June Is Not the Month to Disappear!

Every year, I see education consultants make the same mistake.

They disappear in June.

School is out. Routines change. Summer vacations begin. And many consultants assume business development should slow down too.

Now before you send me an angry email, hear me out.

I'm not saying you shouldn't take vacation.

I'm not saying you shouldn't spend time with your family.

In fact, I think you should.

As I write this, I'm preparing to spend time with my own family, and by the time this podcast airs, I'll be camping with them.

Summer is busy. Kids are home. Schedules look different. Many of us are catching our breath after a long school year.

But I think many education consultants misunderstand what's actually happening inside schools right now.

One of the things I teach inside the ECA Membership is that we don't build our businesses around the fiscal calendar.

We build our businesses around the school calendar.

That's how schools operate. It's how budgets operate. And for many of us, it's how we'll always operate.

When you look at your consulting business through that lens, June becomes one of the most important months of the year.

While teachers are enjoying a well-deserved break, administrators are planning.

They're reviewing data. Reflecting on what worked and what didn't. Identifying challenges they need to solve next year. Planning professional learning. Setting goals. Making decisions.

In many ways, they're doing exactly what we should be doing as consultants.

They're planning.

And that's exactly why June is not the month to disappear.

Stop Spending June on Low-Leverage Activities

Here's what I see many consultants doing in June:

• Rebuilding their website

• Tweaking graphics

• Designing a new logo

• Taking another certification

• Creating another workshop

• Building another training

None of those things are inherently bad.

I've done all of them.

But if your goal is to get booked this fall, those probably aren't the highest-leverage activities available to you right now.

Instead, I would focus on three things.

1. Have More Conversations With Administrators

If you're newer to consulting, June is market research season.

This is not the time to sit behind your laptop trying to guess what schools need.

It's time to talk to schools.

Schedule conversations with administrators.

Not sales calls.

Conversations.

Ask three simple questions:

• What's keeping you up at night?

• What do you think is causing that problem?

• What do teachers need in order to move toward a solution?

Those three questions will tell you almost everything you need to know.

They'll help you understand what administrators actually care about.

They'll help you clarify your messaging.

They'll help you shape your offer.

And they'll keep you from building solutions around problems schools don't actually have.

The best consulting offers are built from real conversations, not assumptions.

2. Invest in Relationships

If you're already working as a consultant, June is relationship-building season.

Reach out to:

• Current clients

• Former clients

• Warm contacts

• Administrators you've worked with before

Use this time to debrief the work you've done together.

Ask:

• What's working?

• What's next?

• What goals are you setting for next year?

• What challenges are you anticipating?

One of the reasons I love connecting with administrators during the summer is because they often have more margin.

I've had meetings scheduled for thirty minutes turn into two-hour conversations because administrators finally had the space to think out loud.

In fact, one of my clients recently told me the exact same thing happened to her during a Zoom meeting with an administrator.

Several of my clients have experienced similar conversations this summer.

This is also a great time to:

• Stop by a campus

• Bring coffee

• Drop off a Sonic drink

• Pop in and say hello

Not because you're trying to sell something.

Because you're building relationships.

You will never get around the fact that education consulting is a relationship-based business.

Digital marketing matters.

Your online presence matters.

But neither will replace genuine relationships.

You're not asking someone to purchase a $25 classroom resource.

You're presenting a significant solution that often represents a substantial investment.

People want to know who they're buying from.

The good news?

When schools know you, trust you, and see results from your work, those relationships often turn into repeat contracts year after year.

3. Clarify Your Offer and Framework

Notice I didn't say your website.

I didn't say your graphics.

I didn't say your landing page, sales page, or logo.

I said your offer.

Can you clearly explain:

• The problem you solve?

• The process you use?

• The outcome you help schools create?

If not, this is the month to work on that.

If you don't have a framework yet, this is the perfect time to outline one.

It doesn't have to be perfect.

It doesn't need fancy graphics.

It doesn't need a polished sales page.

It just needs to be clear enough that you can confidently talk about it with administrators.

Because schools don't buy websites.

They don't buy logos.

They don't buy Canva graphics.

They buy solutions.

The consultants who build momentum this summer are not the ones with the prettiest websites.

They're the ones having conversations.

Building relationships.

Clarifying their offers.

Strengthening their frameworks.

Staying visible.

And focusing on the activities that actually lead to opportunities.

Your June Priorities

If I were building my consulting business this month, these would be my three priorities:

1. Have as many meaningful conversations with administrators as possible.

2. Get extremely confident in your offer.

3. Get crystal clear on your framework.

That's it.

Not another certification.

Not another website update.

Not another workshop.

Focus on the activities that create opportunities.

Because June is not the month to disappear.

It's the month to position yourself for a booked fall.

Want a Month-by-Month Plan for the Summer?

That's exactly why I created the Summer Success Roadmap.

It's a simple guide that walks education consultants through what to focus on in June, July, and August so they can position themselves for a booked fall.

If you'd like a copy, grab it through the link in the show notes.

Want Support Implementing the Roadmap?

That's exactly what we do inside the ECA Membership.

Because knowing what to do is important.

But implementing it consistently is what creates results.

Inside the membership, you'll get access to monthly trainings, Office Hours where you can get your questions answered, and Quarterly Planning Sessions that help you stay focused on the activities that move your business forward.

If you're ready for support, accountability, and a community of education consultants working toward the same goals, we'd love to have you join us.

https://www.jennkleiber.com/membership