How to build a personal brand in Consulting
Your reputation is everything in consulting. Implement these proven strategies to establish your niche, share your expertise, and strengthen your personal brand.
Find your niche
Whilst consultants are typically generalists, everyone still needs to be ‘known’ for something. Everyone needs to find the industry or specialism that they can build their reputation around.
It can take a few engagements to work this out so don’t rush it because it needs to be authentic.
Become known as an authority
Once you’ve found your niche, focus on building a reputation where you’re recognised as the authority on the subject.
Top tips for building authority on a topic:
Create "lunch and learn" sessions to share your knowledge
Publish blogs, guides, and infographics showcasing your expertise
Seek speaking opportunities at internal and external events
Building authority in your niche is key to attracting the types of engagements you really want to work on.
Collaborate widely
Many people think that hoarding knowledge is the secret to being indispensable. In fact, the truth is the complete opposite.
Sharing is definitely caring when it comes to building your personal brand in consulting.
Here’s some ideas for sharing your knowledge:
Co-author thought leadership articles with colleagues and clients. Even if it’s only shared internally, that’s great
Find opportunities to apply your specialty across projects
Build a strong network of collaborators and advocates
Deliver exceptional work
Being billable is always a top priority for consultants. However, building a portfolio of engagements that compliment your personal brand is very powerful.
On top of that you need to ensure you have a track record of delivering excellent quality work. Put both of these together and you’ll have a super strong personal brand.
Establishing a clear niche and consistently delivering high-quality work strengthens your reputation over time. This visibility attracts exciting opportunities to further build your personal brand.
Consulting is a people business
Succeeding as a consultant is all about building a strong personal brand around which you build a strong network. The secret to building a strong consulting personal brand is identifying your niche and then building authority in that space.
You’ll soon find your reputation precedes you and opportunities start flooding in.
