216. Identifying Leaks in Your Consulting Business Development Process

Grow Your Independent Consulting Business

What if the biggest reason you're not hitting your revenue goal has nothing to do with strategy — and everything to do with tiny, invisible breakdowns in your business development process?

In this episode, I walk you through the concept of “leaks” in your consulting business — those points where value, opportunity, or efficiency is lost without you even realizing it.

These leaks aren’t just annoying; they dilute your revenue, add unnecessary stress, and make your business harder to run than it needs to be.

We’ll cover eight common types of leaks that affect independent consultants — from not generating enough conversations to getting stuck in the "friend zone" — and how to use the Consultant Leak Framework to identify and fix them.

I also share two real-world case studies from clients who patched their leaks and saw big changes — including one who added $650K to their pipeline.

Timestamps for Key Moments

• [05:12] What a "leak" actually is and how even seasoned consultants have them
• [08:45] Eight common business development leaks that stall your revenue growth
• [16:33] The Consultant Leak Framework, a 6-step process to find and fix the biggest breakdowns in your BD system
• [20:01] Case Study #1: How one consultant shifted his mindset and process to unlock $650K in pipeline
• [24:45] Case Study #2: How a “friend zone” leak was solved by creating simple hook offers that convert conversations into next steps

Tune in to Episode 216 to diagnose your own biggest leak — and learn how to fix it so you can build a more predictable, fulfilling consulting business.

Related Resources

• Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-216/
• Subscribe to Melisa’s newsletter: The Independent - Weekly Newsletter, https://www.melisaliberman.com/news
• Consulting Business Health Check – Take it at https://www.icassessment.com to establish your baseline and identify key areas for optimization.
• Related Podcast Episode: Episode 193 - Being In Control of Your Consulting Business Results, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-193/
• Work with Melisa: Apply for a Coaching Exploratory call at https://consultmelisa.com

Want More?

• Get Melisa’s Book: https://www.melisaliberman.com/book
• Visit with Melisa’s Website: melisaliberman.com/
• Follow on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/melisa-liberman

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