I don't know who your marketing guru is, and I don't know how wealthy they are... so regardless of what he tells you, here's my thoughts...

1. Be yourself.

2. Mine your existing customers. Figure out who is currently using your services and ask them for referrals.

3. If you have a certification, I as a customer want to know about it... If the guru knew what I knew about MS Certification, he'd be telling you to highlight the other certs and drop that one. lol... Ok, just kidding, but no, I think you should keep the list... If you want to, you can make the list less technical and more user targeted. The people who hire a consultant are those who you want to tell to turn off the computer and put it back in the box: They want to know what you can do... not what your technical cert is, they have no idea what the technical certs mean. And since users relate to "Microsoft" more than we techies do... by all means, keep the MS Certification.

My next thought... why are you giving discounts? Aren't your prices right? Are you that hungry for business?

Raise the bar... target the companies that can afford your services and show them how your technical experitise can augment their in-house expertise, increasing their consultant fees, thereby lowering their employee costs... You might want to work with an accountant to work out those sorts of projections though.

AFAIC, the only discounts you should be offering are either volume discounts or frequent flyer points... repeat customers, getting better prices. etc. BUT, whatever you do, don't sell yourself short.

Finally... Don't come across as hungry. If you need the work, it's because you're not very good at what you do... Think about it. Mindset is everything. If you are the best in your field, you are too busy to care whether or not I hire your services... that message should come across without you saying it in any way. The reverse message is imho death.

I hope these thoughts help.

T

Tina Brooks, VP Marketing
Brooks Pepperfire Foods, Inc.
Makers of Peppermaster Hot Sauces
http://www.peppermaster.com

Eat more peppers!