Alan Weiss - The Consulting Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Create and Expand a Seven-Figure Consulting Practice

Contents

Chapter 1 : Origins and Evolution

The Role of a Consultant

The Ongoing Need

Various Forms

Examples of Success

The Future

Notes

Chapter 2 : Creation

Legal

Financial

Administrative Support and Resources

Emotional Support and Resources

Two Available Structures

Notes

Chapter 3 : Philosophy

Value Trumps Fee

Reducing Labor Intensity

Identifying True Buyers

Conceptual Agreement

Leveraging

Notes

Section II : Exodus

Chapter 4 : The Journey

Creating Gravity and Attraction

Reaching Out Effectively

Viral and Social Media Implementation

Creating an Accelerant Curve

Shameless Promotion

Technology Strategies

Notes

Chapter 5 : Presence

Creating and Nurturing a Brand

Expanding Products and Services

Considering Alliances

Referral Business

Retainer Business

Global Work

Notes

Chapter 6 : Celebrity

Thought Leadership

Authorship

Value-Based Fees

Subcontracting, Franchising, Licensing

Reinvention

Creating Communities

Notes

Section III : Deuteronomy

Chapter 7 : The Perfect Proposal

Assuring Success

Conceptual Agreement

The Nine Components

How to Submit

How to Close and Launch

Notes

Chapter 8 : Implementation

The Role of the Buyer and Champion

The Key Stakeholders and Influence Points

Avoiding Scope Seep

Midcourse Corrections

Notes

Chapter 9 : Disengaging

Demonstrating Success

Obtaining Referrals

Obtaining Repeat Business

Creating Testimonials and References

Long-Term Leverage

Notes

Section IV : Acts of the Apostles

Chapter 10 : Interpersonal Methodologies

Coaching

Facilitating

Conflict Resolution

Negotiating

Skills Development

Notes

Chapter 11 : Teams and Groups

Leadership

Succession Planning

Career Development

Teams versus Committees

Communications and Feedback

Notes

Chapter 12 : Organization Development

Strategy

Change Management

Cultural Change

Crisis Management

Innovation

Notes

Section V : Proverbs

Chapter 13 : Ethics of the Business

When Bad Things Happen to Good Consultants

Financial Follies

Protection and Plagiarism

When to Refuse Business or Fire Clients

Doing Well by Doing Right

Notes

Chapter 14 : Exit Strategies

Building Equity

Licensing Intellectual Property

Achieving Life Balance

Finding Successors and Buyers

Transitioning

Note

Chapter 15 : Payback and Reinvestment

Mentoring Others

Advancing the State of the Art

Participation in the Evolution

The Future

Notes

Physical Appendix

Virtual Appendix

About the Author

Index

Copyright 2011 by Alan Weiss. Al rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

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ISBN 978-0-470-92808-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-02359-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-02360-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-02361-7 (ebk) This book is dedicated to all those who have ever entered this profession, improving the condition of their clients, and thus improving the livesof those around them.

Ergo, this book is dedicated to YOU, and to your success.

This is a book conceived and created for the independent consultant and boutique consulting firm principal. Having established that, let me point out in the second sentence of the Introduction that the strategies, concepts, methodologies, and experiences described herein are equal y valid for the partner and practitioner in a larger firm. My seminal work on consulting practices, Million Dollar Consulting, has been read by over half a mil ion people since the first edition was published in 1992.

So a logical question is: How wil this book be different?

This is my most comprehensive book on consulting; that is, it tackles the profession from establishing a practice through seven-figure success, from acolyte to star. It wil be updated and revised as needed, but there wil also be continuing and organic additions through the online Virtual Appendix, available to you immediately at http://summitconsulting.com. Simply go to the sites bookstore, select this book, and click on Appendix.