Independent Management Consultants often use Umbrex and other intermediary staffing firms to obtain projects. When you’re setting up your consulting practice, you may want to get set up with various intermediaries in your industry that connect clients to independent consultants.
This resource walks you through the best practices for working with staffing firms, to help you increase your chances of winning a project through a staffing firm, while optimizing your time investment.
Contents
You can click any section to go directly there:
- Get clarity on the work you want to do
- Decide which firms to work with
- Understand the value proposition and approach of the staffing firm
- Prepare before applying to projects
- Sign up with a staffing firm
- When the staffing firm reaches out
- Make good use of bullet points
- Provide your rates and contact information
- Meeting with the client
- Handling multiple project opportunities
- While on the project
- After the project
- Build long-term relationships
Episode 50 of our Unleashed podcast, in which Will Bachman shares 45 tips for working with staffing firms, is a companion to this resource:
1. Get clarity on the work you want to do
Before you start working with a staffing firm, it’s important to have clarity on the type of work you want to do.
What do you want to be known for?
- What clients do you serve?
- What problems do you solve?
- What function do you provide?
- What industry do you want to work in?
- Remote or willing to travel?
- What fees will you charge?
Additional Resource: How to Find Clients For Your Consulting Practice
2. Decide which firms you want to work with
Any staffing firm you sign up with will require some investment of time on your part in order to get projects. You may need to log in to look at opportunities and reply to inquiries, and you’ll have a better chance if you invest in getting to know the firm and known by them.
Therefore, it’s best to do some research and identify the set of staffing firms that are the best match for you, rather than signing up many firms in a less intentional way. Consider if the firm:
- Is active in your industry
- Offers projects in your functional area
- Works in your geographical region
- Is a good fit for your background
- Pays your rate
The best way to get answers to these questions is generally by speaking with other independent consultants.
Conduct due diligence, and concentrate your efforts on two to three firms that are a good fit for you.
3. Understand the value proposition and approach of the staffing firm
From the onset, it’s important to understand the value proposition of the staffing firm. They differ — some firms may focus on speed, others a larger pool of suggested candidates, others the lowest fees.
For example, the Umbrex value proposition is:
- Exceptional talent
- High-touch
- Curation
- Speed
4. Prepare before applying to projects
When you begin working with Umbrex or another staffing firm, being prepared and having a complete set of marketing collateral conveys your positioning and professionalism, and help win more projects.
These practices will allow you to:
- Become more memorable.
- Present a professional face, signaling your competence and ability to present well to a potential client.
Consider setting up an entity
If you have not already, you might consider setting up an entity for yourself, such as an LLC, to come across more professional when you are engaging with firms.
See our resource on Attorneys and Legal Services for more information on this.
Let the firm know your availability
Right away, apprise the staffing firm of your:
- Availability
- Capacity
- Location
Particularly if you are available right away for projects, letting the staffing firm know that is helpful. You can also let them know your capacity in terms of full/part time, hours per week, etc., as well as the geographic locations you work in or are willing to travel to for projects.
Have a professional headshot
For some clients, the staffing firm may need to create a customized bio page including your photograph. It’s helpful to have a professional headshot available. This can also be used for your LinkedIn profile.
Craft your Fishing Line
Develop your succinct statement of who you work with and what problems you solve for them. David A. Fields coined this phrase, and discusses it in detail in Episode 411 of the Umbrex Unleashed podcast.
This is also discussed in detail in the Umbrex Resource: How to Find Clients. If you have a Fishing Line that is memorable and hooks us, chances are we’ll remember you and your project fits — and so will clients.
Optimize your LinkedIn profile
The LinkedIn profile is the single most important professional marketing space for an independent consultant. It’s important to help you:
- Get discovered
- Establish your expertise
Therefore, it’s essential that your profile clearly communicates your value proposition and positioning, and tells a compelling, coherent story that establishes your credentials and expertise.
A section-by-section guide on creating the best possible LinkedIn profile is found in the Umbrex Resource: LinkedIn Best Practices to Optimize Your Profile.
