As a health and safety consultant and a sole-proprietor, my family depends on my ability to generate revenue (i.e., bring in some bucks!). When I started my business, I had already been a consultant for many years and knew the trade. I also did my research. From that experience (and for a presentation to a marketing class), I came up with the following 15 rules to market by. Now you may wonder why I’d be willing to share these “gems” with others if they’re so good. If you haven’t figured it out by the end of this article, I’ll tell you.

1. Never Go Anywhere without Your Business Cards

When I started my business, I resolved to have my business cards with me at all times. It baffles me to meet someone in a professional setting and ask for their card only to be told “Gee, I guess I don’t have any on me.” These are lost opportunities that I knew I could ill afford being in business for myself. I have met and given cards to potential clients in grocery stores, indoor playgrounds, wine tasting parties, the recycling center and my son’s school.

2. Every Contact or Meeting Is an Opportunity

Only every opportunity is not obvious, at least not to start. For example, years ago when I was a college instructor, I was contacted by a recent industrial hygiene (IH) graduate seeking job prospects. I told her about an opening at another area university and offered advice. Years later, she called me with some technical questions. Again, I spent a while giving her advice. A little while after that she asked me to do some work for the university. I’ve been back since to do additional work.

3. Get your Degree & Pursue Professional Credentials

There’s no such thing as being overqualified or too educated in this profession. Degrees are valued. My geology degree got me my first job in IH, saved me from unemployment when the economy nosedived in 1991 and helped me qualify to sit (successfully) for the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) exams. My adult education degree qualifies me as a credible trainer and helped get me another job when I was in danger of being “bumped” out of my teaching position.

Get some credentials. Our industry isn’t like engineering, law, or medicine where one designation does it all. We have many designations that allow for varied practice. The CIH is, by far, the one that’s proven the most important for me. I was close to being let go, when I got my CIH. Suddenly, I went from not enough work to being in demand and wracking up more billable hours working for a global environmental consulting company than I could imagine. I have two other designations that I use, and I’ll probably be going for yet another this year. They’re a great learning experience and opportunity!

4. Network, Network, Network

If the three rules of real estate are location, location, location, the rules for marketing yourself are network, network, network. Like most clichés, the saying “It’s not what you know, but who you know” is true. People like to hire (and refer) the people they know. It comes down to simple math: The more people you know, the more likely you will get thought of, get the call and get the job.

5. Be Versatile & Adaptable

Someone much smarter than I once said, “those who are unwilling to change are doomed to stagnate” (or something like that). It’s so true. I’ve heard that those entering the job market today can expect to have at least five different careers (not just different jobs) and that two of them haven’t been invented yet! Think about it—whoever heard of a “web designer” five years ago? Now it’s one of the hottest jobs. But it goes deeper. Willingness to adapt has saved my job. When my former employer’s business was shrinking, I was transferred to another department while others were let go. I adapted—the others collected unemployment.

6. Be a Life-Long Learner

In a changing world, we need to learn new skills to survive. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s learn. This quality has helped me acquire new skills, credentials, projects and clients.

7. Join Professional Associations

Many of my clients belong to the same professional organizations that I do. So do many of my colleagues and peers who are either likely to hire me or refer me to someone else.  Being a fellow member (and attending meetings), gives me the opportunity to network with them and keep my face in front of them. Remember, you want them to think of you first when they need someone. Being a Board Member or working on a committee together just increases the amount of time that you’ll get to spend with them. As an added benefit, most professional organizations have educational sessions at their meetings.

8. Take on New Challenges & Projects

When I worked for a larger environmental consulting company many years ago, I was made Equipment Manager with more duties and responsibilities for the same wages. I learned everything about our equipment I could. Again, when others were let go, I was retained—I was too valuable for the company to lose.

9. Present or Train at Every Opportunity—Even for Free

Most of my work involves training. When I started on my own, a colleague told me that I was lucky to be able to do training. When I asked him why, he explained that a presenter at a seminar on having your own business told him that doing training or presentations was the best type of marketing because you’re actually showcasing your skills and advertising your services without being perceived as such. I have presented repeatedly for no fee, only to have someone approach me afterwards about providing their organization with similar or related services for a fee.

10. Excel at What You Do (Best)

It’s important to be “the tops” in your field or in some niche or market of your field. No one wants to hire the second best. When it comes to professional services, opinions matter; they’re how you get referrals. On the few occasions when I’ve lost a bid to another trainer, it has usually been because of cost, never the quality of my services.

11. Develop a Great Reputation

People talk all the time. The first thing they usually talk about is how bad something is—a meal, a movie or show and especially service. That goes double for professional services. Word of mouth is my most important advertising tool. Not every one of my fellow consultants is as highly regarded. I have been hired (including by other consultants) because they respect me.

12. Be a Generalist with Multiple Specialties

Some colleagues of mine provided only one type of IH consulting. When that market went soft, they went out of business. An ability to provide different services allows you to continue in other areas during “dry” times. My training has gotten me consulting projects and my ability to provide one type of training has repeatedly gotten me other training jobs. But I have to make sure that people know that I can provide various services.

13. Prove Yourself

The president of an environmental consulting company told me early in my career that “in this business, you have to prove yourself – it may only be once or a couple of times, but once you do prove yourself you have it made.” He was right. You might think of this as “paying one’s dues” or “earning respect.” You have to establish your ability to do the job and do it right. Once you do that, others will believe in you. They will be much more willing to hire you, retain you, or refer others to you.

14. Develop Professional Relationships

I have many what I call “professional friendships” with people that I’ve met and gotten to know through work. Some of my friends are clients, too; others might refer work to me (including fellow consultants). It’s not a case of cronyism, but rather that one is more likely to hire someone whose skills and work ethic you know and know well. In the end, I know that unless I do good work, I won’t get the job; and they know that in the end their friendship is far more important to me than the job.

15. Above All, Make Sure It Makes You Happy

When I was 20, my dad told me that he’d support whatever I decided to do with the rest of my life. But he had three requirements. First, I had to decide by the time I was 40. Second, I had to do something besides putting tab A into slot B all day. Third, whatever I chose had to make me happy because if I wasn’t happy, nothing else would matter. He was right. I’ve had different jobs and those that I wasn’t happy at didn’t matter. When you are happy at what you do, it shows. It shines through. People can tell that you’re happy. They feel good for you, want to be with you, and are more likely to hire you.  Think about it, no one likes to be around someone who’s miserable all of the time.

Conclusion

So, did you figure it out yet – why share my “secrets” for successful marketing with others? Well, besides the importance and value of sharing one’s knowledge with peers and the inherent community-like atmosphere of the industrial hygiene profession, there’s a more important reason. Think of it as rule #16 – publish! Getting your name in print, being an “expert” on a subject is a form of marketing in of itself. I’ve authored a book, two technical articles, and a textbook chapter. It has put me in touch with many others.  Publishing is also self-fulfilling: the more you do, the easier it gets to do it and to get published. Think of others whose names you recognize when you see them. Think about all of the others also reading the article and seeing the author’s name. And so, here is mine.

Editor’s Note: This story is a revised version of an article that first appeared in the AIHA’s Synergist magazine. SafetyXChange would like to thank AIHA and Jonathan for sharing the piece with us.

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