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Turn your expertise into a highly paid speaking career!

Getting Started in SPEAKING, TRAINING, or SEMINAR CONSULTING

Superstar speakers like Tom Peters get $30,000 or more for a one-hour keynote address. Other top speakers earn $5,000 to $10,000 or more per day. The market for speakers, trainers, and seminar consultants is huge: U.S. companies spend an estimated $55 billion annually on workplace training. And you don’t have to be a Tom Peters to earn a good living as a professional speaker. There’s a demand for experts in every area from how to reduce stress, organize time, and manage people to how to write a business letter or troubleshoot a local area network. People from all walks of life successfully do it: Teachers, consultants, authors, executives, entrepreneurs, and training professionals have all built lucrative second careers as speakers.

Getting Started in Speaking, Training, or Seminar Consulting shows you, step-by-step, exactly what you need to know to become a polished and highly paid speaker (or, if you already are one, a better one). You’ll learn how to:

• Create a presentation that audiences want to hear
• Identify your market
• Establish yourself as an authority in your field
• Effectively sell yourself and win speaking engagements
• Set fees, write contracts, and handle other financial and legal aspects of the profession
• Promote yourself on the Internet
• Work with bureaus, agents, reps, and office assistants
• Boost your speaking income with information products

Imagine yourself as a successful speaker: You get to stand up and talk in front of an audience . . . you help others with your knowledge . . . you’re sought out for your expert counsel . . . and you’re paid very well for it! It can happen–with the straightforward, podium-proven advice in the book you’re holding in your hand.

Avoid costly litgation!

You'll want to keep this user-friendly overview of legal issues on your desk at all times! This is the only complete "how-to" guide and overview of legal issues you face as a consultant. You'll learn how to make sense of legal jargon and a variety of contracts as well as learn when to seek out the advice of legal counsel and when to walk away from losing relationships. This book isn't intended to replace competent legal advice-rather it is a time- and cost-effective means to understand legal issues before pursuing legal.

Includes a diskette with useful tools, sample forms, checklists, and links to technology-based resources.

"I beg you, do not start your own consulting business without first reading The Consultant's Legal Guide. And if you already have, read it now! I assure you that when you put into practice the sound advice of Elaine Biech and Linda Byars Swindling you will save yourself the heartache and headache of needless legal hassels...The Consultant's Legal Guide will help you every day of your business life."
--James M. Kouzes, chairman, Tom Peters Group/Learning Systems, co-author of The Leadership Challenge and Encouraging the Heart

"A great flight plan to avoid turbulence...Whether you are a consultant or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, this book should be on your desk for a reference in so many areas."
--Howard Putnam, Former CEO, Southwest Airlines and Braniff International, author of The Winds of Turbulence

"A well thought out, practical approach to dealing effectively with lawyers and other consultants. If followed, it should help all parties be better prepared and do a better job."
--Rita Reuss, attorney, former vice president, Land O' Lakes

"The Consultant's Legal Guide is better than an MBA in business relationships. Clear, concise, thoughtful and thorough. . .after reading this book, consultants will sleep better at night!"
--Pamela J. Schmidt, vic

Delivers the essential practical skills needed to consult and make sharp, well prepared interactions in a wide range of business situations This comprehensive handbook covers the fundamental skills and attitudes required by successful consultants from novice to practitioner level, irrespective of their specialist area. It untangles the key variables present in any consulting service and introduces practical ways to improve their effectiveness based upon the author's experience of helping consulting organisations to develop and excel in the marketplace. The book explores consulting from the ground up' steering away from theory and focusing instead on practical application, providing a solid platform upon which to build further domain-specific competence. The Consultant's Handbook provides: * An understanding of the key variables that can be addressed in order to improve one's own consulting performance * A set of simple practices that can be implemented with immediate benefit to the reader * Practical insight into day-to-day real life consulting interactions * Confidence to implement the new ideas and approaches