Update your resume
Just like your LinkedIn profile, it’s vital that your resume be as strong as possible. Even sophisticated professionals can improve their resume.
In Episode 253 of the Unleashed podcast, we covered the main sections sections of your resume and formatting tips.
Create or update your Project List
Every independent consultant should maintain an exhaustive list of all the projects they have worked on, and keep that list updated.
The Umbrex Resource, Project List Tips & Templates, offers an in-depth look at building your Project List, with examples of other consultants’ lists and a template you can customize for your own use.
Your Project List may need to include sanitized samples of your work — it’s far more compelling to show, rather than tell. Episode 121 of Unleashed delves into building a portfolio with sanitized work samples.
Make sure your Project List highlights the diversity of clients you’ve worked with. For example, if you’ve worked with both profit and nonprofit organizations, or large companies and small companies, be sure to include both.
Create a consulting firm overview
Consultants — and staffing firms — are often asked to send a potential client a one-pager. It’s helpful for independent consultants to have a consulting firm overview document that clearly and succinctly presents their services, qualifications, and offerings for potential clients.
You should also have a complete overview document, typically one to 10 pages, that provides your bio and that of any partners in the firm, the clients you serve, and some case studies.
The Umbrex Resource, How to Create a Consulting Firm Overview, covers the most common key elements of firm overviews along with additional sections you may want to consider, and samples of other consultants’ Firm Overviews.
Include sanitized samples of work
It’s far more powerful to show than to tell. Providing sanitized samples of similar work you’ve done in the past is more effective than simply telling clients about this work.
In some cases, no past work you’ve done can be sanitized. If that is the case, consider hiring yourself for a day to create a portfolio of sanitized work. For example:
- If you do due diligence, select a target company and conduct outside-in due diligence and create pages on it.
- If you do “voice of the customer” interviews, interview experts on a topic and create notes from these interviews, as well as the findings.
- If you do strategy work, pick a company in a sector that interests you and create the strategy document you would present to the CEO.
Episode 121 of Unleashed covers building a portfolio of sanitized work.
Build or update your consulting firm website
It’s highly recommended that independent consultants have a professional website for their practice. For staffing firms, it’s extremely helpful to be able to point clients to a candidate’s website.
The Umbrex Resource, How to Build a Consulting Website, is a step-by-step guide on how to build a website in one day, including identifying your goals for the website and your positioning, deciding what content to include, and selecting what platform to use to build your website.
To inspire your thinking, we’ve also included examples of more than 90 websites built by independent consultants for their practice, as well as a directory of web design professionals recommended by members of our community.
Start a podcast
If you have content you’ve created, that helps establish your knowledge and expertise. It also helps win projects through staffing firms, particularly at the margin. If there are two potential candidates who are equally qualified, and one has a podcast library on their industry, that candidate will likely be the more attractive one.
The Umbrex Resource, How to Start a Podcast, leads you through fifteen steps for launching your own podcast.
Start a newsletter
Likewise, a newsletter is an excellent vehicle for an independent professional to demonstrate their expertise and experience to staffing firms and potential clients.
The Umbrex Resource, How to Create a Newsletter, is a 12-step checklist on how to start your own newsletter. We’ve also included examples of dozens of newsletters published by other independent consultants.
5. Sign up with a staffing firm
Staffing firms vary in their sign-up process for getting into their talent pool.
Some have a page on their website, while others may only accept consultants by invitation only. If this is the case, ask someone you know who’s worked with that firm for a warm, personal introduction.
Thoroughly complete the sign-up, particularly about your areas of expertise. Give specific examples so the firm’s software can easily match you with relevant areas of focus.
Your specificity in this area may make the difference in a firm reaching out to you.
6. When the staffing firm reaches out
You’ve initiated the process with the staffing firm, prepared, and started building the relationship. Now they’ve reached out to you about a project.
Congratulations! There are a number of best practices you can implement at this stage to increase your chances of winning the project.
Respond promptly
The staffing firm has reached out to you proactively and is likely waiting on your response — and so is their client. Getting back to them in a rapid manner is essential, whether you are available for the project or not.
