Book Description

A treasure trove of tips on how to increase your income as a speaker--and keep your clients coming back for more

"This extraordinary book contains wonderful insights, ideas and strategies that you can apply immediately to be more successful as a speaker, trainer or consultant, than you ever thought possible."
--Brian Tracy, Speaker, Author of Goals!

"A must-read! Lilly Walters and the world of paid professional speaking--two names that go hand in hand. When you want ideas you can use today to increase your income in this industry, Lily is the one to ask!"
--Mark Victor Hansen, Co-creator, #1 New York Times bestselling series, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Co-author, The One-Minute Millionaire

"Lily has done it again! Another great tool to help anyone in the "experts industry" access the market and profit from it."
--Jack Canfield, Co- creator and co- author, Chicken Soup for the Soul

1,001 Ways to Make More Money as a Speaker, Consultant, or Trainer draws upon bestselling author Lilly Walters' lifetime of experience as a top speaker and consultant. She also combed through a recent survey of more than 7,000 speakers, consultants and trainers who were asked to describe their revenue-generating strategies. The result is a priceless compendium of sure-fire incomegenerating tips, tricks, strategies, and techniques that no speaker, consultant, trainer, or seminar leader will want to be without.

• More than 1,300 proven strategies to help speakers, trainers, and consultants to grow their incomes in any economic climate
• Includes the best practices of thousands of successful speakers, trainers, and consultants
• A quick-reference format featuring simple bulleted sentences categorized by topic

Reviews (1)

Great for Brainstorming Profitable Ideas
Lilly Walters has assembled a collection of terrific ways to create new income streams, get more bookings, generate publicity and more. The book is a series of short tips and ideas that got my brain popping. A quick perusal left my copy dotted with sticky notes marking pages containing ideas I can use now and in the future. I am currently working through the book, a section at a time, putting the tips into action.

Although absolute beginners may want more detail for some tips, wherever you are in your speaking career you will certainly find some gems to help you become a better, more successful (and profitable!) speaker. Beginners looking for more information should also read "Speak and Grow Rich" and other excellent books on building a speaking career. ... Read more

Book Description

Behind nearly every corporate merger and every downsizing or "re-engineering" effort of the last decade lurked a highly paid management consultant. Consultants promise results, but what kind of practices do they employ to achieve them?Written by two award-winning journalists, Dangerous Company tells the harrowing tale of a Fortune 500 company that spent $75 million on consulting contracts, only to see sales plummet from $1.3 billion to $319 million; explains how AT&T could spend half a billion dollars in consulting fees without any sign of progress; and exposes a consultant who provided government officials with information that helped send a former client to jail. You'll learn how Sears got turned around thanks to CEO Arthur Martinez's sophisticated and limited use of consultants, and how small, highly focused consulting firms are providing cost-effective, targeted advice and mounting a challenge to their larger competitors. Both a serious practical guide for any corporate citizen and a cautionary tale as exciting as a corporate thriller, Dangerous Company is certain to make the reader ask the critical question: What is the true price of advice, and who pays? ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Movie-style, Superficial Consulting Exposé
'Dangerous Company' offers a glimpse of the sometimes limited substance behind the stellar hype and fees of the elite US consulting powerhouses. Unfortunately, the author's repetitive, colloquial, movie-script style (and lack of technical and management knowledge about the projects described) reduces the faith in the validity of their message, and makes it more difficult to learn anything of substance.

The book presents a range of representative cases of unrelated consulting engagements including:

* AT&T's $500 million (US) consulting spending spree with McKinsey, Monitor, and Andersen Consulting featuring- a lack of defined goals, AT &T buying whatever hype/philosophy available at time, inept AT&T managers not asking right questions, and not following through with the (occasional) worthy recommendation.

* Figgie International's $75 million (US) adventure towards bankruptcy in World Class Manufacturing (WCM) with Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte & Touche, Andersen Consulting and Price Waterhouse- where despite consultants writing a book on WCM, they didn't know what it meant (nor did the author's of this book- clue- read 1980s books by Wheelwright, Wild, Voss or Slack to find out!). These assignments featured- consultant-driven agendaless meeting mania, multi-million CNCs ordered without reference to Figgie's manufacturing/design staff, and MBAs/generalist consultants on assignments that required industrial/manufacturing specialists.

* Andersen Consulting's rapid growth through technological job-cutting assignments (some successful like Harley-Davidson) and technology-exemplars, and occasional resultant lawsuits for failure to deliver (e.g. O'Neal Steel, and UOP).

* Sears learning curve with consultants through failure and then success- McKinsey charging megabucks for basic use of decision trees for strategy and Boston-Matrix-like market analysis; honesty of AT Kearney (described as rare in consulting); and new consultant hiring guidelines (e.g. defined project goals, demonstrated skills, commitment, and intangible feel good).

* Boston Consulting Group's growth into healthcare via assignments with Deere & Co and Boeringer Mannheim- innovations including the statistically unproven Boston Matrix for market analysis (as often used blindly instead of with detailed analysis), and diabetes disease management.

* Gemini Consulting organizational transformation process at Cigna and Montgomery County General- tweaking the 12 corporate change processes (achieve mobilization, create the vision, build a measurement system, construct an economic model, align the physical infrastructure, redesign the work architecture, achieve market focus, invent new businesses, change the rules through IT, create a reward structure, build individual learning, and develop the organization) by Gemini's "4 Rs"- reframing corporate direction, restructuring , revitalizing, and renewing people.

* Bain & Co's extremely close relationship with Guinness PLC during it's takeover of Distillers leading to lawsuits against Bain, and prison sentences for the clients due to evidence presented by Bain. Bain's strength at data gathering, and weaknesses at interpretation & implementation are described.

* McKinsey's network, and focus on access to the ear of CEOs (often ex-McKinsey consultants) , and consultants with boldness, character, and intellectual vigor and a tendency to be honest with clients.

Based on these cases, it finishes with a proposed hiring checklist for successful engagements: 1. Define goals 2. Consider hiring an MBA directly (or an industrial engineer for someone with deeper technological AND business skills) full-time rather than pay expensive consulting fees 3. Demand consultants with relevant expertise 4. Demand specific rather than open-ended contracts 5. Retain control of assignment 6. If unhappy with progress, demand rectifying action 7. Insist on bespoke rather than generic assignments; if buying from a book-methodology ask for the author to be on project 8. Value employees and keep morale high 9. Critically monitor consulting engagement progress 10. Only use consulting to address critical problems/ bottlenecks.

Other points presented include:

* The lack of standards for consultant ethics despite existence of professional organizations (e.g. CMA, IOD, IAM, IEEE, RSA, IEE etc..).

