Consulting Services

Consulting
Success
Blueprint
A guide to help you attract more

clients, do your best work as a
consultant, enjoy more time with
your family and achieve your desired
income level and lifestyle.
By Michael Zipursky
Coach to Elite Consultants
www.consultingsuccess.com
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www.consultingsuccess.com i
Contents 1
3
About the Author
10 Empowering Questions to
Ask Consulting Clients
7 3 Ways Consultants and Small

Consulting Firms Win
11 How to Create a Winning

Consulting Offer
16 How to Avoid the Marketing and

Income Rollercoaster
21 5 Tips to Get Published In

Industry Publications
40 Best Questions to Ask

Consulting Clients
48 Accelerator Coaching Program
www.consultingsuccess.com ii
About the
Author
Consulting Success is the most comprehensive learning platform

for serious consultants and skilled professionals who want to
grow a stable and reliable consulting practice that attracts high-
value clients time and time again.
Michael Zipursky is the CEO of Consulting Success and Coach

to Elite Consultants. He has over 17 years’ experience building
successful consulting businesses around the world – he’s
consulted for and advised businesses throughout North and
South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East in over
30 industries including Panasonic, Financial Times, Royal Bank
among others.
At Consulting Success we believe in the transformational power

of consulting that creates real results for clients, and enables you
as a consultant to do your best work, enjoy more time with your
family, and achieve your desired income level and lifestyle.
www.consultingsuccess.com 1
Unlike too many “gurus” and inexperienced “consultants” out
there who prey on people’s feelings of being overwhelmed and
promise them false “instant gratification,” we are firmly against
gimmicky fads, unprofessional “professionals,” and so-called
magic bullets, because we recognize from experience that there
is no such thing as “one best model” and success doesn’t come
without taking smart action.
The fact is, every consultant is different and requires an approach

that is a fit for their goals and circumstances. More Facebook
advertising or social media posts won’t necessarily help you.
Learning how to do cold sales phone calls won’t change things
much. While the people pitching you those tactics may be qualified
in teaching them, they are far from qualified in teaching you
the timeless and powerful fundamentals essential to building a
successful consulting practice.
Today, we are dedicated to teaching consultants the strategies

and best practices of what actually works in the real world of
consulting, regardless of what you specialize in or the types of
companies and organizations you consult for.
10 Empowering
Questions to Ask
Consulting Clients
“We thought that we had the answers, it was the questions we

had wrong.” Powerful quote from Bono, would you agree?
Not all questions are the same. Some are

much more effective than others.
Peter Drucker once nonchalantly said “My greatest strength
as a consultant is to be ignorant and ask a few questions.” This
simple message has one of the greatest keys to your success
as a consultant. Not all questions are the same. Some are much
more effective than others. One of the best types of questions
to ask buyers and clients are empowering questions. These
are questions that are open-ended, thought-provoking and
help a person gain clarity as they search for answers and
new possibilities.
It’s important to remember that empowering questions build
off each other. When you ask a question and get an answer
don’t stop there. Continue to explore it at a deeper level.
Here are 10 empowering questions

you can ask consulting clients:
“What do you think the main challenge is?”
This question gets the person to share what they see holding
them back and opens the door for you to identify how you can
best help them.
“What is working well?”

This helps to focus on what is working well and compare it to
what isn’t. Resources can then be shifted accordingly and a
deeper discussion can ensue.
“What would that cost you?”

Being able to show a person the cost of staying where they are
or the potential cost of making a mistake is a great way to help
them move forward. This also helps them to justify making an
investment in working with you.
“What is the worst thing that can happen?”

This question gets the person to acknowledge the danger or
pain they are in. It can also work to have them see that the issue or
decision they are facing isn’t as bad or scary as it may first seem.
“What is the best thing that can happen?”
The person will form an image in their mind of the benefits,
results and value they will have when moving forward.
“How will you feel if/when that happens?”

Also a great question to have the person see and feel the
benefits and value you will help them to access.
“Why is that important to you?”

When a buyer answers this question they are telling you (and
themselves at the same time) why it’s important that they do
‘this’. This creates an opportunity for them to justify their thinking
and decision. If it’s not a priority for them or they don’t feel it’s
that important it’s unlikely they will want to move forward.
“What is the value of this to you (your company)?”

