As you begin your journey as a project management office (PMO) contractor, the most significant piece of the puzzle is clients. We’ve got the five best ways to find clients as a PMO contractor to help you along the way.
As a PMO contractor, you might want to take on a long-term contract position or take a range of one-off gigs or smaller engagements. It’s possible to find clients for however, you’re looking to contract your services.
Here, we’re going to give you the best ways to find clients as a PMO contractor looking at:
- Your personal connections
- Approaching businesses cold
- Using the internet in different ways
To help generate leads and find companies in need of your PMO expertise.
1. How can I use my network to find PMO contract clients?
Your network of PMO professionals and colleagues is a great way to find clients once your ready to launch your PMO contract business.
Each industry will have different needs from a PMO – working in a PMO for a marketing business will be very different from a PMO in a financial institution, for example. While you may have some opportunity to make a lateral shift, your chances of success lie in your particular experience.
In your career, you’ll hopefully have built up a network of in-person and online contacts. Think about the people you met at conferences or connected with on sites like LinkedIn. Tap into this rich resource – it’s likely that someone will be interested in your contract reporting or set up services.
2. How can I use cold outreach to find PMO contract clients?
Along with your personal network, you can pitch your services to businesses that you have no connection. This process will take some time and research, but it can pay dividends.
A brief breakdown of how to do cold outreach by email for PMO contract jobs looks like this:
- Research companies in your sector – you want to reach out to companies that need your services, i.e. they have a PMO or are in the process of creating one.
- Find their pain points – this can be more challenging, but you may find the CEO, COO, or the PMO leader talking about pain points on LinkedIn or Twitter, for example.
- Know who to contact – you need to get your email in the right inbox when you reach out, so look for the director-level PMO sponsor or the office leader to send your pitch to.
- Craft your pitch – your pitch should be clear and to the point. Recognise the pain point and briefly explain how contracting with you will solve the issue.
It will take time to follow these steps, and it’s a good way of making contacts for the future and learning more about your industry.
What online resources are there for finding clients for a PMO contractor?
3. Freelancer and employment websites
There are a range of websites where you’ll find PMO contracts advertised.
A site like Upwork or Freelancer will post listings from companies, and they can be split into two broad categories:
- Gig work, such as setting up a spreadsheet, creating a presentation, or preparing a project schedule
- Long-term contracts that pay hourly to do regular tasks within a PMO
You’ll pay ongoing fees to this type of site but get payment protections, and your feedback and testimonials are gathered in one place.
Employment sites such as Indeed also post PMO contractor and consulting roles. These will more likely be contracts to take on an FTE role, covering family leave or a recruitment gap, for example.
4. Government contract listings
Each country will have its own way to find out about government contracts. You may think that these will be large-scale contracts above what your small operation can handle, but this isn’t always the case.
Follow your state or local government portals. The UK has a central government Contracts Finder and local and regional government should have similar sites.
Create a website
Having your own website should bring PMOs and businesses seeking PMO services to you.
You can hire a web developer to build the site for you. It’s important to work on search engine optimisation so that people who are looking for your services will easily find you. Digital marketing on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook can also help people find your site.
Finding clients as a PMO contractor
Moving into PMO contracting a significant shift in your career path that can have big rewards for your professional and personal life. Our five ways to find clients as a PMO contractor should help you build your clients and your business.
