Business of Consulting

It doesn't matter how quickly you can do something in terms of its value. Some people can create great art, write books, compose music in a very brief time. That doesn't make the works any less valuable. The time you take

Is this coming out of your sole budget? Do you own this project with no one else's approvals? If we shook hands today could be begin tomorrow? These are the kinds of questions to ask if you're at all uncertain about whether or

We (should) tell clients who feel they can "do it themselves" that they can't, or they would have done it already. Marshall Goldsmith and I point out in our work (and our book, Lifestorming) that if people can't get something done

Think of the value you intend to offer and its impact before you determine the delivery vehicle or the fee. High-end car companies build the very best car they can and then decide what to charge for it. Commodity car companies

Always arrange to talk to your prospective buyer alone. Subordinates in the room are often threatened and/or want to know about the details of implementation. Ask the buyer for some private time to discuss issues not appropriate for subordinates to

The first 90 seconds of your speech will determine how closely people will listen after that. You'd better capture their attention right from the outset or you'll be competing with email, lunch choices, and car loans for the rest of the

An advisory to consultants on how to deal with your clients: Are they prepared for emergencies and crises? I don't think Boeing was, though being in their business you'd think they'd be. Most people can't put on an aircraft life vest

Do you hear from some prospects, "We can do this ourselves"? Well, aside from the fact that if they could they would have already, consider these: • University admission bribery scandals • Vacillation over whether to ground Boeing MAX 737s • Brexit's total ambiguity

I'm going to teach you today what to do when a prospect or client buyer asks for something unreasonable, like a fee reduction, or your physical presence when unnecessary, or collaborating with human resources. This is based on 30+ years

If you want to see the difference between a true innovator and a conman, consider Jeff Bezos opening a new chain of food stores in addition to Whole Foods; and Elon Musk trying to sell Teslas online, with no showrooms,