Business of Consulting

RFPs (requests for proposals) are used by government agencies and some non-profits and for-profits. They are almost always pretty useless. They seek "deliverables" and not results, are created and evaluated by low level people, and demand that billing be by

Don't jump at every offer of an interview, webinar, etc. Ask what the show's demographics are and how many people are reached. A lot of people are merely trying to build their own audience by doing interviews, and it can

These people are paid—many times in addition to their salaries—to lower vender fees irrespective of the value the vender provides, and they consider consultants to be merely venders. The solution for you is never to deal with them. Your relationship is

I surf through TV morning news when I'm on the road, as I am now in Miami, and every single broadcast looks the same. Two (always diverse) anchors, a woman reporting on the traffic, usually a woman doing the weather,

One employee in a coffee shop in the morning is friendly, prompt, and wishes you a nice day after thanking you for your business. An employee in another shop across the street ignores you for a few minutes, then is surly,

Every employee who met me more than once at the Naples Ritz-Carlton remembered my name and used it. At the Castle Hill Inn in Newport (RI) employees use photos to greet people by name at the start of a conference. Aside from

A report in yesterday’s New York Times explained that reindeer can make it through tough winters because “they hibernate on their feet.” In other words (I think), their metabolisms slow up to the point that they can live on stored fat

In many hotels, the "paperwork" of checking in is lengthy, despite the computer. It takes longer than it used to when there was only pen and paper. That's because too many organizations have become slaves to their technology rather than