The aspiring consultant’s blueprint for earning six, seven, or eight figures each year
The Fifth Edition of Getting Started in Consulting is an in-depth guide to succeed as a consultant in today’s rapidly changing world and earn six, seven, or eight figures annually. Written by legendary author Alan Weiss, this book provides a roadmap to develop essential personal traits to excel in the industry—high self-esteem, resilience, agility, fearlessness, innovation, language ability, accountability, discipline, and success over perfection—and delivers the marketing and implementation techniques you’ll need for rapid success.
The book is divided into three parts—Past, Present, and Future—to enable readers to set a foundation for growth, get the most out of their day-to-day, and anticipate and plan for bigger and better things to come. Readers will find expert insights on how to:
- Talk to anyone at any time (the L-D-R-B method)
- Apply “marketing gravity,” close a sale, set fees, and create proposals that are accepted every time
- Create intellectual property and leverage your intellectual capital
- Engage in “shameless self-promotion” effectively and extricate yourself from the crowd and social media
With over 90% new material, this Fifth Edition of Getting Started in Consulting is the lift ticket to get up the mountain—an essential guide for all new consultants looking to learn from one of the greatest minds in the history of the profession.
Table of Contents:
Introduction xi
Other Works by Alan Weiss xiii
PART ONE THE PAST 1
Chapter 1 Getting Started Mentally and Emotionally 3
How to Prepare Yourself: What You Know and Don't Know 3
How to Prepare and Embrace Resilience and Agility 6
How to Build and Sustain High Levels of Self-Esteem 10
How to Talk to Anyone at Any Time (L-D-R-B) 12
Chapter 2 Getting Started with Relationships and Support 17
How to Involve Your Family and Friends 17
How to Create an Ideal Business Structure 20
How to Create Support Mechanisms and Groups 25
How to Remain "Grounded" 28
PART TWO THE PRESENT 33
Chapter 3 Getting Started in Marketing and Sales 35
How to Apply "Marketing Gravity" 35
How to Close a Sale 41
How to Set Fees 45
How to Create Proposals That Are Accepted Every Time 49
How to Continually Build Your Brand 57
Chapter 4 Getting Started in Methodology 61
How to Be Diagnostic and Prescriptive at the Right Times 61
How to Apply a "Unified Field Theory" of Consulting 64
How to Protect Your IP 69
How to Evaluate and Apply Artificial Intelligence 72
Chapter 5 Getting Started in Innovation and Intellectual Capital 77
How to Create Intellectual Property Daily 77
How to Understand and Apply the Three Kinds of Innovation 80
How to Embrace Critical Thinking Skills 84
How to Leverage Your Intellectual Capital 87
Chapter 6 Getting Started in Implementation 91
How to Become a Director and Not a Performer 91
How to Resolve Implementation Obstacles 94
How to Truly Partner with the Client 97
How to Become a Trusted Advisor 100
PART THREE THE FUTURE 105
Chapter 7 Getting Started in Financial Security 107
How to Master Total Days to Cash (TDTC) 107
How to Maximize and Meet Your Future Monetary Requirements 109
How to Create Global Income 112
How to Create Passive Income 116
Chapter 8 Getting Started Again If You Stall 121
How to Overcome Environmental Challenges 121
How to Overcome Personal Challenges 124
How to Change Your Thrust and Focus When Needed 128
How to Create Successful Marketing (Not Business) Plans 131
Chapter 9 Getting Started in Being THE Expert 135
How to Identify and Dominate Your "Public Square" 135
How to Engage in "Shameless Self-Promotion" Effectively 138
How to Extricate Yourself from the Crowd and Social Media 141
How to Publish a Book a Year (or More) 145
Chapter 10 Getting Started on the Next Phase 149
How to Initiate Trends and New Practices 149
How to Practice "Win/Win" Philanthropy 153
How to Anticipate Realistic Futures 155
How to Answer the Question: "Whom Do I Want to Be?" 158
Appendix 161
If You're a Current or Retired Executive Considering Solo Consulting 161
Sample Letters of Agreement 164
Letter of Agreement 167
Sample Proposal 169
101 Questions for Any Sales Situation 175
Seventy Ways to Increase Fees 185
Acknowledgments 189
About the Author 191
Index 193
About the Author :
ALAN WEISS, PhD, is a consultant, speaker, and bestselling author. He has the strongest independent consulting brand in the world and he has worked with clients such as Merck, Hewlett-Packard, GE, Mercedes-Benz, and over 500 other leading organizations.
