How can you find the prospective clients that will most benefit from your services long-term?

Look for companies that are big enough to need your services on a regular basis. So these potential clients are candidates for signing on-going service contracts, that bring you the steady revenue that will be the foundation of your business. Doing this successfully, as you are becoming an IT consultant, means you absolutely need to know the major qualifying questions inside out and backwards, like the back of your hand.

1. Geographically Desirable? Because most small business clients need a lot of hand-holding, potential clients need to be located nearby to you. Look for prospects located within a 30 – 60-minute drive from your location. If you live in a large urban area, for example, your service area may shrink considerably, as there will be a high concentration of viable prospects very nearby. Also think about proximity as you attend networking events and develop your marketing campaigns.
2. Big Enough, But Not Too Big? Think Goldilocks: not too big, not too small. As you are becoming an IT consultant, target clients that have 10-75 workstations. At this size, the prospect is big enough to need a real, dedicated server … but not so big that the prospect needs a full-time, in-house IT department. Another way to think about this is that the prospect will likely have $1 million – $10 million in annual sales, or your local currency equivalent. Know this type of information about your potential clients, so you can develop much more powerful, affordable, and cost-effective marketing strategies.
3. A Platform You Can Support? Before you get too far into the sales process, be sure to properly qualify prospective clients based on their installed platform of OS’s and NOS’s. For example, if your specialty is Windows-family OS’s/NOS’s and a prospect is 100% standardized on Mac’s, you should refer that prospect elsewhere.
4. Serious About IT? If you come across a small business prospect for your IT consulting business that doesn’t have a dedicated server, because they’re messing around with peer-to-peer ad-hoc networking, you probably want to run the other way. Before you spend too much time on a potential client, make sure the prospective client is really ready for your solutions.

In this short article, we talked about 4 simple, but very powerful qualifying criteria for prospective clients. By consistently asking these questions, you can more proactively manage the selling process and utilize your limited time more effectively. Learn more about becoming an IT consultant and attracting steady, high-paying clients now at http://www.BecomingAnITConsultant.com

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If you introduce a prospect or client to someone that has an entry-level certification and then send someone in the next week that has an advanced certification like an MCSE, your client will most likely not appreciate the difference.  Your clients also won’t want to pay really high rates for senior levels of IT certification.

In the eyes of most sweet spot small businesses, senior-level IT certifications won’t matter; most of their projects will not be incredibly technical, and those that are can typically be subcontracted to other specialists.    

What Is the Technology Curve?

Sweet spot small businesses don’t usually keep up with the latest in technology, so you don’t have to keep up with cutting-edge IT certifications and skills.

Added By:  Computer Consulting Kit

This step marks the first in a two-year transformation program that will help it build a more stable and secure virtual IT department and e-business capacity.  The new unit will be run by COO Fred Bertram, who will start his post on March 26.  Previously, he was managing director of ANZ’s operations, technology and shared services divisions in India.

Virtual IT expert and CIO Greg Booker will lead the customer systems technology group and will be responsible for ING Australia’s IT delivery and transformation initiatives.  Currently, Booker is the CIO at St. George Bank and has more than 20 years’ experience working with IT and in the virtual IT industry.  He will begin on April 21.  

Also appointed is Robert Liong, who will be the head of the e-business program.  Formerly, he was head of strategy and business architecture as well as corporate channels at the company Westpac.  His 16 years’ experience in strategy, transformation and various virtual IT-related business work will help him with this new challenge.

ING Australia was formed in 1994 and has headquarters in Sheffield as well as offices in London and Sydney.  For more information on further appointments to this new virtual IT plan, please visit the attached link.

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg

Asking these questions will help you retain these clients and also inform you of their biggest business and IT issues.  You will then be able to create a great sales pitch as an IT specialist and find other clients just like the ones you have that are great.  Look at magazines, mailing lists, organizations and conferences where you can find office managers.   

An IT Specialist Should Know Things about Prospects

You need to know who your prospects are, what they read, which trade publications are out there and related to them (and which ezines), which newsletters they get, which local/regional conferences they might already be attending, which trade groups have local chapters they belong to, where they hang out, what they talk about and what they worry about.

Talk to your best clients if you want to be a real IT specialist!

You’ve probably already created personal relationships already.  Take clients out to breakfast, lunch and tell them you want to be an IT specialist and ask questions so you know how to look for clients just like them.

Created By:  Joshua Feinberg

But how can IT emergencies help you?

First of all, the customer feels acutely what happens when he/she ignores IT issues.  When a virus hits and a customer finds the anti-virus license renewal wasn’t handled and nothing was updated, the pain is immediately felt.  During IT emergencies such as these, a customer’s main client may want on-line access to an account, but it’s not possible.  This is your opportunity to swoop in and save the day.

The second way IT emergencies can present opportunities is that when you have saved the day, you will find yourself with access and also instant credibility.  You are already there, and the customer wants to hear what you have to say.   

When and How Do You Handle IT Emergencies?

When you respond to IT emergencies, you have to keep in mind that your customer will be looking for immediate assurance that the pain of the problem is about to end.  This means you need to solve the problem with a clever workaround to get it immediately running or find a quick and direct solution.  Your customers will want to know the meaning of “as soon as possible” to you, and it’s your chance to define it.

In reality, within an hour or two of your arrival in response to IT emergencies, your customers want you to explain the problem and prioritize the situation with them in regards to their business.  They want to know you are resourceful enough to find solutions quickly and responsible for what happens.     

