to be the champion.

When you build relationships, get up from your chair. Some days, I will indeed just send a quick email to someone to keep in touch. Other days, it’ll be a 4 hour visit.

Success Measure for Serving Relationships: Today, you have made a sincere, personal connection with someone in your network. You have given away something of value.

The next post in the series will turn all of this selflessness on its head and look at self promotion. You may subscribe to my RSS feed here.