Marketing Strategies for Consultants

85% feel anxious stepping in front of an audience. And that’s perfectly normal. But here’s the thing: Leadership isn’t about having the loudest voice – it’s about commanding attention with confidence and clarity. Here’s how to do exactly that - even if speaking in public makes you nervous: 🔹 Grab Attention Fast You only get 10 seconds before people switch off. Skip the “Thanks for having me.” Lead with something bold, surprising, or personal. 👉 Example: “Everything you believe about leadership? It’s likely wrong.” 🔹 Command the Stage Your non-verbal cues speak before you open your mouth. Stand upright, hold eye contact, and pause intentionally. This signals authority - even if you’re nervous inside. 🔹 Slow Down and Stay Clear Anxious speakers often race through words. Slow down. Keep sentences sharp and pause often.  Remember: Impactful communication is about connection, not perfection. 🔹 Create Interaction, Not a Performance Forget memorizing scripts. Instead, invite your audience into the conversation.  👉 Example: “Who here has faced this challenge before?” 🔹 Leverage the BMW Principle True confidence = Body + Mind + Words working in harmony. BODY: Breathe, ground yourself, and use meaningful gestures. MIND: Focus on serving your audience, not impressing them. WORDS: Be clear, avoid fillers, and embrace pauses. 👉 Example: Before stepping up, pause, ground your feet, and remind yourself – they need this message. 🔹 Handle Q&A Like a Leader Q&A often derails weak communicators.  Use the ABC Technique to stay on message: A: Answer briefly. B: Bridge to your key point. C: Communicate with clarity. 🔹 Close with Impact Too many talks fade at the end. Be intentional. End with a single clear takeaway and inspire action.  👉 Example: “If you remember one thing — let it be this: [insert key idea here].” Leadership isn’t about loving public speaking. It’s about making people listen. 💡 What’s your best tip for owning the room? Share it below ⬇️ 📌 Follow me, Oliver Aust, for daily leadership communication insights that make people listen.

We grew an email list from 0 to 500K subscribers in just 10 months. If I were starting from scratch today, here's exactly how I'd do it again: 1) Nail the Lead Magnet: The fastest way to grow your email list is by offering something valuable in exchange for an email. Think of it like this: people won't give up their email for nothing. Create something they can't ignore: a discount, exclusive content, or a tool they can’t find elsewhere. For us, offering free travel guides was a game-changer. 2) Optimize for Opt-Ins Everywhere: Your website, blog, and even social media accounts should work like opt-in machines. For example: - Add pop-ups and fly outs on key pages. - Place CTAs above the fold. - Use scroll-triggered modals when visitors are engaged. We tested endlessly, and this attention to detail paid off big. 3) Tap Into Paid Growth Early: Ads get a bad rep, but when done right, they’re a growth accelerant. We launched targeted ads promoting our lead magnet and built a funnel that turned traffic into email signups. Paid campaigns helped us scale fast while testing which offers resonated with our audience. 4) Partner with the Right People: Collaborations can grow your list faster than any single effort. Whether it’s co-branded giveaways, email swaps, or shoutouts, find brands or creators that share your target audience. A well-executed partnership will unlock exponential growth. One really unique thing we did: We bought a bunch of viral social accounts and rebranded them for our business. This was huge in kickstarting massive and sustainable growth. And we fast-tracked the social proof we needed to build trust and scale quickly. 5) Focus on Quality, Not Just Quantity: A big list is meaningless without engagement. From Day 1, we focused on high-value emails to ensure subscribers opened, clicked, and stayed. Here’s a pro tip: Consistency wins. Sending emails weekly or bi-weekly keeps your list warm and engaged. 6) Build a Content Machine: Pair email growth with an organic content strategy that feeds your funnel. Blog posts, social media, and SEO aren’t just good for traffic—they create trust. The more valuable content you share, the more people will want to hear from you. 7) Leverage Cheap Marketing Channels in Ways Others Haven’t: This is going to ruffle some feathers but we absolutely dominated cold email for user acquisition. To the tune of 6 figure subscriber acquisition. No one was doing cold email for B2C the way we did it. This proved to be the most scalable yet cheapest acquisition channel we had. — To recap: - Offer something valuable for free to grow your list. - Use every channel—paid and organic—to drive opt-ins. - Build relationships with partners who already have your audience. The result? A system that scales. Your list is the one asset you fully own—start building it ASAP!