* The marketing approach of consulting- newsletter/journal publishing, trade papers in the popular generalist Harvard Business Review, CEO conferences, publications of new-fad business books, "think tanks", press releases of successful projects, and out-of-court settlements for lawsuits.

* The partners, project managers, and consultants pyramid of fees and staff encourages the use of many young (arrogant) MBAs on assignments to maximize consultancy profitability.

* James O Mckinsey, the "father" of US consulting stating in the 1930's that 'businesses do not need action-men but scientific planners' (ironic that today most consultants are charismatic action-people rather than knowledgeable expert analysts).

Strengths of 'Dangerous Company' are that it is a genuinely easy-to-read book, presenting business and historical context for the US consulting industry, and offering a good selection of representative cases.

Weaknesses include: the repetitive, colloquial, cliché-ridden, movie-script style; long length of book for content; needs a list of defined of acronyms; authors demonstrate clear lack of knowledge about subject matter; superficiality of supposed "analysis"; 50%+ of book could be better communicated through charts, illustrations, tables or sidebars (but perhaps that would be too much like the MBA/Consulting presentation-style for the authors?); and the US-bias in a much larger global industry and marketplace

Overall, despite the weaknesses, recommended reading for consultants, clients and interested parties particularly for balance against business-fad consultancy books. 'Dangerous Company' also offers between-the-lines guidance for those wanting to start-up a (better) consulting firm.

A bit long in the middle, but probably worth the read
This book was recommended to me by one of my peers as we were finishing up our IT-grad job search process - if only I had read it a semester earlier!

Some of the content gets a bit long, but the book is most valuable as a history of the big strategy consulting firms and their off-shoots (BCG, Andersen, McKinsey, Bain, Monitor, etc...), with special emphasis on what they did wrong, and how to avoid disasters at your own company.

I think the intended audience of the book was more for CEO's and upper management (as opposed to consultants themselves), and as such, it could be titled: "How Not to Get Screwed by the Big Boys."

The authors offer lots of stories (and tips) on how to manage the consultant/client relationship (keeping control, scope creap, budget escalation, etc...) and do so through lots of disjointed seemingly unrelated "case studies."

If you're in the consulting job search process, this book will give you an interesting perspective and some real meaty issues to talk about during interviews. "Old-timers" would probably find they already know most of the "stories," but for new managers and those of us just entering the big game, it's definitely worth the read. - DAN

Armed with advice and Dangerous
This book is a look by two journalists who have sifted thru lots of cases to bring to the front examples of management consultants bringing ruin (and in one case prosperity) to their clients. It also tries to chart the future of consulting industry and where it takes the rest of corporate world.

Written in a racy style it takes a look at the firms which defined consulting, right from people like James Oscar mcKinsey to Bain and the companies they started...their differentiators etc.

The authors come to the conclusion that giving a carte blanche job to a consulting firm will only make them more dangerous :-) They suggest that to manage a firm you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the firm and therefore need to focus them.

But undoubtedly this book is great information on the persona and history of the specific consulting firms like McKinsey, Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), Bain & Co., Gemini Consulting, BCG etc.

A Damaging Exposure of Management Consulting's Dark Side
James O'Shea and Charles Madigan have written an exceptionally informative text. Not only is it packed with well researched material, its gripping narrative style makes it very exciting to read as well.

This book contains material that should be regarded as essential reading for all serious-minded professional managers. It is the ultimate thinking manager's book, filled with compelling case evidence of managerial indecision (and how to avoid it). It is arguably the best business book to be published between 1980 and 2000.

Most negative reviews of this book suggest that it is either unbalanced, biased, or too superficial in its coverage of the management consultancy industry. Such claims should be accepted with caution, predominantly because they appear to be written by the very consultants whose feathers the book has obviously ruffled. Several of the chapters contain case studies that are anything but superficial.

Ultimately the book shouldn't be taken as a modern-day Spanish Inquisition targeting consultants and their methods (although it is, in parts, a damaging exposure of management consulting's darker side). Instead, Dangerous Company's most salient message is really directed towards inept managers (at all organisational levels) who all too readily seek to mask their own ineptitude by relying on expert advice that they are often incapable of comprehending. The gripping Chapter 2 on "Figgie International" is the best example of this. It can be read as a stand-alone case analysis of strategic confusion, and is perhaps the book's most revealing segment. It's narrative style is particularly compelling.

The book's underlying message (which is perhaps being missed by those who are quick to criticise the text) is that highly paid senior executives who readily abrogate their managerial responsibilities by blindly placing faith in the advice of external experts, are the "real dangers" to their companies. The authors make this clear in the final pages of their book, where they provide a checklist of 10 rules to follow when engaging management consultants. Rule 5 is "never give up control."

The concluding lines of "Dangerous Company" are perhaps the most revealing of all: "Good advice depends upon the shrewdness of the person who seeks it." In the final analysis, the authors are not suggesting that managers shouldn't use consultants. They're merely suggesting that managers seek advice wisely rather than blindly.

Over-Sensational and Not very Fair
One day someone will write a good book on the weird child of the neo-liberal revolution, management consulting - this is not it.

The business is a fascinating one - and though some firms, like McKinsey, date back to the early 20th century it is really a very modern creation. Hard to get a job in, highly-paid (second only to investment-banking), very, very secretive, and very, very, very profitable (most firms typically enjoy net income of around 20% or more). Full of smart, driven and ambitious people, who frequently go on to major executive roles in business or politics. An increasingly global force, as even smaller firms set up offices from Sao Paulo to Shanghai. And, most importantly, you increasingly find consultants at the right hand of chief executives during the execution of every major new business venture. CEO's who refuse to employ consultants, like Rupert Murdoch, are rare indeed.

So the workings of this business are worthy of a great deal of public scrutiny, particularly since so many of their actions influence the value of our 10Ks. However, the industry has been notably reluctant to provide any information about itself, its clients, and its failures - so as a result books like this tend to rely largely on gossip and disgruntled ex-employees. 'Dangerous Company' tells some familiar stories reasonably well - the huge sums AT&T wasted on consultants like McKinsey, the involvement of Bain in the Guiness insider-trading case, some of the (rare) larger-than-life personalities, like Bruce Henderson and Ira Magaziner of BCG. These are fun reads.

But it adds little you couldn't learn from a search in the Business Week archives, has no real analytical bite, and gives no real idea of what it is like to work within one of these firms. Most of the stories it recycles are at least a decade old, and largely from the US. Finally, the book has a pretty obvious axe to grind - which would be OK, but it doesn't even grind it that well. ... Read more

Book Description

Everything you need to know to succeed in today's fastest growing sector of the consulting market.

