INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
Always go to the source, not an intermediary. If you want a business decision, go to the buyer, not a subordinate or an assistant. If you want to learn something, find the original source, not secondary ones which quote others. MORE
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If someone does not want to be helped, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to help them. If you haven’t made progress in 60 days and continue to coach them, you’re simply accepting money for showing up. MORE
52 How do you get new consulting clients? Do you have a system in place for winning consulting projects? If you’re a consultant, you’re in the business of marketing. To get consulting clients, you need to generate conversations with the right prospects. Marketing is how you generate these conversations. MORE
Tell your prospects after an initial meeting that you’ll follow up on a given date, at a certain time, with specific actions. Date/time/action after every meeting to move things rapidly forward. MORE
If you’re not making sufficient progress with a buyer and don’t know why ask this question: “What is your biggest hesitation in moving forward with my suggestions and involvement?” ” Find the cause of the resistance. Business of Consulting MORE
52 
When I visit any “big box” store that has self-checkout lanes, I find several store employees… helping people checkout, and often doing it for them. The lines move more slowly than the conventional cashier lines, and the staffing seems the same! MORE
52 
These days, technology has offered so many opportunities for businesses to grow at a much cheaper way. In the midst of this is outsourcing and automation. Steve Glaveski, the CEO of Collective Campus, outlines some tips on how you can employ these new strategies for growth effectively. MORE
I’m asked regularly how to deal with prospects who don’t return phone calls and email, especially when they have a proposal in front of them. If someone is more than two days late, there’s something wrong. You don’t wait weeks for a response to a proposal with options! MORE
The more that you can think of new creative ways to do business, the less likely you are to be exposed to volatility. In this episode, host Michael Zipursky interviews Nigel Green, a sales strategy advisor for B2B companies about how he got into the world of sales and strategy. MORE
A few things a client or prospect should never hear or see: • A web page that says “site under construction.” ” • A voice mailbox that says the mailbox is full and you cannot leave a message. • MORE
Does any political debate ever change anyone’s mind? If you want your prospects to change their minds and become your clients, explain dramatically to them why it’s in their best interests to do so. MORE
Ask your buyer before the project begins, “Who are the key people we need to co-opt to support us early?” ” These may be hierarchical, or social, or symbolic, but try to “stack the deck” before you encounter inevitable opposition. Business of Consulting MORE
19 
This past Saturday, on our 51st anniversary, my wife and I drove down to Foxwoods in Connecticut to gamble a bit, have a nice dinner, and see Jerry Seinfeld from great seats. I hadn’t seen him live for 20 years. He’s 65 now, and I love his observational humor. MORE
There are close to 50 production cars (not multi-million dollar limited run cars) on sale in the US today that cost a minimum of $100,000, from a low of some SUVs to the high of a Rolls Royce. You can see most of them on the road every day. MORE
When you’ve transitioned from corporate to consulting, you would have income highs and lows. You also face the challenge of pricing your services as a newcomer. MORE
179 
A small crowd of individuals touches your consulting firm’s work, even if you run a small consulting firm or a solo shop. There’s the experienced and savvy consulting team you assemble to create value on each consulting project, as well as any staff and contractors that provide support. MORE
What the Democratic candidates are having trouble with is the “If…then” dynamic. Everyone would love improved infrastructure, health care for all, a resolution to the immigration problems, free tuition, and so forth. MORE
In the consulting business, nothing gets people to connect with you more than telling your stories. Yuri Kruman of Master The Talk Consulting leveraged his talent for storytelling to do that. MORE
If you want to make waves and not just stick your toe in the water, you need to be bold about what you believe. I could say, “Billing by the hour or day will not generate as much revenue as using value based fees.” MORE
52 
My recent trip to Malta and Croatia reemphasized some customer service points. The server would ask if I wanted warm milk with my coffee. Why on earth would you put cold milk in hot coffee? The servers brought the credit card machine to the table, so that my card never left my possession or sight. MORE
56 
