Consultants have a hard job. They have to do the obvious which is consult with clients about the particular field they specialize in. Hardest and not so apparent, however, is trying to convince people that their services are not only needed, but that they are the expert who is perfect for the job! Not an easy task sometimes.

Word-of-mouth has typically been the most common form of marketing for consultants… but I came across a site I thought was really inspirational as to the power of video to help people see what they otherwise cannot. Personally, I think it’s even better than word-of-mouth! Read on … I’d like to know if you agree!

I learned of a great site today while listening to the podcast, Startup Nation. On this particular episode, the guest was Rob Chen of Visa. He was talking about marketing in the digital age, and as part of the discussion they mentioned Visa’s contest — Business Breakthrough — to help business owners overcome the many obstacles they face. I had to know more, so off to the web I went.

The main part of the Business Breakthrough web site is a collection of videos showing the problems different businesses face, and the solutions offered by the consultants Visa sends in to help. These videos each give a very nice synopsis of the particular business: showing the team in action, interviewing the management teams who talk about the troubles they’re having, and showcase each consultant identifying problem areas and providing solutions that will help each business find success.

I think videos like this, that show the consultant in action (identifying the problem and providing a prescription for an effective solution) — not only help convince people that they truly are consultants who know what they claim to know… but more importantly, they show real businesses with real problems — and that resonates with other business owners who may not be so willing to open up the old checkbook just because someone claiming to be able to help says they can help.

Because video can show the problem and the solution of a real-world example, I feel it’s even better than the “so-and-so does consulting in that area, they might be able to help you with that problem” word-of-mouth-type of marketing.

Do you agree? I’d like to know.

See also my recent post on Video Testimonials — which I believe can augment the examples I mentioned here.