Consultant’s Pyramid: Keeping That Pipeline Full

As someone who has been doing consulting either full-time or part-time since about 1993, I have certainly tried a number of different methods to grow my business. More often than I’d like to admit, some of these methods have been unmitigated failures. It would be easy to excuse myself by saying I am a computer scientist first, and a marketer second. But of course, technical skills alone do not magically produce a successful consulting business.

Like the proverbial Phoenix, the best marketing truths I have ever come up with are usually the little ones—the tiny embers of truth—that rise from the ashes of the most spectacular failures. I certainly haven’t made millions, nor do I need huge success to fuel my passion for technology. (It has plenty of fuel by itself). My needs are far more modest: a steady stream of interesting projects to work on, and just enough money to pay the bills and have a little fun.

So, through the next several posts this week, let me introduce you to my current daily work routine. It consists of five tiers (activities) that I engage in every day. I think about these tiers in terms of their overall value; if one falters, the whole pyramid will (eventually) crumble. It won’t crumble overnight, so by the time I run low on billable work, it’s hard to identify which of the other four activities were neglected. Every step is vital to continued success and growth.

If you do choose to incorporate any of these habits into your own routine, keep in mind that rigid scheduling may do more harm than good. I suggest you complete these activities in a fluid order; if you always leave the same activity to the end of your day, there’s a good chance that some other activity will consistently pre-empt it.

The second you sense one of these key activities is falling behind, your mission is clear: forget about remorse, and instead make a concrete resolution to correct the imbalance within a day. Follow through. Ultimately, you want to develop and maintain these habits, not be a slave to your day planner.

The Consultant’s Pyramid

• Do Billable Work
• Serve an Existing Relationship
• Promote Yourself
• Begin a New Relationship
• Improve Yourself

The next posts in this series will explore each of these activities in detail. Subscribe to my RSS feed.