Will this help the company make an extra $5M, will they save
tens-of-thousands of dollars each month, will they get a
promotion, will they reduce their stress level? When you and
the buyer understand what’s at stake and the value that will be
created you are able to position your offering and structure your
proposal so that it aligns with the value you are delivering.
“How does that sound to you?”
A great question to ask after offering an idea, recommendation or
offer. This helps you to get buy-in and acceptance from the buyer.
It also allows you to address any concerns or questions the buyer
may have if they respond in the negative.
“If there was a way to get you the benefits of what you’re
looking for, how interested would you be?”
This question also creates an opportunity for the buyer to provide
their acceptance. It also provides a natural transition for you to
introduce your offer/solution.
3 Ways Consultants
and Small Consulting
Firms Win
As a small consulting firm or independent consultant have you

ever felt you can’t compete with a larger firm? Have you found
yourself shying away from going after larger clients and new
business opportunities because you think you can’t compete?
Over the last 17+ years in the consulting business I’ve heard this
concern from many consultants. Don’t lean back and shy away.
Instead lean in and share with the buyer why your expertise will
help them to solve their problem and why you can do that better
than anyone else.
Here’s how you can compete and win against larger firms…
1. Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses.

Too many consultants try to compensate for their weaknesses.
Instead they should be focusing on what makes them unique and
WHY they are so well positioned to add value.
2. Be confident.
When a buyer says “you haven’t worked in our industry before”
don’t go on the defensive or get knocked down. Instead respond
with “You’re right, that’s exactly why you need me.”
I remember being in a meeting with a large insurance company

once when one executive questioned my lack of insurance
experience. My response: “You’re right, that’s exactly why you
need me. You guys have plenty of insurance experience. You don’t
need me for that. I’m here because Mark (the partner) asked me
to help you with your marketing and to attract high net-worth
clients, which is my expertise.”
I then went on to tell him about the results I created for other
companies – even when I didn’t have the subject matter
expertise. He got the point and the project was won for
well over $100,000.
Don’t lean back and shy away. Instead lean in and share with the
buyer why your expertise will help them to solve their problem
and why you can do that better than anyone else.
3. Turn a negative into a positive.
Buyers of consulting services often believe a large consulting
firm is a safer bet. But what they often don’t consider (and that
you should mention) is that a larger firm will also:
–– Deploy a group of junior consultants with less experience

–– Those consultants have to be paid while they learn
–– The buyer usually doesn’t have direct access to the principal
–– The buyer is just one of the larger firms’ clients,
and as such doesn’t mean as much
Now when you flip all of that around you get some very
compelling positive statements to share with buyers:
–– You have direct access to me, an expert in

this area with 20 years of experience
–– You don’t have to waste time dealing

with inexperience junior staff
–– You don’t have to pay a bunch of junior staff
–– You’re my top priority because we work with fewer
clients at once, you mean a lot more to us
–– And so on… You get the idea right?

Take every objection as a question. Recognize it as a
concern the buyer has.
Be confident. Take their concern and flip it around so that it

becomes a positive, a reason they should work with you over
a larger firm.
Big opportunities to win BIG business are everywhere.
How to Create a Winning
Consulting Offer
A consultant recently told me “People don’t see a need for my

offer.” They went on to explain that their offer isn’t getting any
traction. And that their ideal consulting clients aren’t interested in
it. It’s like they’re fishing for a trophy client and yet no one is taking
the bait. This is quite a common concern I hear from consultants.
Once they make the initial purchase it opens

up a back door to all kinds of additional services
and value that you can provide them.
What’s important to realize is that hope isn’t lost…
You just need to change your approach.
If you’re offer isn’t converting there’s only two

options you should consider.
1. Change your offer
Not all buyers will want what you’re offering. If you get enough
“I’m not interested” or “that’s not what we want” comments from
buyers your offer may be the wrong one.
I spoke with a new consulting firm recently. They’ve been in

business for 4 months. Things are going well. They have some
initial revenue and clients. But they’re not clear on their offer. So
they joined my coaching program to get some help.
One of the first things we did was break down who their ideal
clients really are. This gave them a lot of clarity. Then we looked
at the problems they are having most often. And then we figured
out which services and solutions would be the right ones to offer.
As a consultant you can likely offer A LOT of different services to

your clients. Yet not all of them will be the right ones to offer initially.
Certain services are better suited as an initial offer. And others

as a secondary offer. Some aren’t going to be a fit at all. And this
will also depend on who your ideal client is.
In the case of the new consulting firm, we quickly prioritized their

offerings so they could clearly see what their first offer should be.
Your first offer should be the one that your ideal clients are most
likely to buy from you now.
Once they make the initial purchase it opens up a back door to all
kinds of additional services and value that you can provide them.
If your current offer isn’t getting the traction you’d like, consider
changing the offer.
Figure out what’s the #1 problem buyers want to solve. And then
offer them a solution to that problem.
2. Change your market

Another option is to make your offer to a different market. Your
offer ‘as is’ could be very valuable to a buyer. It might solve the
exact problem that someone has—that someone however may
be a different person than you currently have in mind. The ideal
client in your mind may actually not be your IDEAL CLIENT.
That’s why it’s critical to go through a process like the Ideal Client
Discovery. This allows you to get REAL clarity for WHO is the
BEST type of client for you.
Changing your market can be easy. It doesn’t mean that one day
you’re serving CEO’s of technology companies and the next day
you’re helping golfers. It can be a slight shift in your focus. Yet the
strategy and tactics you use may need to change in order for you
to see complete success with your marketing.
Marketing isn’t about one action. It’s a series of steps and
"actions you take which are orchestrated to win the attention
of your ideal clients.
Forget About Education?

