Hiring a Digital/Social/WOM Consultant is a Big Deal – Where Are The References?
As a person who’s had experience with media buying, ad serving, search engine marketing, affiliate marketing, lead generation, sponsorships and now social media and WOM, I get approached to recommend many independent consultants. I also get asked to vouch for those individuals who are teaching workshops, pitch a new client or claim to get someone 1,000 Facebook fans in a week.
Of course, I vouch for knowing person XYZ and vouch for their voice in the space, however, I can’t seem to find enough business cases to fully assure hungry entrepreneurs of the true reason for hiring most consultants. There are a few people whom I recommend all the time – this is because I know the caliber of their work, including past client campaigns they’ve pieced together.
Before joining Edelman Digital, I was a full-time contractor. I included examples of work I conducted on my site, including quotes from previous clients to attest to my work ethic and results. I expected and anticipated every client to Google me, see what work I’ve done and contact my previous clients.
Where has this accountability gone?
Having 5,000 Twitter followers and 3,000 Facebook fans does indeed show that you know how to use two tools in the larger social media space, but what have you done to move the dial for someone’s business? If the sole experience you have is helping your own business, fabulous. What were the metrics? Have your sales increased from X to Y? Why should a business, even as small as a personal shopper who needs to find more clients, invest any money into what you teach them?
The beauty of social media is that the tools enable anyone to make an impact, however, one cannot continue to clinch new business with amazing social skills alone. Let your clients discover the awesomeness that is you – before you even have to talk to them.
My dad, a small business owner, once told me that he never took on a new customer until he was certain that the customer had a firm understanding of my dad’s skills.
I like the way my dad thinks.
