The Edge
If you're writing, speaking, recording, or otherwise marketing in some form and not causing your ideal target buyer to sit up and say, "Wow, that's terrific—and very different," then stop all that and reevaluate your approach. To stand out in a
I’m An Expert. How About You?
I tell consultants all the time to call themselves "experts." People want to hire expertise, not merely a consultant. People don't buy drills to have drills, they buy them because they need holes. In the speaking profession, the dumbest question in the
If You Want To Make It As A Consultant
If you want to make it as a consultant: • Develop listening skills, which means you need to speak far less. Counter-intuitively, stop telling people about yourself and start asking others about themselves. • Develop questioning skills. Learn to direct a conversation by
Over Here
On the beach I noticed a lone plant, very green and apparently doing quite well, isolated on the sand, having withstood high tides, winds, and storms. Not far away was some flotsam, what looked to be part of a mast
How to Recognize Successful Coaching
• There is no arbitrary regimen or number of steps involved. A customized, individualized approach is created around need. • Behavioral objectives are established that can be measured in terms of progress and ultimate success. • The coach is proactive, holds the
Women’s Volleyball and Consulting
I'm going to explain why the US won (in fact, had the two top teams, gold and silver) in women's beach volleyball, a sport I watch for two reasons, one of which is the sheer athleticism. If you can't immediately score,
Working Backwards for Maximum Effectiveness
People organize and set priority the wrong way. They tend to look at their desk and calendar and attempt to sort the myriad issues, notes, projects, tasks, and dust bunnies into some cohesive framework, which is like pushing cappellini with
The Dictators
Many organizations have leaders who consider themselves the fount of all knowledge and wisdom. Sometimes they founded the place, and believe because they know how to create fluid injection machines they also know the inner workings of human motivation. Some are
Three Flavors of Consultant
I have the rare opportunity in my communities to observe consultants consulting with each other—offering advice, asking questions, engaged in mutual and constructive improvement. I've noticed that in virtually zero cases do these very high powered consultants in the room
Speed Consulting
• Look for cause, not blame. • Validate everything, never trust an opinion. • Make it clear that you are responsible only to the buyer. • Seek evidence in the environment and observed behavior. • You can't remove a problem unless you remove its