What about Emergencies that Can’t Be Fixed Right Away?

Not all IT emergencies can be fixed right away.  You have to think in terms of “triage.”  You need to figure out what has to be done today and what can wait until a bit later.  You also need to know the quickest way to getting results.  Fixing the situation is not always about solving the biggest problem first.  Sometimes you need to know some workarounds and how to prioritize issues affecting the entire company – the LAN being down – above those that are just affecting one person.  

It Just Takes One Computer …

Sometimes just a single computer can cause IT emergencies.  You may find that one computer is down and a clerk cannot submit the necessary online information to make payroll.  This will become a top priority for you.  Often you can arrange simple, temporary solutions to these types of IT emergencies, such as a direct dial-up connection that can get past the LAN and help you work on the problem and establish the beginning of a good relationship.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

1.     Small businesses are typically not using the latest technology.  Most businesses are not even going to know what your certifications mean let alone care if you have that many because they will be pretty behind – often about two years – when it comes to technology.  

2.    A lot of technology for small businesses is pretty outdated.  When you work in information technology consulting with small businesses, you’ll usually be working with a lot of things that need updating … but chances are, you won’t be able to update it all because they just don’t make small business technology that is cutting edge.  

3.    There are other skills that are much more important to information technology consulting than technology savvy.  If other people come to you for computer advice, if people ask you to help them with their gadgets and you generally are known for knowing your stuff and being a real resource, your certifications aren’t going to mean a thing.  

4.    Information technology consulting skills are very variable.  Even if you have very junior (or very senior!) skills when it comes to computer skills, there will be a place for you in small business information technology consulting.  

Added By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Machine Upgrades

Your clients can use budget surpluses to upgrade and replace PCs on a more regular basis.  Entry-leve PCs are typically one-half or even two-thirds less expensive than top-of-the-line models, so clients will still come out on top.

You will need to set aside a few hours for configuration of each PC.

Teach Your Clients that IT Spending is about Investments

When you talk to clients about IT spending, talk in terms of investments instead of “purchases” or “expenses.”  Your clients need to be reminded that PC hardware purchases that are planned offer a positive ROI.

Clients should not be thinking about PCs as just more office equipment.  Technology assets greatly affect the success or failure of a business way more than a fax machine, photocopier or a filing cabinet.

ROI and IT Spending

You need to show clients how important technology investments are in terms of IT spending.  Before they contemplate major investments, talk about the expected cost and benefits and how to measure both in terms of clients’ businesses.  

Created By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

Adding Network Cards to PC Purchases

When adding Ethernet adapters as part of PC purchases you don’t need to worry about them being compatible with other hardware components.  All device driver installation and configuration are pre-determined.  

Clients also will be more able to get help from a PC vendor’s tech support because the PC vendor will know the Ethernet adapter as part of the whole PC purchase; it will be supported.   Similarly, adapters will be part of the warranties.  

What Else about Ethernet Adapters?

Ethernet adapters are often built into motherboards on desktop PCs and notebooks.  Therefore, you don’t  have to worry about adding or subtracting them.  They will just show up on the PC motherboard as another port.

Unfortunately, if the Ethernet adapter breaks and is part of PC purchases, the manufacturer has to replace the whole motherboard.  If this occurs beyond the warranty period, you can disable it and install another Ethernet adapter as a PCI or PCMCIA expansion slot.  

Added By:  Joshua Feinberg

Which networking skills specifically should you have to best serve your IT consulting customers?  Where networking software is concerned, you should know some client server messaging packages including Microsoft Exchange Server, Novell group wise, client server and sequel database applications.  Microsoft sequel server will play a large part in your IT consulting business. 

Accounting Applications

To provide the best IT consulting solutions, know Microsoft Business Solutions and Great Plains’ Best 90. 

CRM Applications

You may want to make CRM applications a specialty.  Get to know Best Software and Microsoft Business Solutions.  Microsoft Business Solutions can fit well into your IT consulting solutions.  Also establish some knowledge of web servers, administering Microsoft IS and Open Source Apache. 

The Bottom Line About Skills for Sweet Spot Customers

When it comes to offering the most comprehensive solutions to valued IT consulting customers, be prepared to have some basic skills in terms of networking software, accounting software and CRM applications. 

Submitted By:  Computer Consulting Kit

The loss reported was through June 30.  Sales rose 22 percent to $310.9 million, in spite of the loss.  Virtual IT industry company 3Com has not shown a profit since 2000, when it marketed the first Palm Pilot, which eventually spun off into its own business.

3Com president and CEO Edgar Masri stated that he was unable to offer any details about the first public offering of TippingPoint stock.  However, before the announcement, the company had stated it would start selling shares by December 2007.   Masri declared he believes selling TippingPoint stock will help the company improve its virtual IT offerings and focus on its finances and profitability.   

In the last quarter, 3Com spent $91 million in order to buy 49 percent of its joint project, H3C from partner Huawei Technologies.  The purchase price was $882 million, which makes 3Com the second-largest equipment maker in the virtual IT and computer business behind Cisco.  

Despite losses, Masri assured the public that the company had reached profitability goals for the quarter and that H3C would help 3Com improve in the future and become a stronger force in the virtual IT market.

For more information on this virtual IT story, visit the attached link.

Blogged By:  Joshua Feinberg