SELF EMPLOYMENT

Consultants of Choice

Everything you need to start, run and grow your own consulting business. Templates, videos and resources for all aspects of a consulting practice - no experience required.

Based on Alicia McKay's popular COC membership community, this self-led course is packed with incredible value for any self-employed professional, from aspiring to expert.

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advice you can trust

A word from Alicia McKay

Hi, I'm Alicia McKay. I'm a seven-figure strategy consultant who's been running a consulting practice across New Zealand and Australia since 2014. I'm also a terrible delegator, so I have experience running every facet of a consulting business!

By popular request, I spent over a year packaging everything I know about running a consulting business into this course, and developing a full suite of resources you can use. Now, it's available for you to download into your brain.

Why should you trust me? In short: because I don't make my money from selling courses. I make my money as a consultant, speaker and author. I'm not a digital-marketing dude-bro pyramid-scheming course creator.

I made this course to download all my knowledge into a useful package to help people like you run a business you're proud of.

I developed this course while working with a community of 50+ consultants at all stages of their business, based in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the US.

I ran monthly coaching calls and fortnightly office hours for 15 months to provide high-touch support while I built this curriculum. That investment and connection powerfully refined and targeted this course.

This is thorough, proven content that has helped consultants like you to run a successful business. Get into it.

Patrick Jones - Course author

TESTIMONIALS

Consultants of Choice students

“Consultants of Choice was exactly what I was looking for. As soon as I saw it I felt like it had been designed for me… It has provided me with a clear pathway to get me from where I am to I want to be.”

ADRIANNA BLAIR

Consultants of Choice is for people like me. I really value Alicia's practical, no-nonsense approach to helping me develop my business, my ideas and my ability to communicate them with people.”

CHRIS DESMOND

“Consultants of Choice helped me shape something out of nothing and get clarity. Without this support, I would've been bashing around in the dark for a really long time to get to this point.”

ANGE BRUCE

Overview

What you'll learn in Consultants of Choice

Business planning

Your business should enable your life, not the other way around. Start with your ideal life and plan from there using the COC framework.

Value proposition

Convert your career experience into consulting expertise with COC's five-point model. Carve our your distinct space in the market and never look back.

Consulting offers

Develop irresistible service packages and offers that blow your clients away. Build them, price them, then sell them to your target clients.

Sales pipeline

Learn how to find and reach your ideal clients, convert coffees into contracts and send effective proposals. No cold calling or scammy behaviour here - high-integrity, high-value conversations only.

Marketing

Build your consulting brand, master social media and website management and network with nous. Consultant marketing is all about relationships - and we show you how to nail it.

Project delivery

Deliver high-value, professional consulting contracts from onboarding to referral with your personalised delivery process. Learn how to interview, workshop, prepare recommendations and develop reports.

TESTIMONIALS

Consultants of Choice students

“ I feel so much more prepared, energetic and confident talking about the challenges my target organisations are facing. It's given me a real boost!”

ANGE BRUCE

“When Alicia set up Consultants of Choice, I saw the opportunity to leverage her expertise and experience to use as a rocket to propel me further.”

STEVEN YOUNGBLOOD

“Consultants of Choice has practical steps tailored for consultants in the New Zealand market.
It isn’t some Americanised hype train.”

DOUG CASEMENT

What's included?

71 Videos
58 PDFs
6 Workbooks
6 Modules

Video curriculum

There are six video modules, which each contain between 8-15 videos to watch. These videos can be watched as stand-alone lessons, or you can move through the curriculum in turn. Each video will present a clear concept, and give you an action to take away.

Templates and resources

At every step of the way, your video learning is supported by high-quality workbooks that contain reusable templates and exercises. You can also download scripts, email templates, proposal outlines, LinkedIn posts... the whole shebang.

CURRICULUM SNEAK PEEK: SALES

Discovery meetings are an important part of the consulting sales process. They're where you discover whether or not you and the person you're meeting with are a good fit. Asking great questions is the ticket to success.

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Accelerate your business with practical, immediately usable tools and frameworks

Consultants have a lot of jobs to do in their business - you’re the marketer, salesperson, administration officer, and web designer - as well as doing the work!

Here, I make your job easier. I've thought about the jobs you need to get done and developed valuable tools, templates and resources for every step.

CURRICULUM SNEAK PEEK: MARKETING

Marketing is different for consultants. It’s not like selling a product.
Learn how relationship marketing and personal branding will set you apart.

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Everything you need to become a successful consultant

This is the most comprehensive consulting curriculum available in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or the US. Because I'm not trying to up-sell you, on-sell you, or keep you stuck in a subscription, there's no reason NOT to give you literally everything you need. So I did.

Create a one-page Statement of Intent
Craft a one-page Statement of Intent that clarifies your purpose, values, and goals. This becomes your North Star, shaping how you run your business, the clients you work with, and the services you offer.

Consulting readiness assessment
Understand the skills required to be a self-employed professional. This assessment will help you determine if consulting is the right path for you.

Things to know before you leave your job
Know your reasons, values, numbers, and network before making the leap. Answer key questions: Why are you doing this? What do you want? Can you afford it? Ensure you have a clear understanding of your motivations and resources.

Ideal life worksheets

Design your perfect day, week, and year with these worksheets. Visualize and plan how you want your life to look, ensuring your business aligns with your personal goals.

Goal-setting exercises
Define your success through goal-setting exercises. Establish clear, actionable goals that will guide your business decisions and keep you focused on what matters most.

Develop a one-page value proposition
Create a one-page value proposition to inform your marketing, sales, and client relationships.

Convert your career experience into consulting expertise
Understand which consulting modes fit your strengths. Leverage your career experience to provide expert insights and solutions that set you apart from the competition.

Narrow your focus on your ideal client
Start to narrow your focus on your ideal client. Become problem-obsessed, so you can fix your clients’ problems effectively and efficiently. This approach will ensure you are highly sought after in your field.

Your SEP Value Proposition includes five key elements:

Who you are: Highlight your personality, expertise, and knowledge. Make it clear what makes you unique and credible.
How you work: Describe your preferred mode and approach. Show clients your working style and how it benefits them.
Who you help: Define your target market. Be specific about who you serve and who will benefit most from your services.
What you solve: Identify the problems you address. Clearly state the issues you are equipped to solve for your clients.
Results you deliver: Showcase the ultimate value you provide. Highlight the tangible results and benefits your clients can expect from working with you.

Learn to design high-value consulting offers
Craft a one-page offer that you can use for a landing page, in a proposal, or to guide your sales conversations.

Your offer pipeline

Experimenting, testing, and iterating is crucial. There’s no point in putting heaps of energy into polishing your offer before you've tested it with your market. Learn a clear process to help you rigorously test your service ideas, ensuring they meet your clients' needs.

The anatomy of an offer

Any offer must answer five questions: Who's it for? What results do you deliver? What service is involved? What’s your approach? How much does it cost?

Write powerful results statements

Understand how to write powerful result statements that clearly communicate the value you deliver. Match your services to the problems your clients face, ensuring they see the relevance and impact of your offer.

Choose the right pricing models
Explore different pricing models to determine the best fit for your services. Learn to price your services for maximum profit while delivering exceptional value to your clients.

Transform your sales mindset
Sales can be a challenge for consultants who view it as sleazy. However, sales isn’t a dirty word. When you genuinely care about your clients, sales happen naturally.

Implement a bullet-proof sales system
Learn to design and implement a robust sales system that can handle any challenges. Identify potential issues in your current pipeline and develop strategies to fix them, ensuring a smooth and efficient sales process.

Identify and approach prospects
Discover techniques to effectively identify and approach potential clients. Turn casual coffee meetings into meaningful contracts by mastering the art of great meetings. Build relationships and trust that lead to successful conversions.

