The AI Consulting Playbook
A guide to building a successful AI consulting practice, from positioning your expertise to scaling beyond your own time.
Who This Guide Is For
This guide is for technical professionals who want to build or grow an AI consulting practice:
- ML/AI engineers transitioning from full-time employment to consulting
- Data scientists looking to monetize their expertise independently
- Technical consultants who want to move from hourly billing to value-based pricing
- Experienced consultants seeking to scale their practice
Whether you're just starting out or looking to double your rates, these frameworks come from real experience building a consulting business from scratch.
The Core Idea: The Consulting Flywheel
The central concept behind this entire guide is the flywheel:
Content leads to calls. Calls generate proof. Proof creates more content.
You write about problems you're solving. People read it and reach out. You help them. Their success becomes testimonials and case studies. Those generate more content and more inbound leads.
The goal is to build a system where you're never answering the same question twice. Every conversation becomes potential content. Every solved problem becomes proof of your expertise.
How to Use This Guide
If You're New to Consulting
Start with Part 1: Foundations to understand the mindset shift required, then work through Parts 2-5 in order. Part 6 and 7 become relevant once you have a few clients.
If You're Already Consulting
Jump to the part most relevant to your current challenge:
- Struggling to get leads? See Part 2: Content & Lead Generation
- Undercharging for your work? See Part 3: Pricing
- Losing deals after discovery calls? See Part 4: Sales & Discovery
- Proposals not converting? See Part 5: Proposals
Quick Reference
Each chapter ends with Action Items and Key Takeaways. The Appendices contain templates, example proposals, and a glossary you can reference anytime.
Guide Contents
Part 1: Foundations
| Chapter | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| 1. The Consulting Mindset | The flywheel concept, partner vs. vendor thinking, the value equation |
| 2. Positioning Your Expertise | Building authority, market share vs. wallet share, expert status |
| 3. Finding Your Market | Using social media as a sensor, testing ideas, writing for different audiences |
Part 2: Content & Lead Generation
| Chapter | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| 4. The Content Flywheel | Never answer the same question twice, content as client qualification |
| 5. Writing Content That Converts | AIDA framework, title formulas, triggering emotional responses |
| 6. Owning Your Distribution | Platform strategy, conversion rates, content automation |
Part 3: Pricing
| Chapter | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| 7. From Hourly to Value-Based | The pricing evolution, minimum engagements, retainer models |
| 8. The Multi-Option Framework | Three-tier pricing, price anchoring, the 5-10x rule |
| 9. Mastering Pricing Conversations | Negotiation tactics, give-and-get framework, handling pushback |
Part 4: Sales & Discovery
| Chapter | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| 10. Qualifying Buyers | Signs of qualified buyers, identifying decision-makers |
| 11. The Discovery Call | Call structure, essential questions, building affirmation loops |
| 12. Understanding What's at Stake | The critical question, real-world examples, creating urgency |
Part 5: Proposals
| Chapter | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| 13. The Situational Assessment | Proposal structure, ROI co-creation, multiple options |
| 14. Writing Proposals That Win | Follow-up strategies, payment structures, building social proof |
| 15. Handling Objections | Common objections, response scripts, creating authentic urgency |
Part 6: Engagement & Scaling
| Chapter | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| 16. Engagement Models | Advisory vs. implementation, avoiding the fractional employee trap |
| 17. Client Retention & Expansion | Preventing churn, land and expand, retainer transitions |
| 18. Scaling Beyond Yourself | Courses, expert networks, partnerships, managing inbound |
Part 7: Business Operations
| Chapter | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| 19. Legal Foundations | Business structure, IP protection, contracts |
| 20. Financial Infrastructure | Banking, payment terms, corporate hygiene |
| 21. Getting Started | First steps, testimonials, referrals, your first metric |
Appendices
| Appendix | Contents |
|---|---|
| A. Templates Library | Email templates, proposal structures, contract clauses |
| B. Example Proposals | Real proposals from small to enterprise engagements |
| C. Glossary | Key terms and frameworks defined |
The Bottom Line
The easiest thing to do is just do good work. Everything else follows from there.
But "good work" isn't enough if no one knows about you. This guide gives you the systems to turn your expertise into a sustainable business that brings in clients, lets you charge what you're worth, and creates impact beyond just trading your time for money.
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