Management consulting networking events to find clients

Management consulting is a very social industry, as management itself is all about dealing with other people. The social nature of this industry means that one of the best ways to get new clients is by meeting them face-to-face, and the best place to do that is at a networking event. Many such events are coming up across the UK.

This article will list a few upcoming management consultancy events and advise approaching clients at these types of events. The topics we’ll cover include:

• The MCA Awards 2021
• The Women In Business Big Show
• Preston Meets Mondragon
• Operations Management Excellence Workshop
• Tips for approaching potential clients at networking events
• How Countingup can help you manage income from new clients

The MCA or Management Consultancies Association is a trade association. That means they represent businesses within the management consultancy industry, promoting their interests and value to other organisations. The MCA Awards are their way of putting the spotlight on individuals and organisations that have demonstrated their excellence within the industry. 

Most of the MCA Awards attendees will likely be representatives of other management consultancy companies (or those companies’ clients), so you may not find many potential clients at the event itself. That said, there is likely to be much discussion of business and other potential opportunities at the event. This means that although you might not meet a new client, you might hear about a great client lead to follow up afterwards.

The MCA Awards take place on the 1st of November this year and will be on the 14th of November in 2022. Both events take place in London.

A good place to find new clients for your consultancy business might be the LBTC’s upcoming Operations Management Excellence Workshop. Operations management is all about improving the efficiency of a company’s operations, whether those operations are manufacturing and selling products, or providing services. 

Educational events like this are a great way to find your first client as a consultant. As well as learning more about the field the workshop focuses on (operations management in this case), you’ll be able to meet people that don’t know a lot about this particular type of management. If you’re an expert in operations management, you can offer your consultancy services to them and potentially win a new client. 

The workshop takes place November 1st-3rd in London.

Any place where business owners gather is an excellent opportunity for a management consultant to find new clients. The Women In Business Big Show will feature a wide range of female business owners and experts, providing a great opportunity for a consultant to promote their business. 

The event will include opportunities to learn as well as networking opportunities, so while you’re meeting new people, consider visiting some of the presentations and workshops so you can learn how to develop your consulting business.

The Women In Business Big Show takes place in Kent’s Longfield Academy on the 5th of November, 2021.

Networking events are all about building relationships, so keep this in mind when you approach potential clients. Remember to be friendly and conversational. It’s also smart to avoid immediately discussing business-related topics, although you can still discuss the industry you both work in. Business-related topics would be things like arranging a meeting or selling them your services.

It may seem unhelpful, but this sort of small talk is a vital part of your preparations for asking a potential client for a meeting. If you make a great personal connection with the client, they’re much more likely to agree to a meeting than if you immediately ask for one without any prior conversation.

Asking questions is a natural part of any conversation, whether it’s with a potential client or not. When you’re speaking with someone you think is a potential client for your management consulting business, here’s a few questions you might want to try and get them to answer during your conversations:

• Are they in a managerial position?
• Do they have much managerial experience?
• What kind of business do they work in?
• What sort of problems is their business facing? 

Asking questions will help identify if the individual you’re talking to is a genuine potential client. If they are, the right questions can also help you prepare for any future meetings with them.

Remember that if you attend a networking event of any kind, one of your primary goals should be to promote your consulting business at any opportunity. Even if you don’t successfully win any clients while attending the event, if you remember to promote your business, you might still gain some valuable contacts you can use in the future.

When you attend a networking event, talk about the benefits of your consulting services whenever possible. It’s also wise to promote your personal talents, since you’re representing your business at these events.

If you attend a few of these networking events and things go well, you can expect to have some new clients for your consulting business. New clients mean more income, which means you might need to put more time into your financial management. 

If you sometimes struggle with this task, consider using financial management software to make the job easier. The Countingup app is an excellent example of this kind of software.

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation, invoicing on the go, receipt capture tools, tax estimates, and cash flow insights, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Find out more here.