A lot of marketers talk about how important it is for you to
educate the marketplace. While there’s truth to that statement
you should avoid trying to educate your buyers to make a sale.
Focus on offering buyers what they want to buy. Listen to them.
They’ll tell ya!
If you have to educate a buyer it will almost always take longer

to make the sale. Instead, your marketing should be focused on
buyers that are actively searching for a solution to the problem
they have.
Let’s say I have a choice between two buyers looking to increase

their revenue. One is looking for a marketing and sales expert.
The other believes it’s a management issue. Now, I’m the
marketing and sales guy. If I have to choose between these two
buyers I’m going with the first one – every time. Trying to educate
the second buyer that their problem isn’t a management problem
(that it’s a marketing or sales problem) takes time.
It’s not that you won’t be successful in winning their business.

Just be prepared for a much longer sales process.
Make More Consulting Sales
If you want to sell more consulting services here’s what
you want to remember:
Focus on offering buyers what they want to

buy. Listen to them. They’ll tell ya!
And once you know what they want to buy it’s much easier
for you to offer it.
Quick note: This strategy is meant to serve clients. If you’re

using this to sell an offer that doesn’t truly add value to your
client’s life or business – stop it! Seriously, as consultants we
should always be focused on serving and providing value to
our clients. This strategy is meant to help you sell more of
your services that add value and help your clients achieve
greater success.
With that said, go on, get selling my friend!
Would you like my personal help to win more clients and

grow your consulting business? I have a few spots open right
now in my coaching program for consultants. This is where
I personally guide you and show you step-by-step how to
attract more clients and earn higher fees. If this sounds
like what you’re looking for, get in touch and let’s chat.
How to Avoid the
Marketing Rollercoaster
and Attract Ideal Clients
You’ve landed a consulting project. You’re excited about the

work and the project is running smoothly.
Now the project is winding down and you’re anxious. You’re

feeling uneasy. Why? Because you don’t know where you’re
next project or client is going to come from.
Sound familiar? This is not at all unusual.
Many of the consultants who join our Accelerator Coaching

Program are in this exact position. They are tired of riding the
client rollercoaster.
One minute you’re feeling at the top of the world. You’re busy
with work and the income is flowing in. The next minute you’re
scrambling to find your next client and paycheck.
Work On the Business, Not Only In the Business
One common reason this happens is because people spend
all their time working in their business.
Every month that goes by without landing

a client it costs you money.
They are busy delivering on the client project and don’t create
enough time to work on the business. If you don’t work on the
business you won’t have a business for very long.
What About Referrals?

Referrals aren’t enough.
You may have started your consulting business with some

business from your network. Maybe you’ve even had enough
referrals at your back to allow you to coast along for a few years.
The trouble with relying on referrals and your network is that at

some point it dries up. And if you’re not taking steps right now
to prepare for that by working on your marketing you’re in for a
painful experience.
The Cost of Inaction
The time it takes to find a new project can be significant for some.
If you’re lucky it’s weeks. For most it can be months.
Every month that goes by without landing a client it costs you

money. Money that’s sitting on the table of opportunity. It can
be yours, but only if you’re going after it.
If your average client project is $50k and 2-3 months goes by

without landing a new client that could cost you $100,000 in
lost opportunity.
More Than Money

It goes beyond money. If you’re like most of the consultants
I work with it’s not only about the income. Having a thriving
and successful consulting business is about the freedom and
flexibility it offers.
You consider going from a place of being your own

boss and creating your own destiny to taking whatever
you can and leaving your destiny to someone else.
It’s about being your own boss, choosing who you want to
work with and the unlimited income earning potential.
If you don’t have enough clients you don’t have a real business
that allows you to achieve all of the above.
Then there’s the mind game that goes on. You start doubting
yourself and your abilities. You wonder if you should just take
another full-time job. You consider going from a place of being
your own boss and creating your own destiny to taking whatever
you can and leaving your destiny to someone else.
Solution to More Clients

The most successful consultants all have one thing in common.
They don’t rely on referrals or anyone else for their success.
They all have a marketing system and process that consistently

attracts qualified leads and opportunities. A system that puts
their well-honed message in front of their ideal clients and
instantly resonates with them.
The result: real buyers take notice and they raise their hand and
say “I’d like to learn more about that, let’s talk.”
You’ll have a pipeline full of opportunities with high-value clients.

