Rob Howard – The AI Consultancy Project

These results aren’t typical – many don’t do this, while for others, it’s easy.

To understand why, we need to talk about the unique market conditions that make AI consulting the most open playground it’ll ever be right now. I’ll show you the data so you can judge it for yourself.

Then, I’ll share the 3 factors that make things unnecessarily hard for aspiring well-intentioned AI consultants.

Once you have that, I’ll show you the success framework I’ve tested with 600+ AI consultants. It’s all on this page – even if we never work together, you can learn it once, then use it forever.

First things first though – the reason why starting and growing your AI consultancy is the easiest it will ever be, is math. Specifically, the kind that smart people call “The AI Economy”.

Let’s get into it.

Why Do Some AI Consultants Fail?

As an AI Consultancy Project member, you’ll receive 4 layers of support and guidance from me:

To maximize your results, it makes sense to see everything you’ll get in each of them — let me show you.

The AI Consultancy Project System

---

You’ll never fall behind: Unlike many courses, trainings, and curriculum that struggle to keep up with the ever evolving world of AI, The AI Consultancy Project System is different.

Instead of overloading you with content or busy work – we created a comprehensive, always-up-to-date, and time-efficient set of project playbooks.

Comprehensive: They give you the step-by-step of learning AI, specializing your AI skills, enrolling clients, delivering results, and building a business that serves you.

Always-up-to-date: My team and I are experienced software developers – we update the playbooks with the same consistency that we push software updates to any client project.

Time-Efficient: To strike the delicate balance between being comprehensive and time-efficient, you get a personalized learning plan. That starts with you taking our AI consultant persona quiz – a quick yet rigorous way to assess your existing business and tech skills.

At the end of it, you’ll discover your AI consultant persona, along with your personalized plan to make the most of the program.

That said, preview the playbooks for yourself to see the ones that will help you the most right now:

What You’ll Create

• A Bespoke Menu of AI Services: Structure your offerings into accessible and scalable options, from quick-start trainings to premium, high-impact projects.
• Presentation-Ready Service Descriptions: Define the deliverables, benefits, and outcomes for each service, ensuring clarity and confidence in client conversations.
• A Systematic Approach to Growth: Design services that naturally evolve from entry-level engagements to retainers, ensuring long-term client relationships and steady revenue growth.

Why It Works

How You’ll Get There

1 — Define the Building Blocks

• □ Map your offerings across the Offer Ladder (from free to premium) and the Offer Suite (training, strategy, and implementation).
• □ Leverage the AI Service Menu Framework to organize your services into categories clients can easily understand.

 2 — Align Services with Client Needs

• □ Identify which no-code/low-code AI tools (e.g., Zapier, Airtable, or ChatGPT workflows) can be integrated into your services.
• □ Use case studies and discovery methods to refine your understanding of client pain points and tailor services accordingly.

 3 — Package and Present

• □ Craft descriptions for your entry, core, and premium offers, clearly outlining outcomes and benefits to appeal to various client budgets and needs.
• □ Build a portfolio-ready example or mock service to showcase your offerings with clarity and confidence during client meetings.
• □ Use our professional Proposal Templates to close higher-end client deals.

A lot of the academic courses really are academic, but [this] bridges the gap of turning [AI] into something usable for your own business and your clients [with] practical use cases.

[Another] good thing…is the balance of group and self paced work. In my own life, [I’m] busy with [my] primary day-to-day [work and sometimes] just need to take a little time out. [This lets] you can do that”

What You’ll Create

• A Proven Prospecting Framework: Develop a scalable system for identifying and qualifying potential clients, ensuring a steady flow of high-quality leads tailored to your niche.
• A Curated List of 100 High-Potential Leads: Pinpoint and pre-qualify 100 solid prospects using a strategic approach that maximizes relevance and fit.
• Personalized Outreach Materials: Craft persuasive, customized outreach messages designed to initiate meaningful connections with your ideal clients.
• A Predictable Lead Generation Routine: Establish repeatable daily habits for prospecting that drive consistent results without overloading your schedule.

Why It Works

How You’ll Get There

1 — Define Your Ideal Clients

• □ Use the Rockstar Client Framework to identify and refine your target audience based on revenue potential, industry, and business characteristics.
• □ Pinpoint decision-makers using AI-powered and non-AI tools for efficient contact discovery.

