Adjacent to being of service is knowing that consulting isn’t a zero-sum game.
You don’t “lose” because of a potential client needing something different than what you can provide. Sure, your CRM may refer to them as “lost”, but it’s not like you entirely messed up and scared them off. It just wasn’t a good fit.
A hidden power of being an independent consultant is being able to be a connector, in ways tough to do when you’re still just an employee. At least, I never felt comfortable or confident enough before to even think about it.
Now I’m not beholden to any company, or “allied” with certain organizations. I’m basically a neutral party (at least mostly).
So when I chat with one potential client and they say they need hands onsite for the work they’re doing, not remote support, we can agree that it’s not a great fit right now and just keep in touch.
And when I reconnect with a former coworker who’s looking for their next opportunity and is in the same geographic area as that potential client, I can put the two in contact.
(And yes, my friend did get hired.)
Both parties got what they needed, both are happy, and both are eager to help me out if I need it in the future. Literally everyone wins here! I didn’t do it just for the brownie points, but they’re definitely a perk.
Again, being of service doesn’t mean you have to provide the service. I helped give a company what they actually needed, even if it wasn’t my own work. And I still got compensation in a way—not in money, but in reputation and respect.
I didn’t “lose” here. There wasn’t anything for me to win in the first place.