People that are interested in you and your expertise and want to
talk with you.
The sooner you start working on your marketing and put a system
like this in place the sooner you’ll start seeing results. The faster
you’ll attract ideal clients and grow your revenue.
This is how you build a sustainable and profitable consulting

business. You don’t wait for the perfect time and you don’t rely
on referrals or your network. You take control of your destiny and
success and go after it. That’s how you make things happen.
5 Tips to Get Published
In Industry Publications
When I was a kid I hated writing. I don’t use that word lightly, but
I really did. It wasn’t just writing, it was reading too. I didn’t read
a full book until grade 9.
Remember Coles Notes? Those mini guides that summarized

books and texts that teachers had assigned? They were my
best friend :)
I’ll share with you another time what changed in my life that almost
instantly gave me a huge appreciation for books and writing. But
once that happened everything changed.
I started writing poetry, reading books all the time, and in my third
year in college wrote my first book, Profitable Relations (which was
later published through Amazon).
Since that time I’ve written five publications and books on
consulting and marketing with another in the works. I’ve
written for forty or so media outlets, trade sites, blogs and
authority portals.
Would you also like to get published in industry or trade

publications? If the answer is yes you’ll find the following article
based on a presentation I gave to my Accelerator Coaching
Program clients to be valuable.
Having your content published is really a great way to

establish your authority and get in front of your ideal clients,
but sometimes it can feel a little bit overwhelming. It can feel
a little bit challenging in terms of actually how to go about it
and how to be successful with it.
I want to break it down and to share with you some best practices
that are out there as well as give you an example of something
that I have done in the past to land opportunities to get published
in well-respected publications that have a large reach.
In this article I’m going to share eight ideas and five specific
tactics and tips to help you get published:
1. Long-Term Authority Building Strategy
The first thing to keep in mind when we’re talking about how to
get published in industry or trade publications is that this is an
authority building strategy and it can take time.
There are many different strategies and tactics that we all have
available to us as consultants and this is one that I classify as
being in the authority building category.
This can be applied to writing for trade publications, websites

or blogs, so it doesn’t matter if it’s a print or a digital publication.
Really, the whole idea here is to get your content and knowledge in
front of your ideal clients in a way that positions you as an authority.
When you are published, whether in an online or offline

publication that you or your clients read, it reinforces that
you are an authority or expert in their mind.
The one thing here is that this can take some time to do so.
It’s not necessarily that you just decide to do it today and
you get published tomorrow.
I just want to add the caveat that this isn’t a quick play; this isn’t
an instant result generator, but it is something that can be very,
very beneficial to all of you as long as you can identify that your
ideal clients are reading publications, or visiting certain websites,
or engaging in blogs.
With that understanding, know that it can be very powerful.
Everyone should think about having this in their marketing mix
and this is the way to begin if you’re just getting started.
If you haven’t been published in any publications previously, go for

the low-hanging fruit such as local or smaller publications, smaller
blogs or smaller trade websites. The idea is that before you
approach larger publications, start off with smaller ones first so
you can build and that enables you to show your writing examples
to larger publications.
If you want to get published in the Harvard Business Review, or

MarketingProfs, or Inc magazine, or Fast Company, or whatever
it might be, they will typically want to see samples of your writing
first. They want to know not only that you’re good at what you do,
but also that you can write well.
Having some samples is key. It’s OK if it’s on

your own blog, but it’s even better if you’ve
already been published somewhere else.
There are many local or smaller publications, again online and off,
that are starving for content. They typically generate revenue
from publishing content or they have a membership base they
need to provide content to.
Most will be excited to hear from you if you reach out to them
and make that offer to write for them. It’s a much easier play
to get started with the smaller ones than to approach a larger
publication right off the bat.
2. Five Steps and Tips To Get Published

I would like to share five steps and best practices to help you with
this. If you study how to get published, these are considered the
golden standard.
I’ve been published in close to 40 different publications, anything

from the Fox News to Marketing magazine to MarketingProfs,
Huffington Post, Consulting News, and more.
I want you to have the full view to really understand what is

considered the ‘right approach’ and then how you can hack
that to potentially see results even faster.
Step 1: Don’t Pitch
Here we go. The first concept is don’t pitch. A lot of people talk
about how you need to pitch your article. How do you pitch to a
reporter or an editor? Well, the idea here is not to pitch.
If you go in with a mindset of pitching then you are really trying
to get something that benefits just you. That’s not a good way to
start building a relationship, and ultimately everything we do in
business is about relationships with longevity in mind.
You don’t want to just go in and say, “Hey, I want to write for
you guys. Here it is,” especially if you’re approaching a larger
publication. That’s not the most effective way. Most of these
publications are inundated with requests, almost all of them
from people that don’t have the same level of experience as
you. And there are a lot of spammers.
At the end of the day, reporters and editors constantly receive