Consultants are called upon more and more to help implement needed organizational changes, fill gaps in workforce capabilities, and solve significant business problems. As the demand for consultants increases, it is critical that practitioners differentiate themselves and understand how they can be most successful, for themselves and their clients. The Basic Principles of Effective Consulting details what effective consultants do and provides a step by step process of just how they do it. The Second Edition of The Basic Principles of Effective Consulting is fully updated with real-life cases. End-of-chapter summaries foster both mastery and engagement, as well as providing a quick reference throughout a consultant's career. In addition, each chapter includes a section "From the experts" written by successful consultants and users of consultants' services. These experts share ideas and tips about their own consulting experiences that relate to chapter material. The book is written for entry level and seasoned consultants, project managers, staff advisors, and anyone who wants to learn (or be reminded of) the basic principles of effective consulting. The book is well suited as an excellent textbook for college courses on consulting, organizational training, and a lifetime go-to consultant's resource.

The Principles of an Unstoppable Family-Business is all about building a family-based business on a set of specific principals that are absolutely necessary for it to survive. It's an enormous challenge to be in business with kin and actually make it work. Family-business consultant Bryan Dodge goal is to provide the best practices and key elements needed for a solid foundation. It's all about making something very challenging into something very rewarding with this go-to resource for understanding the key concepts behind a successful family-business.

Susan Golden provides not just another book on proposal writing, but one which provides a realistic view of proposal writing with practical step-by-step guidance towards success -- useful for both novice and experienced grantwriters.
?Patricia F. Lewis, ACFR, president and CEO, National Society of Fund Raising Executives

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience with more than 100 organizations, Golden arms fundraisers with the grantsmanship skills they need to successfully navigate the grantmaking process. From conducting effective prospect research and making initial conversations count to preparing, submitting, and following up on grant proposals, Susan Golden offers a focused, step-by-step method for reliably achieving success in any fund raising activity.

The Consultant’s Manual If you’re serious about starting your own consulting practice, there’s something you should know … … No matter how knowledgeable you are in your field.… No matter how expert your advice or impressive your credentials.… If you don’t bring an air of consummate professionalism to every phase of your practice—from proposal-writing and fee-setting, to drawing up contracts and issuing reports—you’ll almost definitely lose out to the professional who does. But don’t worry, because with Tom Greenbaum and The Consultant’s Manual in your corner, you can make sure that never happens! Growing out of the author’s Harvard consulting course, this book offers level-headed, expert advice on virtually every practical aspect of starting, building, and marketing your consulting practice. Centered around the theme of developing and working an exhaustive business plan for your firm, it leads you step-by-step through the research, planning, and problem-solving stages. Positioning your firm, giving it a name, targeting your market, establishing a sales culture, maintaining top-flight customer service, cash flow, billing, and fee setting … it’s all in here, and much more.

In the 1980s and 1990s the world of governance witnessed a far-reaching change from the Weberian model of bureaucracy to the 'new managerialism'-a term used to describe the group of ideas imported from business and mainly brought into government by management consultants. Over the past fifteen years, the British, French, and Canadian governments have spent growing sums of money on consulting services and, as a result, policy-makers inside the state have increasingly been exposed to the business management ideas that consultants bring into the public sector. Nevertheless, there are major differences in the extent to which reformers in the three countries embraced these ideas in the process of bureaucratic reform. Accordingly, this is a book about policy change and variation. It seeks to explain why the changes produced by the new managerialism have been more radical in some countries than in others. Building the New Managerialist State shows that the reception given by states to managerialist ideas depends on the openness of policy-making institutions to outside expert knowledge and on the organization, development, and social recognition of management consultancy.

Real-world tools to build your venture, grow your business, and avoid mistakes Startup, Scaleup, Screwup is an expert guide for emerging and established businesses to accelerate growth, facilitate scalability, and keep pace with the rapidly changing economic landscape. The contemporary marketplace is more dynamic than ever before--increased global competition, the impact of digital transformation, and disruptive innovation factors require businesses to implement agile management and business strategies to compete and thrive. This indispensable book provides business leaders and entrepreneurs the tools and guidance to meet growth and scalability challenges head on. Equal parts motivation and practical application, this book answers the questions every business leader asks from the startup ventures to established companies. Covering topics including funding options, employee hiring, product-market validation, remote team management, agile scaling, and the business lifecycle, this essential resource provides a solid approach to grow at the right pace and stay lean. This book will enable you to: Apply 42 effective tools to sustain and accelerate your business growth Avoid the mistakes and pitfalls associated with rapid business growth or organizational change Develop a clear growth plan to integrate into your overall business model Structure your business for rapid scaling and efficient management Startup, Scaleup, Screwup: 42 Tools to Accelerate Lean & Agile Business Growth is a must-read for entrepreneurs, founders, managers, and senior executives. Author Jurgen Appelo shares his wisdom on the creative economy, agile management, innovation marketing, and organizational change to provide a comprehensive guide to business growth. Practical methods and expert advice make this book an essential addition to any business professional's library.

Though it's a potentially lucrative enterprise, the reality of independent consulting seldom matches the dream. Most solo consultants and boutique consulting firms are perpetually within six months of bankruptcy due to the sputtering unreliability of their new business engines. The problem, according to international consulting expert David A. Fields, is twofold: 1) lack of a consistent, proven plan, and 2) fundamental misunderstanding about what clients want in a consultant. Fields, who has helped hundreds of consultants and boutique firms worldwide build lucrative, sustainable practices, replaces the typical consultant's mindset of emphasizing expertise and differentiated processes with a focus on building relationships, engendering trust, and solving clients' existing problems. In The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients: Six Steps to Unlimited Clients and Financial Freedom, Fields synthesizes his decades of experience into a step-by-step approach to winning more projects from more clients at higher fees. From nuts-and-bolts business advice and tactics to a deeply insightful breakdown of the human side of a very human profession, Fields delivers a comprehensive guidebook that is at once highly approachable and satisfyingly detailed.

Exploring the new professional scenes in digital and freelance knowledge, this innovative book provides an account of the subjects and cultures that pertain to knowledge work in the aftermath of the creative class frenzy. Including a broad spectrum of empirical projects, The Reputation Economy documents the rise of freelancing and digital professions and argues about the central role held by reputation within this context, offering a comprehensive interpretation of the digital transformation of knowledge work. The book shows how digital technologies are not simply intermediating productive and organizational processes, allowing new ways for supply and demand to meet, but actually enable the diffusion of cultural conceptions of work and value that promise to become the new standard of the industry.

Management Consultancy is the definitive reference guide for all management consultants. Covering all aspects of the management consultant's role, this essential handbook covers everything you need to know. This book provides: guidelines on best practice, expert contributions, helpful case studies, and a complete overview of the industry. Management Consultancy also explores the principles behind the application of specialized management techniques to the consultancy process. This book also seeks to promote an understanding of the dynamics of the client-consultant relationship. Comprehensive in its coverage and full of practical advice, techniques and useful information, Management Consultancy is of equal value to the MBA student, sole practitioner or professional in a large multi-national consultancy. This title is also the recommended reading for students on the MSc in Management Consultancy. The book is recommended by the Institute of Management Consultancy and the Management Consultancies Association. The book is also endorsed by the Association of MBAs.

This new edition gathers more than 22 experts to outline the theory behind consulting, providing insight into change processes and management issues in the field. The business of consulting has grown faster than most other businesses, due not only to increased demand by clients, but also to the innovative capabilities of numerous consulting firms as they develop new services. Divided into six parts, the book introduces readers to the consulting industry, addressing the major practice areas, contexts, and implementations of the field. Significant updates detail the effect of the economic troubles between 2004 and 2010 and then 2010 and now; analyze the market response to consulting in recent years; and provide a more thorough understanding of how consulting is applied in the different areas of a business, such as operations, marketing, and finance. Introductions written by the editors offer further insight into the themes and learning goals of each section, helping readers to recognize the elements of a successful consultation, and utilize their new skill set. The text concludes with a look at the future of consulting with regards to ethics standards and how strong manager-client relationships contribute to financial growth. Readers will also learn how the developing field of entrepreneurship creates new economic structures and job opportunities. Practitioners, consultants, clients, faculty, and students of business and management will learn not only how to consult, but also gain the skills needed to adapt to and lead organizational change, giving them a competitive edge when they enter the field.

This book seeks to explain why the changes produced by the new managerialism have been more radical in some countries than in others. Saint-Martin shows that the reception given by states to managerialist ideas depends on the openness of policy-making institutions to outside expert knowledge and on the organization, development, and social recognition of management consultancy.

The real-world guide to successfully funding your nonprofit program The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management is the comprehensive handbook for successful fundraising, with a practical focus that applies across the nonprofit sector. With a focus on planning, self-assessment, continual improvement, and high-payoff strategies, this book provides more than just ideas it shows you the concrete, real-world actions that make it all happen, and gives you the tools you need to bring these concepts to life. This new fourth edition features the latest information about social media campaigning, internet fundraising, crowdfunding, and more. Timelines, checklists, and forms help you streamline management tasks to focus on effective development, and updated sample reports and budget information help you begin implementing these approaches quickly. The nonprofit world is becoming increasingly competitive in terms of funding, and fundraisers are being asked to perform miracles more than ever before. This book offers a time-tested framework for fundraising success, with step-by-step guidance through the entire process from prospect to program. * Understand and apply the major principles and best practices of fundraising * Manage information, resources, development, and volunteers * Adopt new approaches to relationship-building and prospect identification * Write grants and fundraising materials that make a rock-solid case for support There is never enough funding to go around. To survive and thrive, nonprofits must revitalize interest and generate more support. Gone are the days of door-knocking and bake sales; strategy is critical, and execution must be top-notch. The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management shows you the real-world strategies that get your programs funded.

Even though corporate clients continue to spend millions of dollars on consultant-based solutions, the success rate of these high-priced remedies is far from what it should be. No matter how wise and creative the input of a consultant, says Robert H. Schaffer, it will pay off only if the client does what is necessary to benefit from the advice. But often there's a big "implementation gap" between what client's must do to make a project succeed and what they are actually able and willing to do.
In this new and revised edition of the landmark book "High-Impact Consulting," Robert H. Schaffer reveals how senior managers unwittingly collude with their consultants to perpetuate the great waste inherent in "the five fatal flaws of conventional consulting." Drawing on his own work with companies-- Motorola, Rio Tinto, IBM, General Reinsurance Corporation, The World Bank, and other successful organizations-- Schaffer offers a field-tested approach to working with consultants that has proven to get results. He identifies the key elements of an effective project design?particularly that project objectives are defined in terms of client results rather than just consultant deliverables. The process enables clients to be certain that the work is carried out in ways that ensure success.
The author explains the importance of accomplishing results quickly and then using these "rapid-cycle wins" as vehicles for sharpening management skills, strengthening work disciplines, and introducing new technology. In addition he tells managers and consultants how they can build on these early successes and tackle larger accomplishments and organization wide improvements.
This thoroughly updatededition features valuable new insights and illustrative cases. It also includes a wealth of practical new tools that make the book a user-friendly, quick reference for both client managers and their consultants.

Management consultancy practice is particularly concerned with helping clients implement strategic organisational change. But what exactly are organisations, and management consultancy interventions in them? Management consulting is said to be a knowledge-intensive industry. But what kind of knowledge do management consultants possess, and how far can we rely on it? Management consultants are often criticised for unethical exploitation of their clients. But how ought management consultants to behave in order to meet acceptable ethical standards? These are questions about the philosophical topics of ontology, epistemology and ethics. The ancient Greek philosophers thought deeply about these topics, and their ideas remain fresh and relevant even to so modern a subject matter as management consulting. Writing between the end of the sixth and the end of the fourth century BCE, these philosophers were drawing upon an intellectual tradition that was very different from our own, and were responding to social and economic conditions that were wholly unlike ours. Approaching these philosophical questions from a perspective that is radically different from our own, their work provides a rich resource for novel thinking about management consulting. From the speculations of the Presocratic philosophers Heraclitus, Parmenides, Leucippus and Democritus about the nature of the universe to the thought of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle about the nature of human beings, this book uses the work of these great thinkers as a lens through which to study major philosophical questions about management consulting. Examined in this way, many established assumptions and principles of management consultancy practice seem questionable, and new ways of thinking possible.

There is no magic formula for growing a successful consulting firm, but the few most important factors you must know are critical regardless of the type of consulting firm you are trying to grow. With leadership, diligence, discipline, and sustained effort, these principles can help you achieve your most visionary business aspirations. If you entered consulting to make a quick dollar, or to supplement your income, this book won't offer you much. If, instead, you are hoping to create a sustainable enterprise that accumulates value you can capitalize on, then this is the book for you. You're the Boss: Growing and Selling a Successful Consulting Firm is written in a warmly conversational manner, making it accessible to novice consultants as well as seasoned professionals. It is an ideal resource for business consulting entrepreneurs who want to: Strategically steer their own rewarding business venture Grow their business and employ others in rewarding careers Profit from the sale of a highly successful independent business This book focuses on the creation of a capital asset and independent wealth, not just the mechanics of consulting. Bringing together the experiences and lessons learned from a dozen highly successful consulting entrepreneurs, the book provides stories that highlight the lessons in action in the USA, UK, Australia, Asia, and South Africa. The book is segmented into nine distinct lessons charting the journey of a successful consulting firm-from inception to sale. In addition, it presents the author's proprietary growth model that he has applied successfully during his professional consulting experience, and which he credits for much of the commercial success he has experienced.

Group coaching is rapidly becoming the preferred coaching option for businesses and individuals. "Effective Group Coaching" is a practical, resource rich, hands-on guide for the group coaching facilitator in one of the fastest growing new disciplines. Organizations, community groups and individuals are discovering that group coaching is an exciting and sustainable model and process for learning and growth. Written for internal and external coaches, HR professionals, trainers and facilitators wanting to expand their work into this area, this book provides tested methodologies and tools and tips. Both new and seasoned coaches will find the book a practical roadmap and go-to guide when designing, implementing and marketing their own group coaching programs. Case studies highlight how group coaching programs are being delivered globally through corporate and public prgrams, virtually and in person. Also, the author's dedicated web site offers resources and articles available for downloading.

Grantwriters often have little or no training in the practical task of grantseeking. Many feel intimidated by the act of writing, and some don't enjoy writing. In Storytelling for Grantseekers, Second Edition, Cheryl Clarke presents an organic approach to grantseeking, one that views the process through the lens of the pleasures and rewards of crafting a good story. Grantseekers who approach the process as one in which they are connecting with an audience (grantmakers) and writing a narrative (complete with settings, characters, antagonists and resolutions) find greater success with funders. The writing process becomes a rewarding way to tell the organization's tale, rather than a chore, and their passion and creativity lead to winning proposals.
This book walks readers through all the main phases of the proposal, highlighting the creative elements that link components to each other and unify the entire proposal. The book contains resources on crafting an effective synopsis, overcoming grantwriter's block, packaging the story, and the best ways to approach the "short stories" (inquiry and cover letters) that support the larger proposal.
Clarke also stresses the need to see proposal-writing as part of a larger grantseeking effort, one that emphasizes preparation, working with the entire development staff, and maintaining good relations with funders. In Storytelling for Grantseekers, new and experienced grantseekers alike will discover how to write and support successful proposals with humor and passion.
New edition features:
* Overall updates as well as both refreshed and new examples
* Workshop exercises for using the storytelling approach
* New chapters onthe application of the storytelling method to other fundraising communications like appeal letters and case statements, as well as the importance of site visits
* Example of a full narrative proposal

This book provides a new perspective on innovation in consultancy firms. Focusing on how consultancy firms can innovate in the modern era, it exposes and discusses key drivers for innovation in the industry. These are broken down into 5 dimensions - or 'Poles' - relating to forms of capital (human capital, social capital, and three types of organizational capital) that consultancy firms can use in order to innovate, both for themselves and for their clients. Readers of this book will not only gain insight into the "innovative consultancy" from the perspective of each of these Poles. They will also discover how consultancy firms need to find the right way of connecting these Poles together in order to produce the desired innovation. Readers will learn about the dangers of misaligning the Poles, as well as implications of innovative consultancy for ethics, academic research in the field of consultancy, and for careers. In addition to the academic literature, the book draws from real-world examples, cases and practice insights from various parts of the world. This book will be of great use to those interested in pursuing a career in the consultancy industry, whether they are undergraduate and postgraduate Business & Management students, students not necessarily studying in Business Schools, or others seeking a career move into consultancy. It will also be valuable to seasoned consultants and managers of consultancy firms seeking new ideas on how to develop innovative capabilities in an increasingly competitive industry.

"I had the privilege of working closely with Marvin and McKinsey for many years. This book makes Marvin come to life and perpetuates him as a role model."
-Peter F. Drucker
"A wonderful book about a wonderful man. In many ways, Marvin's McKinsey framed the hypotheses in our own search for excellence-for example, passion for values, belief in people as the prime resource, and willingness to let people experiment. As well as I thought I knew Marvin, however, this remarkable book, drawing on the collective memories of those who worked most closely with him, taught me a ton about how extraordinary the man really was and what made him that way. Many have called Drucker the man who invented management; I think history will conclude that both he and Marvin Bower share that pedestal."
-Bob Waterman, coauthor of In Search of Excellence
"Marvin Bower became a legend, not just within McKinsey & Company, but within professional services and the business world more broadly. In everything he did and said, he embodied the professional approach and the importance of values. This book sheds remarkable insight on a remarkable man and on the power of constancy of purpose."
-Ian Davis, Worldwide Managing Director, McKinsey & Co.
"It is as Marvin would have wanted it-simple, honest, fact-based, wonderful stories with a long-term perspective. An insightful read about the father of management consulting."
-Lois Juliber, retired COO, Colgate-Palmolive
"This book provides fascinating insight into the early days of modern management consulting. It is an extremely enlightening look at the origin of one of America's most important professions and one of America's most innovative leaders."
-Thomas H. Lee, founder, Chairman, and President, Thomas H. Lee Partners L.P.

The "gig economy" is a relatively recent term coined to describe a range of working arrangements that have previously been denoted as precarious, flexible and contingent. These may include casual workers, temporary agency workers, those on zero-hours contracts and dependent contractors. This books seeks to get behind the contemporary buzz surrounding the term and provide some theoretical and empirical analysis of the gig work phenomenon. The book seeks to assess more critically some of the rhetorical claims made about gig work and to provide a balanced appraisal of the ramifications for individuals, employers and the economy and society in general of an increasingly insecure workforce. The regulatory framework, in particular, is examined and is shown to have lagged behind crucial developments in the gig economy, with many labour laws still historically rooted to the notion that a worker has to be an employee to be covered by employment rights. The authors show that in many respects there is nothing new about the gig economy and that its growth in recent years was in some sense predictable. Perhaps its real significance, they argue, is its potential as a business model to "gig-ize" other business operations far beyond relatively low-skilled work. When combined with automation and digitalization, the gig economy presents us with an opportunity to re-evalute our understanding of the nature of work.

This is a book about gaining influence and becoming a key trusted advisor. It is for everyone who advises leaders and senior managers (accounting, finance, human resources, IT, law, marketing, public relations, security, and strategic planning) and for outside consultants in these functional staff areas. It's also for operations people yearning to finally be heard and heeded by their boss.

Land the deals you want and develop your instincts with million-dollar negotiation techniques After selling over $3 Billion in real estate, including the most expensive one-bedroom house in history, Josh Altman, co-star of the hit show Million-Dollar Listing Los Angeles, wants to teach you the real estate sales and negotiation tactics that have made him one of America's top agents. Buying or selling a house, whether for a client or yourself, is one of the most important (and most stressful) deals anyone can make, demanding emotional intelligence and a solid set of negotiating skills. But by mastering the same techniques that sell multi-million-dollar homes in Bel Air and Beverly Hills, you can attract buyers and close deals on any property. Josh breaks down the art of real estate into three simple parts. First, he'll help you get business in the door during the Opening. Then he takes you step-by-step through the Work: everything between the first handshake and the last. And finally, the Close, the last step that ensures all your hard work pays off as you seal the deal. Learn how to open with a prospect, work the deal, close, open, and repeat Build and market your reputation, creating more sales opportunities Develop the traits of a closer in you and your team Drive the deal forward and get the best price for your property by creating desire, scarcity, and demand Successful real estate sales are driven by the same principles, whether they happen in the Hollywood Hills or just down the street. Josh wants to put those principles, and the techniques for applying them, in your hands. Learn them and discover what you can achieve.