ISO 27001 is designed to help enterprises of all kinds, as well as industries, secure the data they hold. Certification to the ISO 27001 standard proves to your clients, potential clients, investors, and other parties that your firm is reliable and adopts worldwide standards in the area of data security and protection.
What Does an ISO 27001 Consultant Do?
An ISO 27001 consultant works in various industries and fields. An ISO 27001 consultant usually handles installation, training, and internal auditing. They can cover any industry or business that wishes to become ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 compliant; normally, these are high-tech corporations, financial companies, service-based businesses, etc.
It is possible to become a consultant when you possess the following:
The Right Accreditation
A consultant must have at least the Lead Auditor or Lead Implementer accreditation for ISO 27001/ISO 22301, but having both would be preferable.
Project Management Certification
A project management qualification is important because all of your work will consist of completing projects. You should obtain a qualification akin to PMP, for instance.
Experience
Understanding from theory alone won’t be sufficient. Thus, you need to gain experience by having at least experience working as a certification auditor, experience working with another consultant, and experience as a business continuity or information security practitioner.
How to Find Clients as an ISO 27001 Consultant
Despite their knowledge of ISO 22301 or 27001, most aspiring consultants have failed at this task, which is, believe it or not, by far the most challenging. There are various ways to sell your services as a consultant; the following are steps to help you land a client:
Utilise Connections
Utilise your connections through prior employment; for instance, strike an agreement with a potential client prior to beginning your consultancy to prevent a gap once you start your new position. This is likely the best way to launch your career; however, you must remain cautious about maintaining ethical boundaries so as not to harm your former employer.
Direct Marketing
The greatest way to close deals is through direct marketing, which means you ought to devote at least roughly thirty percent of your available time to making phone calls and giving briefings to prospective customers.
Proving Reliability
Among the finest methods to establish your reliability and make new alliances is by participating in conventions. However, be mindful to work on your communication abilities, as failing to do so could result in a much lower reputation than before.
Composing Literature Pieces
Composing specialised literature pieces and publishing them online and in specialised publications will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge to a global audience.
Providing Lectures
Providing lectures is a fantastic method to make fresh connections and demonstrate your knowledge.
And keep in mind that you won’t immediately begin receiving clients for your consultation; rather, particularly in the worst-case situation, you’ll likely have fewer initially than you anticipated. This is due to the lengthy sales cycle, as it frequently takes a client a long time to determine whether to proceed with a project.