Business of Consulting

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

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.

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

Cox Cable told me the other day that I merited their latest, fastest modem, the it was free, and that they'd overnight it to me. I installed it and then returned the old one in the same box, postage paid.

At the beginning of the summer season, I like to have preventive work done on our air conditioning units. We have two huge compressors for central air, and six independent units for given rooms. I called two companies in early

We have to take prudent risks in this business: • Spending the money to fly to an important prospect • Attending a conference which can improve our skills • Buying clothes that are professional and indicate success • Investing in a meeting venue before

The men's shop in town here has a nice but understandably limited inventory of clothing. The owner offers an interesting service: If you have any shirts or jackets  you didn't buy here but which need tailoring and adjustments, he'll be

The traditional sales forces are disappearing and will continue to do so. This is due to highly educated consumers using the internet to both research options and purchase. (It's easier for me to order online than visit a local store,

Within an hour yesterday, an instructor at Dig This in Las Vegas taught me how to operate an excavator so that I independently dug a trench that removed over a ton of dirt; picked up volley balls from cones and

A recent article explained that people who are educated and have experienced success tend to assume they're much smarter than they actually are. Hence, they take on projects and accountabilities which they're really not qualified to undertake. Historically, over 80%