Jim Ainsworth is an extremely successful financial planning professional with more than 30 years in the business. In How to Become a Successful Financial Consultant, he tells you everything you need to know to move into financial consulting. He familiarizes you with all the types of planning that financial consultants deal with, as well as the various investment vehicles. And, based on his own experiences and those of other successful financial consultants across the nation, he supplies you with a proven blueprint for success. You get expert advice, guidance, and insiders' tips on how to:

• Get the education, experience, and licensing you need to qualify.
• Get certified (and whether you need to).
• Develop a surefire success plan.
• Set up a practice and attract clients.
• Network, market, and sell your services.
• Set fees and collect other forms of compensation for your services.
• Avoid the 10 most common mistakes that beginners make.
• Get the most out of meetings and professional conferences.

Written by Jim Ainsworth, a financial planning professional with 30 years in the business, this valuable guide provides professionals interested in making the move into financial consulting with everything they need to know to make a living investing other people's money.

Drawing on his personal experiences and those of colleagues across North America, Ainsworth covers all the bases. He begins by describing the three major groups of financial planners and the seven different styles of asset management and helps you to decide which is right for you. You find out all about the various types of financial planning that most consultants deal with—including estate planning, retirement planning, and family financial planning—and the best investment vehicles currently available.

Ainsworth then cuts to the chase and provides the nuts-and-bolts information you need to make it as a financial adviser. Writing in a down-to-earth style, he tells you what type of education and experience you need to become an effective financial consultant, how to become licensed, how to get started in business, how to set fees and receive compensation, how to market your services and promote different financial instruments, and much more. He shows you how to develop a surefire success plan, and he supplies expert advice and guidance on how to avoid the top 10 beginners' mistakes.

Throughout this book, Ainsworth advocates taking a holistic approach to financial planning—one that takes into consideration not just people's differing needs, but their contrasting attitudes about money and investments. To that end, he provides insightful profiles of the different types of "money personalities" in the financial world and shows you how to identify and successfully work with each type.

How to Become a Successful Financial Consultant is your complete guide to making it in today's fastest growing sector of the consulting market. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Getting Started-*
*A good book of guidelines for the undecided about becoming a financial consultant, planner?

Starting out? READ THIS BOOK!
The author's background is a small town CPA, which may account for his no BS approach. Simple (not simplistic) straightforward solid advice for anyone wishing to start a financial advisory practice.

I'm have a CPA background and obtained my CFP several years ago, but never practiced financial planning, other than a brief foray working with an insurance company, which was an excercise in high pressure selling. Ugh! I wish I had this book back then!

A good book, except for the writing
Jim Ainsworth clearly demonstrates his extensive financial consulting experience throughout this book. Much of the information is valuable, and it covers the important beginners' range of knowledge effectively. However, his 'down to earth' style is not only irritating, it actually makes the book painful to read. Good written English is not always the same as good spoken English. Surely the man is a succesful financial consultant, but that doesn't make him a good writer. It just goes to show that in a hot, growing industry like financial consulting a book written by a 'qualified' author will sell even if it is poorly written.

Must read for all investigating a financial planning career.
You're in mid-career and you're investigating a switch to the new industry of financial services. You know a few people in the industry but are looking for some good sources of comprehensive information. This is it.

Jim Ainsworth lays it all out. If you want to know what to expect, this is it. Get the book, you won't regret it.

A great guide for those considering financial planning.
I read this book my senior year in college. I had known for a few years that I wanted to be a financial planner, but I had many unanswered questions. This book kept it simple and answered all the questions I had. This is a definite must read for anyone considering a career in financial planning. Hopefully I can use the wisdom in this book to establish a successful financial consulting practice. Thank you Mr. Ainsworth! ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for Making Rain

"An entertaining and practical guide to building lifelong client loyalty, Making Rain is profoundly insightful as well as motivating. A must-read for all professionals who aspire to distance themselves from their competitors by growing client relationships that are stronger, deeper, and more valuable–for them and for their clients."
–Dale Gifford, Chief Executive, Hewitt Associates

"Few understand the advice business like Andrew Sobel, and his well-written book, Making Rain, is overflowing with insight and sage advice on how to create value for clients and earn their enduring loyalty."
–Jim Robbins, Chief Executive, Cox Communications

"This is a book that is both fascinating and fun. Brilliantly written, meticulous in detail, and penetrating in analysis–anyone who wants to master the art of being a professional advisor will benefit from it."
–Sir Brian Pitman, Senior Advisor to Morgan Stanley and former chairman, Lloyds TSB Group

"In a world where managers seem to churn over more frequently than inventories, Andrew Sobel’s new book, Making Rain, is a welcome respite, a savvy guide to lasting client and customer relationships."
–Stan Davis, author, It’s Alive and Blur

"Making Rain appeals to everyone in business, not just in professional services. Andrew Sobel highlights how the interaction of relationships, longevity of trust, innovative ideas, and expertise combine to produce results and long-term loyalty. An excellent read that is full of insights."
–Sir Win Bischoff, Chairman, Citigroup Europe

"In Making Rain, Andrew Sobel demonstrates a deep understanding of how resilient client relationships are formed and why some professionals are pulled in closer and closer by their clients while others, just as skilled technically, do not establish such relationships. His description of the attributes of extraordinary advisors is a must-read for leaders of professional services firms."
–Steven B. Pfeiffer, Chairman, Fulbright & Jaworski LLP ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Very Useful Wisdom
This is a subtle book which contains a lot of wisdom about building client and customer relationships. It's a well written and engaging read. The premise is that traditional "sometimes wrong but never in doubt" rainmakers are increasingly dysfunctional in service organizations, whose clients demand value-added in the very first meeting. They are too sales-focused, they are in-and-out, and they don't bring enough content or client knowledge to early client meetings. The alternative is to teach every professional to make a bit of rain every day or every week. Each chapter looks at a different skill or strategy which will help readers "make rain" with their
clients. Chapter three is useful because it summarizes the advisor skills which are set out in Sobel's superb first book, Clients For Life. Other chapters cover topics such as rapidly building trust; adding core, surprise, and personal value to relationships; exercising the mindset of independent
wealth; and developing institutional mechanisms to "make rain" at the firm level. I think Making Rain appeals to a sophisticated reader, with its engaging anecdotes about client relationships and several chapters about historical figures who were great makers of rain (for example, Benjamin Franklin and the Welsh mystic, Merlin). This is an excellent read.

