Are You A Virtual Consultant?
Are You a Virtual Consultant? You don?t know? (I?ll bet you are and just don?t know it yet ;)) Let?s find out here together, ok? I guess we should start with ? What is the actual definition of a "Virtual Consultant"? And you all are always welcome to disagree, add to, comment on, my opinions of how I would define a "Virtual Consultant", ok? ... But, here goes ... From a search for the term "Consultant" at Dictionary.com (I know I'm such an Internet "junkie"! ;)) --------------------- ?con?sul?tant ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kn-sltnt) n. One who gives expert or professional advice. One who consults another. ... --------------------- And ... --------------------- vir?tu?al ( P ) Pronunciation Key (v?rch-l) ... Computer Science. Created, simulated, or carried on by means of a computer or computer network: virtual conversations in a chatroom. --------------------- Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. --------------------- ? So ... I guess a "Virtual Consultant" is anyone who gives "advice" by means of a computer and/or computer network. So, I guess that means that if you are providing any kind of service on the internet ... I would say that constitutes providing "advice" since the client is purchasing your service rather than doing it themselves due to some perceived expertise on your part that they are willing to pay you for, right? And the Internet certainly is the ultimate computer network, right?! :) So ... the definition of a Virtual Consultant is very inclusive and applicable to almost anyone doing business via the internet, computer, etc. And I would ?bet? that if you are reading this article, then ? You are probably doing business on the internet and likely fit this definition of a Virtual Consultant, right? So ? Congratulations! :) You are a Virtual Consultant after all, aren?t you?! And you probably didn?t even know it, huh? ;) You may ask ? ?But, I am (/?label? myself as) an Internet Marketer ? Am I still also a Virtual Consultant?? I would answer ? Yup! ;) You are also a Virtual Consultant, since when you are marketing and selling the products and/or services you market, aren?t you recommending these products and services to your prospective clients and/or customers and advising them as to how your products or services may be used to help them improve their business, their health, their life and/or otherwise benefit them? So, Wouldn?t you consider that ?consulting? them? And you are conducting your business remotely from your clients and prospects via the internet, right? So, in my humble opinion (IMHO), you are a Virtual Consultant too! Wouldn?t you agree? Or you may ask ? ?Well, I am just a writer ? How can I also be a Virtual Consultant?? Well, don?t the articles, e-books, documentation you write advise your readers on some important topic? Aren?t you informing them about one of your areas of expertise? And aren?t you recommending that they take some kind of action for their own benefit? Doesn?t that sound like consulting to you? It does to me! ;) And your readers are most likely receiving your written materials via the internet and/or via email, right? So again, I would say that this all qualifies you also as a Virtual Consultant, right? And I could go on and on, but I am sure you all already get the ?gist? so ? You may still ?counter? by saying ? ?Yea, but consultants charge ?an arm and a leg? for their services and I only charge $X, so I can?t be really be a Consultant, can I?? Well again, as we learned / saw above ... You are a Consultant per the dictionary definition of such, right?! :) And what does what you charge for your advice and/or service have to do with whether or not you are a Consultant? I know it's a stereotypical / perception thing that Consultants are expensive, right? But, I don't see any reason why this has to be the case, do you? However, by calling yourself a Consultant, you may also be able to reap the benefits of some of the other perceptions that come along with this, like: * Professionalism: Consultants are perceived to be professionals, like doctors, lawyers, etc., right? * Subject Matter Expertise: Consultants are perceived to be experts in their subject areas, aren?t they? * Objectivity: Consultants are perceived to be more objective, than say someone within an organization, and as such their advice is more often ?taken to heart? and taken action upon by the client, right? And who knows? Perhaps just by calling yourself a Consultant You may find that your clients may be willing to pay a bit more for your advice and services, which would be Great for you wouldn?t it! :) So with all of these benefits for referring to yourself, and acting, as a Virtual Consultant, Why not? ?Be? a Virtual Consultant! Sincerely from Your Fellow Virtual Consultant, - Michael S. DeVries About the Author: Michael S. DeVries is the Moderator of The Virtual Consulting Discussion List and Principal of The Virtual Consulting Firm (http://www.TheVCF.com). Learn more about Virtual Consulting by subscribing to The Virtual Consulting Discussion List for FREE and receive several FREE Gifts! at: http://www.TheVCF.com/vcdl.phtml Source: www.isnare.com |