 2 — Build Your Prospect List

• □ Use our ‘plug and play’ prospect worksheet to track prospects – an elegantly simple system I’ve personally used to find long-term clients – the kind who work with me for years instead of just a few months.
• □ Apply niche-specific search strategies that I’ve tested and proven over 10+ years of running my own consultancy.

 3 — Craft and Execute Outreach

• □ Write compelling, personalized emails using the One-Two Punch Email Method to elicit quick and meaningful responses.
• □ Use our templates, scripts, and examples to send professional messages that inspire trust and sincere inquiries about your AI services.

 4 — Evaluate and Optimize

• □ Track responses and use the Client Feedback Loop to refine your messaging and targeting.
• □ Implement lightweight CRM tools to organize follow-ups and monitor lead engagement.

What You’ll Create

• A Proven, Trust-Driven Sales Process: Learn zero-pressure sales techniques to build trust and address client objections.
• Almost-Instant Proposals and Risk-Free Offers: Write fast, persuasive proposals that simplify client decision-making and reduce hesitation.
• A Client Reputation Framework: Build your credibility through testimonials, case studies, and clear outcomes that showcase your skills.
• Client Enrollment System: Use it to close your first or next three deals – build momentum for sustainable AI consulting.

Why It Works

How You’ll Get There

1 — Master the Zero-Pressure Enrollment Call

• □ Use the Zero-Pressure Sales Framework to focus on client needs and build authentic connections.
• □ Address client objections naturally and confidently, removing doubts without pushing for the sale.

 2 — Create Fast, Impactful Proposals

• □ Use the Almost-Instant Proposal Writing framework to deliver clear, actionable proposals within hours.
• □ Integrate small, medium, and large pricing options to give clients flexibility while increasing conversions.
• □ Offer risk-reversal tools, such as 30-day guarantees and quick-start bonuses, to eliminate hesitation.

 3 — Build Your Reputation Early

• □ Develop a hybrid portfolio by creating sample projects or showcasing early wins.
• □ Gather testimonials and case studies from even small, initial projects to build trust and proof.
• □ Learn how to position yourself as a consultant focused on outcomes, not credentials.

 4 — Close and Deliver on Your First Projects

• □ Use trust-based follow-ups to ensure deals move forward without feeling pushy.
• □ Deliver results quickly, document your successes, and leverage those outcomes to attract your next clients.

What You’ll Create

• A Hybrid Retainer System: Offer a mix of proactive services, reserved support hours, and premium perks to create irresistible retainer packages for your clients.
• Custom Retainer Packages: Develop tiered options such as Maintenance and Upkeep, Strategy, and Premium Fractional Chief AI Officer retainers.
• Respectful Boundary Agreements: Establish clear expectations and boundaries to ensure smooth client relationships.
• Recurring Revenue Streams: Convert existing and new clients into long-term partners, providing stability and growth for your business.

Why It Works

How You’ll Get There

1 — Build Your Retainer Offering

• □ Learn the Hybrid Retainer framework, combining proactive services, reserved hours, and priority access to create value.
• □ Design Maintenance and Upkeep retainers for routine support, Strategy retainers for high-level planning, and Premium retainers for comprehensive leadership services.

 2 — Craft and Present Proposals

• □ Use templates to communicate your retainer packages clearly and persuasively.
• □ Highlight the risks of not having a plan, such as delays, higher costs, or lower service priority.

 3 — Set Boundaries and Terms

• □ Define clear terms, such as how hours are used, whether they roll over, and what constitutes billable time.
• □ Use “What If You Don’t Sign Up” messaging to reinforce the benefits of retaining your services.

 4 — Transition Existing Clients and Sell New Ones

• □ Leverage client success stories to onboard existing clients onto retainers.
• □ Use structured conversations and pre-negotiated options to close new retainer clients.

What You’ll Create

• Turn Your Expertise into Scalable Offers: Convert your existing client services—training, strategy, and builds—into group programs and “one-to-many” solutions.
• Productize Your Deliverables: Create recurring trainings, bootcamps, and workflow “in a box” solutions that maximize your impact without multiplying your time ‘on the clock’.
• Master Group Delivery: Develop systems to confidently teach and engage multiple clients at once, ensuring a high-value experience that generates repeatable revenue.

Why It Works

How You’ll Get There

1 —  Identify Your One-to-Many Opportunities

• □ Map out your service matrix to pinpoint which trainings, builds, or strategy sessions can be transformed into group formats.
• □ Learn the difference between recurring memberships, bootcamps, and workflow products—then decide which approach fits your audience.