Likewise, respond in a timely manner to any follow-up or clarifying questions.
Provide requested materials
Sending a full set of the information requested by the firm will help them with their client. Even if you’re a great fit, if they don’t quickly have the details they need, they may move on to the next candidate. See more details in the next section.
Let them know if you aren’t interested
If you are not available or not interested in the particular project, don’t leave the firm hanging. Respond to let them know if you aren’t available; this helps build a solid relationship and cement your professionalism and response time. Be sure to provide a date you will be available for other projects.
Likewise, if you aren’t interested in the particular project, let them know that as well — perhaps even provide some specific reasons it isn’t a good match for you, to help guide the firm on matching you to future projects.
Introduce another independent consultant who might be a possible fit
When you aren’t interested in or available for a project, but you know another professional who might be a good match, offering to introduce that person to the staffing firm is a great practice.
You’re helping out the firm, and you’re paying it forward to another consultant who might be perfect for the project.
7. Make good use of bullet points
Often, staffing firms will ask you to share information that details your relevant experience. Do not simply refer them to your resume. This is a great opportunity for you to shine — in fact, effective use of bullet points can be even more important than your resume or LinkedIn profile.
Bullet points help the firm think through who to curate and select for the project, and the more help you can give them, the better your odds. The job of a bullet point is not to get you hired, but to demonstrate credibility and convince a busy reader to check out your resume and LinkedIn page.
Provide concise, specific descriptions of relevant past experience that cover the following:
- Tells a story
- What was the situation?
- What did you do?
- What was the impact? (quantify when possible)
- Sanitized is fine (e.g. a top five ice cream manufacturer)
Some best practices include:
- Lead with your most powerful bullet first.
Provide experience that is relevant to the project.
Share just 2-3 bullets that are right on target, instead of including additional points that are less relevant.
Include context regarding your role, the situation, and outcome.
For a detailed guide to bullet points, check out the Umbrex Resource: Better Bullet Points to Win More Projects.
8. Provide your rates and contact information
Don’t fail to provide one of the most important pieces of information: all the methods with which a staffing firm can get in touch with you. Be sure you provide your email, telephone number, LinkedIn profile, and any other contact method.
Likewise, do provide your rates. Staffing firms prefer an actual number, rather than a range or saying it’s “negotiable.” If the firm asks for your daily or hourly rate, provide that exact rate. A staffing firm already knows it may be flexible or will come back to you if it needs to be discussed.
For help setting rates, check out the Umbrex Resource: How to Set Consulting Fees.
9. Meeting with the client
Now the staffing firm has reported that the client wants to meet with you. There are some important practices to implement at this stage that will help you win the project.
Respond in a timely manner
Just like with the staffing firm, it’s vital that you reply to the client in a timely manner.
Offer availability and a scheduling link
Let the client know when you are available for a meeting — the sooner the better. It’s helpful to share a scheduling link, such as Calendly, to make it easier for the client to see your open times and schedule the meeting.
Take the initiative and send client a meeting invite
You might take it one step further and send a calendar invite to the client for the time they proposed, and include a Zoom link. Every step you can take to make it easier for the client, and make time of the essence, increases your likelihood of getting hired.
You should also follow up after a day or two if the client hasn’t accepted or responded. Clients get busy and things can fall through the cracks.
Don’t miss the meeting
This should go without saying, however, it actually happens and when it does, it reflects poorly on the staffing firm. Likely, you will never be contacted by them again.
Life does happen — if an emergency arises, be sure to let the client and the staffing firm know asap, extend your apologies, and proactively reschedule the meeting or let them know if you are no longer available.
Have a professional Zoom background
You should always have a professional background in your Zoom settings. Your office may work perfectly well, but if the room you’re conducting the meeting from is a mess or doesn’t present professionally, adopt a virtual background in your Zoom settings. Think of it like you would wearing a suit to an in-person meeting.
Have some prepared slides
Having some prepared slides will help steer the conversation to the client’s problem, which is what they really want to talk about — instead of a discussion about your background.
