I will be touching upon on an important topic in this article: E-consulting. I envision e-consulting growing more and more popular in the next few years and into the distant future as well. E-consulting will keep evolving and improving over the course of time.
Here is a definition of E-consulting.
E-consulting simply means all communication is handled electronically. It's essentially a mix of phone consultations, e-mail, information sharing (electronically sending data, images, documentation, and other information ) and analysis conducted at my office.
Source:
inventoryops.com
Remote consulting is another name for E-consulting. The key word here is 'remote'. Valuable work can be provided remotely. Gone are the days when a consultant, coach or trainer would only be given the option of working onsite for a client. A company called effectivedatabase.com offers remote consulting through a blend of phone and e-mail consultations. Effectivedatabase, if you notice, provides their services in the same way as inventoryops.com.
One of the key advantages of E-consulting is the cost. This is what James River Technical Communications says about their remote consulting work:
James River Technical Communications saves you money by working for you from my site rather than yours. You don't have to provide me with:
- Office or cubicle space
- Telephone and e-mail
- Computer workstations
- Admin support
The internet is creating a new class of web-based, geographically-dispersed entrepreneurs. Digital communication allows work, capital, and knowledge to come together in a virtual world that can let go of the old necessities handshakes and paperwork.
Source:
huffingtonpost.com
For the past year, there has been an evident trend of people offering their coaching or consulting services directly online.
Source:
insidermonkey.com
An example of E-consulting pro bono work from my web site.
I had implemented E consulting on a pro bono basis for a client through one of my web sites a few years ago. I cannot disclose the specifics of the consultation as it would be a breach of my consultant client confidentiality agreement to do so.
I can however, describe the tools and the methods used in the said consultation. I had provided my Remote Influencing (RI) consulting services for a client in southern California, USA. I used Yahoo messenger and my yahoo e-mail address for the consulting session. I chose to use my personal e-mail address as it was more convenient. I was able to use the e-mail plus the messenger service in tandem. The consultation would have taken longer if I were to have used my web site e-mail address.
I also used PDF files and web links during the session. The whole session was undertaken online in real time. Even though we were separated by vast geographic distances, along with the 8 hour time difference, I was able to consult with client as though we were in the same building. The e-mails arrived in the space of a few seconds or so.
My past work experience and an example of E-consulting elements used in one of my previous jobs.
I had once worked at a biomedical company in Mountain View, California, USA. I worked as an inside sales representative. I used the phone, the internet, fax machine, postal mail brochures in my work. These e-tools helped facilitate the closing of sales. In regard to the e-tools, I would not consider the postal mail brochures as e-tools per se. I would say that the internet, e-mail and the phone were the most effective selling tools in my work tool-kit at that time. I had been implementing elements of E-consulting in this job.
E-consulting through my Facebook pages and my Google Plus page.
I have used elements of E-consulting through my Facebook School of The Remote Influencer page and through my Google plus School of the Remote Influencer page. I am very impressed with both of these online platforms. They are free to set up. They act as web sites in many ways. I had used the Facebook e-mail and the Facebook instant messaging tools during some of my online consultations. I like how Google plus pages can have positive comments shared. I see similarities here between the Facebook pages and the Google plus pages. These comments are similar in ways to testimonials.
The low costs involved in E-consulting.
If one has a good PC and broadband high speed internet service, they will have the tools necessary for E-consulting. A land line phone and/or a cell/mobile phone would be helpful too. A web site with your own domain name would be good to have as well. If I am sending single e-mails, I would use my domain name e-mail address as this is more professional than using a personal e-mail. However, as described earlier in my post, I have used Yahoo messenger in one of my past consultations.
If you cannot afford to get a web site done right away, I suggest buying the domain name for your proposed web site and the e-mail address for the web site. You can then send e-mails using your web site e-mail address.
When you think about it, the costs involved in using E-consulting are low. However, the powerful work that can be delivered through these tools is priceless.
E-detailing.
Elements of E-consulting are making their way into pharmaceutical sales at a rapid rate. Here is a definition of E-detailing:
E-detailing in the pharmaceutical industry is defined as a broad and continually evolving term describing the use of electronic, interactive media to facilitate sales presentations to physicians. Now, with e-detailing, pharma firms can establish brand awareness, increase familiarity, and facilitate sales, using remote marketing that does not always require a face-to-face meeting.
Source:
basecase.com
E-detailing allows for more presentations to be made and it does so cost effectively as well. I foresee E-consulting making its way into many fields in time. At present, I see E-consulting being used in Higher education, e-learning, recruitment, HR learning and development, training, pharmaceutical industry, PR and advertising, high-tech, financial services, business consulting, psychotherapy, life coaching, if I am leaving any fields out, please let me know.
Here are some of the factors which I believe influence people to start E-consulting businesses, and/or to implement E-consulting elements into their work.
You can start at home part-time, in the evenings, with your home computer, phone and internet connection and invest in the business as it grows.
Source:
mytopbusinessideas.com
With access to everyday technology like a computer and the internet, you can start a business in literally minutes.
Source:
smallbusinessbonfire.com
If you're consulting online and only corresponding with clients by e-mail, phone, fax, IM, etc, then a home-based business is fine.
Source:
consultingsuccess.com
I am also conscious that setting up a consultancy is one of the easiest and lowest risk way to starting a business there is. I have employees to worry about, no stock levels to manage, no investors to satisfy, and very few suppliers to pay.
Source:
researchconsulting.co.uk
Conclusion.
E-consulting will continue to grow and to evolve and improve over the next few years and into the future. Advances in technology and lower costs for these technologies, are making all of these things possible. People are already using elements of E-consulting without being consciously aware of it. It comes as second nature in many ways. E-consulting will blend into hybrid forms and offshoots. This is what I believe will manifest.