 2 — Design and Price Scalable Offers

• □ Use our Scalable Offer Planning Calculator to determine pricing, capacity, and delivery formats for group trainings, bootcamps, and productized solutions.
• □ Build small, exclusive group sessions (5-10 clients) as your first step to scale while maintaining a high-quality, personalized experience.

 3 —  Deliver High-Value Group Experiences

• □ Learn to effectively teach live group sessions, balancing content delivery and individual attention to build trust.
• □ Offer recordings and resources to add long-term value while making the process seamless for participants.

 4 — Productize and Sell Workflow Solutions

• □ Identify repeatable, no-code or low-code workflows (e.g., AI automations) to package as “workflow in a box” products for clients.
• □ Learn to scope and price productized builds, reducing delivery time while increasing profitability.

What You’ll Create

• Simplify Your Business Tech Stack: Set up the exact tools you need to run your consultancy efficiently and eliminate the ones you don’t.
• Create a Simple Financial System: Establish a financial process that makes bookkeeping, paying yourself, and managing taxes effortless.
• Streamline Your Hiring Process: Build a clear system to decide when and how to hire your first team member—without adding unnecessary overhead.

Why It Works

How You’ll Get There

1 —  Build Your Simple Office Stack

• □ Identify the essential tools to manage emails, documents, and client projects without cluttering your workflow.
• □ Use our Tech Stack Guide to set up Google Workspace, QuickBooks, Stripe, and password managers like 1Password—no more, no less.

 2 — Design Your Lean Financial System

• □ Learn how to separate personal and business finances with a simple checking account, credit card, and bookkeeping system.
• □ Follow the Monthly Payout Workflow to pay yourself consistently while setting aside taxes and avoiding cash flow stress.

 3 —  Simplify Hiring Decisions

• □ Adopt the Before You Delegate, Eliminate mindset to clear unnecessary tasks first.
• □ Use our Simple Hiring Framework to determine the right time to hire and which role (e.g., bookkeeper, assistant) should come first.

 4 — Cut What You Don’t Need Before $100K

• □ Eliminate distractions like CRMs, project management tools, advanced bookkeeping, and payroll until they’re truly necessary.
• □ Focus on getting clients and growing revenue—not “busy work” systems.

What You’ll Create

• Define Your ‘Life Rocks’: Identify your most important life goals (family, travel, health) and set measurable milestones to achieve them.
• Set Clear Client Expectations: Establish a system for mutually respectful boundaries that protect your time while delivering exceptional results.
• Eliminate Burnout Risks: Learn strategies to prioritize your well-being and avoid the pitfalls that derail most consultancies.

Why It Works

How You’ll Get There

1 — Redefine Your Metrics for Success

• □ Identify what enough looks like for you—financially, personally, and professionally.
• □ Use the ‘Life Rocks’ Worksheet to define categories (e.g., family, health), measurements, and frequencies that reflect your goals.

 2 — Set Expectations—Not Boundaries—with Clients

• □ Learn to replace boundaries with mutual expectations for client relationships.
• □ Define commitments like turnaround times, response windows, and “no fire drills” policies to keep projects stress-free.

 3 — Protect Against Burnout with Systems

• □ Develop practical habits to maintain energy, such as work shutoff times and optimized weekly schedules.
• □ Avoid common traps like hustle addiction and survivorship bias that push consultants toward burnout.

 4 — Build a Business That Turns Off

• □ Learn how to tier your services and implement premium “rush fees” for clients who require more access.
• □ Create a plan to scale sustainably without sacrificing your ability to stop working.

The 9 project playbooks can feel like an overwhelming amount of content – that’s why, when you join, we’ll give you a learning plan that’s like ‘Google Map directions’, but for growing your AI consultancy.

To make sure it’s accurate, first we invite you to take our AI Consulting persona quiz — a quick and effective needs assessment of your AI, client, and business skills.

Then, we use those data points to create your personalized learning plan that protects your time. Instead of going through each playbook sequentially, you’ll have a custom path that fits your needs. Also, like Google Maps, we can update the plan based on ‘new stuff’ that comes up on your journey.

All of this helps to answer two big questions that often cost folks a lot of time in these kinds of programs:

In the AI Consultancy Project, you’ll focus on projects that matter the most for you right now — whether that’s learning the technical side of AI, client delivery, or growing your consulting business.

That said, playbooks aren’t the only thing we’ve created to help you move faster.

Nerd out and partner up with over 300 fellow AI consulting professionals – from emerging consultants to established fractional C-suite consultants.