Sales or Technical?
Firstly, congrats on an excellent article.
I have been an independant IT consultant for 3 years now with about 5 years IT experience under my belt before going solo. Maybe surprising though, my previous IT experience was sales\account management rather than technical.
Although it is my techincal skills which get the billable hours done, it is my sales skills which ensure the client is aware of my achievements. This ensures trust and value in my work which ultimately results in more work comes coming my way. Not just with the client involved but the clients they refer.
The ability to sell yourself is a critical trait an independant consultant needs over a traditional tech.
