621 - Why ‘Giving First’ Beats Funnels and Ads for Consulting Success with André van Kampen
Why you should listen
- André van Kampen reveals how his 9-year hospitality background became his secret weapon for delivering exceptional client care in Salesforce consulting—going the extra mile that sets him apart from competitors.
- Discover how building and nurturing the ISV community in Europe created multiple revenue streams while establishing André as a thought leader in the Salesforce ecosystem.
- Learn practical strategies for leveraging networking and community involvement to build a sustainable consulting business without relying on paid advertising or traditional marketing tactics.
Differentiating yourself in an increasingly crowded consulting market while building genuine client relationships feels nearly impossible. In this episode, I sit down with André van Kampen, a Salesforce consultant from the Netherlands who has built his business through exceptional client care and community leadership. We explore how his hospitality background shaped his consulting approach, why he focuses on the most challenging manufacturing projects, and how he's created multiple revenue streams through ISV partnerships and event organization. André shares insights on navigating AI adoption challenges, the importance of data quality, and why networking remains the most underrated lead generation channel for consultants.
Key Highlights
- Client Care Excellence: How André's hospitality background translates into going the extra mile for clients—from making automations both functional AND beautiful to providing unexpected value that creates lasting relationships
- Project Selection Philosophy: Why André specifically targets complex manufacturing projects with "big messes, political fights, and technical debt"—the harder the better for higher margins and expertise positioning
- AI Implementation Reality: The gap between AI enthusiasm and practical implementation, focusing on data quality foundations before pursuing expensive AI licensing upgrades
- Networking as Business Development: How authentic relationship building through events and community involvement generates return clients and referrals without traditional marketing spend
About André van Kampen
After a career in IT as a support agent and systems administrator, André was introduced to the Salesforce ecosystem as a consultant in 2013.
In the meantime, He has gathered 7 Salesforce certifications, became a user group leader in Amsterdam, Salesforce MVP and also organiser of ISV Forum and the community conference YeurDreamin'.
Resources and Links
- Kampkonsult.com
- André's LinkedIn profile
- Previous episode: 620 - The Death of Billable Hours
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