Customer Reviews

Million Dollar Consulting: The Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Alan Weiss is a successful consultant whose advice and views have been a guiding light in my developing management consultancy business. When I was a beginner learning the ropes of this wonderful profession, I benefited immensely from "Getting Started in Consulting" by the same author. "Million Dollar Consulting" is an excellent addition to my library as it gives practical advice on how to grow my firm.

This is a well written book that provides step-by-step guidance on various critical elements pertaining to the profession. This includes how to set consultancy fees, how to effectively market and sell consultancy services, how to establish trust and lasting client relationships, items to include in a press kit, how to raise capital, and how to speed up growth of the firm, among several other useful ideas and tips. The issue of setting up value based fees is very innovative and a more transparent way to charge for one's services.

A unique and informative book that is full of valuable ideas and advice on consultancy that is a must read for those who are in the consultancy business or those who wish to grow their firms.

Useful tip: it is a useful investment to also buy the other books by the same author. They complement each other and have a wealthy of information that is not available elsewhere. These include "The Ultimate Consultant: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner", "How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner", "Value-Based Fees: How to Charge-and Get-What You're Worth". If you are a veteran, you can miss the other book "Getting Started in Consulting" but if you are getting started, you need to start with this book.

If a successful, wealthy business person could somehow articulate all they've learned in a neat little package, this is what Alan Weiss has done. It is the perfect book. It has given me a wealth of knowledge of the consulting field, the knowledge to make it grow, and most importantly Alan has convinced me that it is possible to become a wealthy business owner and still maintain a company of one employee, me.

I have just completed the book and wrote notes in most of the margins. I use it now as a reference book, because it now acts like an encyclopedia. This is the second consulting book (about the 20th business/management book) I've read and it is by far the best one. Real practical knowledge. Buy it, Keep it, Use it!!

If I were to pick the one book for the new or established consultant, this would be it. In fact, I've purchased every edition of this that has been published, and given several additional away to others contemplating consulting as a career. I'm a practicing full-time consultant (medical devices, regulatory affairs) for the past 10 years, and have re-read this book many times and still find points to implement, refresh my thinking, and reaffirm my committment to the field of consulting. I have purchased virtually all of Weiss' books and have never been disappointed, as well as most other books on consulting. For general reference, I still rate this the best, with his other general book on consulting, "Getting Started In Consulting" a close second. Why? Because his emphasis of value based pricing, project pricing, obtaining fees up front. While these are not new, they are still not practiced by many consultants (fear?) and failure to implement has probably caused most of the failures in our profession (with technical expertise a given, of course). Whenever I choose not to follow that advice, at least I go in knowing the risks. Rereading this type of book allows me to reevaluate, usually annually, together with my business plan update, that I'm on track, or warns of the need to get rid of any bad business habits that have crept in.

I was impressed by the few first pages in the book. But as you read along there is very little added.
In my humble opinion the book becomes quite self centric to mister Weiss. If you have access to a lot of top level CEOs and you need somebody to tell you you should charge them fat fees which would exceed "normal" hourly rates, then this book is for you, but then again why would you be after a book like this in that situation.
Sure there are good lines here and there, but overall for me it was not too much fun reading. It is quite US centric and many parts are on the edge of being childish, see chapters on technology for example.
This is the last Weiss book I'll buy.

Alan Weiss well deserves the apellation, "consultant to consultants", for this resource of inestimable value. As in nearly all his books, he warns here against the success trap, which is when consultants fall into a rut, stop growing, and start coasting.

Million Dollar Consulting proposes a number of ideas that ensure you're cannot keep still, but must constantly renew your business and grow. Examples are gracefully abandoning the bottom ten percent of your clientele periodically, taking a contrarian approach to consulting, working in non-traditional markets, creating a brand and so forth. The book forces you to think long term: as Weiss often repreats, "think of the fourth sale first".

I have been a consultant for over four years, and felt I was successful. After reading Alan's book, I realized I was selling myself short.

Immediately after reading this book, I implemented value-based fees with a client. As a result, I charged 30% more than I would've if I used time and materials. And the client keeps telling me what a bargain I am!

Some reviewers have complained that this book is for beginners, and that anyone in the consulting business should know many of the things on Alan's checklists. While I already had a website, newsletter, column in a trade magazine, etc., I look around and a lot of consultants don't. The key isn't just knowing - it's taking action. And that's why Alan's successful, he takes action where others don't.

Alan, thanks for a great book!

This book has helped me to take my consulting practice to the next level. I had been searching for a book or person to help guide my efforts to grow my business, and one day at the book store I saw this book on the shelf. The title stood out as one of my business objectives, and prompted me to take a look.

Upon initially opening the book, I happened to arrive at the "How to write a Proposal" segment. That was one of the areas I was currently seeking better knowledge and wisdom on; right there I learned something I could apply before even purchasing the book.

After purchasing, and before I finished reading it and absorbing its concepts, I was able to successfully sell a proposal for the largest project my company has undertaken as of yet.

This book has an immense amount of wisdom, and empirical data to support principles and concepts.

It's well written, and easy to pick up and learn something from.

This book is highly recommended.

I am very happy that I found and studied this book when I did. After a few years of consulting this book helped make my business more successful, confirmed ideas that took years to develop and gave a clear plan of action and procedures.

If i may borrow from Alan...
"I am constantly amazed at how stupid I was two weeks ago"

Alan is just the best when it comes to advice for success. If you are serious about building a powerful consulting firm, you need to read this. If you really want to be a million dollar consultant and are missing just that one little piece, you need to read this. If you want to learn from the best and are willing to work at it, then read this book, it will change you life.

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Million Dollar Consultant reads like a murder mystery, if you love business!! Each chapter sites the exact "how to's" to become a success. The book is clear, concise and easy to read...I retired from my million a year practice a few years ago.......This year..I'm reinventing myself! Alan's book is providing me with the information I need to reduce the number of steps/years it will take me to do it again.!!!! It is a must read if you are starting a business and a great refresher if you've been in business for years.