Clever Counsel #6 - Put yourself out there
My most lucrative and prestigious consulting opportunities only surfaced because I intentionally and persistently put myself out there.
Specifically:
I introduce myself (and my services) to people I don’t know, and I usually start at the very top
I follow up on all my outreach (warm and cold) until I get a response (even if it's a "no")
I maintain a weekly cadence of public messaging + positioning to ensure awareness
None of these actions are complex. Yet very few consultants consistently take these steps to grow their businesses.
In many cases, the inaction stems from discomfort, anxiety or fear about how they might be perceived.
Many are deeply concerned about being seen as pushy, self-serving, or “salesy.”
Some also struggle with imposter syndrome, or analysis paralysis - overthinking every step and every potential outcome.
I want to challenge you to start asking yourself - what’s the worst possible thing that could happen?
Let’s say I want to introduce myself to the Chief Communications Officers at all Fortune 100 companies in 2025. I’ll do a little digging and find their email addresses, I’ll write a succinct, value-focused introduction, and then I’ll personalize and send out all 100 emails.
What’s the worst possible thing that could happen?
No one responds?
Only a few respond, and they all tell me not to email them again?
I “waste” a few hours of my life?
The risk is pretty negligible. No one is going to reach through the computer and attack me. No one is going to become irate that I dared to reach out “cold.”
On the other hand - let me tell you, from personal experience, what the payoff could look like.
I went through this exact process back in 2017, when I was in the first few years of my consulting career. I set my sights high, ignored my anxieties, and reached out to a long list of top CCOs with a well-crafted introduction and an offer to support their teams.
And guess what?
I got a warm reply from a Fortune 10 CCO.
She appreciated my outreach and happened to have a few gaps on her team. She suggested a brief call, which led to a trial project. And that project led to years of contract work with one of the most prominent companies in the U.S.
All because I put myself out there.
I hope to see you do the same in 2025.
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