requests for content because everyone wants the benefits of
being published both for search engine optimization and for
reputation building.
So don’t pitch. Think about how you can start

building a relationship with someone who can help
get your content in front of your ideal clients.
While building these relationships is a one-to-one approach
and can be time consuming, the pay off is worth it. Once your
content is published it will be seen by hundreds if not hundreds
of thousands of people.
Again it can be time consuming but once your message is out
there and seen by many people your lead generation can really
take off as people contact you to learn how you can help them..
Step 2: Provide Value
The second observation is to provide value first. What I mean is

that once you’ve identified your target ideal publications, you need
to find out who the key person at that publication is and work on
creating a relationship with them.
If it’s someone that has written content, for example a blog

owner, then you can approach them and reach out by making a
comment on an article they’ve recently published, tell them how
much you liked it, and then start to give some suggestions.
You need to figure out how you can provide value to this person,
not just how you can sell this idea of getting published to benefit
yourself, but rather what can you do to demonstrate value for them.
Step 3: Make a Target List
The third step is to make a list of 10 to 20 top publications and

their writers or editors.
In almost all industries, whether it’s an established publication
or a trade industry website or a blog or even a specific business
newspaper, you can find this information.
You can easily find 10 or 20 publications that you want to

contribute to, especially when you add in the websites too.
If you don’t have that list then you’re just going to be flying off-
the-cuff and it’s not going to help you to really dig deeper into the
process. Make that list.
Step 4: Reach Out
The fourth step is to reach out. That means to contact the writer
or the editor and praise them, tell them how much you’ve enjoyed
their content, how much you enjoyed their last article.
Don’t just throw it out there, but really mean it. They can tell
if someone just says, “Hey, I love your work.” It’s much more
powerful if you can say, “I love the last article that you wrote on
this topic. I thought that was really great.”
You can also provide a comment on an article that is related to your

area of expertise. So go in, connect with them, give them some
praise and find ways to add valuable context to the topic they’ve
written on or what their site is all about.
If they are discussing how mobile/cell towers are starting to spring
up everywhere throughout western Africa, well, you could reach
out to them and say, “I really loved your article about cellphone
tower development in western Africa. It’s actually been growing at
a rate of double digits. I’ve worked with some clients in that area
they’ve told me that…”
You’re making a proactive comment about their article; it’s

relevant and it’s establishing you as an authority right away.
The fact that you’re making a knowledgeable

comment instantly positions you as a person
who knows what they’re talking about and they
will think this is someone they should know.
So now you’ve established a relationship on the right foot,
and have reached out.
Step 5: Continuous Outreach With Additional Points
After your first email or contact with the point person at the
publication you’ll want to send a second email. The first email
was all about establishing a relationship. The second email is
about how you can add value.
You can say, “Hey Joe, I saw your recent article on manufacturing
growth in Ontario. Well done, that’s a great article. Would you be
interested in an article on (fill in blanks with relevant suggestion)?
I think your readers would find it of value. Let me know what you
think? I’ve written for X and Y publications and I’d be happy to
write an article for you too. Here are a few examples …”
You can do this in your first email. But the best practice is not
about rushing it; it’s about building the relationship, and if you go
in too quickly, too directly, sometimes that’s not the best way to
establish the relationship.
Just think a little bit about that. You can definitely test it out and
see what you’re more comfortable with, but I would recommend
you try both.
3. Summary of Steps
That’s the 5 steps. It’s building that relationship, having that
target list, reaching out to them, commenting, engaging, and
demonstrating you are an authority, giving them some additional
points and then offer to write an article for them.
It’s really as simple as that if you follow it, but what’s really
important is that you do follow the process.
4. The Fast Track
Now with the best practices I shared with you above out of the
way, let me say that I have found something to be even more
effective, which is more direct.
Perhaps because I don’t have the greatest amount of patience,

and I like to do things that get results quickly. It doesn’t mean that
I don’t value building relationships; I certainly do.
I place a lot of value relationships, but I’m always looking to find a

more direct way to get a result.
Instead of all the steps above I’ve been able to achieve the same
results with just two steps.
First step – Make a list of target publications and the

key person there.
Second step – Contact them, praise their work and publication,

mention your expertise and offer an idea for an article for them.
I believe in order to make this shorter and more direct approach

work you should have written for other publications already or
have some very solid and engaging material on your own site
or blog. You must be able to demonstrate some very clear
value and expertise.
5. The Importance of Follow-Up
Like in sales, when you’re going through this process, not every
single publication is going to say yes to you right away.
If you take silence or an initial ‘I’m not interested’ as a failure

you’re not going to get very far. Instead you want to keep
following up, suggesting new article ideas until they are accepted.
Remember that and just expect that there needs to be a

follow-up, like anything typically worthwhile in life; it doesn’t
come right away and doesn’t come easy.
6. Leverage Your Contacts

