6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for the 80's, April 30, 2009
This review is from: Rasputin for Hire: An Inside Look at Management Consulting Between Jobs or as a Second Career (Paperback)
I came across a mention of this book in a forum while researching another topic and decided to give it a look. I've been a consultant for as long as the author (also in marketing and related fields, but not so much to the Fortune 500 that he appears to work with.)
The book reflects consulting as it was in the late 80's and early 90's - certainly not as it is in 2009.
The author gives passing mention to selling and interpersonal skills, but I strongly suspect he's never taken a solution selling (or similar) training course, nor encountered difficult prospects or clients (hint - you walk away from difficult prospects - that way they never get to be difficult clients.) As mentioned - interpersonal skills - such as managing clients' egos, reading the corporate politics and not getting caught in the middle, and sensing if your power sponsor is about to get fired, etc. - are not really discussed at all.
The author also states that a proposal is a key selling document. That's so 80's - or F500 stuff. Most of the businesses I deal with have problems that need to be addressed now, or need critical information - now. The operate for the most part verbally, in real time, not mulling over proposals. My most lucrative multi-year clients have never asked for a proposal - they call (or email), we discuss, agree on a fee and that's it - I'm off and running - sometimes the same day. With new ones, the cycle is of course longer, and there are extended telephone calls or meetings where I sketch out the approach and deliverables. I don't submit proposals unless specifically asked (very rarely) and unless the prospect will also state that I'm the preferred vendor. The reason I don't get asked to submit written proposals is that I tell them that everything that would be in the proposal was discussed in our conversations. If you can't get agreement on those terms - you haven't got the project or closed the sale. That's one of the things sales training teaches you - how not to waste time with tire-kickers.
If you can help the prospect develop a vision of a solution to their problem, demonstrate knowledge of their competitive environment and resources, and convince them you are capable of helping them to get to that solution - there is little need for a written proposal. Again - that's solution selling.
I also have a pay-as-you-go contract (which is the terms of the relationship, not a proposal), and usually require a deposit of some kind. Money is a sign of commitment - no money - no commitment. You don't want to work twice for the same fee - once doing the work, and then collecting it. The author doesn't say anything about contracts or collecting - which I find rather curious. If you do consulting long enough, you will encounter this - sooner or later. After the first encounter, you put systems in place so it doesn't happen again. That is, if you're smart.
Another topic I found curious was the descriptions of consultants who worked seven days a week or never took vacations. That's an employee's mentality. If you are a consultant, you're your own boss (and in essence, a peer to your clients' management) and if you are overworked - that's just a self-inflicted wound.
If you are curious about consulting or just want another take on it - this book is better than most. Alan Weiss' books also contain a nugget or two (provided you don't mind reading the same thing over and over again) - but are mostly theory. But again - most are written to reflect a bygone era. The techniques may work with legacy clients, or for "Rolodex consultants" (former employees or executives who work their Rolodex rather than actually selling to new clients) - but I abandoned those techniques many years ago. The world just moves too fast for most of the stuff the author advocates.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Read For those in or contemplating the Consulting Busin, January 20, 2004
This review is from: Rasputin for Hire: An Inside Look at Management Consulting Between Jobs or as a Second Career (Paperback)
Paul Pensabene..., January 20, 2004,
Must Read For those in or contemplating the Consulting Business as a career move
Mr.Goodman does an excellent job of calling attention to key concentrations in the consulting business. This is a must - reading for those that have just entered,or contemplating, the consulting business or are in-between jobs. The reading is easy and cuts right to the chase. As a marketing executive that has just entered the consulting business, I have found this book to be my reference and standard. The author starts by setting points that help determine whether consulting is the right career choice for the reader. He does an meaningful and excellent job of presenting a straight forward methodology of understanding the interaction with a client, taking you through a project and into writing the proposal with a template that is unmatched. The clear and concise way Mr.Goodman has written his book, has helped me organize my thinking and myself. By using the template as he has presented I was able to write a consulting proposal that blew my competition away.
Paul Pensabene
Marketplace Solutions and Consulting Group
Holbrook, NY
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rasputin and Mike Goodman helped my consulting business, January 18, 2004
This review is from: Rasputin for Hire: An Inside Look at Management Consulting Between Jobs or as a Second Career (Paperback)
This is a "must read" book for anyone considering the consulting business or for those already in it looking to increase their success. It's an easy reading book, well laid out and gets right to the issues you need to understand about consulting, the pitfalls and how to market yourself. For those who think consulting is an easy or fill-in career between jobs, Mike doesn't pull any punches in describing the difficulties involved in being successful in the consulting business.
I am a technical support consultant for personal computers and I had been billing my time out by the hour. This book pointed out that anyone selling their time rather than their talent is just selling a commodity. I took a look at the type of services I provide and realized that I was under pricing my highly technical expertise and not charging at all for a lot of job related items such as travel and purchasing hardware and software items. I completely revised my price list commensurate with the degree of technical difficulty involved and I am now commanding a premium for my services.
Thank you Rasputin and Mike Goodman!
Marty Roth, Principal
Incon Research, Inc.
INCONnecticut Computer Help
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