What do you do if your AI consulting services aren't attracting clients?

Begin by identifying real challenges and needs within the market that your AI consulting services can address. Rather than offering a pre-packaged solution in search of a problem, focus on understanding the specific issues potential clients are facing. Engage directly with businesses through surveys, interviews, or industry forums to gather insights into their pain points and the obstacles they encounter. This customer-centric approach allows you to tailor your services to solve actual problems, ensuring that what you offer is not only relevant but also in demand.

General AI without domain specificity is a hard value proposition. Bringing in domaim expertise, with focused and tangible value and ROI may yield meaningful conversations

I find that mostly, people don't know how/where AI can be of use to them. Engaging, as you proposed, rather than offering a shrink wrapped package, will go a long way, @Pieter. But how do you get to that point to begin with? How do you get the opportunity to talk to decision makers if they don't even consider the need for AI?

Also speaking to the right person in the AI consulting service helps. I just got back from an expo in Amsterdam and one of the consulting services we spoke to we engaged with the CEO, sales representative and technical specialist and got a completely different story from each of them as to how they can help our company. Personally I trust the technical specialist

It's best not to disclose that a language model is providing the responses— instead, simply refer to it as a "support chat." However, the approach should be tailored to the laws and ethical considerations of each country, as people may find it challenging to adapt to these new realities. Alternatively, if you clearly state that the support chat is designed to answer specific questions (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), the distinction between a human and an AI becomes less relevant. While etiquette generally discourages customers from telling jokes during support interactions, there may be exceptional cases where a more personable approach can be beneficial.

After assessing the market, you can refine your offerings by: - Conducting a thorough review of existing services to identify strengths and weaknesses. - Considering adding new services or modifying existing ones to meet market needs. - Collaborating with industry experts or partners. - Offering trial programs to potential clients to demonstrate capabilities. - Ensuring clarity and transparency in service descriptions and deliverables while iterating and improving offerings based on feedback and market trends.

Instead of trying to be a generalist AI consultant, consider narrowing down your focus to a specific industry or use case. Become a true subject matter expert in, say, applying AI to supply chain optimization or using AI for personalized healthcare. This level of specialization can make you stand out.

If your AI consulting business is struggling to land clients, it's time to get creative and think outside the box. Instead of offering the same generic services as everyone else, dive deep into the problems your target industries are facing. Become the go-to expert for solving their specific challenges.

Refining offerings must be a continuous process especially AI is an evolving space. Every month, new AI models are emerging with better capabilities and therefore it is essential to fine tune offerings continuously. Base your offerings on pivots that are critical but do not change very quickly - e.g. data governance, data privacy, data quality, data lineage etc. so that your offerings (even they evolve) have a continuity. Good luck!

If your AI services are gathering dust, it might be because they're as exciting as yesterday's news. Carve out a niche with custom solutions that scream relevance—like bespoke data analytics or machine learning models that are tailor-made for specific industry woes.

a. Identify any skill gaps or areas where you need to enhance your expertise and pursue relevant certifications. b. Attend conferences, workshops, or webinars to stay informed. c. Collaborate with experienced AI professionals and gain hands-on experience working on personal and open-source projects. d. Never stop learning...

In AI, if you're not on the cutting edge, you're taking up space. Continuously upgrade your toolbox—learn the latest in machine learning, data privacy, or whatever the new tech flavor of the month is. Stay relevant, or watch your clients find someone who is.

With the rapidly evolving development of AI, we must learn quickly. As a developer, I am often shocked by new developments announced by major companies within just a few months. Many AI companies fail quickly due to big companies dominating the space. Therefore, as a small startup, it is crucial to stay updated on the latest developments and acquire new skills rapidly.

Your network is your net worth, they say. So you can try the following: - Attend relevant industry events, conferences, and meetups. - Leverage professional networks such as LinkedIn to expand your reach. - Participate in online forums, communities, and discussion forums. - Build relationships with thought-leaders and decision-makers in your target market. - Offer free consultations, webinars, or workshops to demonstrate your knowledge and capabilities.

Network with industry professionals, attend conferences, workshops, and seminars, and engage with AI communities and forums to build relationships, establish credibility, and expand your professional network. Leverage referrals, recommendations, and partnerships to generate leads and opportunities for your AI consulting services.

Networking is an inevitable activity for builders like us. With my background in physics and technology, I enjoy creating solutions with our engineers. However, to ensure our work reaches users and helps them, we must step out of our comfort zones. Initially, I struggled with this, but I gradually began to enjoy engaging with people. This work is more than just a job; it is a mission to help others and create a better world for them. It can be challenging because we are often misunderstood, but we must persevere and do what is necessary.

Effectively communicating by providing tangible examples of how AI technology solves real problems, and demonstrating its practical value and impact is critical. Personalize the message with your own examples to show the conviction. Tailor your communication to different segments of your audience, ensuring that it resonates with their specific needs and understanding.

The value your solution provides is the reason why someone would invest in it. Make sure you are breaking down any complex AI concepts into tangible benefits for potential clients. If you have done successful work in the past, highlight case studies or success stories where your AI solutions has driven measurable improvements. Don't just talk tech. Emphasize how your services can solve specific problems, streamline operations, or boost revenue.

Put your money where your mouth is! Stand out by offering a client-centric guarantee, such as a "no-results, no-fee" deal. This shows confidence in your abilities and willingness to put skin in the game. Just be sure you can deliver on the promise.

This is very important. If you have a great product or offering but cannot communicate its value effectively, then it will not be very impactful. Measure value from the eyes of the user/customer. Do not measure impact from your point of view. If you have relevant case studies or testimonials from customers (always seek permission before you quote customer names in testimonials), use them wisely to add credibility to the claims on value. Good luck!

Communicating value is key. People naturally tend to oversimplify things they don't understand to avoid getting into detail. Like the term "AI" itself, which is a collective identifier for a whole industry with numerous technologies and immense complexity. So when negotiating, keep in mind that while a service or product is a black box, people put a price on a box. Take as an example a fine Swiss watch in a box- by just looking at the box you have absolutely no idea why it costs tens or hundreds of thousands. So unveiling the mystery behind what you do both promotes confidence in your skills and justifies the cost.

Your product may be good, but your pricing could be a deterrent. You can try the following: - Conduct market research to understand competitors' pricing strategies. - Evaluate your pricing to see if it aligns with the perceived value of your services. - Offer flexible pricing models and introduce promotional discounts while providing transparent pricing information. - Offer tiered pricing based on scope, complexity, or duration. - Explore alternative pricing strategies and test different pricing models.

- Team up with complementary service providers, like data scientists or software developers, to offer a more comprehensive/complete AI solution. This can expand your reach and give you access to a broader client base. - Target specific verticals or job functions that can greatly benefit from your AI expertise. Tailor your messaging and outreach to their unique challenges.

Be patient and persistent - these virtues are severely overlooked when it comes to client acquisition, the longer one is prepared for the long haul, the conversion will take care of itself.

Market yourself pro-actively and continuously as a thought-leader in AI. Let people approach you for advice and mentoring. This is far more beneficial than selling alone. YOu will get better leads and more qualified openings by this route. Good luck!