Million Dollar Consultant Alan Weiss, a WIC partner and advisor, today hosted a teleconference to help consultants focus on how to thrive in this turbulent economy.

Among his key points:

• Changes in demographics provide opportunities for consultants today
• Changes in perceptions provide opportunities for consultants today
• Markets that are insulated from recession and economic turbulence provide opportunities for consultants today
• Unexpected events provide opportunities for consultants today

See a pattern here? Alan’s point is that good consultants who are focused on providing value to their clients are even more valuable in an uncertain economy. What’s important is that as consultants we may need to alter how we look at the world, how we define our target markets, or what services and offerings we provide.

We need to be more aggressive about telling our clients and prospects about what we can do for them and how they can use us. We need to be proactive about asking for referrals and we need to take this opportunity to make sure that we are seen as thought leaders. Most importantly, we need to work hard to exude confidence. “The more you give the appearnce of confidence, the more attractive you are to clients,” according to Alan.

This one-hour teleconference was jam packed with useful tips and suggestions for being effective and succeeding in the current economic climate. MP3 recordings of the teleconference are available directly from Alan for $150. Email him directly, alan@summitconsulting.com for more information.
Linda

Aaron Strout’s # 1 top lesson learned in social media is actually a top lesson we should apply to the overall running of our consulting and small businesses: Keep It in a Box.

Essentially, this means keep what you do on a daily basis:

• Closely aligned with your business goals
• Prescriptive vs. descriptive, so that others can take action
• Easy to understand (could I explain what I do to my grandfather?)

Aaron writes that it’s easy to creep out of the box in the social media world. However, I think it’s easy to creep out of the box — period — especially if you’re a small business owner or consultant being pulled in a gazillion directions.

The article is a bit lengthy, but every bit worth the read, as he walks you through the process of how to keep what you do in a box; using his own work at Mzinga as an example.

Read “Keeping It in a Box”

Aaron Strout posted on his Citizen Marketer blog a nice little list of the top 10 social media lessons he learned. There are some great nuggets of information in the list that are well worth the few minutes it takes to read. I’m doing one of them now: “Every day…make a point of calling out other blogs, Twitter updates or FF activity.”

FYI, FF stands for Friendfeed, a site that “helps you discover and discuss interesting stuff that your friends and family find on the web.” Another site to add to my list of social media tools to explore.

There are two main reasons why I think lists like this are relevant to consultants:

1. Starting, running, and growing a consulting or small business depends on communicating effectively with our audiences. Social media is a communication tool that has taken hold. As entrepreneurs and small business owners, we can’t afford to ignore a tool that so many people are embracing (see To Blog or Not to Blog Part II) and that requires little capital outlay to begin.
2. Many of our clients need to embrace social media as well, and they’re turning to us for guidance.

Read Aaron’s full list of 10 social media lessons learned

As I mentioned in my October 17 post (Secrets to a Successful Consulting Business: Know Your Strengths), I followed Elaine Starling’s suggestion and ordered StrengthFinder 2.0. I did so, because 1) I thought it would be interesting; 2) Kim Fulcher said the first step in finding your passion is knowing your strengths; and 3) I think a consultant’s success depends on knowing — and playing to — your strengths.

Taking the StrengthFinder 2.0 Test

Well, book in hand, I entered my secret code and took the StrengthFinder 2.0 assessment (it took me about 35 minutes, just like they said). It was an interesting test. If forces you to choose between two different concepts or beliefs; and you only have 20 seconds to make a decision.

Sometimes I chose “neutral” because I was neither; and sometimes I choose it because I honestly couldn’t decide which one was more “me.”  Most of the time, though, I could choose one or the other-even though often a little bit of the alternate choice still resonated with me. The interesting part is being forced to choose quickly, as it doesn’t really allow time for analysis. You simply have to go with your gut.

At the end, the website displays what your five themes, ranked in the order revealed by your responses. Taking the test is only the first step. There are guides and other tools to walk you through what to do next. As I experience each component, I’ll share my findings/opinions.

Results of the StrengthFinder 2.0 Test

For those of you who know me, you might find it interesting to read what my themes are, so I’ll paste them here. Do they fit me? Will my fellow consultants and my clients and my friends see different connections between me and these themes? The former communication major in me just eats this stuff up. Meanwhile, I’ll use this information and the other tools to further strengthen my consulting business and find my passion.

Relator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, the Relator theme pulls you toward people you already know. You do not necessarily shy away from meeting new people-in fact, you may have other themes that cause you to enjoy the thrill of turning strangers into friends-but you do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around your close friends. You are comfortable with intimacy. Once the initial connection has been made, you deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship. You want to understand their feelings, their goals, their fears, and their dreams; and you want them to understand yours. You know that this kind of closeness implies a certain amount of risk-you might be taken advantage of-but you are willing to accept that risk. For you a relationship has value only if it is genuine. And the only way to know that is to entrust yourself to the other person. The more you share with each other, the more you risk together. The more you risk together, the more each of you proves your caring is genuine. These are your steps toward real friendship, and you take them willingly.

Developer: you see the potential in others. Very often, in fact, potential is all you see. In your view no individual is fully formed. On the contrary, each individual is a work in progress, alive with possibilities. And you are drawn toward people for this very reason. When you interact with others, your goal is to help them experience success. You look for ways to challenge them. You devise interesting experiences that can stretch them and help them grow. And all the while you are on the lookout for the signs of growth-a new behavior learned or modified, a slight improvement in a skill, a glimpse of excellence or of “flow” where previously there were only halting steps. For you these small increments-invisible to some-are clear signs of potential being realized. These signs of growth in others are your fuel. They bring you strength and satisfaction. Over time many will seek you out for help and encouragement because on some level they know that your helpfulness is both genuine and fulfilling to you.

The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, “What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?” This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path-your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: “What if?” Select. Strike.

Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. Your good name depends on it. If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses and rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not quite be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doing things right, and your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation: utterly dependable. When assigning new responsibilities, people will look to you first because they know it will get done. When people come to you for help-and they soon will-you must be selective. Your willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should.

Empathy: you can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own. Intuitively, you are able to see the world through their eyes and share their perspective. You do not necessarily agree with each person’s perspective. You do not necessarily feel pity for each person’s predicament-this would be sympathy, not Empathy. You do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but you do understand. This instinctive ability to understand is powerful. You hear the unvoiced questions. You anticipate the need. Where others grapple for words, you seem to find the right words and the right tone. You help people find the right phrases to express their feelings-to themselves as well as to others. You help them give voice to their emotional life. For all these reasons other people are drawn to you.

Okay, I was so jazzed about this evening’s meeting celebrating WIC’s 10^th anniversary that I had to write one more post tonight. Building on the “Secrets to a Successful Consulting Business: Know Your Strengths” in my last post, I thought I’d “chat” a bit about Kim Fulcher’s (mylifecompass.com) keynote address on Three Keys for Entrepreneurial Success: Passion, Strengths, and Purpose (see a theme starting here).

Three Ingredients for Passion

I loved Kim’s presentation, because she distilled down a lot of great information into a succinct, easy-to-digest-and-remember message (paraphrased by me here):

There are three ingredients for passion: strengths, values, and skills.

• Strengths: do what you’re innately born to do
• Values: find the things that light you up
• Skills: identify the abilities that you’ve acquired

She equated our belief in ourselves to a chair. And to hold up a chair, you need legs. The legs are your strengths, values, and skills. You create a new belief about yourself using these three legs. And you use this new belief to develop a level of confidence in the part of your business that you despise.

We all have something about our business that we don’t like; and what we don’t like, we avoid. To push through (and create passion), you also need leverage to motivate you. Ask yourself, what you would loose if you fail? Who that you care about would also loose if you failed?

The Power of Collaboration

Kim also reminded us that we don’t have to do this alone. The creativity of a group of women or a woman connecting with herself can achieve great things. But you know what? This part wasn’t news to me. I know first hand the power of working with a great group of women. WIC taught me that.

The success of WIC and the individuals who make up our organization is a living testament to this fact. Even tonight’s event is proof of the power of collaboration. An amazing group of women-Karilee Wirthlin, Angi Roberts, Gabriella Martinez, Erin Ferree, Melissa Stacey, Deborah Plumley, Jennifer Berkley, Susan Monroe, Kim Le, Sherry Prescott, and so many, many more-worked together to make it possible. I’m proud to be a part of this dynamic and talented team!

Now, I’m off to find my passion!

WOW! What a group of Wildly Outrageous Women (outrageously intelligent and insightful) we have at Women in Consulting, a.k.a. WIC! Having just arrived home from WIC’s 10^th Anniversary Celebration, I find my mind spinning from the ideas and energy that flowed throughout that room. I’m sure this will be the first of many posts on what I learned.

The first juicy tidbit came during the fireside chat (minus the fire) with WIC’s past presidents. Kate Purmal, WIC’s fourth president, shared how picking a focus for your business vs. being a Jack-of-all-trades, was key to success, especially in today’s economic climate.

Elaine Starling, the recipient of WIC’s first “Spirit of WIC” award (more on that in my next post) and WIC’s second president, seconded that advice, and told us all about a great resource for determining what our strengths are: “StrengthsFinder 2.0.” If you buy the newest version of the book, you also get access to the online assessment, which helps identify and measure your talents. I was so inspired that I bought the book on Amazon tonight. I’ll let you know next week what I find out.

If any of you have taken this test — or, like me, have ordered the book and plan on taking the test — I’d love to hear what you discovered and have to say.

I belong to the LinkedIn Editors and Writers group, and someone recently posted a question about healthcare options. Given that this is a topic that so many of us are interested in, I thought I’d post some of the resources the group listed. Note, I’ve not personally checked each of these.

• Mark Stevens with Innovative Healthcare Concepts finds excellent and affordable policies for individuals (markstevens@earthlink.net)
• The Editorial Freelancers Association has a few options for its members
• The Freelancers Union
• State insurance commissioner’s office — apparently federal law requires every state to have a state-administered plan for those who don’t otherwise qualify, although it costs more than individual plans (California Department of Insurance)
• Healthinsuranceinfo.net, a site maintained by the Georgetown Health Policy Institute, shows a map of the country and after clicking on a state, a document is downloaded that covers everything from what kinds of programs are available for small business owners to whether there’s a high-risk pool available for those who’ve been rejected by insurance providers
• Small Business Service Bureau
• The AARP, for those over 50
• The Author’s Guild has some decent plans if you join up with them; membership costs $90/year

Wondering how much you should worry about closing business in this economy? Read this article by Stanford Business School professor Jeffrey Pfeffer  for a different point of view on today’s business climate.

The Crisis Facing Business: Succumbing to the Madness of the Crowd

…it’s a philosophy I’ve always followed. And it’s one that I know has made a difference in the quantity and quality of work that I receive. Well, as it turns out a small survey (Ensuring Sustainable Value from Consultants) conducted by UK-based Management Consultancies Association (MCA) supports my party-of-one “research.”

Act as if You’re an Employee
RainToday.com (you’ll begin to see a regular thread in my posts, as I often read articles by them that I think others would find interesting), had a short article in their October 8 Rainmaker Report: “Good Consultants with Bad Reputations? How to Leave Clients Satisfied with Your Quality of Work” by Fiona Czerniawaska.

One of the two key reminders I took from this article is the concept of blurring the consultant/employee line:

• Among consulting projects that have gone well, it was hard to find a single one that didn’t involve a joint client-consultant team
• Integration wasn’t just a question of people working together or being based in the same physical location
• 66 percent of satisfied clients thought teamwork was so effective that it was hard to tell whether someone was an employee or a consultant; 72 percent of dissatisfied clients disagreed

Look Beyond Just the Decision Makers
The other key reminder was the importance of the lateral relationships between consultants and members of a client’s staff who were involved in the project. These relationships were key in determining the success of an undertaking.

Often we, as consultants, talk about how critical it is to have access to decision makers — and it is. However, I argue that how we collaborate and partner with the other team members is equally important, a point that MCA’s research underscores:

• The eighty-one percent of satisfied people were those who believed their work with consultants represented a genuine partnership ; in contrast, just two percent of those dissatisfied felt that way
• The consultant who builds into his or her proposal an understanding of the need to engage people at all levels, and a plan for doing so, has a better chance of overcoming client skepticism and is more likely to deliver greater value in practice

Share Your Thoughts
I’d love to hear what your experiences are in this area. So, let the conversation begin.

In Parts I and II of “Should I Become a Consultant,” the focus was on already-established professionals who were contemplating making the jump from corporate to consulting. If you’re a new college grad, the question takes on a whole new dimension.

I recently asked the WIC Community List members the following question, “I’m a new college graduate, and I’m thinking of going into consulting. What would you advise?” About 20 WIC consultants replied. Here’s a summary of their advice themes.

• Figure out the work about which you’re truly passionate and competent. You need to know this to drive your consulting practice.
• Get experience, mentoring, and contacts in that field.
• It’s hard to consult if you’ve never worked in the area you’re interested in pursuing. Most people in consulting have developed expertise by working for someone else in the field for a while.
• Few consulting firms hire new B.S. grads.
• Large firms generally hire MBAs. Bear in mind that those roles typically require almost fulltime travel. Most people find that pattern sustainable for no more than five years.
• Smaller regional firms may have opportunities for people with new bachelor’s degrees, but those positions are typically filled through college recruiting cycles in the fall and winter.
• Hold off on diving into consulting for a few years. As a consultant, you lose the opportunity to learn and collaborate with peers within your company or department. And this is a valuable part of the learning process, especially in your first years in a field.
• Mentoring is tremendously important. Take advantage of every opportunity to be mentored, especially in the early years of a career when there’s so much to learn.
• Consulting can be a rich and rewarding career. If you enjoy helping others, working with others, challenges, change, learning, teaching, communicating, being creative, and being an entrepreneur, this may be the right choice for you.