Getting Started in Consulting
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Getting Started in Consulting

Getting Started in Consulting


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About the Book

THE UNBEATABLE, UPDATED, COMPREHENSIVE GUIDEBOOK FOR FIRST-TIME CONSULTANTS GETTING STARTED IN CONSULTING More people than ever are making the jump from corporate offices to home offices, taking control of their futures, being their own bosses, and starting their own consultancies. Consulting is a bigger business than ever and growing every day. For almost a decade, Alan Weiss's Getting Started in Consulting has been an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to strike out on his own and start a new consulting business. It provides a rich source of expert advice and practical guidance, and it shows you how you can combine low overhead and a high degree of organization to add up to a six- or even seven-figure income. You'll learn everything you need to know about financing your business, marketing your services, writing winning proposals, meeting legal requirements, setting fees, keeping the books, and much more. This new Third Edition of Getting Started in Consulting is more comprehensive, up to date, and practical than ever. In addition to the nuts-and-bolts basics, you'll also get a wealth of new information and resources: How to leverage new technologies to lower your business costs and increase your profits A budget sampler that shows you how best to maximize an initial start-up investment of $5,000, $10,000, or $20,000 Free downloadable tools and forms to help you design and start your business quickly and easily New interviews with consultants who achieved rapid success, including their personal stories and most effective techniques Brand-new references, examples, and appendices If your dream in life is to get out of the office and out on your own, consulting is a great way to make it happen. Make sure you do it right—and do it profitably—with Getting Started in Consulting, Third Edition.

Table of Contents:
Introduction to the Third Edition xi About the Author xiii Acknowledgments xv Chapter 1 Establishing Goals and Expectations (Including Your Own) 1 You Will Be What You Decide to Be, Nothing Less, Nothing More Starting At Square Zero: Financial Needs 2 Personal Attributes: The Investment from Within 5 Time Use: There’s No Such Thing As Not Having Enough Time 10 Focus: We’re All Working Part-Time 15 Why Collaboration Can Kill You 17 Summary 19 Questions and Answers 20 Notes 21 Chapter 2 Physical Space and Environmental Needs 23 Act Like You Have a Business and You ’ ll Have One Alternative Work Spaces 24 The Basics Around You 29 Beyond the Basics 36 Communicating at the Speed of Light 38 Getting Some Help From Some Friends 41 Notes 43 Questions and Answers 44 Chapter 3 Sorting Out the Legal, Financial, and Administrative 45 First, Let’s Kill All the Lawyers Legal Requirements and Organizational Options 48 Accounting, Financial, and Tax Matters—Exploiting Opportunities 50 Finding a Banker and Obtaining Credit 53 Other Professional Help 56 Notes 66 Questions and Answers 67 Chapter 4 Marketing 101 71 Creating a Market Gravity for Your Business Creating a Press Kit 73 Stationery and Related Image Products 77 Networking 79 Pro Bono Work 86 Listings, Ads, and Passive Sources 88 Summary 90 Notes 91 Questions and Answers 91 Chapter 5 Advanced Marketing 93 Creating a Brand Establishing a Web site 93 Publishing 98 Obtaining Media Interviews 103 Speaking 110 Newsletters 113 Notes 115 Questions and Answers 115 Interlude Leveraging Technology 117 How to get Started at the Speed of light The Importance of Being Earnest 118 The Budget Sampler 120 Best Practices in Leverage 121 Chapter 6 Initiating the Sales Process and Acquiring Business 127 Building Relationships Finding the Right Buyer 129 What to do About Gatekeepers 131 Gaining Conceptual Agreement 135 Creating a Succession of “Yeses” 141 Notes 145 Questions and Answers 145 Chapter 7 Closing the Sale 147 How to Write Proposals and Cash Checks The Nature of Excellent Proposals 149 The Nine Steps of Great Proposals 150 When to Follow Up 161 Eight Rules for a Command Appearance 163 Ten Steps to Follow if the Buyer is Unresponsive 166 Horrors, What if the Buyer Says “No!”: Six Steps to Redemption 167 Notes 170 Questions and Answers 171 Chapter 8 Establishing Fees 173 If You Bill by the Hour, You Cheat Your Client and Yourself The Fallacy and Lunacy of Time-Based Fees and Per Diems 174 Preparing and Educating the Client 176 Fifty-one Ways to Increase Your Fees 179 Summary 192 Notes 192 Questions and Answers 193 Chapter 9 Moving to the Next Level 195 You May Be Ready for Dramatic Growth Before You Know It Finding Resources: The Pros and Cons of Staffs 197 Business Planning 200 Creating Passive Income 203 Working Internationally 206 Investing In Longer-Term Potential 209 Notes 212 Questions and Answers 213 Chapter 10 Giving Yourself Permission to Succeed 215 How to Continue to Grow by Paying Back Maximize Retirement Investing 216 Mentoring 218 Professional Growth 219 Retainers 220 Selective Project Acquisition 222 Travel 224 Celebrity Status 227 Life Balance 229 The Firm’s Future 231 Giving Back 232 Notes 233 Questions and Answers 233 Chapter 11 The Quick Start 235 How to Hit the Consulting Ground Running at Full Speed First Dimension: Creating Infrastructure 236 Second Dimension: Reaching Out for Business 246 Marketing Technique 1: Call Everyone You Know 247 Marketing Technique 2: Target Twelve 249 Marketing Technique 3: Focused Prospecting 251 Quick Start, Full-Speed Mileposts, and Dangers 254 Summary 256 Notes 256 Questions and Answers 257 Appendices A. Business Plan to Attract Investment 259 B. Sample To-Do Lists 261 C. Office Equipment Recommendations 263 D. Trade Associations, Professional Groups, Publicity Sources 267 E. Sample Biographical Sketch for a New Consultant 271 F. Sample Position Paper 275 What You Need to Know 276 What You Need to Do 277 G. Sample Magazine Inquiry Letter 279 H. 101 Questions for Any Sales Situation You’ll Ever Face 281 An Overview 281 Qualifying the Prospect 282 Finding the Economic Buyer 283 Rebutting Objections 283 Establishing Objectives 284 Establishing Metrics 285 Assessing Value 286 Determining the Budget Range 286 Preventing Unforeseen Obstacles 287 Increasing the Size of the Sale 288 Going for the Close 288 The Most Vital Question 289 Glossary 291 Index 295

About the Author :
ALAN WEISS is a consultant, speaker, and bestselling author. His firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc., has consulted with such clients as Merck, Hewlett-Packard, GE, and Mercedes-Benz, among many others. His thirty other books include the bestseller Million Dollar Consulting. For more information, contact him at his blog, www.contrarianconsulting.com, or Web site, www.summitconsulting.com.


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Product Details
  • ISBN-13: 9780470419809
  • Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
  • Publisher Imprint: John Wiley & Sons Inc
  • Height: 84 mm
  • No of Pages: 320
  • Weight: 386 gr
  • ISBN-10: 0470419806
  • Publisher Date: 09 Apr 2009
  • Binding: Paperback
  • Language: English
  • Spine Width: 23 mm
  • Width: 140 mm


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