The lawyers have a saying about the courtroom: Never ask a witness a question for which you don’t already know the answer. When you walk into a prospective buyer’s office, there are only six things that are usually said first (e.g., “What can I do for you?” MORE
70 
When you walk in through the office door and you don’t consider yourself a peer of the buyer sitting in that office, you’re not going to walk out through that door with the business you deserve. You’re not in this profession to “sell” services. MORE
52 
If you’re writing articles without real-world, contemporary examples to which the reader can relate, you’re merely writing conceptual pieces which aren’t going to persuade prospects. Think of all those awful college professors who merely read their notes and pontificated. MORE
The New York Times is fond of headlines and teasers which say something like this: “Schools continue to engage in X curriculum, but not everyone agrees.” ” Or, “We have a record economy, but not everyone agrees.” ” . The point is NOT that “everyone agrees.” MORE
40 
Clutter is the enemy, and not just in your clothes closet. Throughout your consulting practice, clutter and distractions are dampening your consulting firm’s success. MORE
212 
Stop trying “not to lose” business. Try to win business. Even if you manage “not to lose” it, the business will be on the buyer’s terms and relatively modest, with low fees. The “prevent defense” never won a football game and lost quite a few. MORE
The more complex we make things in the name of high technology, the more difficult they are to use: hotel phone systems, big screen TVs, car dashboards, cable boxes, airplane entertainment systems. You have to wade through countless menus or consult manuals the size of War and Peace. (My MORE
What I’ve Learned On Making A Marriage Work for 51 Years. When she says, “Remember what’s his name, he used to live up there, somewhere, and he worked for a company that went bankrupt, quite a few years ago—he drove an old car?” I just say, “Sure, what about him?”. MORE
I’m going to walk way out on a limb and assume you want to grow your consulting firm or your bank account and/or your personal capabilities. Okay, it wasn’t much of a limb. More like lounging in a lawn chair while looking at the tree. MORE
If you’re not sure whether a buyer is being honest with you in asking for a proposal or just trying to get you out of the office, ask this question: “Why is this important to you?” ” If the buyer can stipulate in his or her words why your approaches are valuable (“I believe you can help us retain talent in sales that we just can’t afford to lose in a zero-unemployment economy’), then proceed. MORE
I’ve always avoided agreeing to a time frame for a discussion. “Can I have a half-hour of your time?” ” “No, just tell me what your question or issue is.” ” I can usually take care of the inquiry in five minutes. MORE
Once you’re delegated to human resources or other places in the bowels of the organization, you’re unlikely to get back to the true buyer. Avoid this with intelligent argument: “This is a strategic (leadership) decision, and you and I should decide and agree on what is to be accomplished and only then we can involved others and their inputs on how best to do it. We have to present them with the goal, not allow them to set the goal.” MORE
Bringing people together who otherwise wouldn’t know each other, but who find it valuable to meet, is of huge value with very low labor. I call this The Chain Reaction of Attraction. They will, in turn, attract still others to you. Business of Consulting MORE
Be more effective and much quicker by trying to find the cause of problems and not simply slapping band aids on the symptoms, or jumping to vast, unverified conclusions. For example, most unhappy employees who leave organizations are actually leaving their boss. MORE
Being able to balance building a business with having a life full of freedom that allows you to travel, spend much time with your family, and take care of yourself is an ideal daily routine for most people. Today, we get inside Michael’s daily routine as a consultant. MORE
When a prospect invites you to present your consulting firm’s capabilities, you know you’ll walk into an uber high-potential meeting. Your prospect is already aware of her need and wants to solve it. The only question is whether your capabilities impress her. Right? Not exactly. MORE
Alan Weiss
SEPTEMBER 14, 2019
If you’re writing articles without real-world, contemporary examples to which the reader can relate, you’re merely writing conceptual pieces which aren’t going to persuade prospects. Think of all those awful college professors who merely read their notes and pontificated.
Alan Weiss
SEPTEMBER 9, 2019
The lawyers have a saying about the courtroom: Never ask a witness a question for which you don’t already know the answer. When you walk into a prospective buyer’s office, there are only six things that are usually said first (e.g., “What can I do for you?”
Alan Weiss
OCTOBER 14, 2019
Does any political debate ever change anyone’s mind? If you want your prospects to change their minds and become your clients, explain dramatically to them why it’s in their best interests to do so.