Let me just mention one other thing, which is to leverage your
contacts. Oftentimes, you can find people you know that have
either written for a publication previously or that might be able
to make an introduction for you.
Once you have your list of publications and editors or writers,

you can go on to LinkedIn and type in that person’s name and it’ll
come up and show you are a first or a second.
Obviously, if you’re a first connection it’s easy, “Hey, we’re

connected on LinkedIn,” but if you’re a second connection that
means someone you are connected to is connected to them.
You can ask for an introduction and leverage that. You can also
reach out if you know someone who has written for a publication.
You can reach out to the editor or the writer and say, “Hey, a
colleague of mine, or a friend of mine, or a client of mine has
actually written for you. I’d like to as well.”
You need to leverage your contacts because anything that can

help to strengthen that relationship, anything that can help to
establish trust and credibility more quickly is really beneficial in
this process.
The number one reason why publications say no to people is

because they don’t yet believe that you are an authority in your
area and they don’t yet trust that you can actually do what you
say that you’re going to do.
This is because they’re inundated with people just making hyped

up claims or people spamming them to try and get the benefits of
being published especially when it’s online.
7. A Personal Example
Here’s an example I’m going to share with you from a while back,
but I think it’s really powerful and that’s why I want you to see it.
I wanted to get published in MarketingProfs, a very well-known
online marketing publication with global reach, and I wanted to
further position myself as an authority.
This is going back now probably about 3 years but it’s a great
example and I want to share it with you.
Let’s just dissect what’s going on here. Actually, I didn’t do the

best thing here because I wrote it just to MarketingProfs as a
general email. This was all I found at that time. It would be even
better if I was writing to someone specifically.
But I did put in the name of a colleague or a friend who

had already written for them so that instantly helps to
boost my credibility.
I’ve already told them I’m thinking about writing an article on a
specific topic that I believe that they will find of interest. Then
I tell them what they’re going to get from it, what the article is
about, and that really this gets them a bit more interested.
I’m saying that it would probably a great fit for their readers
and that I’m happy to send it over if they want to take a look.
What’s really important is that I’m really establishing authority
and credibility; I’m saying this is my LinkedIn profile and here’s a
sample of what I can do for you.
When they go to my LinkedIn profile, they can instantly see that

I know what I’m talking about, that I’m the real deal, I’m not just
someone trying to get links for my website or whatever. Although
certainly that was a benefit.
I’m giving samples they can actually click on it and see, and most
likely I chose examples where there’s some engagement or ones I
just thought were really good.
Another option I could have tried would be to say, “Here’s an

example of an article I had recently published in Huffington Post,”
or whatever it would be. That would also be really beneficial.
The reason why I’m going direct here, again, is because I don’t
have the patience of going through the whole process, I want
to just get the result.
I want to get them say yes or no and then move on to the next and
keep following up and so forth. I have an idea, but I didn’t have to
write this article necessarily until they responded.
I’m not sitting around just writing articles then trying to sell them,
trying to place them. I’m just giving the idea for the article and if
they say, “Yeah, we’ll be happy to look at it” then, great. I’ll assess
how long it will take and write the article.
Now if someone says they’d like to take a look at it then I know my

chances of getting the OK are really good as long as it’s a valuable
article. I don’t create content until I actually get someone to say
yes, they’re interested. I really had to break this down.
8. Success Story
Then I get a response from Ann
Handley who was the chief content
person at MarketingProfs.
She’s guiding me somewhere else.

She’s saying, “Okay, I’ve got your
email but I’m not the right person.
Here’s who you want to talk to.”
The result over 16,000 views and hundreds of shares!
Not only that, but now that I’ve been featured in MarketingProfs,
I can use the MarektingProfs logo and say I was featured on
MarketingProfs.
Then I can start reaching out to Huffington Post, or to the