Practical and refreshing
There are very few worthwhile books about building client relationships, and this is definitely one of them. Sobel's main focus is how you de-commoditize yourself in increasingly competitive service markets. What I like is that he doesn't pretend to offer a grand strategy or one-size-fits-all prescription, but rather a series of thoughtful ideas for distinguishing yourself from the pack. These include thinking holistically about your "relationship capital"; the seven attributes of client advisors; the mindset of "independent wealth"; and some interesting history about great client advisors. The case studies/anecdotes are educational and often funny, and the writing is excellent. The chapters are short and easy to read.

Very boastful title; little new substance
While Mr. Sobe's premise is interesting -- client relationships are developed through the sequence: expert-inner circle-trusted advisor; his approach to following that path is filled with clichés (e.g. client loyalty = value + trust + going the extra mile) and generic terms (e.g. becoming an expert requires you to: (1) do it faster; (2) do it better; (3) be different; (3) be better prepared ...). He continuously uses terms such as trust, integrity, rapport, but fails to put them together into coherent algorithms or work programs to allow the reader to understand how to work through the author's "expert-inner circle-trusted advisor" paradigm.

Nothing new here.

Much-needed guidance
I just received this book and I've already read some of the chapters twice. Making Rain is full of practical ideas for how to increase your effectiveness at building client relationships and keeping clients for life. Sobel's concepts are fresh and highly original, and they are supported by client interviews, contemporary anecdotes, and fascinating historical profiles of people like Ben Franklin, who used humor to disarm and influence both his friends and adversaries. In my own business I've worked with clients for many years, and virtually everything in this book rings true for me. What's particularly valuable is the "how to" and the detailed ideas and strategies that Sobel sets out. Making Rain is well-written, easy to read, and quite funny in places. Anyone in business could pick up a handful of powerful tips on improving client retention from this book (one of the last chapters is "Managing Clients in Uncertain Times," which has a lot of useful reminders in it). If you work with either individual or corporate clients, Making Rain provides much-needed guidance.

Useful and Practical Information
The secrets of making rain or client loyalty consist of three factors: the value you add, the degree of trust you develop, and the extra mile you are willing to go. Most of the information is helpful but some important considerations are omitted.

Positives
He provides an excellent overview of the issues that affect client loyalty. His examples, past experience, and clear style of writing are helpful. He also focuses on interpersonal relationships as the key to success. For those trying to improve, it answers the question "what do I need to do to become more proficient?".

Negatives
Interpersonal relationships are formed by exercising a variety of skills. Skill acquision and practice are vital to improvement. He is not clear about this and does not prescribe how to acquire the needed skills. He also fails to show how his approach will "lock in" a client. For example, what if you and your competitor across the street read the book and follow all the suggestions. Why would the client stay with you? The client can recieve comparable services without crossing the street. He tries to make the case of using persuasion techniques but his argument is not compelling. Any complete system needs a "hook" for keeping a client. Making the provider irreplaceable is a requirement and he falls short of accomplishing this goal ... Read more

Book Description

More than 15 million people in this country earn their livings by serving clients, and their numbers are growing every day. Unfortunately, far too few develop the skills and strategies needed to rise to the top in a world where clients have almost unlimited access to information and expertise. Supported by more than one hundred case studies and wisdom gleaned from interviews with dozens of leading CEOs and prominent business advisors, Clients for Life identifies what clients really want and lays out the core qualities that distinguish the client advisor -- an irreplaceable resource -- from the expert for hire -- a tradable commodity.

• Experts are specialists; advisors become deep generalists who have broad perspective.
  
• Experts are for hire; advisors have selfless independence, balancing client devotion with objectivity and detachment.
  
• Experts have professional credibility; advisors develop deep personal trust.
  
• Experts analyze; advisors synthesize and bring big-picture thinking to the table.
  
• Experts supply expertise and information; advisors are educators who provide insight and wisdom.
  

Portraits of history's most famously successful advisors, including Machiavelli, Sir Thomas More, and J. P. Morgan, underscore these timeless qualities that modern professionals need to develop to excel in today's competitive environment. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This Book is a Classic
Clients for Life sets out seven key attributes or skills needed to evolve from an "expert for hire" to a client advisor. It is based on extensive interviews, conducted by the authors, with corporate executives and top CEOs about their most valuable outside professionals. The authors nicely contrast the expert for hire and the client advisor. For example: Experts tell, advisors ask great questions and listen; experts are specialists, advisors are deep generalists who have both depth and breadth; experts have professional credibility, advisors go further and build personal trust; and so on. There is a chapter on each of these attributes and transitions. I've worked with
clients for many years, and everything in Clients for Life rings true. I'd go further and say that this is one of those paradigm or mindset-shifting books. You cannot think about yourself in the same way after reading it. It raises a lot of questions about how we position ourselves with clients, and provides some good answers. Clients for Life is beautifully written. It is
honestly a must-read for anyone in fields like financial services, professional services, or who even manages large accounts in any industry.

AMAZING!
i love this book, i recomend it to every single one of my employees. This book got my buisness and life back on track, now my buisness is exactly where i want it to be and my clients are very pleased too!

Valuable guidance on an important topic
I am responsible for managing large corporate accounts, and this book has dramatically changed my perspectives in terms of how I view my role with clients.In Clients for Life, the authors have succeeded brilliantly at a difficult task: defining the essence of long-term, value-added relationships and the characteristics of professionals who succeed in developing them. This is by far the best and most sophisticated book I have read on the subject of client relationships. It is genuinely insightful, beautifully written, and full of entertaining, relevant anecdotes about working with and advising clients. Sheth and Sobel organize the book around the key attributes of professionals who are able to become great advisors to their clients and develop lifetime relationships with them. They describe these qualities with depth and freshness, and their model rings true. Many people talk about "big picture thinking," for example, or "integrity," but the authors actually define these things in a meaningful way and clearly demonstrate how you can improve yourself. Each chapter profiles a famous historical advisor who was especially skilled at dealing with clients. Much of what I have read on client relationship management has tended to be either simplistic and focused on "techniques" or else overly academic. Clients for Life, in contrast, is a breezy read yet very rich and thoughtful in its approach-it'll make you think hard about your own personal and professional development. I highly recommend this book to anyone who manages clients (corporations or individuals, for that matter) or large customer relationships.

