Working as a consultant can be a great career move, but it can sometimes be a lonely occupation as well. Working by yourself, or with just a few colleagues, can be difficult, and it can be hard to get the information you need to grow your business and wow your clients.

One of the best ways to keep your business growing and make it even more successful is to attend ongoing training seminars designed specifically for the consultant community. If you feel you need to take advantage of new training opportunities for your own consulting business, use the following tips to find a great consultant training seminar.

Talk to Others in the Industry

Chances are you work with a wide variety of people, across many different job categories and industries, as part of your consulting business. You can use this network of individuals to help you find the consultant training you need to get your new business off the ground or grow your existing consulting firm. Ask others who have attended training seminars what they liked – and what they did not like – about the training they received. Harnessing the experience of others in the industry is one of the best ways to ensure you find a top quality seminar.

Leverage Your Current Network

Another way to choose a great seminar is to check with others who are in the same business. The need for ongoing training is a universal part of the consulting business, no matter what industry you choose to work in. Ask your friends who are consultants for various industries to recommend a quality training seminar. This will help you find the training you need, and help you avoid expensive training that is not worth the money.

Research the Seminar Providers

One of the most valuable things you can do when choosing a consultant training seminar is to research the individuals and companies who are providing the seminar. Are they currently working as professional consultants, or do they appear to do nothing but hold seminars? How many years of combined experience do the trainers bring to the seminars? What kind of reputation does the company providing the seminar have in the business community and the consulting world? Are the seminar marketing materials professional, polished and appealing? The answers to these questions can tell you are great deal about the professionalism and quality you can expect to receive when attending the seminar.

Convenient Dates and Times

While consultants work for themselves, it is their clients who call the shots. You need to be available when your clients need you, whether you feel the need to attend ongoing training or not. Look for a training seminar with convenient dates and times. This will help to ensure that you are available if a new client calls, or if you need to provide additional information to an existing customer. Attending the training seminar at night or over a weekend can maximize your time while minimizing any potential disruption to your business.

Most consultants are like cab drivers. Cab drivers run the meter. They throw the luggage in the trunk (that’s a $1.00 bag charge). They may or may not be personable. If you have extra passengers, that’s $1.50 each on top of the mileage. No smoking. And the radio is tuned to their favorite station – not yours.

Most consultants charge by the hour or the day. The meter is running. When you need a special report or their attendance at an onsite meeting, there’s your bag charge. They may or may not be personable to anyone other than the executive who hired them. If you need additional work or facilitation or expertise, there’s a fee “on top of the mileage.” And most times, you’re locked into their “radio station” – tuned to their methodologies, their licensed tools, their processes – not yours.

What if you came across a dramatically different kind of cab driver? Let’s call him Ike.

1. Ike has his own business card with his personal cell phone number, a rocket logo and a humorous tagline, such as “Strap in. Hang on. Here we go!” One of his cab’s notable features is the Hot Wheels steering wheel cover. Your initial impression might be that he is direct and, most importantly, fast.

2. In addition, Ike is a great listener. This would be in contrast to some “real character” cab drivers, who are great talkers.

3. Ike takes credit cards and proudly displays the Visa and American Express decals inside his cab. A credit card transaction costs him between 2 and 4% of every sale. (The cab company does NOT subsidize this fee – it’s up to each individual driver to decide whether to accept credit cards or not.) But it also makes him easy to do business with – and, coincidentally, increases the likelihood of getting a nice tip.

4. Ike is proactive and offers suggestions. For example, when a passenger asks Ike for a good restaurant recommendation, he has a few of his favorite places in mind and a restaurant guide available right in the front seat of the cab. Ike will offer to take his passenger to the restaurant, and also to come back at an appointed time to save the hassle of tracking down another cab. He is never late. Does Ike profit from this? Sure. Does Ike’s passenger? Sure. Will some cab drivers refuse to come back at a set time for fear of losing a juicier fare or a longer ride that may or may not come along? You bet.

5. When picking up or dropping off from the airport, Ike always finds out a little bit about his passenger. Is this his first time in town? How long is his visit? If Ike discovers that his passenger has come for business and hasn’t any time to see the sights or experience the city, he offers to take the passenger on a 10-minute sightseeing tour of downtown. Pointing out the highlights, sharing a little history, and telling a few stories, Ike has his passenger back on his way with a real flavor of the city that he loves. Is this a gimmick to add 10 minutes to the meter? With some cabbies, it might be. But Ike’s passion and knowledge and eagerness to share it with his passengers cannot be faked. Would a friend do the same for you on your way out of town? Absolutely.

Let’s turn our focus to the lessons for consulting. Feel free to compare these consulting tips with the corresponding lessons from the taxi business above.

1. Successful consultants stand apart – both in form and in substance. Sales trainer, consultant, and author Jeffrey Gitomer uses a half-dollar sized coin with his image and contact information (and some clever slogans like “In Sales We Trust”) engraved on it as his business card. People not only remember it, they keep it and they show it to their friends. Your initial impression might be that he is successful, funny, creative, and different than every other “me-too” sales trainer wearing a nice suit and carrying sharp white business cards (yawn).

2. Successful consultants are not good listeners. They’re DEEP listeners. “Good” listeners use surface tricks and techniques like “active listening” and “matching and mirroring.” Deep listeners listen with no agenda. Your listening focus should be on empathy – literally “feeling WITH” the client – and understanding the issues behind the issues. This isn’t a trick you learn in “consulting school.” This comes from your heart and your genuine interest in helping the client improve their situation. Deep listening will help you understand the real value that the client seeks from you.

3. Successful consultants are easy to do business with. One of the world’s finest consultants, Alan Weiss, says in his book Million Dollar Consulting, “you have to spend money to make money.” Part of that money should be spent on things that will make you easy to do business with. Some of these things are almost trivial – being able to accept credit cards, having an 800 number, etc. And some of these things will be a major investment of time, effort, thought, and energy. Like designing a resource-rich web presence or moving to value-based fee-setting so people get you and your expertise without concern over when you punch in and out on the time clock.

4. Successful consultants are proactive and offer suggestions. Flexibility is a great source of strength. So is forward movement. When consulting with large organizations, it is easy to fall into their trap of “analysis paralysis.” Especially with all the hype around “getting close to the customer.” The danger for consultants in getting too close to the customer is that you’ll get mired in the same quicksand you’ve been brought in to rescue them from! Keep moving, and always offer options. It could be as simple as “Plan A or B or C,” but giving choices always enhances collaboration and provides a sense of shared responsibility for outcomes. And it’s harder to say “No” when asked “Chocolate or Vanilla or Strawberry?” Ideally, your clients will say “Wow, they ALL sound delicious.” Then you are in a position to make a recommendation based on your deep listening (See #2!)

5. Successful consultants work from passion, knowledge, and eagerness to help. The irony of this is that the more easy and effortless the work for the consultant, the greater the value it has for the client. For the consultant, the intersection of joy and business is called profit. Marketer, speaker, and author Seth Godin believes that in any business relationship, the sooner you ask for money, the less you will get. This has interesting implications for the consulting business, where knowledge and expertise (and to a certain extent, even conversation) has monetary value.

I happen to believe in the concept of value-first selling. In other words, you should give clients valuable information and point them to resources they need, even before you’re hired. You should work to make prospects think, “Wow, this guy is a goldmine. Imagine what we’d get if we actually HIRED him.”

Now a lot of sales and consulting experts call this “spilling the candy in the lobby” and they advise strongly against it. And I would advise against it too – if you’re only carrying one bowl of candy. But without bragging, I can safely say that among great consultants (people who work at the intersection of passion and knowledge and eagerness to help), we’re a veritable candy store and are not likely to run out anytime soon by sharing our gifts with clients that are hungry for what we have to offer.

Would you help a friend with your knowledge and expertise? Sure you would. Perhaps clients are simply friends that pay you money? Think about it.

Beep, beep. “Hop in!”

In times of recession, a consulting business can be one of the most secure workplaces. When businesses are in trouble, or seeking more efficient and economical ways of operating, they turn to consultants for assistance and advice. Senior executives recognize that someone from outside the organization, who thinks strategically and is familiar with their marketplace, can often pinpoint areas that can be improved or streamlined. The objectivity of a consultant is as valuable as the skill and experience.

Consulting is big business and consultant careers are proving a popular choice among young graduates, who aim to join a top-notch consulting business and work their way up from being a humble analyst to becoming a senior consultant. Increasingly though, they may have to compete with experienced business gurus who move sideways from operational positions.

So what are the characteristics you need to succeed in a consultant career? With few exceptions, the best consultants are people who:

• Really want to help others to achieve, and often step back from taking credit themselves.
• Get a real buzz out of making a difference.
• Are analytical and academic rather than hands-on.
• Generate lots of ideas and think up new ways of doing things.
• Are good at evaluating problems and finding possible solutions.
• Can cultivate good working relationships and get the best out of people.
• Are good listeners and are generally liked.
• Work well within teams but can step up and take control if necessary.
• Think logically and are able to keep tabs on the big picture while dealing with the details.
• Can keep a strategic focus.
• Have plenty of stamina and keep going as long as required.

They will, of course, also have the practical skills needed for writing readable reports and making impelling presentations. And they are usually highly computer literate, with experience in many software applications.

So you think your character and temperament fits with this list, and you have or can acquire the practical skills. Now you need to find the right consulting business niche for your consultant career.

The largest sector in consulting is information technology, so if you are a computer whizz kid, that’s the way to go. Marketing is another aspect where consultants are used, sometimes as an outsourced department, more often to advise and coach an in-house team. Some consulting businesses specialize in Change Management. Others advise businesses or organizations in particular market sectors, such as healthcare, education, manufacturing, and so on. There are consultants to the water industry, the oil industry, the railways and haulage businesses. The list can seem endless.

A major consulting business will employ a range of skilled consultants, so the opportunities for consultant careers are wider. A smaller consulting business is more likely to specialize and rely on its reputation in a well defined area.

Look carefully at your interests and experience, so you can aim to position yourself where you will be able to enjoy the work you get, and are most likely to succeed.

There are different consultants that are important for a lot of businesses. Most business owners today prefer having consultants because they are somehow assured that there will be someone who will take care of the aspects of their business. For businesses related with sales, shipment and warehousing, warehouse consultants are perfect to have. So, what can a business have by hiring warehouse consultants? Here are some of the benefits that a business can have from this type of consultant.

Warehouse consultants will be able to provide the needs and requirements of a warehouse business owner. This expert will be able to provide a concrete plan on how to maintain the warehouse and all the products or items within it. He or she will handle all matters related to the care and maintenance of the warehouse and the things contained in it. The warehouse will also be prepared for all the needs and requirements of the clients of the business. It should meet or even exceed the requirements of the business to make sure that it will profit and become successful.

The expertise of a consultant will be focused on the facilities and provide flexibility of the warehouse making sure that it will be appropriate for the business. They will also implement solutions and techniques that will make sure that the warehouse and business will work well. The operations of the business related to the warehouse should flow smoothly because of the solutions and procedures implemented by the consultant.

A warehouse consultant should also be able to provide cost effective plans so that the business will be able to use all the resources available for the warehouse to move smoothly and properly. Aside from cost efficient plans, the consultant should also have space friendly and plans for longer time of usage for the warehouse. By having these, the business owner will be sure that they will use the warehouse for many years. It will also prevent big expenses especially in the maintenance of the warehouse. By having the consultant, the production and logistics of the business will be met and smooth flow of operations will be utilized.

And lastly, the consultant can provide good partnership with the business owner and all people involved in it. They can be able to provide good advices and tips so that the business will be leading to its goal which is to profit big and become successful.

There are many firms that offer consultancy services. It is just important for the business owner to choose the right firm to consult with. By researching and looking for reputable firm, a business will surely be able to find the right consultant to hire. Having warehouse consultants will surely be useful for the business. The business owner will not worry about the maintenance and flow of the warehouse because of the consultant. They might be additional expense for the business but the results that these consultants can provide will surely be beneficial for the business.

Consulting agreements are commonly used by businesses today. Consulting agreements can range from one page to 20 or more pages depending on the subject matter of the agreement and whether other agreements between the parties are included or are incorporated by reference. This summary will discuss in more detail the terms of the Sample Consulting Agreement form and the legal rights and obligations created under the agreement, as well as provisions that could be adapted to specific circumstances and arrangements.

Provisions of the Agreement and Duties and Obligations Created

The consulting agreement is an agreement between a consultant and a client that wishes to retain certain specified services of the consultant for a specified time at a specified rate of compensation. As indicated previously, the terms of the agreement can be quite simple or very complex. Below is a discussion of the more important issues to be considered in every consulting agreement.

Scope of Work, Time, Compensation

It is important that the agreement for consulting services outline the specific services to be provided. Often a consulting agreement will contain an exhibit that lists the services expected of the consultant. This list can then be amended if necessary without the need to amend the entire agreement.

The time period in which the consultant is expected to complete his or her task should also be included in the agreement if applicable. Depending on the situation, the consultant may be expected to devote a specific number of hours per week or per month to the project, or may charge a flat fee when the services are more specific in nature. The hiring company may wish to include a “hold-back” provision alerting the consultant that a certain amount of the compensation will be withheld until the consultant has completed the task. Obviously, the inclusion of a hold-back provision and the amount that is “held-back” are often points of contention and should be negotiated.

