Do consulting certifications really matter?

The other day, a consultant sent me an email.

They asked…

“What type of consulting certification should I get to become a more successful consultant?”

“You don’t need any consulting certification to be successful in this business,” I responded.

I was speaking with another consultant in Australia. He told me he was part of a few different consulting associations. Despite that, his business was struggling.

My dear consultant, let’s make one thing clear.

Consulting certifications do not equal a successful consulting business.

Not even close.

However, they do have their benefits.

By the end of this article, you’ll understand the pros and cons of investing your time, energy, and effort to get consulting certifications — and what to focus on instead if you want to grow a successful consulting business.

Let’s dive in.

The Pros Of Consulting Certifications

So, if consulting certifications don’t equal a successful consulting business, what are they good for?

Let me first explain the value of consulting certifications:

• You’ll learn systems and processes to work with clients, improving your project delivery and the work you do
• You’ll network and speak with other consultants
• You’ll gain confidence in doing consulting work (if you aren’t confident already)

In a nutshell, consulting certifications make you better at doing consulting work.

But any entrepreneurial consultant will tell you that when it comes to running a consulting business…

…the consulting work is only 40-50% of what you’ll be doing.

If you think that all you need to do is get better at your craft to increase your firm’s revenue, you’re mistaken.

More on that next…

The Cons Of Consulting Certifications

Both consultants I mentioned above spent a lot of time and money getting certifications.

They believed it would help them build more successful consulting businesses.

In both cases, it didn’t.

Getting a certification isn’t hard. Anyone can do it.

And just like having a degree from a college or university, it’s not the paper or letters that you receive upon graduation that is valuable.

It’s the routines, principles, thought processes, and relationships that you develop that matter.

For example, let’s say you invest in a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification.

Earning this certification demonstrates that you know a lot about your field. You’ll gain confidence in your ability to do project management work.

It can help you land a higher salary if you’re an employee…

But I know plenty of project management consultants with PMPs who are struggling in their business.

Here’s the problem with consulting certifications: they don’t help you GROW your business.

As consultants, we’re not just in the consulting business.

We’re in the marketing business.

And marketing/sales — attracting consulting clients and successfully pitching them on paid consulting work — are the number one challenges for consultants.

It doesn’t matter how many certifications or letters you have after your name.

If you can’t consistently acquire consulting clients, you don’t have a consulting business.

That’s the bottom line.

What You Should Focus On Instead Of Consulting Certifications

Now that you understand that consulting certifications don’t equal success…

…I’ll give you some alternatives to consulting certifications when it comes to investing your money and focusing your attention.

1. Sales & Marketing

Marketing is attracting the attention of your ideal clients.

Sales is converting them into paying clients.

According to our How To Become A Consultant Study, marketing and sales are the top challenges for consultants.

Why?

They’re difficult.

They’re uncomfortable.

They require you to put yourself out there and face rejection.

But they’re the # 1 thing to invest in if you want to get clients and grow your consulting business.

So, if you’re not happy with how many clients you have, then focus on improving your sales & marketing skills.

We have plenty of articles, books, and programs to help you do just that.

2. Systemization

Systemization is creating step-by-step documentation for the tasks that make up your business.

And very few consultants take the time to do this.

Without systemization, you’ve built yourself another job.

It will be nearly impossible to hire, train, and manage a team without systemizing your business.

You can start to systemize your business today with the very next task you do.

For example, let’s say you’re sending an invoice to a client.

Use screen recording software like Loom to record yourself doing it.

Do this for EVERY task that you do.

Then, hire a freelance writer to write documentation for each video.

You can do it yourself, but you’re much more likely to get it done by delegating the task.

Systemization is KEY to making your business more efficient and stress-free.

Speaking of delegation…

3. Delegation

Delegation is assigning tasks you don’t need to do to a freelancer, contractor, or team member.

Why would you delegate instead of doing everything yourself?

Because your time is best spent on higher-value tasks.

Higher-value tasks are tasks that provide a greater impact on your business.

For example, which task do you think will help you generate more income:

1. Running a sales call with a high-value client.

2. Spending an hour formatting a PowerPoint presentation.

The former is what we call a $1000/h task.

The latter is what we call a $10/h task.

As a consultant, your time is worth FAR more than $10/h.

So, if you’re spending your time on $10/h tasks, you’re LOSING money.

By delegating $10/h tasks, you’ll free yourself up time to work on $1000/h tasks.

And you’ll generate much more revenue as a result.

Without delegation, it’s extremely difficult to grow and scale your consulting business.

Next Steps to Grow Your Consulting Business

If acquiring the certification helps you gain confidence, great.

If acquiring the certification grows your network and leads to meaningful relationships, fantastic.

But if you want to land more clients, increase your income, and build a sustainable consulting business, most certifications won’t help.

You need to learn the process and system to consistently attract clients and how to effectively sell consulting services — even if you don’t like the idea of selling.

For some, that may sound difficult and uncomfortable. It doesn’t have to be.

But it is essential to your long-term success as a consultant.

If you’re serious about a program to help you BUILD and GROW your consulting business — and not just acquire essential consulting skills — here’s how we can help.

1. Clarity Coaching Program – If you’re committed and serious about growing your consulting business then this customized coaching program is for you. We’ll work hands-on with you to develop a strategic plan and then dive deep and work through your ideal client clarity, strategic messaging, consulting offers, fees, and pricing, business model optimization, and help you to set up your marketing engine and lead generation system to consistently attract ideal clients. Schedule a FREE growth session today to apply for our limited capacity Clarity Coaching Program by clicking here.

2. Momentum Video Training & Implementation Course – If you’re just getting going in consulting then Momentum is a great place to start. In this self-study program, you’ll get a solid foundation in place for your consulting business. Through videos, action plan emails, checklists, proven templates, and more we teach you in detail, our time-tested and proven framework for consulting success. We cover messaging, specialization strategies, pricing and fees, branding and website considerations, marketing and so much more. Learn more about the Momentum Course by clicking here.