Remember the 70:30 Squared rule
This rule states that the client should do 70% of the talking, and you should be speaking only 30% of the time. And of that 30%, 70% of that time should be spent asking insightful questions of the client.
Episode 159 of the Unleashed podcast discusses this rule.
Hold a Context Discussion
The term “Context Discussion” was created by David A. Fields in his book, The Irresistible Consultant’s Guide to Winning Clients.
A Context Discussion should cover the following six topics:
- Why is the prospective client looking for assistance?
- What are the desired outcomes?
- What are the client’s indicators of success?
- What are the perceived risks and concerns?
- What’s the actual business value in dollars and cents?
- What are the parameters in terms of people, time, money, and possibly geography?
The Context Discussion should be approached as an opportunity to start solving the client’s problem, together. People often talk too much about their background and experience. Clients don’t care about your experience once you’re in the room. Your experience, background and bio gets you into the discussion — once you’re in the meeting, it’s redundant to again talk about your experience.
The client wants to hear about their problems and concerns. Don’t assume you know how to do the project. To the extent that you can, think about turning around their questions and ask about them with inquiries such as:
- How would you approach this?
- What do you think this project should look like?
It’s much easier to sell something to someone that looks like what they want to buy. If you can make progress towards solving the client’s problem in the initial conversation, you are already on your way to being selected.
Delve more into the Context Discussion in the Umbrex Resource, How to Write a Consulting Proposal.
You can also listen to Episode 365 of Unleashed, which shares 20+ questions typically asked during this initial conversation.
Don’t discuss rates with the client
When working through a staffing firm, it is the firm’s role to set rates, not the consultant’s. Please reserve all fee discussions for the staffing firm, not the client.
If the client brings up rates or the fee model, simply refer them back to the staffing firm for that discussion.
Don’t offer to introduce other consultants to the client
The staffing firm’s role is as the intermediary between consultant and client. When a candidate proposes other consultants to the client, it disintermediates the firm and creates confusion for the client.
If you know someone who might be a great fit for the client, introduce them to the staffing firm.
If the client asks for a proposal
Some end clients may engage you after the interview without requiring a proposal, while others might request a written proposal first.
- Affirm that a proposal will be sent to the client in a timely manner
- Share the proposal with the staffing firm first and seek guidance and their protocols.
- Don’t include your normal terms and conditions or your payment fees. Keep it basic with: situation, approach, deliverables, timing.
For more on proposals, including examples and templates, check out the Umbrex Resource: How to Write a Consulting Proposal.
Conclude the meeting with value
As the meeting wraps up, don’t just thank the client for their time — provide some added value about your proposed approach to addressing their issue.
Following up
Follow up with the staffing firm promptly to let them know how the meeting went. Agree with the firm on rules of engagement with the client; some might prefer you not follow up directly at all while some might suggest you send an email. Be sure to share whether you have continued interest in the project at this point.
10. Handling multiple project opportunities
It will often happen that a staffing firm approaches you when you have another project in your pipeline.
The best practice here is to be transparent about the fact that you have other projects coming up, and share your decision criteria for how you decide which project to take if more than one presents itself.
Common approaches include:
- First come, first served. You simply accept the first project that is confirmed with you.
- Giving priority to one project. In some cases you may have been working to develop a relationship with your own client, and that client is finally close to confirming a project. If you feel you need to wait for that client to decide before committing to another project with the staffing firm, communicate the date you expect to get the answer from your client.
11. While on the project
Onboarding
Be low friction to do business with. Try to make the onboarding process as smooth as possible. Be easy to deal with by being on time with providing required paperwork, signing the contract, submitting invoices on time, etc. Look at your agreement for payment terms before asking when you’ll get paid.
Give the staffing firm updates per their requirements
Most firms do not need weekly updates. The firm will tell you the frequency and depth of updates they’d like to have from you during the project; if not, ask. Be sure to update them as needed, but don’t go overboard with too many or too much detail.
Inform the staffing firm immediately if there are any issues
Sometimes, an issue will arise with a project or a client. Talk to the staffing firm right away if any of the following problems arise:
- The client isn’t satisfied with the work.