Rock-solid advice
Don Mitchell's review is first-rate. I agree completely with his reasons for praising this book, and, I agree completely with his (and Drucker's) comments about so-called "lifelong relationships." If you are looking for some rock-solid advice to achieve "breakthrough" relationships with clients, Sheth and Sobel provide it. But as Mitchell and Drucker correctly point out, it is possible but highly unlikely that those relationships can be sustained indefinitely, especially now when change is the only constant and occurs at ever-increasing velocity. Give careful thought to the word "breakthrough" because it has so many relevancies to today's competitive marketplace. When in pursuit of a prospective client, first you have to break through clutter to become visible; then you have to break through other clutter to differentiate yourself from the competition; then overcome other clutter to begin the new relationship; finally, you have to break through still more clutter to sustain that relationship. (Think about juggling handgrenades in a minefield at 2 AM...during an electrical storm...while wearing a blindfold.) Sheth and Sobel offer a wealth of information as well as sound guidance. Much of what they share can also help with the formulation of customer recapture strategies. But take no one and nothing for granted. The "life" of a customer relationship should not be measured in terms of years; rather, in terms of how effectively you nourish that relationship while you have it. ... Read more

Book Description

Follow the expert advice in this book--the fifth in The Ultimate Consultant series--and you will learn what it takes to work effectively with clients to launch and conduct projects and bring them to a successful conclusion. Alan Weiss, internationally recognized consultant and author of the best-selling Million Dollar Consulting, shows you how to form partnerships with clients who will enthusiastically assist and support the implementation of all your consulting projects. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A practical resource that really delivers
There are a LOT of essentially useless, empty, vague or impractical books about "how to be a consultant" out there. Process Consulting by Alan Weiss is NOT one of them.

This volume is appropriate for both internal and external consultants, and Weiss's guidelines are applicable across a broad range of consulting industries - not just corporate or management arenas.

Process Consulting shows how to:

~ create the environment for a successful intervention
~ gather the right information effectively & efficiently
~ create dynamic interventions that yield measurable results
~ coach key players and overcome resistance to change

Whether you're a long-time consultant or relatively new to the field, Process Consulting belongs on your bookshelf. It will not disappoint!

Wonderful guide to methodology of consulting
This is the first book I know of from Alan Weiss which deals with the methodology of consulting. It applies to both internal and external consultants, and covers areas including focus groups, coaching, workshops, observation, facilitation, change management, and most of the basic consulting methods. Although best known as a marketing expert for consultants, Weiss has built his career on consulting for major organizations, such as HP, Merck, and Mercedes, and reveals how to successully launch and conclude projects. Note that this is not a book about human resources management, and Weiss is often disdainful of the HR function, but this is nonetheless a pithy, practical approach for even experienced consultants.

Best book ever on how to consult
What does a consultant actually do when he or she is face-to-face with a client? This book tells you precisely what to say and do. It is the most practical, down-to-earth, lively and interesting guide that I have ever read...and I have read all of them! It is based on the author's own success as a consultant, with real live stories and examples of what works and what does not. Alan Weiss increased my vision for my work as a consultant by showing that my job is not simply to solve problems, but to go way beyond -- to raise the bar, to innovate, to take my clients to a higher level. He is a contrarion who challenges everything we take for granted. Take "strategic planning" for example. Weiss puts it down as an oxymoron. Strategy is vision. Planning is organization. Most people mix the two up, forget about the vision and get bogged down with details. Alan Weiss keeps the reader focused on the big picture, the grand objectives. This is the true value that a consultant can bring to an organization. And by delivering this kind of value, the consultant can charge high fees, based strictly on value added. Any intelligent CEO will be happy to pay a higher fee, because the return on investment is clear and quick. ... Read more

Book Description

The Consultant's Big Book of Reproducible Surveys and Questionnaires is a value-packed collection of 50 easy-to-use diagnostic tools consultants can use to collect data from their clients, quickly make needs assessments, and offer diagnoses. Never before has such a comprehensive, user-friendly collection of surveys and questionnaires been available to consultants.

Mel Silberman, Ph.D., is a bestselling author, speaker, and consulting psychologist known internationally as a pioneer in the areas of interpersonal intelligence, active learning, and facilitation/ consultation. Dr. Silberman is the president of Active Training, a provider of products, seminars, and publications.

Book Description

Avoid costly litgation!

You'll want to keep this user-friendly overview of legal issues on your desk at all times! This is the only complete "how-to" guide and overview of legal issues you face as a consultant. You'll learn how to make sense of legal jargon and a variety of contracts as well as learn when to seek out the advice of legal counsel and when to walk away from losing relationships. This book isn't intended to replace competent legal advice-rather it is a time- and cost-effective means to understand legal issues before pursuing legal.

Includes a diskette with useful tools, sample forms, checklists, and links to technology-based resources.

"I beg you, do not start your own consulting business without first reading The Consultant's Legal Guide. And if you already have, read it now! I assure you that when you put into practice the sound advice of Elaine Biech and Linda Byars Swindling you will save yourself the heartache and headache of needless legal hassels...The Consultant's Legal Guide will help you every day of your business life."
--James M. Kouzes, chairman, Tom Peters Group/Learning Systems, co-author of The Leadership Challenge and Encouraging the Heart

"A great flight plan to avoid turbulence...Whether you are a consultant or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, this book should be on your desk for a reference in so many areas."
--Howard Putnam, Former CEO, Southwest Airlines and Braniff International, author ofThe Winds of Turbulence

"A well thought out, practical approach to dealing effectively with lawyers and other consultants. If followed, it should help all parties be better prepared and do a better job."
--Rita Reuss, attorney, former vice president, Land O' Lakes

"The Consultant's Legal Guide is better than an MBA in business relationships. Clear, concise, thoughtful and thorough. . .after reading this book, consultants will sleep better at night!"
--Pamela J. Schmidt, vic ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Nonprofit/charity sector consultants' reference book
This book is a well-crafted, easily readable treatment of an important topic for all consultants. The authors do an excellent job of stressing that consulting is a serious business without overwhelming readers with jargon and legal process.

The book's sixteen chapters cover basic and advanced topics, from retaining an attorney BEFORE starting a consulting practice to how to handle the legal problems that may come up despite the consultant's best efforts to avoid them through good planning. Concise narrative, entertaining case studies, and solid analysis are interspersed with examples of contracts and forms a consultant can use in their own practice.

The contracts and forms discussed and shown in the book are also included in a 3.5" floppy disk. The documents on the single PC-formatted diskette are stored in Word 6.0/95 format.

One of my personal pet peeves is sole-practitioner consultants who do not treat their consulting practice as a business. The first few chapters of the book address all the contracts, agreements, and situations that a consultant faces before dealing with a client -- leasing office space, contracting for insurance, banking, telephone, advertising, and other services. It's a useful reminder that a consultancy is more than a one-man-band, and that "being your own boss" involves significant responsibility and risk as well as significant freedom and personal satisfaction.

The chapter that discusses working with nonprofit clients is written from a for-profit perspective; the stereotypical case studies center on agencies with no budgets and volunteers making promises and representations the board can't or won't honor. This is unfortunate, since most nonprofits, like their for-profit brethren, are fiscally sound, responsible corporations that can and do retain consultants in a businesslike way and compensate them based on their value.

Whether you're a novice or experienced consultant, The Consultant's Legal Guide is valuable as both a tutorial and a reference/resource work to help your practice succeed.

-- Table of Contents -- Introduction -- Selecting an Attorney -- The Relationship of Ethics and the Law -- Setting Up a Consulting Practice -- Starting Your Office -- Contracts and the Law -- Employment Issues -- Working with Other Consultants -- Client Issues -- Clients Outside the Corporate Arena -- Unique Consulting Situations -- Protecting Work Product, Trade Secrets, and Intellectual Property -- Giving Credit Where Credit is Due -- Protecting Assets Through Insurance -- Buying or Selling a Consulting Practice -- Avoiding Legal Problems -- What to do When You Have a Legal Problem -- Glossary -- Index

Don't even think about calling your lawyer....
As a consultant, don't even think about calling your lawyer without having read this book first. Unless you like to pay legal fees, this book will prepare you to get much more input for less money from your attorney. Plus it will show you how to run your practice more effectively, and efficiently while protecting your intellectual property rights. No matter how many books you have read on consulting, this book plows new territory. A must for any consultant's library.

very comprehensive. Could save you a bundle of money.
She covers it all--could be worth many times over the price by one preventative measure in how you handle your consulting practice. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides a thorough examination of a variety of specialties within the broad range of management consulting.A book of such scope and depth could only be written by a large number of experts.Each chapter is written by a leading expert in one of the many specialties related to management consulting.Together, all 27 contributors take the reader through an industry that is currently undergoing significant change.While covering all the major practice areas of consulting, the book also offers new insights into change processes and addresses compelling management issues now facing consulting firms.Every practicing consultant and firm needs this books broad perspective and its treatment of specific areas of content in order to prepare them for a successful future in a highly competitive business environment.Presently, there is no book on the market that takes such an advanced look at both the complexity and multiple aspects of consulting.Ideas presented by the many consulting experts are thoughtful and provocative.Their sage advice on future developments in the field is not to be missed. ... Read more

Book Description

Since 9/11, business and industry has paid close attention to security within their own organizations. In fact, no other time in modern history has business and industry been more concerned with security issues. A new concern for security measures to combat potential terrorism, sabotage, theft and disruption- which could bring any business to it's knees- has swept the nation. This has opened up a huge opportunity for private investigators and security professionals as consultants. Many retiring law enforcement and security management professionals look to enter the private security consulting market. Security consulting often involves conducting in depth security surveys so businesses will know exactly where security holes are present and where they need improvement to limit their exposure to various threats. The Third Edition of Security Consulting introduces security and law enforcement professionals to the career and business of security consulting. It provides new and potential consultants with the practical guidelines needed to start up and maintain a successful independent practice. This new edition includes updated and expanded information on marketing, fees and expenses, forensic consulting, the use of computers, and the need for professional growth. The useful sample forms will be updated in addition to the new promotion opportunities and keys to conducting research on the Web.

- The only book of its kind dedicated to a ground-up approach to beginning a security consulting practice
- Proven, practical methods to establish and run a security consulting business
- New coverage of utilizing the power of the Internet. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Genereic AND specilised, at the same time
One of few books about security consulting. It is also a very general walk-through of some of the more practical aspects of starting a consulting business.

Recommended, as it is written in a very straight-talking way, without any mumbo-jumbo or great theories, just pure experience.

Excellent Intro to the Security Business
For the individual considering starting a security consulting business, this book is a must have. Sennewald lays out the basic questions facing the new consultant including, pricing your services, billing, relations with customers, etc. His entire text is not only highly readable, it is to the point and clear. This slim volume is packed with useful information and is one that will remain on my professional book shelf. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the FIRST "how-to" book for the field of grants consulting. If you are looking for a start-up guide to enter this emerging home-based business, then this book is the one for you!This book is for budding entrepreneurs who are amazed, dazed and even crazed trying to figure out how to break into the field and make a full-time living writing grants and doing other grants-related consulting.It's short, but detailed and hits the target as the leader of "how-to" books in the consulting field! ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Great Advice on Getting Started as Grant Writing Consultant
I recently read this book for some inspiration and advice on how to get started as a grant writing consultant, and found what i was looking for. Bev Browning is the only person doing this who has written a "How-to" book on the subject, and I have been trying to find some real-life and honest information on the subject. This book is a generous and honest account of how to get started and succeed. I was particularly interested in fee setting, branching out into various subject areas, marketing, and her philosophy on helping others succeed. I have been a state funder and am now writing grants in a part-time consulting business, and I have read and re-read this book!

How to Become A Grant Writing Consultant
Disappointing. Gives just a brief overview of the grants writing process. Suggest you do the preliminary research of grant writing on the internet (there are tons of sites) and save your money. She does give you a few tidbits, such as how much to charge for projects (this info can't be found easily elsewhere.) Overall, this book would be a better value to you at half the asking price. However, if you are unfamiliar with in-depth research or want a quick info find, go for the book it will fill the need. No information given of how to structure a grant proposal, however.

Falls short of expectations
The author did a terrific job in her other book "Grant Writing For Dummies". I expected more of the same in her "Consultant" book. The book is little more than a desktop published brochure. It is particularly irksome given the hefty price of $50 for a 60 page printout. This stikes me as little more than opportunism by the author.

My advice is to stick with her "Dummies" book. "How to Become a Grant Writing Consultant" falls short of the mark.

Very useful
I agree with other reviewers that at 62 pages it may be a bit expensive but I think if you reread the title of the book you will find no misrepresentations of what's inside. When you consider the content and price of Ms. Browning's "Grant Writing For Dummies" book and the hefty $$ price of this book, one would expect a more voluminous work, but having said that, one must remember there are many, many books on grantwriting and I challenge you to find any other books on how to become a grant writing consultant. This book is about the business of a money business by one of the top in the business and if you're a business-minded individual you will always remember the #1 consideration in business is: SUPPLY & DEMAND. There are no complicated theories addressed here but a straight forward account of how she started in this business and how you can start in this business and what you must do and what you must know. Once again, there are many books that will help to teach you what you must know but only this book addresses what you must do in order to make a living as a grant writing consultant.
By the way, I can't utilize the information contained here at this time because I don't know enough about grant writing but I'm very glad Ms. Browning offers her other resources here (Why would Arnold Swarzenegger recommend you read another bodybuilder's book when he's the world's most accomplished bodybuilder?).
I would've given this book 5 stars but I took one away because although it's worth the $$ I do feel that Ms. Browning held back just a little and used this book as an appetizer to sell her grant writing mentoring programs. Highly recommended.

A Disappointment and A Waste of [money]
This book was not worth [money]. There were 62 pages with a large font (perhaps size 14 or 16) with a paperback, stapled binding. The book is anecdotal and has a conversational tone. The language format chosen is surprising given the fact that the author is a professional writer. The book not only sounds home-made, but looks it. The graphics and layout looked as if the book was published on Microsoft Publisher. I wish that I had seen this in a bookstore because I certainly wouldn't have wasted the money. ... Read more

Book Description

In this new and revised edition of the landmark book High-Impact Consulting, Robert H. Schaffer reveals how senior managers unwittingly collude with their consultants to perpetuate the great waste inherent in "the five fatal flaws of conventional consulting." Drawing on his own work with companies— Motorola, Rio Tinto, IBM, General Reinsurance Corporation, The World Bank, and other successful organizations— Schaffer offers a field-tested approach to working with consultants that has proven to get results. He identifies the key elements of an effective project design?particularly that project objectives are defined in terms of client results rather than just consultant deliverables. The process enables clients to be certain that the work is carried out in ways that ensure success. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Powerful advice
Bob Schaffer has taken an already powerful message and amplified it in this revised version of his book. Good examples and additions. Guaranteed to challenge the status quo. Well worth it!

A Consultant Buys This for Clients
I spent 15 years as a manager inside companies that had little to no idea how to work with a consultant. When I started consulting myself, I bought copies of this great book for my clients so they could learn how to get the most for their dollar. The great thing about the book is that the title might make you think that the value it promises is all long term -- quite the opposite. The entire concept is to look for value points and deliver them -- focus on results and not on inputs.

Overall, this book is great for people who are not consultants because it really demystifies working with consultants by revealing things consultants woudl rather you not know. With a level playing field -- created of you read this -- you can really make your consultants work for you.

The Right Way to Consult...for THEIR results, not YOURS
This book gives an account of the absolute right way to consult. But there is a problem: One, however, I believe is a good one whose day in the sun has come.

Consultants and consulting firms have different definitions of success. A GOOD and TRUE consultant wants to see his customer succeed, and this book shows how to accomplish that. A TYPICAL consulting firm wants to rack up the chargeable time. There is a dichotomy here, one with which I have dealt personally for 18 years before founding my own firm.

The author correctly describes consulting success as client results. However, most large consulting firms describe success as a monstrous amount of chargeable hours. In short, don't you dare solve your client's problem before your billing has reached at least six figures!!!

Read this book. If you are a consultant, celebrate it. If you are a partner in a major consulting firm, decry it. If you are a client, hold your consultants to it!

Essential Reading
This book makes perfect sense. Having been exposed (as a user) to the conventional consulting paradigm I was aware of the pitfalls of such an approach. Having changed jobs, and now moving into the "internal change agent" role, Mr Schaffer's book has come at a perfect time for me. This book has given me the methods and ideas that will make my new role effective and rewarding.

The best management book ever?
After having worked as a senior management and communications consultant for more than 10 years I have finally found a piece of work that really says it all. And gives it all. "High-Impact Consulting" carries great insights in the psychology and sociology of managing and developing an organisation and its co-workers. Mr Schaffer gives you cristal clear advice and methods that can be used right away. On the next day, in the next meeting, etc. This is a must-read for everyone living and working in an organisation. If there is any truth to the idea that our World is moving toward a work force of "homo consultus" and an economy of "service concepts" this book should be one of its guiding lights. I rate it in the same category as Thomas Kuhn's 1962 revolutionary piece "The logic...of scientific relvolutions", which was a ground breaking work for our science and its self-awarness. The big difference between these books, besides the subject, is that "High-Impact Consulting" is easy to read, easy to understand and easy to take to your heart. In other words, it is written in a "high-impact" mode and manner. "High-impact consulting" could be one of this "special order books" and carry a serious price tag. But its not. So why not get it? It can't be your fear of having a measurable and valuable impact...or? ... Read more

Book Description

• What you need to know immediately to jump-start your consulting career
• What you need to do tomorrow to bring in clients
• What you need to do long-term to manage your consulting practiceEverything you need to know to start a new career as an independent consultant . . . overnight!

Has corporate life begun to seem like too narrow a fit for your talents and personality? Feel like you're ready to make a go of it as an independent? Has the latest wave of downsizings left you with plenty of skills but no job? With The Overnight Consultant, you can be confidently up and on your way to a new career as an independent consultant in as little as 24 hours!

This no-nonsense, nuts-and-bolts guide supplies you with a set of simple, practical steps you can take to kick off a new career as an independent consultant immediately. It also fills you in on what you need to know to keep the ball rolling once you've started. Drawing on more than three decades of experience as a management consultant, Marsha D. Lewin zeroes in on all the critical issues involved with setting up, managing, and growing your consulting business, including:

• Packaging your skills and marketing your services
• Finding clients and keeping them
• Setting fees and writing contracts
• Getting paid
• Organizing your business and managing your office
• Record keeping and accounting
• Getting the most out of your PC
• Stress management
• And much more

The Overnight Consultant is packed with checklists that help keep you on track, loaded with sample business forms that you can put to work in your practice, and filled with nuggets of wisdom from successful consultants around the nation who tell you what they know about getting started and making it as an independent consultant.

Why wait another moment for financial independence? Jump-start your new career today with The Overnight Consultant. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Must reading for consultants
This book is a must for anyone who is a consultant or is thinking of becomming a consultant. I have been a successful consultant for 16 years and still learned quite a bit.

The author takes a down-to-earth practical approach to starting and running a consulting business. She requires the reader to ask himself hard questions about their business plans and provides excellent advice on how to evaluate and implement those plans.

The author has obviously been-there-and-done-that. ... Read more

Book Description

Comprehensive Coverage
Completely Up-to-date!

A detailed road map for getting started as an independent financial consultant

Each year, thousands of people from all walks of life leave the security of their nine-to-five jobs to pursue careers as independent financial consultants. For a great many of them, the experience is financially and personally rewarding beyond their expectations. If you, too, are thinking about taking the big leap into becoming a financial consultant, but you aren't sure how to go about it, this book is for you.

