To provide virtual IT support, you often need to be a generalist, but to be successful in the IT industry you have to be an IT specialist.  As an IT specialist, you will have to provide the following very generalized services: network design; procurement services; management; phone company interaction; interaction with web hosts and ISPs; configuration, testing, integration, customization, training and troubleshooting problems.  

The truth is, as an IT specialist you will still be doing everything, which is technically being a generalist.  But, while you might have to be a generalist, you don’t necessarily have to be a generalist for everyone in the world.  If you are an IT specialist by carefully choosing the right clients, your marketing efforts will be much simpler.

Be Selective with Clients

You can be all things to some people by providing a complete solution.  You will offer virtual IT services and be a place for them to go for all their needs.  You take responsibility for all your clients’ needs, but still are selective about what kind of clients you pursue.

An Example for an IT Specialist:  Real Estate

If you’re specializing in the real estate industry, you have probably worked with commercial real estate firms in the niche, and might be a top IT consulting professional in that field.  You will have testimonials and references to show the work you’ve done in the field and will come across as an IT specialist in the real estate world.   

Specializing Does Not Mean You Have to Have Much Experience

Finding a niche can just involve having one or two clients you’ve had for a year or two.  You may have started migrating an older DOS industry application to a 43-bit or to another web-based application.  Work over an extended period of time will give you mastery of the line of business applications, which is often the difference between you and anyone else in the IT industry.

What is It to Be an IT Specialist?

You don’t have to have very much experience in the IT industry to become an IT specialist.  But the specialization is necessary to being a successful marketer of your business.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101