Leveraging Your Professional Network to Build Your Brand and Win Clients

When we founded Tenzing, we set out to build a firm grounded in our personal values. This included, among other things, partnering and collaborating with like-minded Experts, Operators, and Practitioners. Reflecting on this journey, one factor that has remained constant over the past twenty-two years is the importance of expanding and nurturing our network. What began as a way to source Experts to staff projects, has evolved into one of the most effective methods for meeting potential clients. In this blog post, we will share some of the personal lessons we’ve learned about how to enhance your network while simultaneously boosting client acquisition.

Building Your Network: A Strategic Approach

Most consulting firm leaders and executives already have a relatively strong professional network, including former colleagues, clients, industry peers, friends in business and other professionals. The quality of your network, and what you do with it are what truly counts. Here’s some of my ideas on ways to expand your network at the same time as adding value to your existing connections:

Reconnect with Your Current Network

It’s easy to lose touch with people over time, especially when you’re focused on running your consulting business. But your existing contacts are often the best place to start. Reach out to past clients and colleagues, not only to see how they’re doing but also to share insights or resources relevant to their industry. Maintaining these relationships can keep you top of mind when they or their connections need consulting services.

The best way to do this is by ensuring all of your connections are logged as contacts, or leads, in your CRM database and setting up automated reminders to nudge you to reach out and catch up with them. Having your contacts in your firm’s CRM also ensure’s they are included in marketing campaigns such as newsletters or regional events. I find it helps for them to see updates from your firm either via email or on LinkedIn as well as receive personal catch-up emails or calls where possible. By regularly engaging with your network, you remain visible without being overly promotional, in the end its important to remember than familiarity breeds trust.

Leverage Social Media for Professional Networking

LinkedIn is especially powerful for consultants looking to grow their network and brand. Optimize your profile to clearly communicate your expertise and how you help clients. Regularly share valuable content that demonstrates your knowledge, such as blog posts, industry insights, or client success stories.

Engaging with your connections’ posts through thoughtful comments or sharing relevant industry news can foster new conversations and establish rapport. You may also want to join LinkedIn groups specific to your consulting niche, where you can share insights, offer solutions, and connect with potential clients.

Feature Your Experts in Your Marketing

Where possible, help to support your network and their personal goals, without expecting anything in return. Techniques like this will build and expand your brand and can have a multiplier effect when it comes to word of mouth. We launched a vidcast and podcast channel last year to do exactly that. Our channel called “Experts Uncut” interviews key Business Experts from around in the world. Listeners get to learn what fuels these experts, how they got their initial start, their perspective on key challenges impacting the businesses they work with today and their predictions for the future.

Building a Referral Program to Generate Business Leads

A referral program can be one of the most effective ways to generate new business leads. When satisfied clients or trusted colleagues refer others to your consulting services, those leads often convert at a higher rate because they come with a built-in level of trust. Here’s how you can create a successful referral program:

Select and Nurture the Right People.  Not everyone has the right contacts or is credible/capable of making effective introductions. Target senior level contacts who you know will represent your business and brand well.

Make It Easy to Refer You. One of the biggest barriers to generating referrals is that people simply don’t know how. Make the process as straightforward as possible by providing clear instructions on how others can refer potential clients to you. At Tenzing, we proactively reach out to people and mention our referral program (we call it the “Intros Program”). We offer the option to existing and new experts in our network and prior clients.

Also, provide your network with the right language to refer you. This could mean offering a brief description of your services that they can pass along to others. The clearer you make it, the more likely they are to act on your request.

Offer Incentives for Referrals. While people may refer business to you out of goodwill, a small incentive can motivate them even more. Depending on your industry and target clients, you could offer a monetary reward, a discount on future services, or even a thoughtful gift for successful referrals. Make sure the incentive is meaningful but doesn’t compromise the perceived value of your services.

If your clients see the benefit of referring others, they’ll be more likely to spread the word, knowing they’re gaining something valuable in return.

Nurture Your Referral Sources

Don’t just focus on the people who are referred to you—focus on the people doing the referring as well. These individuals are your best brand advocates, and it’s essential to show your appreciation. Send them a thank-you note, give them a shout-out on social media, or provide them with access to exclusive content or insights.

By nurturing your referral sources, you increase the likelihood that they will continue to send business your way. Make them feel valued, and they will become your strongest allies in expanding your consulting business.

Building Brand Awareness and Gaining Leads: A Long-Term Strategy

Expanding your network and leveraging referrals isn’t an overnight process. It requires consistent effort and genuine relationship-building. But by reconnecting with your existing network, making new connections through industry events and social media, and implementing a referral program, you can gradually increase your brand awareness and generate a steady stream of business leads.

Your reputation and expertise are invaluable assets. By actively engaging with your network and encouraging referrals, you can ensure that your consulting business continues to grow while maintaining the trust and respect you’ve built over the years.

Authors:

Thom McLeod – As a consultant, executive, and founder of Tenzing, Thom has personally advised dozens of corporate and private-equity executives around the world on issues ranging from strategic sourcing and supply chain to strategy and change management. His track record of bottom-line results for clients across many industries has generated billions in enterprise value for them.

Thom holds an MBA from William & Mary – Raymond A. Mason School of Business, and a BA in Economics and Chemistry from the University of Virginia.

Simon Rycraft – Simon is both a prior C-level operator as well as consultant and advisor, across multiple industries, always with a focus on profit and operations improvement. He is a well-known enthusiast, expert and trainer on the topic of Negotiations and the author of the best-selling book “Negotiation Hacks”.

Simon is a mentor and advisor to startups through programs at Cambridge University in the UK, Draper University in the Bay Area, and the Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Simon holds an MBA from the Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania, a BA (Hons) in Business and Economics from the University of Nottingham and an MCIPS from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply.