Consultants corner

[joerh]

I've got no training in business consulting. I've spent time with IM and direct marketing, but when it comes to looking at someone's books to help cut the fat, implement systems, train staff, etc., I am a little in the dark. It seems like AP, Dexx and others are working the consulting side of things as a major portion of their business. The SEO/Advertising is just another tool in the box instead of the only tool. I'm going to grab Dan Kennedy's consulting course to get started, but thought this might help this forum/community even more.

Thanks,
Joe

P.S. - love the forum so far. I really hope it keeps going.

[Dexx]

These books is what you are looking for:

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Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got: 21 Ways You Can Out-Think, Out-Perform, and Out-Earn the Competition (Paperback)

http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Everyt.../dp/0312284543

Amazon.com Review

Marketing wiz Jay Abraham provides some powerful strategies for boosting your career or business in Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got. Abraham believes that anyone can advance in life by tapping into hidden assets and developing the right mindset. He writes, "You are surrounded by simple, obvious solutions that can dramatically increase your income, power, influence and success. The problem is, you just don't see them."

Over the course of 21 chapters, he shows how to get ahead by treating bosses and clients as valued friends; find better and more exciting ways of doing things; develop "unique selling propositions"; persuade people to follow your lead; master the art of selling on the telephone; craft a formal referral system; sell on the Internet; and forge strong, established business relationships.

Abraham's central theme is that everyone is in sales. In almost any profession, people must be skilled at selling themselves and their ideas, not just their company's product or service. Engagingly written, the book features more than 200 examples of people and companies who have successfully used these techniques, from Bill Gates and Dennis Rodman to Sharper Image and Federal Express. --Dan Ring --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.


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The Sticking Point Solution: 9 Ways to Move Your Business from Stagnation to Stunning Growth InTough Economic Times (Hardcover)

http://www.amazon.com/Sticking-Point.../dp/1593155107

Product Description
Businesses can plateau, stall, or stagnate...without the owners or key executives even realizing it. The purpose of The Sticking Point Solution is to help entrepreneurs and executives recognize the ways in which their businesses may be stuck, and to then give them tools for getting unstuck and enjoying exponential growth. To achieve this, Jay will help you to identify the nine “sticking points” that keep entrepreneurs and executives alike grinding just to survive, instead of growing and thriving.

Unlocking that true business potential and diagnosing the specific issues that each reader/business owner/entrepreneur/employee faces is the mission of this book. The results: freedom from stagnation and stalling; new levels of profitability and success; and a much greater sense of control and pleasure from running the enterprise.

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Cheers,

~Dexx

[joerh]

Thanks for the resources. That will be a great start. I just put them on hold at my library.

- Joe

[ijohnson]

Hey, Dexx!

Appreciate you posting those books! I've got to check them out on Amazon real soon. I'm awaiting a shipment of several books I ordered last week. I'm trying to set aside at least one hour every day to read these books so they don't just sit around collecting dust. I'm also trying to stay focused and move forward in my business. I'm still working on getting my 1st client . . . and I'm getting "antsy"!!!!

~ Iris

[BAYO a.k.a. Mr. B]

I've got no training in business consulting. I've spent time with IM and direct marketing, but when it comes to looking at someone's books to help cut the fat, implement systems, train staff, etc., I am a little in the dark. It seems like AP, Dexx and others are working the consulting side of things as a major portion of their business. The SEO/Advertising is just another tool in the box instead of the only tool. I'm going to grab Dan Kennedy's consulting course to get started, but thought this might help this forum/community even more.

Thanks,
Joe

P.S. - love the forum so far. I really hope it keeps going.

Hi Joe,

Great to know you're finding this place useful. When Dexx invited me over I wasn't sure, but now it's probably my most visited forum for obvious reasons.

Consulting

Your approach is going to be heavily influenced by the path you choose, i.e. offer products, services or both. The relationship people have with products is totally different to the relationship they have with services. With services the relationship is with the person (you) and not the product.

There are some fundamental principles of consulting that, once you grasp those, it allows you to focus your marketing resources.

Something to always remember and that I teach is this

You're in 2 businesses as a consultant

• Marketing and selling your product/services
• Delivering your product/service
• The most important part is the marketing and selling of your products/services because without it, there's nothing to deliver.

If you need any help just ask!

Have a great one.

Bayo

[joerh]

Thanks Bayo. I've been back and forth b/t here and the pdf of the long offline biz post on the warrior forum. A lot of the same people here as was on there. Hopefully you stick around, you're one of the people that keeps people like me coming back.

I was looking to provide services for lead generation for local businesses through SEO and PPC. I was going through the warrior forum to see how people were helping the business with conversions, since you can traffic means nothing without a good sales funnel. Those post opened up a whole new thought process of diving into non-internet business issues for clients. It makes great sense and really increases your overall value... not to mention improves the chances of retaining clients if you can get them leads, help close more of them, increase the amount they spend with the company, increase the amount of time they spend with the company, increase the amount of referrals they get from their customers, help automate the sales process, decrease overhead in areas not making them money, etc. Never expected to enter the world of consulting, but it just seems like the perfect fit.

I suggested a dedicated area in hope of creating discussions like..."my 50 point checklist of the most common problems seen by small business owners that every new customer gets." It's hard to brainstorm solutions when you don't know what problems to look for.

[shaunedward]

As the global downturn kicked in, a high-tech company's senior executives decided to run a war game to prepare themselves for the uncertainties of the post-crisis landscape. After two days of simulations-when teams representing competitors and stakeholders role-played against a "company" team-the executives understood that a strong competitor on the sidelines was likely to enter the market aggressively.

[larryfoster]

As a consultant, can you deliver results?
More leads, sales or profits.

Both Dexx and Bayo teach that.
Services don't necessarily translate into more business.

[rajathiraja]

Nice Idea............... I agree with you.............