Alan Weiss
OCTOBER 12, 2019
Bringing people together who otherwise wouldn’t know each other, but who find it valuable to meet, is of huge value with very low labor. I call this The Chain Reaction of Attraction. They will, in turn, attract still others to you. Business of Consulting
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Why do some companies grow at a double-digit pace every year, while others experience nominal (or even flat) growth year over year? Discover the common attributes that your High-Growth Clients have in common as they outperform their competition in top-line growth!
Alan Weiss
OCTOBER 2, 2019
A few things a client or prospect should never hear or see: • A web page that says “site under construction.” ” • A voice mailbox that says the mailbox is full and you cannot leave a message. •
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Alan Weiss
SEPTEMBER 25, 2019
I’m asked regularly how to deal with prospects who don’t return phone calls and email, especially when they have a proposal in front of them. If someone is more than two days late, there’s something wrong. You don’t wait weeks for a response to a proposal with options!
Alan Weiss
SEPTEMBER 7, 2019
There are close to 50 production cars (not multi-million dollar limited run cars) on sale in the US today that cost a minimum of $100,000, from a low of some SUVs to the high of a Rolls Royce. You can see most of them on the road every day.
Alan Weiss
AUGUST 30, 2019
Stop trying “not to lose” business. Try to win business. Even if you manage “not to lose” it, the business will be on the buyer’s terms and relatively modest, with low fees. The “prevent defense” never won a football game and lost quite a few.
Alan Weiss
SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
When you walk in through the office door and you don’t consider yourself a peer of the buyer sitting in that office, you’re not going to walk out through that door with the business you deserve. You’re not in this profession to “sell” services.
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Alan Weiss
AUGUST 28, 2019
Tell your prospects after an initial meeting that you’ll follow up on a given date, at a certain time, with specific actions. Date/time/action after every meeting to move things rapidly forward.
Alan Weiss
AUGUST 25, 2019
If you want to make waves and not just stick your toe in the water, you need to be bold about what you believe. I could say, “Billing by the hour or day will not generate as much revenue as using value based fees.”
Alan Weiss
OCTOBER 8, 2019
The New York Times is fond of headlines and teasers which say something like this: “Schools continue to engage in X curriculum, but not everyone agrees.” ” Or, “We have a record economy, but not everyone agrees.” ” . The point is NOT that “everyone agrees.”
Alan Weiss
AUGUST 24, 2019
If someone does not want to be helped, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to help them. If you haven’t made progress in 60 days and continue to coach them, you’re simply accepting money for showing up.
Alan Weiss
AUGUST 21, 2019
Always go to the source, not an intermediary. If you want a business decision, go to the buyer, not a subordinate or an assistant. If you want to learn something, find the original source, not secondary ones which quote others.
Alan Weiss
AUGUST 14, 2019
If you’re not making sufficient progress with a buyer and don’t know why ask this question: “What is your biggest hesitation in moving forward with my suggestions and involvement?” ” Find the cause of the resistance. Business of Consulting
Alan Weiss
AUGUST 11, 2019
When I visit any “big box” store that has self-checkout lanes, I find several store employees… helping people checkout, and often doing it for them. The lines move more slowly than the conventional cashier lines, and the staffing seems the same!
Alan Weiss
AUGUST 4, 2019
The more complex we make things in the name of high technology, the more difficult they are to use: hotel phone systems, big screen TVs, car dashboards, cable boxes, airplane entertainment systems. You have to wade through countless menus or consult manuals the size of War and Peace. (My
Alan Weiss
AUGUST 4, 2019
What I’ve Learned On Making A Marriage Work for 51 Years. When she says, “Remember what’s his name, he used to live up there, somewhere, and he worked for a company that went bankrupt, quite a few years ago—he drove an old car?” I just say, “Sure, what about him?”.
Alan Weiss
JULY 30, 2019
I’ve always avoided agreeing to a time frame for a discussion. “Can I have a half-hour of your time?” ” “No, just tell me what your question or issue is.” ” I can usually take care of the inquiry in five minutes.