How can I be sure that financial consulting is right for my personality? What kinds of training and skills do I need to succeed, and how do I get them? What special licenses or certification are required? How do I find clients and build lasting relationships with them? With the help of first-person accounts from successful financial consultants from across the country, expert Edward J. Stone provides complete answers to these and all your questions concerning:
* Acquiring and honing key skills, including the all-important "people" skills
* Organizing and structuring your business
* Indispensable software tools
* Services you can offer clients and why you should specialize
* Marketing your services, targeting clients, and building a solid core clientele
* Why you should become certified and how to go about it
* Profiling clients and drawing up formal financial plans
* Dealing with state and federal regulations
* Contracts and key legal considerations
* Surviving in a down market ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent for Newbies
As a new person to the world of financial consulting, I was searching for a way to make sense of all the different certifications available, how to go about getting them, which would be the right certification for me, etc. This book gave me 100% of what I was looking for and more. In addition to certification information, the author discusses, in a highly readable manner, other nuts-and-bolts beginner's topics, such as legal/regulatory issues, marketing, and different services one could offer a client. I highly recommend this book to anyone starting out in the field, or to someone just wanting to explore whether financial planning might be for them.

Good stuff but bad writing style
Instead of filtering information and writing it appropriately, the author keeps quoting financial planners and their opinions about different topics. These opinions are often not well fundamented, repetitive, biased by self-experience or contradicting each other, in a way that it makes reading very difficult and boaring. It took me weeks to finish the book. It has useful (although basic) information for people thinking of starting in financial planning, but contend could be condensed in 20% of the pages.

Excellent Overview
Great overview of the industry and how to enter into the Financial Planning profession. Highly recommended this book for those who want an insight into the job functions and roles of a typical FP.

A comprehensive information to someone in the practice.
Being a CPA and Financial Consultant in Hong Kong, I still find this book provides a lot of usefull information about the industry in far East. It gave me a more solid theory backup and marketing idea from US in my practice in Asia.

Complete, concise and very helpful to those considering FC.
Getting Started in Financial Consulting by Edward J. Stone is a well written description of what you need to do for a career in Financial Counseling. It is well organized, complete and provides inside information on what it takes to get started, run a business, and be a successful Finanacial Counselor. The review of the various certification programs is quite extensive. This book can be considered the bible in not only in getting started in Financial Counseling, but in making it a career. It is also helpful for present Financial Counselors to use as a benchmark to measure up to Mr. Stone's high standards that are essentially required in this profession. Follow his guidelines and you will be successful over the long term. A must read if you are considering going into Financial Counseling. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by an expert who has helped thousands of people nationwide find success as computer consultants, this is your complete guide to starting and managing a thriving computer and network consulting practice. From start-up costs to contract negotiation, from taxes to pricing and marketing, you get concise, straightforward advice and guidance on all the critical issues involved. And throughout the text you'll find candid accounts from seasoned computer consultants who share invaluable insights into all aspects of the business. You'll learn how to:

• Assess your strengths and zero in on your market niche
• Use proven, affordable marketing and sales techniques
• Decide when you need a broker and find one you can work with
• Set fees and negotiate contracts to your best advantage
• Bid on government contracts--and win
• Manage your time and workload for optimum satisfaction
• Choose and win the clients you want to work with
• Use the Internet to build your success

Reviews (7)

Its good, but I bought it too soon.
I have to agree with another reviewer here. The book had more information than I new what to do with at this time, since I am just considering a career change into the computer field. I know I want to be a computer consultant, but I got a bit intimidated by all the info this book has. Which is good, in general, but I guess I should have purchased it a bit down the line when I am close to completing my training.

I took the advice of another reviewer here and bought "The Secret Path to Contract Programming Riches," because it is the only programming/consulting book I've found that was written for those in the absolute beginner, from a technical perspective.

I will keep this book and refer to it as I near completion of my training, so I can move into consulting as quickly as I can.

I would have given it 5 stars, but as I said, I am too new to this field and could not digest it all yet.

Good for an expereinced IT person, but not for me.
I've either skimmed or fully read many of the consulting books around. This one is like a mix between Janet Ruhl' two books: "Janet Ruhl's Answers for Computer Contractors: How to Get the Highest Rates and the Fairest Deals from Consulting Firms, Agencies, and Clients" and "The Computer Consultant's Guide."

It is useful for anyone considering consulting and how best to organize and handle their business, from many viewpoints.

Though for a beginner in the IT field, actually, I am still in school, it is good for an overview, but I won't be able use much of it yet. At least I can better prepare for my entry into the work force.

I read some other reviews here and they mentioned
"The Secret Path to Contract Programming Riches: An Expert Consultant's Step-by-Step Guide That Takes You from Having Little or No Computer Programming Experience, Virtually, Directly into High-Paid Contract Programming" being good for people just starting out in the IT field. Either way, I am going to read them all and I will review this book many times, because I want to be ready when I graduate and be a top notch consultant.

In conclusion: this was a very infomative read into the consulting field and it opened my eyes to many options I never new existed.

A good broad introduction
This book covers all the basics. It is a good "how to" on various levels, but also gives you the advantages and disadvantages of consulting - if you haven't made your mind up yet. But you may want to read other books for more in-depth coverage.

I haven't been contracting for 10 years, but have a stong desire to again do the work I like, for people I like, when I like - and get paid for it. Consulting is different to contracting of course, and Meyer discusses many of the new skills needed, for example setting up, marketing and pricing (he strongly recommends flat rate pricing for example) - and the very important listening skills. After reading the book, I have made my mind up. I am ready to chuck my permanent job.

THE most practical book I have ever read
I didn't buy this book through Amazon, but I loved it so much that I had to review it.

A very practical book that was written with lots of examples by a very experienced person. I found it extreemly useful in setting up my own database consulting business. it contains things such as:

How to price your time, how to choose your client, how to ensure that your client has confidence in you, pitfalls to avoid when building your business etc.

Excelent!

Tools For Being A Successful Consultant
As publisher of the e-mail newsletter "The Marketing Energizer Zine for Consultants," I recently reviewed this book. Here are a few excerpts from my review: "Getting Started In Computer Consulting" is not just for computer consultants. It's for consultants in all fields. And it's valuable for seasoned pros as well as start-up consultants. Peter Meyer's book provides penetrating answers to the question, What separates the most successful consultants from the also-rans?

For consultants who would like to pick the clients you want to work with and to raise your fees, study and adapt the Seven-Step Process. Once we tried it, we were better able to adjust our selling to match our prospects' unique needs. Also, his section on "Informational Interviews" is excellent for consultants who want to enter a new field as well as for beginning consultants. ...