- You are being overworked.
- You feel boundaries are being crossed.
Confidentiality
Do not reveal the identity of the clients you have served through a staffing firm. The firm may prefer to keep the identity of their clients confidential.
Instead of naming the client, you can say, “I served a top ten pharma company.”
Early termination protocol
Leaving a project early is generally frowned upon. Emergencies can happen, however. If you must voluntarily withdraw from a project early, make sure it is done gracefully and professionally.
- Discuss with the staffing firm first before talking to any clients.
- Give at least a 30-day notice.
Project extensions
If you are approaching the originally scheduled end date of the Statement of Work, and it appears likely the project may need to extend, discuss with the staffing firm how they would like to handle it.
Simple expense process
- At the beginning of the process, speak to the staffing firm about expenses and be sure you understand their process and how to handle it.
- Even if not explicitly required, it’s good policy to have the client pre-approve any significant expenses in writing. (e.g. if you’re traveling for the project, email the estimated cost of the trip and obtain approval).
- When submitting expenses, different firms have different approaches. A good policy to follow is to create one single PDF with a cover sheet that itemizes all expenses, attaching a document that includes a copy of the included receipts, and email that.
Invoicing tips
- Don’t accidentally invoice holidays you didn’t work.
- Submit your invoices on time.
- Submit invoices in the format requested.
- Additional resource: Invoice Tips & Templates
Do amazing work and ensure the client is delighted
This is by far the best way to get more projects and solidify a great relationship with the staffing firm. Above all, do an outstanding job for the client.
By being more deliberate and thoughtful about improving the client’s experience of working with you — before, during, and after the project — you can take your consulting services to an even higher level, so that clients and staffing firms remember you and want to work with you again.
The Umbrex Resource, How to Improve the Client Experience, offers a checklist and detailed guidelines to help you provide a consistently excellent experience to clients.
12. After the project
Once the project is wrapped up, talk to the staffing firm about who will follow up with the client and when. This could change on a case-by-case basis depending on the firm or project, so get clarity on the next steps and follow through on any action items needed from you.
Some staffing firms might have a policy in which you do not reach out or contact the client after the project — rather, the firm does all follow-up. Other firms might want to partner with you once you’ve developed a relationship with the client on a project. Ask the firm for their guidance here.
If a client reaches out to you specifically after the project has wrapped up, be sure to read your agreement terms with the staffing firm. If enough time has gone by where you aren’t restrained from working directly with the client then you may do so. It’s a good practice to reach out to the staffing firm to inform them.
This might also be a time to refer project opportunities you receive that aren’t a fit for you to the staffing firm. Ask for the referral arrangement before you make the connection.
13. Build long-term relationships
Once you’ve been added to the talent pool of a staffing firm, focus on building relationships with the people who work there. Seek to get to know them as individuals.
Even though your resume is in their system, it’s more likely they will reach out to you if they have more of a connection with you.
Look for ways to strengthen this relationship. Some opportunities include:
Refer projects to the staffing firm
If you come across a project opportunity that you aren’t a fit for, refer it to the staffing firm. Identifying and generating other project opportunities at the client for the staffing firm can make you look like a hero. This builds your long-term relationship and potentially leads to more work. Most firms will share a referral fee.
Attend events
When possible, attend in-person and virtual events hosted by the staffing firm. This strengthens the relationship and helps keep you top of mind with the firm.
Introduce potential consultants
Introducing other independent professionals to the staffing firm team provides value to both your colleague and the firm.
Contribute to thought leadership
Some staffing firms may publish original content by consultants in their talent pool. Proactively offering to write content on an area of your expertise can bolster the relationship. This would typically be unpaid.
Social media mentions
Mentioning the firm on your social channels can help promote them and build your visibility (be sure to tag them).
Check back in periodically
Continue to update the firm with your availability and any new experience gained through recently completed projects. In-person meetings may not always be possible, but can be helpful if so.
The goal is to stay top of mind, just like you would with clients.