Harvard Business Review, or whoever it might be, and I can use
the leverage that I have now established or that I’ve created by
being published in this first publication.
That really is the process. Going back to the template email

is just one idea.
You can create your own, but the most important elements are
to ideally identify the right person, give them something that
they can hook into, a reason why they should connect or have
someone in common or some place that you’ve written before, or
some company that you worked at that’s relevant for them.
Tell them you have an idea for an article and that you’d be happy to
send it over to them to have a look at, to see what’s it about, why
you think it would be an interest to their audience, would they like
it, and here’s your authority.
Here’s who you are, and here’s where you’ve written for, or here’s
an example of some of your writing.
This is going to work regardless of whether you’ve written

other pieces before or not. You want to use your leverage,
your authority.
Even if you haven’t written for a lot of publications previously, use

your experience of working at a large organization, or of building a
business to a $100 million, or whatever it is.
That is your unique point; whatever it is that gives you the

advantage, bring that up because that will help to further confirm
your authority, your expertise, your credibility and will allow you
to hook them in.
I know it’s not for everyone, as not everyone likes to write, and
I get that, but this is one thing I know several of you shared or
expressed an interest in.
I wanted to really cover it to make sure that you knew what was
involved so that you can avoid the trial and error process and use
some of the best practices that have been working for me and
many others.
The above is an excerpt from a presentation Michael gave to his

Accelerator Coaching Program clients.
Best Questions to Ask
Your Consulting Clients
One of the most important skills a consultant can possess is

the ability to ask clients the right questions at the right time.
This ability will help you uncover a client or prospect’s

most urgent needs, the underlying issues, and what’s
most important to them.
Before You Ask

Now before you start asking all kinds of questions at your next
meeting, you need to do one thing well first.
And that… is listen.
Listening intently to what clients are saying is the starting point

for making any consulting project a success.
If you don’t listen carefully to what your clients are telling you
about their business and current situation, you’ll have no way
to understand what solution will best give them the result they
want to achieve.
I know that sounds simple, but don’t fault me for it. Sometimes
the simplest things can be the most powerful and profound.
Starting to Ask
The next step, asking the right questions, is what will allow you
to truly deliver your clients with the highest level of value and
done right, establish your authority status and aid in building
your credibility.
There are a multitude of questions that you can ask your

clients in different situations.
To start, here are three common questions consultant ask,

yet often make a mistake in doing so…
The Wrong Questions
1. Inexperienced consultants will often start by asking
prospective clients something like: “So tell me a little
about your business?”
This screams amateur. Why? Because if you’re a professional

you’ve already taken the time to research and understand your
prospects marketplace.
Better question: Start by pointing out a few facts about the

prospects marketplace. Show that you already understand their
industry and have done some homework – even at a basic level.
Then you can ask them a question like: “Many companies in this
market are currently facing the issue of X, are you also finding that
a challenge, or is there a bigger more pressing issue on your mind?”
2. “Who is your target market?” That question by itself isn’t a

problem. The issue is when you allow the client to answer it in
little detail. One of the most important factors in making any
marketing effort a success is understanding who the ideal client
is. You want to keep digging here so you uncover everything you
can about the client.
Better question: “Can you tell me what your ideal client looks
like? How old are they? Where do they live? What magazines or
newspapers (or websites) do they read? What is their income
level? What is their most pressing problem or desired result?”
The answers to these questions will provide you with much more
information to act on and use than just the general response you’ll
get with the initial question.
3. “What is your budget for this project?” This is a horrible

question because it assumes that the prospect or client has a
budget. Worse yet, it positions your service as a commodity
with a big fat price sticker on it.
Better question: “What is the value of a new client to you?”. If a

new client is worth $20,000 to your client then you can start the
discussion around your fee by associating it to the value your
client will receive. If you can help them get 3 new clients each
month, and each one is worth $20k to them that’s $60,000 a
month in new revenue and value created. If the client even had
a budget in mind, it may have only been $3000. But now, as they
see that you’ll help them create a strategy and process that will
generate over $700,000 a year, your fee of $30,000 doesn’t look
unreasonable. That’s a 10X increase.
The Right Questions
Here is a list of great questions that will help you to be seen as a
trusted advisor by clients and prospects alike.
“What is your number one priority for this business unit

during this fiscal year?”
By asking them specifically for their number one priority you can
help them clarify whether that really should be their #1 priority.
Then you can look at how to help them achieve. Plus, you can
document that and refer back to it to help keep your client on
course and focused.
“What do you believe needs to be strengthened in order

to support achieving this?”
This question will help you uncover areas of weakness in your

clients business. Sometimes there could be one employee that
is causing a whole deal of trouble. Yet the President has chosen
to ignore dealing with the employee and instead masks the
problem by convincing themselves they can solve it by focusing
on a separate initiative. Knowing that the employee really is
the problem you can talk more with the President and look at
alternatives in dealing with the core issue rather than spending
time and money on something completely irrelevant.
“What options have you looked at to achieve this…?”
There is no need to reinvent the wheel here. Understanding