Alan Weiss
JULY 18, 2019
Be more effective and much quicker by trying to find the cause of problems and not simply slapping band aids on the symptoms, or jumping to vast, unverified conclusions. For example, most unhappy employees who leave organizations are actually leaving their boss.
Alan Weiss
JULY 21, 2019
If you’re not sure whether a buyer is being honest with you in asking for a proposal or just trying to get you out of the office, ask this question: “Why is this important to you?” ” If the buyer can stipulate in his or her words why your approaches are valuable (“I believe you can help us retain talent in sales that we just can’t afford to lose in a zero-unemployment economy’), then proceed.
Alan Weiss
JULY 9, 2019
Once you’re delegated to human resources or other places in the bowels of the organization, you’re unlikely to get back to the true buyer. Avoid this with intelligent argument: “This is a strategic (leadership) decision, and you and I should decide and agree on what is to be accomplished and only then we can involved others and their inputs on how best to do it. We have to present them with the goal, not allow them to set the goal.”
Alan Weiss
OCTOBER 7, 2019
Ask your buyer before the project begins, “Who are the key people we need to co-opt to support us early?” ” These may be hierarchical, or social, or symbolic, but try to “stack the deck” before you encounter inevitable opposition. Business of Consulting
Alan Weiss
OCTOBER 17, 2019
What the Democratic candidates are having trouble with is the “If…then” dynamic. Everyone would love improved infrastructure, health care for all, a resolution to the immigration problems, free tuition, and so forth.
Alan Weiss
AUGUST 5, 2019
This past Saturday, on our 51st anniversary, my wife and I drove down to Foxwoods in Connecticut to gamble a bit, have a nice dinner, and see Jerry Seinfeld from great seats. I hadn’t seen him live for 20 years. He’s 65 now, and I love his observational humor.
Consulting Success
OCTOBER 20, 2019
The more that you can think of new creative ways to do business, the less likely you are to be exposed to volatility. In this episode, host Michael Zipursky interviews Nigel Green, a sales strategy advisor for B2B companies about how he got into the world of sales and strategy.
Consulting Success
MAY 1, 2019
How do you get new consulting clients? Do you have a system in place for winning consulting projects? If you’re a consultant, you’re in the business of marketing. To get consulting clients, you need to generate conversations with the right prospects. Marketing is how you generate these conversations.
Consulting Success
SEPTEMBER 16, 2019
In the consulting business, nothing gets people to connect with you more than telling your stories. Yuri Kruman of Master The Talk Consulting leveraged his talent for storytelling to do that.
David A Fields
OCTOBER 15, 2019
Clutter is the enemy, and not just in your clothes closet. Throughout your consulting practice, clutter and distractions are dampening your consulting firm’s success.
David A Fields
OCTOBER 8, 2019
A small crowd of individuals touches your consulting firm’s work, even if you run a small consulting firm or a solo shop. There’s the experienced and savvy consulting team you assemble to create value on each consulting project, as well as any staff and contractors that provide support.
Consulting Success
JULY 15, 2019
Being able to balance building a business with having a life full of freedom that allows you to travel, spend much time with your family, and take care of yourself is an ideal daily routine for most people. Today, we get inside Michael’s daily routine as a consultant.
David A Fields
AUGUST 20, 2019
I’m going to walk way out on a limb and assume you want to grow your consulting firm or your bank account and/or your personal capabilities. Okay, it wasn’t much of a limb. More like lounging in a lawn chair while looking at the tree.
Consulting Success
SEPTEMBER 23, 2019
When you’ve transitioned from corporate to consulting, you would have income highs and lows. You also face the challenge of pricing your services as a newcomer.
David A Fields
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
When a prospect invites you to present your consulting firm’s capabilities, you know you’ll walk into an uber high-potential meeting. Your prospect is already aware of her need and wants to solve it. The only question is whether your capabilities impress her. Right? Not exactly.
Consulting Success
OCTOBER 7, 2019
These days, technology has offered so many opportunities for businesses to grow at a much cheaper way. In the midst of this is outsourcing and automation. Steve Glaveski, the CEO of Collective Campus, outlines some tips on how you can employ these new strategies for growth effectively.
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