Term and Termination

The term of the agreement is typically quantified in months or years. Most likely it will coincide with the compensation schedule. The client should also protect its interests by allowing it to terminate the agreement under certain conditions. Typically these conditions are (1) breach of confidentiality or non-solicitation provisions of the agreement, or (2) illegal activities that affect consultant’s performance under the agreement. Without this right to terminate the agreement, the client is obligating itself to the consultant even if the consultant has taken actions contrary to the client.

Copyrights and Data

The consulting agreement should address the use of the consultant’s work. Some agreements allow the client complete use of the physical product delivered by the consultant and may not include an assignment of copyright on the assumption that the consultant will want to retain the copyright. The best position for the client is to get complete ownership of not only the tangible documents that the consultant prepares, but also the copyrights to those documents. However, the consultant may demand considerable more compensation to assign this right making it impractical. It is very important, however, for the parties to clearly understand their respective rights relating to not only the physical documents but the copyrights as well.

Conflict of Interest; Non-Solicitation

Clients should consider including a non-competition clause in the agreement, at least for the term of the agreement and within the market area of the client. Any non-competition clause must be reasonable to be enforceable. Most consulting agreements also include a statement that the consultant will not solicit the client’s employees for at least the term of the agreement.

Miscellaneous Provisions

After spending considerable time negotiating the services to be performed, the compensation, the ownership rights to the work product, etc. it is often easy for parties to neglect the miscellaneous provisions that one typically finds at the end of the agreement. The parties should always pay careful attention to what law will govern the agreement, how disputes will be resolved, and, probably most importantly, the assignability of the rights and obligations under the agreement. Typically, the rights and obligations are not assignable since the client is hiring the consultant because of the consultant’s specific expertise and the consultant is agreeing to perform the services only for the client. There may be situations, however, where an assignment may be necessary, i.e. the client merges with or into another entity.

Summary

Consulting agreements are frequently used in today’s business world and vary in complexity from simple, one-page documents to very complex, 20+ page documents. The terms detailed above, however, should be considered as basic requirements for any consulting agreement. With the key terms detailed in a written agreement, the parties will have reasonable expectations about services to be performed under the agreement and the consequences if those expectations are not met.

Consultancy is required in every field and without consultancy, you cannot reach to the end of your project or whatever task you are planning to do. With respect to business, you need consultancy at every stage because business is risk, hence to minimise the risk, it is important that you consult from some expert at every stage. Many firms are there these days that help businesses and individuals in consultancy and help them in consultancy of about any department.

The strategy consultancy can mainly help in the financial planning of the business. Financial planning is very important for the business because it is required to make important decisions for the future. The basic decisions of business are solely based on the financial planning of the entire year and strategy consultancy plays a major role in it. Before you start any business or you plan to start any project within a business, you need some strategy which you can follow. When you have a strategy, you have a clear path to follow.

Not only for running a business, consultancy is also required in designing a strategy for the business. Strategy is not only made for the financial planning, rather it is important for marketing perspective of the business as well. Here the question arises that why strategy consultancy is required and in what ay the consultants can help us. Through strategy consultancy, you can focus your business on doing something innovative in the market that can give you a competitive edge over other businesses.

Not only innovation, strategy consultancy can also help to make important decisions regarding the business model the company is following. Businesses who fail to make their place in the market often think to change their business model. Changing a business model is not an easy task, so it requires a serious consultancy and for that purpose strategic consultants are there. It is advisable to take help from the strategy consultant who is related to some consultancy firm. In this way, you will not have to face any risk of being misguided.

Cost saving is another major problem of businesses and many businesses fail just because they fail to allocate their costs in the right way. Strategy consultancy helps such businesses to grow in a better way and through better financial planning, they can make better business decisions in the future. Contingency planning is also very important part of the strategy consultancy and it helps the business to focus on the root cause of the problems.

When you know the root cause, you will then be able to better solve the problem and can then make a new strategy accordingly. Strategy consultancy is being widely used by the businesses and they can actually differentiate their business position in the marketing before consultancy and after consultancy.

Strategy consultancy can also be used in making new policies of the business. Policy making is not an easy task and it requires a deep market research to formulate it. But if you are under better consultancy then there will be no difficulty in designing a new policy. A new policy can either bring successful changes in your business or it can lower down your rate in the market. So before you hire a strategic consultant for your business, it is advisable that you always select the high quality firm or consultant for that purpose because it is all about the success of your business and at every point there is high amount of risk involved. In order to reduce the risk, consultancy is something best possible thing that you can do and it can have very positive effects on your business.