what your client has done to this point, or what they are thinking
about, can uncover something that you may not have thought
about yourself (that is worth trying) or may allow you to make
recommendations in doing the same thing again, but in a different
way when the client has done it improperly before.
“Is there anything that you or your employees are doing that
may be getting in the way of achieving this result?”
Often you can find clients taking actions that are actually harmful
to their business or are getting in the way of the progress they
want to make. By getting the client to speak openly with you about
this you can figure out how to best help them deal with the issue,
remove the roadblock and overcome the challenge in the way.
“What is unique about your business compared to

your competitors?”
You can ask this question in many ways. For example, “Why should
customers/clients choose your company over the competition?”
Many clients have trouble answering this question. They respond
with things like: “We’ve been in business for 30 years” and “We
have the best service” or “Our quality is just the best”. You know
what? Who cares! That may make the client feel all warm and fuzzy,
but none of those are reasons for the marketplace to choose your
client over the competition. Help your client by getting them to
clarify what exactly is their value proposition, their competitive
advantage, the reason the market should choose them over
anyone else.
“What was the main reason that you wanted to meet with me?”
This question is most effective when you find your client isn’t
engaged in the conversation in the way you’d like them to be. It
forces them to take notice and actually tell you why they wanted
to meet. You can then come back to those reasons throughout
the conversation and remind them why they wanted to meet and
the value that you can provide. You don’t do this in a pushy or self-
centered way, but rather if the client has told you that they wanted
to meet you because they need a consultant that can help them
reduce their employee turnover rate, you can focus the discussion
on the keyword ’employee turnover rate’ and ‘lower the employee
turnover rate’.
“Who will be making the final decisions on this project and who
will be in charge of implementation?”
This is another critical question that amateur consultants forget to

ask. This should be asked early in the conversation as you want to
ensure you’re dealing with the person in charge that will be writing
you the check. At one time or another, early in their careers,
consultants find themselves working hard to ‘sell their services’
only to find out they’ve been talking with the wrong people.
This wastes time and can really drain your energy and knock
your confidence level.
When you’re asking these questions, don’t be shy to challenge

your client on their responses. The more you dig the more you can
help your client find the core issues…and the greater the value you
will be able to help them discover and enjoy.
Accelerator Are you ready to grow
Coaching your consulting business
beyond referrals?
Program
Learn how to create a marketing system that
attracts your ideal clients so you can do your
best work, enjoy more time with your family,
and achieve a great income level and lifestyle.
GET MORE CLIENTS NOW 
Visit www.consultingsuccess.com to learn how.

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Consulting

A guide to help you attract more

7 3 Ways Consultants and Small

11 How to Create a Winning

16 How to Avoid the Marketing and

21 5 Tips to Get Published In

40 Best Questions to Ask

48 Accelerator Coaching Program

Consulting Success is the most comprehensive learning platform

Michael Zipursky is the CEO of Consulting Success and Coach

At Consulting Success we believe in the transformational power

The fact is, every consultant is different and requires an approach

Today, we are dedicated to teaching consultants the strategies

“We thought that we had the answers, it was the questions we

Not all questions are the same. Some are

Here are 10 empowering questions

“What is working well?”

“What would that cost you?”

“What is the worst thing that can happen?”

“How will you feel if/when that happens?”

“Why is that important to you?”

“What is the value of this to you (your company)?”

As a small consulting firm or independent consultant have you

1. Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses.

I remember being in a meeting with a large insurance company

–– Deploy a group of junior consultants with less experience

–– You have direct access to me, an expert in

–– You don’t have to waste time dealing

–– You don’t have to pay a bunch of junior staff

–– And so on… You get the idea right?

Be confident. Take their concern and flip it around so that it

Big opportunities to win BIG business are everywhere.

A consultant recently told me “People don’t see a need for my

Once they make the initial purchase it opens

If you’re offer isn’t converting there’s only two

I spoke with a new consulting firm recently. They’ve been in

As a consultant you can likely offer A LOT of different services to

Certain services are better suited as an initial offer. And others

In the case of the new consulting firm, we quickly prioritized their

2. Change your market

Forget About Education?

If you have to educate a buyer it will almost always take longer

Let’s say I have a choice between two buyers looking to increase

It’s not that you won’t be successful in winning their business.

Focus on offering buyers what they want to

Quick note: This strategy is meant to serve clients. If you’re

With that said, go on, get selling my friend!

Would you like my personal help to win more clients and

You’ve landed a consulting project. You’re excited about the

Now the project is winding down and you’re anxious. You’re

Sound familiar? This is not at all unusual.

Many of the consultants who join our Accelerator Coaching

Every month that goes by without landing

What About Referrals?

You may have started your consulting business with some

The trouble with relying on referrals and your network is that at

Every month that goes by without landing a client it costs you

If your average client project is $50k and 2-3 months goes by

More Than Money

You consider going from a place of being your own