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Tuesday, June 26, 2007

IT Consulting: Which Qualities Define a Sweet Spot Client?

While you can never tell with 100% accuracy which IT consulting prospects will be sweet spot clients, there are some qualities to look for that will help.

Is the Prospect’s Company Expanding?

A business opening an additional office will need PCs, more servers and telecommunications lines. This type of expansion can lead to an IT consulting opportunity, particularly if the company does not already have a professional.

Which Communications Technology Does the Prospect Have?

If the prospect’s company has a PBX phone system or something similar, you can establish relationships with local phone retailers and potentially get referrals and partnering opportunities.

If the prospect’s company has an email domain and is looking to retrieve emails between spam, filtering and firewalls, you will find yourself with a potentially large IT consulting possibility. Also determine whether or not the company has a dedicated server and internet.

Are Online Sales Integral to the Prospect’s Business?

Once a prospect has decided to add a real server, he/she will have much more complicated IT needs that will make IT consulting necessary and prime the prospect to be a possible sweet spot client. Ask yourself if the company needs to do tasks online with vendors, customers or regulators.

If the answer is yes, system downtime will translate to huge financial losses. You want IT consulting clients that have a lot to risk if systems go down. When a company is large enough with a dependency on IT, the attached prospect will know how important your recommendations are and that your IT consulting expertise is absolutely necessary to success.

Which Industries Most Need IT Consulting?

Healthcare, financial services and natural services are just three of the industries that most need IT consulting. Think about other industries that really rely on IT, and you will find yourself with a list of sweet spot candidates.

Prospects with Multiple Locations

If a prospect has a branch office or remote locations, there will be sophisticated IT consulting needs.

Is the Prospect Accustomed to Paying for IT Consulting?

If the company has already used IT services professionals in the past or worked with Bars, solution providers or integrators, they are more likely than not to be willing to pay for your IT consulting services. A company that spends money once will spend it again.

The Bottom Line About Sweet Spot IT Consulting Clients

Look for signs that the prospects you’re targeting might be good IT consulting candidates, and you could build many healthy long-term relationships that will sustain your firm over time.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit