How to Consult With Almost Anyone About Almost Anything

How to Consult With Almost Anyone About Almost Anything

If you’re new to consulting, don’t worry, just read on. If you’re a veteran, don’t worry, just read on.

1. Never assume the client is damaged unless you receive evidence—observed behavior—to the contrary.
2. Be diagnostic in your marketing and early discussions, but prescriptive in your implementation and execution.
3. The quicker the client is improved, the more valuable you are and the better the client is served. Just because there’s a tool in your kit doesn’t mean you have to use it.
4. People change most readily when you focus on how their self-interest will be improved, not why it’s good for you or others.
5. People become engaged in change when you offer them options for moving forward, not a “take it or leave it.”
6. There is seldom only one good way to do things. However, the easiest and most direct approaches (Occam’s Razor) are generally the best.
7. Never drift away from the buyer. While you will probably develop other relationships, always maintain the engagement relationship with the buyer and debrief regularly.
8. Use technology, client resources, and subcontractors to reduce your labor intensity.
9. When you hit inevitable obstacles, don’t hesitate to use the buyer’s clout to blast them out of the way.
10. You are neither there to be liked nor to make friends. You are there to improve the client’s condition.
11. Raising the bar and elevating standards are far more valuable than simply fixing problems and restoring prior performance levels.
12. Remember that success trumps perfection in every hand of every game.

© Alan Weiss 2010. All rights reserved.