by Dr. Richard Harte
Imagine having your own prestigious consulting business – being your own boss – doing what you want to do – when you want to do it! Imagine putting into practice what you really love – with companies paying you monthly retainers for your services – with plenty of time left over for your private clients as well as friends and family. Imagine choosing the people you enjoy working with and being able to say NO to those you do not want to work with!
Think about it.
Your Hypnosis skills empower and qualify you to become successful as a Corporate Consultant. Hundreds of qualified professionals have drawn upon their business and life experience and done just that. They’ve channeled these much desired attributes and created a rewarding new career for themselves as corporate consultants.
When designing action plans for clients, Hypnotists have learned they need to do a thorough assessment of the presenting problem before suggesting possible solutions. The same skill set is used by consultants who design training programs for company employees in corporate America. You just have to adapt your thinking to a different audience.
Corporate Consulting is a growing field that can give you the following:
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Financial Security – The earning potential this business offers is impressive. A good consultant can earn a retainer of $7500 plus for one day of consulting per week per month. Why work hard to make someone else rich when you can be rich?
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Confidence – Having your own corporate consulting business not only adds to your own confidence and self-esteem but makes you feel good. Clients actually thank you for improving their work performance and their income.
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Flexible Hours – You can organize your work schedule around your family’s needs and take vacations when you want to. Work when it’s convenient for you, not someone else.
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Passion – Using skills you already own and become the person you were meant to be. Your energy will be put to its best use.
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Job Security – You cannot be fired (unless you fire yourself). A typical laid off worker spends 7 months job hunting before returning to a job of the same or lesser pay. There are 3.5 million people laid-off from their jobs every year. Is this the roller coaster you want to ride?
You may ask “what exactly is a corporate consultant?”
A corporate consultant works with companies of all sizes – offering executive, management, and general staff specific programs designed to increase overall productivity, enhance and improve the sales process, reduce stress and establish accountability. There are many different kinds of consultants offering different programs which improve the corporation’s health and bottom line. The more life and corporate experience you have the better equipped you are to be successful.
You may ask “what kinds of people make good corporate consultants?”
There are three key success ingredients:
The first is having a good imagination. If you’re the kind of person who’s always looking for better ways to do things; if you have an open mind when it come to problem solving; if you view life’s challenges as opportunities for improvement instead of road blocks; then you have the right mindset to be a good corporate consultant. I think it’s important to note that skilled Hypnotists tend to have good imaginations.
The second is having a burning desire to make a better life for yourself. Being a corporate consultant means being a self-starter and finishing things on time. The more organization and drive you have to succeed, the greater advantage you have in this area.
Thirdly, it also helps if you are intelligent, educated and have had some meaningful business experience (i.e. – you’ve worked in a corporate or professional setting; you’ve been an independent consultant, business or interpersonal coach or Hypnotist).
Why is this a good time to become a corporate consultant?
Today’s business environment is a godsend for consultants. Many companies have downsized and don’t want to rehire employees because they realize they can get qualified consultants to do a better job without having to pay salaries, medical care, pension benefits, and other overhead expenses associated with maintaining employees. The demand for corporate consultants is enormous at this time. Corporate consulting is currently one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. today. Total consulting billings have grown by more than 20% for each of the past 5 years. The projection for the next 3 years is an annual growth rate of 22-25%.
Companies are discovering that hiring a retainer-based consultant can be a lot more productive than hiring an employee even though the per-hour rate for consultant is much higher than it would be for an employee.
Okay, you like the concept so far. And you ask, “what is the biggest challenge a new consultant will face and how does one get started?”
One challenge a new consultant may have is developing enough confidence to be a good advisor at all levels in the corporation. Fortunately, building confidence is a process that feeds on itself. The more experience you have and get, it goes without saying, and the more confident you will be. Another challenge is to work on your selling skills. This will help you in your Hypnosis practice as well. You’ve got to practice making presentations until you feel comfortable with it. The bottom line is once you realize how desperate many companies are for your services, it’s simply a case of identifying companies and industries that really need help.
The best way to get started at becoming a corporate consultant is to do a thorough self-assessment. A real inventory of your skills, finances, education and training is necessary. If you can’t do this yourself, find a professional who can help you.
Secondly, decide on your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
David Ogilvy, the powerhouse behind Ogilvy & Mather ran his advertising empire by adhering to the axiom, “Never run an ad unless you have a Unique Selling Proposition.”
Your USP is:
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A brief dynamic statement that you give to define the problem that your services can solve for a customer and that a competitor does not offer. ( example – Stress Management Program).
Your USP must:
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Show your prospective clients that they will receive an overt benefit by dealing with you.
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Give your prospects a reason to believe that what you say is correct.
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Inspire your clients to believe that there is a dramatic difference in what you offer over your competition.
Rules of Thumb:
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Your business is being branded one way or another
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Incorporate your USP into everything you do.
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Keep your USP fresh and timely.
Once you have your USP consider your marketing efforts and remember your consultant’s practice is only as good as your market energy and effort. Don’t be afraid to seek out the “good and reputable” training programs on the market that have proven field-tested “systems” that have worked over time in the corporate community. Your skills may be perfect and the timing right for you to learn how to apply your skills to bring you the happiness you deserve.
Now its time to ask! What are some of the problems that exist in today’s troubled world?
As a Hypnotist, you are probably seeing clients who work in Corporate America who can lead you to many companies that need help. Here are four real problems that exist that you can really be of help with using your hypnosis and coaching skills.
Problem 1 – There is currently an increase in unemployment for members of the work force who are 50 years old and over (middle to senior level management employees). They are being coerced into an early retirement and are over qualified to be rehired at other corporations. While they have great expertise in their given field, they have no outlet to practice their trade or earn money. They are usually left with no health coverage and often times slip into a depression related to their unemployment. What’s a person to do? ( Stress management training is a must)
Problem 2 – Existing professional consultants who are not having good success finding work, who have particular skills, but need to adapt their skills to current day problems.
Problem 3 – Skilled and well educated employees who are unhappy with their job/career.
Problem 4 – The baby boomer generation is here and many women who have raised kids that are in school and have the time to work part or full time.
Believe it or not, many Hypnotists fall into one or more of the above categories. Good Hypnosis training (as is offered by NGH) enables you to see private clients either part time or full time. Why not consider utilizing these same skills to help employees in Corporate America as a Corporate Consultant. Think about it!
(Dr. Richard Harte teaches the NGH Train the Trainer Course and is President of Harte Associates in New York City, a management consulting company – His new program teaches Hypnotists how to use their skills to become Certified Corporate Consultants (CCC).
