Engaging clients and prospects occurs when you show genuine concern and interest in their business and its problems. Maintain good eye contact and body posture. Good eye contact signifies openness and honesty. And your body language and other forms of nonverbal communication speak volumes about your attitude toward them. By same token, you want to be cognizant of your client’s or prospect’s eye contact and body language.

Listening with understanding and empathy is possible if you think client focus first.

Let client tell his story. Put yourself in his shoes when you listen to his business concerns, purpose, vision, and desires. Show approval or understanding by nodding your head and smiling during conversation. Separate process of taking in information from process of judging it. Just suspend your judgment and focus on client. Framing what client or prospect has said is third action in trust building. Make sure you have formed an accurate understanding of his problems and concerns. Confirm what you think you heard by asking open-ended questions such as, "What do you mean by that?" or "Help me to understood major production problems you are experiencing." After you have clarified problems, start to frame them in order of importance. By identifying areas in which you can help client, you offer him clarity in his own mind and continue to build his trust.

Committing is final action for developing trust factor. Communicate enthusiastically your plan of action for solving client’s problems. Help client see what it will take to achieve end result. Presumably, what you have said up to this point has been important, but what you do now—how you commit—is even more important. Remember old adage "Actions speak louder than words." Show you want this client’s business long term. Complete assignments and projects on budget and on time. Then follow up with clients periodically to see how your partnership is faring.

In final analysis, trust stems from keeping our word. If we say we will be there for our clients, then we should honor that commitment by being there. Trust results from putting client’s best interest before our own, from being dependable, from being open and forthcoming with relevant information. It is impossible to overestimate power of trust factor in our professional lives. Truly, trust is basis of all enduring, long-term business relationships.

What others say about your brand is much more powerful and credible than what you can say about it yourself.

When it comes to branding your consulting brilliance, favorable publicity in media or word of mouth is far superior to advertising. So how do you generate publicity “buzz”? Create a buzz about your brand by being visible: Speaking at seminars, publishing a newsletter on your website, participating as a host or guest on television or radio talk shows, writing a column in a reputable trade journal, and networking.

4. Promote a powerful perception of quality in client’s mind.

What is quality if not a perception that resides in mind of client? You build quality intangibles around trust, reliability, excellent people, and innovative client services. Show clients that you can interpret and process their information to convert it to results oriented solutions. What you say is important, but what you do is even more important for reinforcing their perception of your brand quality.

Keep lines of communication open. The goal of branding your consulting brilliance is to convince client that your brand is worth their trust and worth a premium price.

5. Establish your credentials as an industry leader in field.

Clients like to know they are doing business with an industry leader. Make clients aware of your consulting acumen, presence, and commitment. Know your clients’ businesses inside out – what they do, why they do it, how they do it. Tout your firm’s successful track record of accomplishment in working with companies like theirs.

Build and sustain credibility with clients by strengthening your client relationships, developing a client retention strategy, demonstrating that you value your new clients, and going extra mile for them.

6. Practice consistency in building your consulting brilliance.

Stay focused on implementing branding of your consulting brilliance. Keep abreast of marketing trends in your profession and position yourself as a recognized expert. Make most of your unique marketing proposition. Accelerate and elevate perceived value of your brand in marketplace.

In short, to brand your consulting brilliance, know what you have to offer, know how to differentiate it, and know how to market it.