Looking to land more high-paying expert network calls, projects and surveys? Creating profiles with multiple expert network companies is one of the best ways to increase your exposure and land more project invitations. Click on the company name to open their expert registration page in a new tab.
Choosing which expert network companies to work with
While expert networks are infamous for recruiting consultants on LinkedIn, most searches start with their internal databases. Creating quality profiles with a good handful of expert networks doesn’t take long and can significantly increase your project volume. A few tips to help you get started:
- Be sure to signup with the largest firms in the industry, include GLG, Guidepoint and AlphaSights. These firms arrange thousands of calls and surveys each week!
- Don’t disregard expert networks from outside your region. Though the volume is lower, I’ve done calls with clients and firms in Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Italy in the past year despite having no experience doing business in those countries. Clients may be interested in getting your perspective as part of a cross-border investment decision or to understand market dynamics in your home country.
- Once you start working with multiple expert networks, you’ll occasionally start receiving invites to the same project from more than one company. It’s often beneficial to respond to each invitation to increase your chances of being staffed on the project. You won’t know which firm is going to submit their list of candidates first or if you’ll be included on that list. Having your profile presented to the client two (or more) times can make it more likely that you’re selected. Exclusivity is rare in the expert network industry, so take advantage of the chance to get multiple bites at the apple with some quick copying and pasting.
- Your expert network profile should be structured differently than your resume or LinkedIn profile. Harried associates aren’t interested in your skillset; they want to know if you can provide the information that their client is looking for. So be specific in your job titles and primary work functions. Name names (lots of them) of former employers, key vendors, competitors, and products where you have deep knowledge and/or are the purchase decision-maker. Go heavy on keywords to make your profile show up often in searches, though ensure that it is fast and easy to read.
If you would like your expert network added to this directory or to have a featured listing, please contact us.
Over a decade ago, I responded to a LinkedIn message asking me to provide my thoughts on a vendor I was using at work during a paid one-hour phone call. The call was interesting and the money was nice, so I soon found myself regularly participating in short and easy consulting calls through a half dozen expert networks on a variety of topics.
It’s interesting work that’s also probably one of the easiest, most convenient, and most lucrative side hustles you’ll ever find, so I started exploring how I could proactively land more frequent and higher paying assignments. Many of my strategies worked quite well, and I’ve now completed well over 200 expert network consulting calls, dozens of paid surveys and a few small projects. I’ve helped quite a few friends and colleagues get started as well, and along the way have learned quite a bit about the large, lucrative and very opaque expert network industry – which I’ve also shared with publications like Forbes and Spears. (I’m also a moderator of the Expert Networks subreddit – a great place to ask additional questions!)
So I started this site to share what I’ve learned as a little bit of an expert on expert networks, to help others get started or more involved. To help peel the onion, I’ve reached out to some of the associates I’ve worked with at top firms and other in-demand experts to provide a peek behind the curtain and actionable advice.
I hope you find this site useful, and would love to hear your feedback and suggestions!
It’s interesting work that’s also probably one of the easiest, most convenient, and most lucrative side hustles you’ll ever find, so I started exploring how I could proactively land more frequent and higher paying assignments. Many of my strategies worked quite well, and I’ve now completed well over 200 expert network consulting calls, dozens of paid surveys and a few small projects. I’ve helped quite a few friends and colleagues get started as well, and along the way have learned quite a bit about the large, lucrative and very opaque expert network industry – which I’ve also shared with publications like Forbes and Spears. (I’m also a moderator of the Expert Networks subreddit – a great place to ask additional questions!)
So I started this site to share what I’ve learned as a little bit of an expert on expert networks, to help others get started or more involved. To help peel the onion, I’ve reached out to some of the associates I’ve worked with at top firms and other in-demand experts to provide a peek behind the curtain and actionable advice.
I hope you find this site useful, and would love to hear your feedback and suggestions!
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