With so many qualified Experts and firms in Catalant’s Expert Marketplace, it’s important to identify and pursue the opportunities that closely align with your background and capabilities. Here are some tips to help you find the right opportunities for you.
Take the status into consideration.
In the bottom left of each Opportunity inside of the platform is the status. The status is displayed to provide transparency into the project lifecycle, as seen in the screenshot below.
It appears this project is in the New stage. This is one of four statuses outlined below in the bottom left of the Opportunity card.
- New - It was recently posted and the Client has not yet begun to review Expert pitches.
- Reviewing Pitches - The Client is reviewing pitches from other Experts. This is still a good time to pitch, but we recommend moving quickly.
- Interviewing Candidates - The Client is conducting calls with other Experts. While the Client may consider additional pitches, interest tends to wane once conversations have begun with other Experts.
- Reviewing Proposals - The Client is reviewing proposals for the project. At this stage, Clients are often close to selecting an Expert and new pitches are unlikely to be considered.
Focus on recommendations and invites — and respond quickly.
These opportunities have been identified by our algorithm, a Client, or a Catalant team member as a good fit for your expertise. Responding earlier in the process gives you a higher chance of catching the Client’s eye and landing an initial scoping call.
Consider the project sponsor's past purchases and organizational characteristics.
The company's industry and size are prominently displayed along with some information about the project sponsor's experience using the Catalant platform. Harness this information to determine if the client matches your ideal consulting client.
Analyze Expert competition to differentiate your pitch.
Demographic information is provided to uncover the seniority and capabilities of other experts. Leverage these data points to help differentiate your expertise.
This is your first introduction to the Client and a chance to demonstrate why you’re a great fit for the project. Clients read pitches carefully so make sure yours is polished and tailored for that specific opportunity.
Attach supporting materials.
Call out examples of similar initiatives or projects you’ve completed. Upload supporting documentation including sanitized versions of past work, product information, or relevant marketing materials to showcase your skills.
Pay attention to logistics.
Opportunities will often specify an expected duration, anticipated time commitment, and any location requirements. Avoid pitching if the logistical requirements don’t match your availability or preferred way of working.
With the above tips in mind, remember to leverage the Catalant platform for all communication. Catalant provides a messaging pane and a private, confidential Zoom line for Experts and Clients so there’s never a need to share personal contact information.
Learn from past pitches.
On average, each Catalant project earns 19 unique Experts pitches. To help you better position your consulting practice and optimize your 'Return on Time Pitching,' all Experts will be notified about the status of their pitches. An example of this in platform notification can be seen below. The notification summarizes key information about the winning proposal including price and basic information about the engaged Expert's experience.