How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner [Hardcover]

Alan Weiss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0787955132 | ISBN-13: 978-0787955137

As an experienced consultant, you'll find this unique book an invaluable aid in establishing the leverage needed to bring highly-qualified prospects and new business to your doorstep. Written by Alan Weiss--an internationally recognized expert in consulting and marketing--this essential resource, the second book in The Ultimate Consultant Series, will help you develop the skills you need to achieve valuable brand recognition quickly and effectively.

How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession will help you create a brand that will make you "Number One" in your particular areas of excellence, no matter how broad or narrow. And, perhaps worth the price alone, the book offers a glimpse into the important trends that are shaping the future of branding.

"Alan Weiss should be branded as The Consultant's Consultant! His new book, How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession, is another proof of the value of his insights into the marketing and strategy of the consulting profession. He's right on the mark in terms of what consultants typically don't do and certainly need to do to succeed."
--William C. Byham, chairman and CEO, Development Dimensions International, Inc. (DDI)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"He goes on to offer a wide variety of tips, supplemented by vignettes, in an effort that shows scribe craftsmanship better than that of most business books." (Sacramento Business Journal, 12/14/01)

Review

"Alan Weiss's new book, How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession, is another in his marvelous series designed to help establish successful consulting practices. As a member of our visiting graduate faculty in the College of Business, Alan's seminars are among our most popular because they combine sound theory with good practice. I wish all the consultants we hire would take to heart his sound advice"
—Robert L. Carothers, president, The University of Rhode Island

"Alan Weiss should be branded as The Consultant's Consultant! His new book, How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession, is another proof of the value of his insights into the marketing and strategy of the consulting profession. He's right on the mark in terms of what consultants typically don't do and certainly need to do to succeed."
—William C. Byham, chairman and CEO, Development Dimensions International, Inc. (DDI)

"Alan provides practical advice on how to build a brand from someone who's done it over and over again. He provides useful guides for practitioners to successfully create their own brand. It's a refreshing and stimulating read with high payoff for those who take his advice and then deliver!"
—Marilyn Martiny, Hewlett-Packard Company

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Pfeiffer (November 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787955132
• ISBN-13: 978-0787955137
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,125,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alan Weiss: Biographical Sketch

Alan Weiss is one of those rare people who can say he is a consultant, speaker and author and mean it. His consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc. has attracted clients such as Merck, Hewlett-Packard, GE, Mercedes-Benz, State Street Corporation, Times Mirror Group, The Federal Reserve, The New York Times, and over 400 other leading organizations. He serves on the boards of directors of the Trinity Repertory Company, a Tony-Award-winning New England regional theater, and the Newport International Film Festival.
His speaking typically includes 30 keynotes a year at major conferences, and he has been a visiting faculty member at Case Western Reserve University, Boston College, Tufts, St. John's, the University of Illinois, the Institute of Management Studies, and the University of Georgia Graduate School of Business. He has held an appointment as adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Business at the University of Rhode Island where he taught courses on advanced management and consulting skills. He holds the record for selling out the highest priced workshop (on entrepreneurialism) in the 21-year history of New York City's Learning Annex. His Ph.D. is in psychology and he is a member of the American Psychological Society, the American Counseling Association, Division 13 of the American Psychological Association, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. He was recently appointed to the Board of Governors of Harvard University's Center for Mental Illness and the Media. He has keynoted for the American Psychological Association on two occasions.
He is a 2006 inductee into the Professional Speaking Hall of Fame' and the concurrent recipient of the National Speakers Association Council of Peers Award of Excellence, representing the top 1% of professional speakers in the world
His prolific publishing includes over 500 articles and 25 books, including his best-seller, Million Dollar Consulting (from McGraw-Hill). His newest is The Million Dollar Consulting' Toolkit. His books have been on the curricula at Villanova, Temple University, and the Wharton School of Business, and have been translated into German, Italian, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.


He is interviewed and quoted frequently in the media, and is an active member of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. His career has taken him to 54 countries and 49 states. (He is afraid to go to North Dakota.) Success Magazine has cited him in an editorial devoted to his work as 'a worldwide expert in executive education.' The New York Post calls him 'one of the most highly regarded independent consultants in America.' He is the winner of the prestigious Axiem Award for Excellence in Audio Presentation.
In 2006 he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Press Institute, the first-ever for a non-journalist, and one of only seven awarded in the 60-year history of the association.
He has coached the former and present Miss Rhode Island/Miss America candidates in interviewing skills.
He once appeared on the popular American TV game show Jeopardy, where he lost badly in the first round to a dancing waiter from Iowa.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Could be the Consultant's Branding Bible, November 13, 2001

By 

Richard F. Gerson "HEAD coach" (Clearwater, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner (Hardcover)

As an experienced consultant who specializes in marketing and developing brands for clients (companies and independent consultants), as well as an author of marketing books, I was very pleased with Alan's book. He covers all the bases that anyone who wants to market themselves and build a consulting brand should cover. His points about establishing separate brands or positionings for each area you work in is an excellent one. Too many consultants think that they have only one brand and this book convinces you that you can have several. Alan also talks about his marketing gravity concept, which every consultant should employ. Everyone who consults should read this book as well as the entire series he is creating. If you are successful as a consultant, or want to be successful, or want to continue to be successful, follow Alan's advice. You'll be glad you did.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another million dollars worth of advice, February 24, 2002

By 

Geoffrey Kelly (Wheelers Hill, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner (Hardcover)

More fantastic consulting practice advice from Alan Weiss.

Eight months into building my leadership influence consulting practice, Mr Weiss has given me the gift of branding. He has shown me how to build the "gravity" to draw prospects to me, how to get more specific about the value I offer to clients, and what actions I need to take now to build the brand that will build my business.

I have seen some of these elements before, but this book wraps it all up in a neat template for action, and it has got me moving. I keep this book on my desk, not my shelf.

29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maximum Impact Branding, November 26, 2001

By 

Paul B. Evans (Montgomery, AL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner (Hardcover)

Once again Alan Weiss topples typical thinking and challenges readers with critical thinking. The most powerful concept in the book is the power of branding leverage. A majority of consultants busy themselves with input methods that allow them to feel productive, but the output of their practice does not match. Alan shows how to rake in business through branding, plus how to keep it flowing with minimal effort and maximum return. For those who may feel overwhelmed by all the options, he includes a quick start guide that shortcuts the "Where do I start?" trap. Following these principles will put value in the lives of your clients, secure your reputation in a field without regulation, and provide multiple streams for turning your expertise into wealth.