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.

"Like every other agency research director, I suffer from focus-group anxiety. Pumping M&M?s behind the one-way mirror, I?m monitoring the groups, the moderator and the client simultaneously. It?s tough enough to manage the client?s expectations and responses. Worrying about whether the moderator can effectively manage the content flow and the group dynamic makes the experience life threatening. Watching Tom moderate, I find myself constantly thinking, ?Wow, he?s smart. I wish I thought of that. He?s the best.?"

--George Scribner, Research Manager, Organic Inc.

"Dynamic, entertaining, and armed with information on new drugs and medical techniques that would challenge the knowledge of most physicians, Tom Greenbaum presides over an attentive yet relaxed group of medical specialists anxious to share their opinions and prejudices with this most charming of focus group moderators. Serving as a polished master of ceremonies, Mr. Greenbaum is able to work with the many individual styles of his physician panel and at the conclusion, leaves one with the sense of having participated in something important."

--Alan H. Richman, M.D., Chairman, Department of Radiology of Norwalk Hospital

"Tom Greenbaum is a highly effective moderator who has the special ability to quickly learn any subject matter and can conduct groups with expert knowledge. From the discussion guide to the final report, Tom works with speed and accuracy."

--Mark Alfonso, V. P. of Marketing, The Purdue Frederick Company

"Tom is one of the most competent and intuitive moderators I have ever worked with: not only does he have an impeccable understanding of the technical skills necessary for a successful moderator, he also has a unique and uncanny ability to foster and capitalize on the internal dynamics of any group."

--Joseph A. Ciaralli, The Prudential Insurance Company of America

"Thomas L. Greenbaum eats and breathes focus groups. If you want a definitive look at this research technique, you need to either live with the guru for a year or read his books."

--Dave Quincy, Clarion Marketing and Communications

The entire range of facilitation techniques is covered in this comprehensive handbook, from pre-session tips in participant recruitment to post-session reporting. Moderating Focus Groups covers all the fundamentals of successful group facilitation, and also includes a wealth of advanced techniques not found in other books on focus group research (on managing group dynamics, energizing a tired group, and digging deeper into the minds of participants.) Greenbaum also goes beyond the basics with chapters on how to build a business moderating focus groups, and how to price moderating services. While this book is particularly aimed at the needs of focus group practitioners, there is plenty of advice that will benefit anyone who conducts in-depth interviews or group facilitation. Additionally, the many people who hire moderators to facilitate their sessions will benefit from reading this book because it will provide them with valuable insights on how to evaluate their moderators? work.

"Like every other agency research director, I suffer from focus-group anxiety. Pumping M&M?s behind the one-way mirror, I?m monitoring the groups, the moderator and the client simultaneously. It?s tough enough to manage the client?s expectations and responses. Worrying about whether the moderator can effectively manage the content flow and the group dynamic makes the experience life threatening. Watching Tom moderate, I find myself constantly thinking, ?Wow, he?s smart. I wish I thought of that. He?s the best.?"

--George Scribner, Research Manager, Organic Inc.

"Dynamic, entertaining, and armed with information on new drugs and medical techniques that would challenge the knowledge of most physicians, Tom Greenbaum presides over an attentive yet relaxed group of medical specialists anxious to share their opinions and prejudices with this most charming of focus group moderators. Serving as a polished master of ceremonies, Mr. Greenbaum is able to work with the many individual styles of his physician panel and at the conclusion, leaves one with the sense of having participated in something important."

--Alan H. Richman, M.D., Chairman, Department of Radiology of Norwalk Hospital

"Tom Greenbaum is a highly effective moderator who has the special ability to quickly learn any subject matter and can conduct groups with expert knowledge. From the discussion guide to the final report, Tom works with speed and accuracy."

--Mark Alfonso, V. P. of Marketing, The Purdue Frederick Company

"Tom is one of the most competent and intuitive moderators I have ever worked with: not only does he have an impeccable understanding of the technical skills necessary for a successful moderator, he also has a unique and uncanny ability to foster and capitalize on the internal dynamics of any group."

--Joseph A. Ciaralli, The Prudential Insurance Company of America

"Thomas L. Greenbaum eats and breathes focus groups. If you want a definitive look at this research technique, you need to either live with the guru for a year or read his books."

--Dave Quincy, Clarion Marketing and Communications

The entire range of facilitation techniques is covered in this comprehensive handbook, from pre-session tips in participant recruitment to post-session reporting. Moderating Focus Groups covers all the fundamentals of successful group facilitation, and also includes a wealth of advanced techniques not found in other books on focus group research (on managing group dynamics, energizing a tired group, and digging deeper into the minds of participants.) Greenbaum also goes beyond the basics with chapters on how to build a business moderating focus groups, and how to price moderating services. While this book is particularly aimed at the needs of focus group practitioners, there is plenty of advice that will benefit anyone who conducts in-depth interviews or group facilitation. Additionally, the many people who hire moderators to facilitate their sessions will benefit from reading this book because it will provide them with valuable insights on how to evaluate their moderators? work.

As one of the most popular tools for gathering information in today?s marketplace, focus groups require understanding of purpose and good grounding in the technique to be effective. In The Handbook for Focus Group Research, Second Edition, Thomas L. Greenbaum provides the latest information on conducting effective focus groups. New chapters in this 1997 edition discuss the technology revolution, globalization of focus groups, physician focus groups, and the effective management of field services and recruiting. With more than 20 years of experience in focus group research, Tom Greenbaum shows the reader in this essential guide how to maximize the effectiveness of focus groups in thorough discussions of moderators and their techniques, escalating costs, facilities, and careers. This book is essential for professionals and scholars interested in marketing and marketing research.