Anshu Mishra
Focus on sheer delivery is key to be successful as an independent consultant to ensure a high repeat rate from clients.
Tell us about yourself
I am a post graduate in Biotechnology along with a post graduate certificate in general management from XLRI. I started my career with Frost&Sullivan and then worked with the likes of Feedback Consulting, Kantar IMRB and Euromonitor in various research roles. My last stint was with Markets&Markets post which I took a career break and then started as Independent Consultant. After working for couple of years as independent consultant, I founded my own research and consulting firm ‘Octagon Insights’.
What does it mean for you to work on your own?
Decision to working on my own was based on the fact that I wanted to explore bigger and better opportunities. Working independently gives a lot of flexibility which is not something that is available in a 9 to 5 job. Obviously, I was looking to scale up and work with multiple clients and on different scope of work. Fortunately, the plan more or less has worked out so far and I am now leading my own firm in a span of 3 years.
How did you find your niche as an Independent Consultant?
I think I planned what areas I wanted to work on and develop my skills around, obviously it has been a function of how market has been shaping and what kind of projects I was getting to work on. At the start, I wanted to cover everything that gives an outside-in perspective of the problem statement to the client which typically includes a view on markets, consumers, competition etc. Having said this, we are now offering data and analytics based performance improvement solutions.
What challenges do you face as an Independent Consultant?
I think the biggest challenge is the business development aspect of it in terms of hunting new business. Brands generally tend to put trust in consultants who they are familiar with, which is why building a brand becomes really important. However, on the other side, if you are able to earn trust of the client, the repeat is generally very high is what we have seen.
How do you usually find projects/work from clients?
Given it’s a B2B space, we are following traditional methods of business development leveraging connections. We are also working towards building our brand a bit, digital will play a key role for us here.
Why did you sign up with InsightGig?
I think InsightGig has been able to build a brand wherein clients look at them as a partner of choice when it comes to hiring experts. We have been associated with InsightGig for more than 2 years now and it has proven to be a win-win for both of us so far.
How did InsightGig solve your challenges?
InsightGig as a platform is really helpful when it comes to engaging with a new client. The platform provides a seamless experience for experts from signing on to engagement completion.
How was your overall experience working with InsightGig? And how can the experience be improved?
Overall experience with InsightGig has been very nice. However, scaling with InsightGig is something that can be improved.
Tell us your tips on how to succeed as an Independent Consultant?
Focus on sheer delivery is key to be successful as an independent consultant to ensure a high repeat rate from clients. One also needs to be sharper in what domains/sectors he/she wants to focus on.
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