How to Follow Up Without “Just Checking In” We’ve all sent those follow-up emails that start with “Just checking in to see if you’ve had a chance to…” And let’s be honest, they don’t feel great to send or receive. Here’s a better way: follow up like a human, not a salesperson. Instead of checking in, check back on something personal or meaningful from your last conversation: “Was thinking about you. How’d the triathlon in Mexico go?” “Last time we talked, you mentioned [specific topic]. Thought you might find this post/article/tool interesting.” These types of follow-ups do two things: 1. Show you’re paying attention. People like being remembered, especially for things that matter to them. 2. Keep the door open. You’re reminding them of your presence without being pushy. You’ll stand out as someone who cares, not just someone trying to close a deal. The switch? Checking in -> Checking back How do follow up when people aren’t ready to buy?

Confession: I'm a nervous public speaker… (yet I’ll make $1M+ from keynotes this year). Here are 9 strategies that turned my deepest fear into a powerful strength: PHASE 1: PREP WORK Strategy 1: Study the Best. We have the world's best speakers at our fingertips. Use them. Find 3-5 speakers you admire. Watch their talks on YouTube at 0.75x speed. Take notes on their structure and pacing, voice modulation, movement and gestures, audience engagement. Strategy 2: Create Clear Structure. Great speakers don't deliver speeches, they tell stories. Map your journey explicitly: opening hook, 3 key points, memorable close. Tell the audience where you're taking them. Strategy 3: Build Your "Lego Blocks." Don't memorize your entire speech. That's a trap. Instead, perfect these moments: your opening 30 seconds, key transitions, punchlines and closers. Practice in segments, not sequences. When things go sideways (they will), you'll adapt instead of freeze. Weird trick: Practice once while walking or jogging. It simulates the heart rate spike you'll feel on stage. PHASE 2: PRE-STAGE Strategy 4: Address the Spotlight. The Spotlight Effect: We think everyone's watching our every move. They're not. Use the "So What?" approach: Name your worst fear, ask "So what if it happens?", realize it's never that bad. You'll stumble? So what. Life goes on. Your family still loves you. Strategy 5: Get Into Character. Create your speaker persona. Ask yourself: What traits do they have? How do they move? What's their energy? Flip the switch. Become that character. It's not fake, it's your best self. Strategy 6: Eliminate Stress. The "Physiological Sigh" kills anxiety fast: Double-inhale through your nose, long exhale through your mouth, repeat 2-3 times. Science-backed. Immediate impact. PHASE 3: DELIVERY Strategy 7: Cut the Tension. Last week, they asked what song I wanted to enter to. I said "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys. They thought I was joking. I wasn't. "It's my 1-year-old's favorite song. Figured he'd be more excited to watch if Dad entered to his jam." Instant laughter. Tension gone. Audience on my side. Find your tension breaker. Use it early. Strategy 8: Play the Lava Game. Your pockets and torso are lava. Don't touch them. This forces you to gesture broadly, open your body, project confidence. Big gestures early build momentum. Strategy 9: Move Purposefully. Don't pace like you're nervous. Move like you own the room. Slow. Deliberate. Purposeful. Use movement to create dramatic pauses. Let your words land. Start with one speech, one strategy: Pick your next presentation—could be a team meeting, a toast, whatever. Choose ONE strategy from this list. Master it. Then add another. Public speaking is a muscle. These strategies are your workout plan. The more you practice, the stronger you get. Remember: Everyone gets nervous. The difference is having a system. Now you have one. Use it. Practice it. Watch yourself transform.

