We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. April Willis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. April, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job?

Before owning my company, I worked at an organization that held a large conference every year and I had the privilege of serving on the planning committee for the annual conference. Part of our role was securing the keynote speaker. I quickly learned that what most people might think a reasonable hourly rate is for work does not apply to keynote speakers- potential speakers were listing their rates at $5,000-$30,000+ for a one-hour speech. I was floored when I started seeing their proposals come in. I started looking into who these people were (none of whom I had heard of) and trying to figure out what type of background could warrant an hourly rate that is greater than what many people make in an entire year.

During our committee planning sessions, while evaluating these proposals, I heard one of my colleagues say something that stuck with me all of the years- we’re not paying them for one hour of work; we are paying them to distill a lifetime’s worth of education and experience into a one-hour session for the professional growth and development of hundreds of people. Fast forward 10+ years and I am using that advice in my own business.

As a consultant, coach, and speaker, I have to justify my rates to people and I have learned to position my services as an investment- clients are not paying me by the hour to complete work; clients pay me to learn how to apply my lifetime of education and experience to improve their circumstances, now and in the future.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

April Willis Consulting, LLC is a comprehensive consulting firm located in North Texas and catering to clients nationwide. Our primary goal is to empower every client to unlock their full potential and achieve their professional objectives. With our team of experts, we offer the necessary support to devise action plans, execute strategies, and assess outcomes, transforming ambitious ideas into remarkable achievements. Our fundamental values drive us to serve our clients diligently while upholding the high standards we have set for ourselves.

We specialize in assisting various entities, ranging from individuals to organizations. Whether you are launching a new business, envisioning the future of a non-profit, enhancing educational institutions, or coaching industry leaders, we are here to help. Our role is to transform your extraordinary concepts and brilliant visions into tangible reality. We bridge gaps, prepare you for unforeseen challenges, and support your aspirations as you embark on your next great endeavor.

Our consulting services cater to businesses and organizations across diverse areas, including grant writing, human resources, social media management, strategic planning, and much more. Each client has unique requirements and areas of opportunity, which we address on a case-by-case basis. We take the time to understand where you are currently and where you aspire to be, and based on that understanding, we develop a personalized game plan for your success.

What brings us the greatest satisfaction is witnessing the growth and prosperity of individuals and businesses we work with. Our track record of success has led to our acceptance into the Forbes Coaches Council in 2022 & 2023 and previously being recognized as one of the Top 50 Business Coaches in the US. These accomplishments serve as a testament to our commitment and the positive impact we have on our clients’ journeys.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’m not Instafamous or an influencer, but I do have a solid following on social media. While my posts don’t go viral, they do serve a purpose: I remain relevant and I have credibility when pitching to new clients. My goal with social media is to maintain a digital presence. When I pitch to a new client and they do their research on my company, I want them to see that we regularly post on-topic and on-brand posts. I want them to feel a sense of confidence in working with my company because we come across as an authority in the field.

As far as how to build this social media presence, I have five tips:
1. Include your picture in the majority of your posts. People want to do business with brands they know and trust- if you’re a small company or a start-up, they may not know you, but they can start to trust you if they see your smiling face on the regular. Be the person everyone wants to do business with. You represent your company- get your face out there!
2. Post regularly. I post twice per week- enough to show I’m consistent, but not so much that my followers unfollow me for spamming them with promotional content.
3. Follow your brand guidelines. If you haven’t developed brand guidelines yet, you should. Come up with a look and feel for your posts (e.g., fonts, colors, types of images, a logo, etc.). Followers should recognize your posts immediately and this will help build your brand recognition.
4. Invest in a social media scheduler. This will make getting your posts of multiple platforms so much easier! It will also be a once-a-month task instead of a multiple-times-per-week task.
5. Vary your posts. Have some posts that are informative, some that pitch your services, some that solve problems, some that share events, some that are just for fun, etc. Avoid just being salesy in every post.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients is former clients. I have an incredible group of supporters among the clients I used to work with, or even continue to work with. They share my services with their friends and their referrals keep my business successful. I offer a multi-tier reward system for referrals and I even track referrals using an app to encourage clients to continue to send people my way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aprilwillisconsulting.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/dr.aprilwillis
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/draprilwillis
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/draprilwillis/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AprilCWillis
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjOZ8-ZRkj9J04W_zKfqQFw
• Other: https://profiles.forbes.com/u/bc0bc798-8947-4d5e-8993-ae2d5bbadb43