No matter what type of consulting services you offer and what industry you specialize in, there’s one marketing tactic that applies to all: the power of the word of mouth.

1. WhyWordofMouthMattersin
theConsultingBusiness
N A T H A N S P R O U L , M A N A G I N G D I R E C T O R O F L I N C O L N S T R A T E G Y G R O U P

2. ThePowerofWordofMouth
No matter what type of consulting services you offer and what
industry you specialize in, this is the one tactic that applies to
everyone.
Advertising in magazines or on television, investing in digital ads,
and social media outreach all have merit, of course. But when
positioning yourself as a sought-after consultant, word of mouth
referrals will still be your best ally.
For my company, Lincoln Strategy Group, leveraging word-of-
mouth recommendations has been paramount. In fact, we didn’t
even have a website for the first three or four years we were in
business.

3. Thoughwecan’trelytotallyonwordof
mouthanymorelikeweoncedid,itjust
goestoshowhowrelationalthe
consultingbusinessesisandhow
powerfulpersonalconnectionsareeven
inourincreasinglydigitizedworld.
N A T H A N S P R O U L

4. PromotingRelationships
At the very basic level, word of mouth advocacy works on the
premise of positive connections and relationships. People are
more likely to trust a recommendation that comes from a friend,
family member, or other acquaintance that is sharing a real
experience.
Think about it: When people you trust
recommend a movie, restaurant, or
vacation destination, their personal vote
of confidence is typically more effective
than any third-party advertisement.
Hence, why building a solid relationship with your clients is so
important — you never know who's in their network and to what
extent positive news about your business will travel once they
begin spreading the word about their own great experience.

5. EncouragingReferralConnections
Building trust is the gateway to getting referrals. When you really click with clients, you're uniquely
positioned to establish relationships with other power players in their industry. If a client has
exceeding confidence in your abilities, bringing you additional business is a no-brainer.
After all, if you’ve helped a client get great results, it’s likely they will want the same for people in their
personal or professional network. You may ask them to refer you to contacts in exchange for you doing
the same. You just never know when someone in your client’s network will need your services, causing
your client to remember your request and refer you.

6. BolsteringAuthenticity
Maintaining a positive reputation as a consultant is critical to your
success, and it takes more effort than you might think to build a
positive and purposeful brand. Seriously–business as usual is not
enough to communicate your worth. You’ll need to be better than
good, and really sell your vision to your associates, partners, and
clients.
When people whom others admire are happy to share reviews
and testimonials about their experience with you, you earn
instant credibility. This creates a sense of authenticity that makes
people more comfortable with the idea of doing business with
you.

7. Lincoln Strategy Group is incredibly relational. There may be 3,000 companies in America that
need the services that we provide, and they will be contacted by all sorts of consultants and
companies pitching their services. Having just one friend or contact in that company’s network
can be enough to position our business front and center among the competition.
Political consultants are in the people business. We help others get ahead with the help of our
expertise, and building strong relationships is how we get the job done. Word of mouth
referrals and recommendations help maintain a steady roster of clients.
To find success in consulting, consider ways you can start a conversation, stay in touch with
contacts, and develop a robust referral network to help your business thrive.
EmpoweringDecision-Makers

8. ForMoreInformation
Please visit
nathansproul.com
Connect with Me!
www.lincoln-strategy.com