Send high converting proposals
Craft proposals that not only capture your clients' needs but also highlight your value proposition. Learn the secrets to writing high-converting proposals that make it easy for prospects to say yes.

Nurture prospects and leads
Understand the importance of nurturing your prospects and leads. Implement strategies to keep your prospects engaged and interested, ensuring they remain in your pipeline until they’re ready to commit.

Design an effective marketing strategy Learn how to create a tailored marketing strategy that highlights your strengths and attracts your ideal clients.

Optimise your LinkedIn profile
Make your LinkedIn profile more compelling and professional to stand out to potential clients and partners.

Master social media posting and engagement
Discover best practices for posting on social media and engaging with your audience to build a strong online presence.

Launch a basic consulting website
Create a simple yet effective website that showcases your services and expertise, making it easy for clients to find and contact you.

Craft a professional expert brand
Develop a personal brand that accurately reflects who you are and what you offer, positioning you as an expert in your field.

COC project delivery process
Learn how to deliver outstanding results, from scoping a new project to closing a completed job. Productize project delivery with a credible, proven process you can brand.

Build professional onboarding, discovery, research, recommendations, and delivery systems to manage projects effectively.

Templates and resources include:

A welcome pack for onboarding your new client

Ensure a smooth and professional start to your projects with a comprehensive welcome pack that sets the tone and expectations.

Agendas and session plans for meetings and workshops Keep your meetings and workshops structured and productive with detailed agendas and session plans.

Research plans and scoping worksheets
Conduct thorough research and accurately scope your projects with customised plans and worksheets.

A recommendations generator and report templates
Efficiently create insightful recommendations and professional reports using ready-to-use templates, helping you deliver high-value insights.

Emails for progress, interviews, and scope variations
Streamline communication with clients through pre-written emails for project updates, interviews, and scope changes.

Templates for legal docs like terms and conditions

Protect your business and ensure clarity with legal document templates such as terms and conditions, mirroring the thoroughness required for significant projects.

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Frequently asked questions

I haven't started consulting yet, will this help me?

Yes! Consultants of Choice starts from day one in consulting – taking the leap. You'll learn how to convert your career experience into consulting expertise, design your business around your life, and find your unique value proposition.

How do I know I'm ready to take the leap into consulting?

Before you leave your job, know three things:

Your reasons - you’ll need a sense of purpose or motivation to keep you going when it gets hard
Your numbers - you’ll want to know how much it costs to run your life and family. 3 months expenses in the bank is a good rule.
Your network - A list of 10 people you can call, who will take a meeting with you.

I've been in business for a while, is this for me?

Yes! Consultants of Choice will help you to refine your offer, market yourself more effectively, level up your pricing and positioning, build stronger relationships with clients, deliver better work, and run the back end of your business more effectively.

What order should I do the modules in?

You can work through the six modules from start to finish. However, if you prefer to dip in and out, or work on particular areas, the modules are clearly labelled, and the knowledge base of resources is indexed clearly. Consultants of Choice is very much “choose your own adventure.”

Don't hesitate

Start your successful consulting career now

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Consultants of Choice

A word from Alicia McKay

Consultants of Choice students

What you'll learn in Consultants of Choice

Business planning

Value proposition

Consulting offers

Sales pipeline

Marketing

Project delivery

Consultants of Choice students

What's included?

71 Videos

58 PDFs

6 Workbooks

6 Modules

Video curriculum

Templates and resources

Discovery Meetings

Accelerate your business with practical, immediately usable tools and frameworks

Download and customise everything you need for:

Marketing Principles for Consultants

Everything you need to become a successful consultant

Module 1: Plan your new life

Module 2: Define your value proposition

Module 3: Craft your offer

Module 4: Nail your sales

Module 5: Marketing for consultants

Module 6: Delivering consulting projects

Sign up to Consultants of Choice

Frequently asked questions

I haven't started consulting yet, will this help me?

How do I know I'm ready to take the leap into consulting?

I've been in business for a while, is this for me?

What order should I do the modules in?

Start your successful consulting career now