After helping 150+ founders and executives grow their personal brands, I realized getting attention is simply not enough. Hear me out: 99% of the people I reach with this post aren’t ready to buy. Some just aren’t my ICP, and that’s fine. Many could be great clients/partners - but not right now. Maybe they: • are still weighing their options • don’t trust me enough yet • aren’t even aware of their problem yet If they just keep scrolling, it’ll be up to the LinkedIn algorithm whether they ever see me again. That’s what the retention engine is for. It’s a direct distribution channel with no algorithm and no text limits. Once someone signs up, I can stay connected and continue providing value, regardless of any social media channel. It’s easy to ignore (I did for too long), but it’s essential to a content founder. And it’s not complicated to build. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 Moving your audience from a social platform like LinkedIn to your own email list is called going from a “rented” audience to an “owned” audience. It’s “owned” because I control distribution and I can engage on my terms. I’m not held hostage by someone else’s rules, algorithms, or admins. In the past, I’ve used lead magnets to grow my email list. Lead magnets are free resources that are valuable to my ICP. It should be a complete package - not an unsatisfying teaser for something bigger. Some examples: • In-depth breakdowns of successful content founder playbooks • Education email courses sharing the theory behind our service • Notion templates to solve smaller sub-problems The goal is never to promote a product. It’s to educate potential customers. Also, the lead magnet can’t suck. If it does, and my ICP feels like I’ve tricked them into giving over their email, I’ve lost them. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 From here on out, my goal is to send my audience great content that: • Interests them • Solves their problems • Entertains them • Educates them Don’t buy the hype from gurus who claim you need a complex retention engine with 1,000 moving parts. In my experience, the best way to do it is with a simple newsletter. Don’t overdo it. We started out with 1 issue/month. We now do 2. If it adds value, people won’t get annoyed no matter the frequency. This week’s topic is… Retention engines! I give an in-depth breakdown of how to set one up, take a look at the Buyer Readiness Breakdown, and even share my latest playlist for deep work on Spotify. Find it here: https://lnkd.in/e6W-Mm2K

A strategy consultant came to us with 22 years of experience and exactly zero inbound leads from LinkedIn. She had 1,400 connections. She posted occasionally. She described her profile as "fine." But nothing was converting. No messages from prospects. No conversations started. No calls booked. We rebuilt her system in 5 days. Day 1-2: Rewrote her headline and About section to speak to one specific buyer. CFOs in mid-market manufacturing companies navigating post-acquisition integration. Day 3: Built a content rhythm around 2 posts per week, each tied to a real operational problem her buyers face. Day 4-5: Installed the daily lead sequence — 20 minutes per day of targeted outreach and follow-up using our 3-touch framework. Within 6 weeks she had 11 new qualified conversations. By week 10, she closed her first engagement at $35k. A prospect who found her through a post and then received a follow-up message. No ads. No agency. No automation tools. Just a system that compounds. The gap between "LinkedIn does not work for consultants" and "LinkedIn fills my pipeline" is almost always infrastructure, not effort. Save this if you are building your LinkedIn system this quarter. #ExpertProject #LinkedInLeads #ConsultingGrowth #SalesSystem

Throughout my decade-long journey in the tech industry, if there's one lesson that’s stuck with me, it’s this: your connection with your customers is everything. At Supersourcing, we’ve woven this belief into the fabric of our business. And trust me, it’s made all the difference. Here’s how we keep our customer focus sharp and true: - Listen First, Act Fast: Early on, I learned that listening isn’t just about hearing words; it’s about understanding your customers' underlying needs and emotions. We prioritize active listening—through regular feedback loops and candid conversations—so that when we act, it’s both swift and deeply aligned with what our clients actually want. - Tailored Solutions, Not One-Size-Fits-All: One of the most transformative shifts we made was moving from a transactional mindset to a partnership approach. It helps us understand our clients’ bigger picture—what are their goals? What keeps them up at night? We tailor our solutions to align with these insights, making our support feel less like a service and more like a collaboration. - Transparent Communication Builds Trust: I can’t stress enough how much transparency has contributed to our success. It’s about being upfront, even when the news isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Our clients appreciate honesty, and this straightforward approach has helped us build strong, lasting relationships based on trust and mutual respect. - Proactivity Is Key: Waiting for a problem to arise means you’re already too late. We’ve built a culture of proactivity—whether it’s checking in on developers regularly or anticipating potential roadblocks, we aim to address challenges before they turn into problems. These strategies have been pivotal in driving not just customer satisfaction but loyalty and advocacy. It’s about being more than a vendor; it’s about being a partner who genuinely cares about the success of those we serve. How do you keep your client relationships strong and authentic? I’m eager to hear your thoughts!

8 ways to follow up after your pitch without being a pain. You’ve had the pitch meeting. You said what you wanted to say. Now what? This is where some founders come unstuck. Too pushy and you look desperate. Too passive and you disappear. Here’s how to follow up like a professional: 1. Send a short thank-you note the same day Brief, polite and to the point. No hard sell. Just a nod of appreciation and a reminder of the conversation. 2. Include the deck and a clear summary Attach the materials, but don’t just resend what you presented. Include a short summary that highlights the key points, your ask and your timeline. 3. Tidy up any loose ends If there were questions you couldn’t answer or documents you promised to share, do it now. Quickly and neatly. 4. Share a new proof point Even a small win - a new customer, a press mention, a product update - can make a difference. It shows momentum and discipline. 5. Time your follow-up carefully If you haven’t heard back in a week, it’s fine to check in. But make sure you’re adding something useful, not just asking for a decision. 6. Be clear on timelines without creating false urgency If you have a genuine deadline, say so. If not, don’t manufacture one. Most investors can smell a contrived “closing soon” line a mile off. 7. Know when to move on Silence doesn’t always mean no. But after two or three polite nudges with no reply, take the hint. Investors remember the graceful exits. 8. Leave the door open Even if the answer is no, leave them thinking well of you. A thoughtful sign-off now can open a door later. Your pitch might impress me. But your follow-up tells me what it would be like to work with you. That’s what I remember. P.S. That’s a wrap on Pitch Week. If you’ve found it useful, give it a share or save. And if you’re a founder raising now - good luck, and go prepared.

Cold email outreach is often misunderstood as a numbers game - send more, get more. But the truth is, quality always beats quantity. Your success largely depends on the quality of your email list. A well-curated list means you’re reaching the right people with the right message, while a poorly managed list can lead to low engagement, high bounce rates, and damage to your sender reputation. Here’s a few key steps to refine your cold email lists for better results: 1️⃣ Segment your audience: start by dividing your list into segments based on criteria such as industry, job title, company size, or previous interactions with your brand. 2️⃣ Regularly clean your list: over time, email lists can become cluttered with inactive or invalid addresses. Regularly clean your list to remove bounced emails, unsubscribes, and unengaged contacts. This not only improves your deliverability rates but also ensures you’re focusing on prospects who are more likely to engage. 3️⃣ Use data enrichment tools: tools like Clearbit, ZoomInfo, or Hunter.io can help you enrich your email list by adding valuable data points such as the prospect’s role, company details, and social profiles. This extra information enables you to personalize your outreach even further. 4️⃣ Monitor engagement metrics: pay close attention to open rates, click-through rates, and responses. If certain segments of your list are underperforming, it may be time to re-evaluate those contacts. Use these insights to continuously refine your list and improve your targeting. 5️⃣ Leverage intent data: incorporate intent data into your list-building process. This data shows which companies are actively researching solutions like yours, allowing you to target prospects when they’re most interested. Tools like Bombora or 6sense can provide these insights. If you do something extra special to your email lists, share below 🤓 #Sales #ColdEmail #EmailMarketing #Outreach #SalesStrategy

Most professionals over 50 think launching a consulting practice means changing their LinkedIn headline and waiting for inquiries. That's why most consultants struggle to land paying clients. The ones actually generating revenue made themselves significantly easier to hire by building proof before asking for money. 10 portfolio career moves that make landing consulting clients 10x easier: 1. Create a one-page case study documenting a real problem you've solved with specific, measurable results - companies buy proven solutions, not impressive credentials 2. Build a micro-offer priced at $2-5K that clients can approve without lengthy committee processes - small initial wins consistently convert into larger retainers 3. Position yourself in a genuinely searchable niche - "supply chain optimization for mid-market manufacturing" generates qualified calls while "business consultant" creates noise 4. Leverage your previous employer network strategically - former colleagues now hold decision-making roles at other organizations and already trust your judgment 5. Publish weekly thought leadership content on LinkedIn addressing your clients' specific pain points - consistent visibility creates inbound opportunities 6. Offer a free 30-minute diagnostic consultation - let prospects experience your expertise and thinking before they commit budget 7. Join industry associations and attend conferences where your ideal clients actually gather - meaningful relationships happen before contracts get signed 8. Build referral partnerships with complementary consultants serving the same client base - strategic collaboration beats isolated competition 9. Create a simple one-page website clearly showcasing your specific expertise and documented client results - credibility matters when clients research you 10. Follow up systematically with every warm connection from your network - most consulting engagements originate from conversations, not cold outreach Your accumulated expertise is genuinely valuable. But organizations aren't hiring potential or years of experience - they're hiring demonstrated proof you can solve their specific problem starting immediately. Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights: https://vist.ly/4hcc6 #consultingcareer #portfoliocareer #careerafter50 #jobsover50 #freelanceconsulting #consultingbusiness #secondcareer #independentconsultant #businessconsulting #careeradvice