Successful Consulting Teach Yourself

If you are a consultant in any field, working for any size organisation from 'one man and his dog' to massive or thinking of moving into this field, then this is the book for you! Coverage includes: ·What makes a successful consultant ·Setting a clear vision ·Assessing resources ·How to write reports and give presentations ·Building up your customer facing skills ·Dealing with difficult clients ·Balancing your work with the rest of your life. Containing lots of practical advice, this book also features interviews with successful consultants who have a wealth of experience to share. Written in an accessible style, it will give you the confidence to shine in consultancy. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One and five-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of consulting. FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. TRY THIS Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

Consult your way to success What makes a successful consultant? How do you build a client base? How do you write reports and give presentations? How do you manage difficult clients? How do you effect the right balance between work and personal lives? Written in an accessible, inspirational style and including candid interviews with numerous successful consultants, Teach Yourself Consulting provides answers to these and every other question you may have about starting, managing, and growing a successful practice.

“WE ARE ALL CONSULTANTS one way or another—most people just haven’t realized that yet. Anyone providing knowledgeable advice or services to others, independently of their profession, is a consultant. There are certain characteristics that we must all nurture to become better at establishing a relationship with our clients to serve them successfully.” From knowing yourself and developing common sense, to negotiating skills, client care, a professional presence, and leadership, this book covers it all. Regardless of your industry or years of experience, this book will help your career. It focuses on the consultant in you, and is aimed at generating ways to grow based on your specific circumstances, location, and culture. With hundreds of tips, checklists, and self-evaluation tools to drive the self-learning home, this book will help readers find motivation and inspiration within themselves, while maintaining a business-centric perspective. This approach will entice the reader to explore new ideas and guidelines that will improve their professional performance as consultants, while adhering to the culture of their clients and developing a solution focused perspective.

An industrial/organizational psychologist, consultant, and speaker, author Bruce Katcher combines his years of experience and insights with real stories from a range of other independent consultants to guide readers on their journey of growing a consulting practice--whether they're beginners just starting up or veterans looking for new ways to invigorate their businesses. In An Insider's Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Practice, you'll learn simple yet powerful strategies for success, including how to: identify a market and narrow your focus; make a smooth transition from employee to independent consultant; sell effectively even if you've never sold before; establish visibility through speaking, writing, and networking; set prices based on value; develop a marketing strategy and divide your time between marketing and delivering your services; and much more. With applicable data and tangible advice gleaned from the survey results of professionals in a diverse range of industries, you'll not only learn how to keep plenty of work in your pipeline--you'll be able to adapt your consulting practice to thrive in any market.

How can you take your skills and expertise and package and present it to become a successful consultant? There are proven time-tested principles, strategies, tactics and best-practices the most successful consultants use to start, run and grow their consulting business. Consulting Success teaches you what they are. In this book you'll learn: - How to position yourself as a leading expert and authority in your marketplace - Effective marketing and branding materials that get the attention of your ideal clients - Strategies to increase your fees and earn more with every project - The proposal template that has generated millions of dollars in consulting engagements - How to develop a pipeline of business and attract ideal clients - Productivity secrets for consultants including how to get more done in one week than most people do in a month - And much, much more

"The consulting industry is one of the fastest growing business sectors worldwide with new opportunities emerging continually in hundreds of different fields. Whatever your area of expertise--engineering or employee relations, computers or customer service--there's likely to be a demand for your consulting abilities." --Gregory Kishel and Patricia Kishel from the Preface Who needs consultants? The answer is simple: everyone does! Consultants are no longer viewed as a luxury. They've become a necessity in today's constantly evolving business environment. And, for millions of career changers, recent graduates, retirees, and former government employees, consulting is an excellent way to turn knowledge and experience into a profitable business. Now, two highly successful consultants provide you with a proven plan for entering and growing in this lucrative field. You'll get practical advice on what it takes to succeed as a consultant, where the real opportunities are, and the types of situations you are most likely to encounter. You'll learn all of the aspects of becoming an independent consultant, including how to choose a specific field and set up business, how to determine fees and market your services, how to get referrals and maintain good client relations, how to write winning proposals, what kinds of insurance you should have, how to win government contracts, how to enter foreign markets, and much, much more. Packed with step-by-step guidelines, forms, and checklists, this valuable guide is must reading for both working consultants and anyone interested in starting a consulting business. Written for anyone with ideas, information, or skills to sell, this valuable guide shows you how to make the most of your talents, putting them to work for yourself and your clients. Drawing on their own experiences as management consultants, Gregory Kishel and Patricia Kishel offer down-to-earth advice on what it takes to succeed as a consultant, where the opportunities are, and the types of situations you are likely to encounter. Step by step, you will learn all of the aspects of becoming an independent consultant, including: * How to choose a specific field and set up a business * How to determine fees and market your services * How to get referrals and maintain good client relations * What kinds of insurance you should have * How to win government contracts, enter foreign markets, and much more Whatever your area of specialization, this indispensable book will give you the information you need to build and maintain a profitable consulting business.

If you want to succeed in consulting, follow The Aspiring Advisor. This guide teaches you what to do (and what not to do) when you are just starting your consulting career. Because what gets you into consulting is not what will keep you there, much less what will make you succeed. Based on lessons learnt during thousands of hours on the job, as well as the collective wisdom of hundreds of senior and junior practitioners, Moritz Dressel, author and management consultant, provides the hands-on manual every junior consultant has been waiting for. What you'll learn in The Aspiring Advisor How to produce impressive deliverables that keep your boss and clients happy Who to network with and how for the greatest impact for your career What to do to get staffed on awesome projects How to avoid being "parked" at the office When to push back and how to go about it without ruining your career How to get things done without going mad by using effective time management techniques that don't require your boss' approval How to reduce the number of follow-ups in verbal and written communication What to do to make your performance actually count in year-end ratings How to protect yourself for times "when the shit hits the fan" And much, much more... Who this book is for Recent graduates starting a consulting career Junior consultants with Additional resources included in The Aspiring Advisor to help you get ahead in consulting Self-introduction pitch to ensure you are memorable without wasting people's time Printer-friendly checklists for easy reference on the job Ready-to-use email templates Tried-and-tested communication scripts Realistic project scenario to drive home key concepts

Success as a consultant is not the result of spontaneous combustion. It takes hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Successful Consulting: Mastering the Five Challenges that can Make or Break you as an Independent Consultant is the fuel to get aspiring and struggling consultants fired up and on their way to success. Authors and consultants Fred and Peggy Fisher detail five critical challenges that need to be conquered in order to build a successful consulting business. They include the following: Personal and professional readiness factors The financial reality of selling your skills and knowledge one day at a time Putting together a successful marketing and business development plan Honing a wide range of interpersonal, group, and technical communication skills Building sustainable client relationships Using their unique experiences in the profession, Fred and Peggy guide you through the process step-by-step. Successful Consulting: Mastering the Five Challenges that can Make or Break you as an Independent Consultant will help you discover your potential and tap your inner consultant. Don't wait another moment-achieve your consulting dreams today!