Normally if you are not getting traction, if you are not able to reliably set and hit goals, then it’s a good idea to narrow your focus and take smaller steps. Zoom in for traction. This is a good rule of but you may need to take a step back and look at yourself as […]
Step Back To See Yourself In The Problem Read More »
Trust is built over repeated interactions between people. If your business requires long term relationships then you have to make sure that investments in automation are not deployed in a way that undercut your ability to have real conversations. Unfortunately, some uses of email automation tools are pushing sales conversations into the “Uncanny Valley” because
The Uncanny Valley of Email Automation Read More »
Bruce La Fetra of La Fetra Consulting for a conversation on customer interviews. We compared notes on qualitative conversations versus quantitative surveys and exchanged tips and tricks. Bruce presented some great insights on how to organize findings and how to take best advantage of insights gleaned from interviews.
Customer Interviews: How To Organize Findings Read More »
Here are my notes from tonight’s Professional and Technical Consultants Association (PATCA) meeting on “Handling Difficult Client Scenarios in an Agile and Effective Manner.” It was a candid discussion among primarily experienced consultants about real situations that were challenging–and frequently painful. Several good suggestions for preventing and managing challenging customer situations:
Preventing & Managing Challenging Customer Situations Read More »
I took part in a great roundtable conversation at tonight’s PATCA meeting on “Low Cost Marketing and Advertising for Consultants” Here were a couple of suggestions that I made in response to situations or challenges that other consultants put on the table.
Tips for Low Cost Marketing of Your Services Read More »
By Sunday night the week is over and all of your chips are down. The bets you have been able to place will have to bear fruit, or not. “So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late” Bob Dylan “All along the watchtower“
By Sunday Night Your Chips Are Down For The Week Read More »
Managing key commitments to customers is essential to closing deals and preventing churn. Getting a customer the correct answer to a question is a critical sales and support skill: the first step is to write down the question when you don’t know the answer.
Write Down Key Commitments And Questions That Need Answers Read More »
In 2014 we ran a set of “CNSV Mastermind 2014” meetings to help consultants review business and practice development challenges with peers.
IEEE CNSV Mastermind 2014 Read More »
We are diligent in getting feedback on our consulting performance. Here are four questions we use to help us to improve our practice. We also solicit feedback after every talk, seminar, and workshop that offer. We read all of it, and try and make new mistakes on the next iteration. Four Questions We Use To
Four Questions We Use To Help Improve Our Practice Read More »
PATCA is a non-profit organization created in 1975 specifically to help connect businesses and independent consultants. I was invited to take part in a PACA panel on “The Consulting Landscape: Forward Looking Skills and Practices” on Thursday June 13, 2013. It offered me a chance to clarify my thinking on the future of professional consulting and
Remarks from “Future of Professional Consulting” at PATCA June-13-2013 Read More »
Firms make a mistake when they treat email like a bullhorn, a tools for broadcast, instead of a walkie-talkie that enables a conversation.
Use E-Mail Like a Walkie-Talkie, Not A Bullhorn Read More »
Quick reminder: I will be moderating a panel on “Successful Consulting Engagements with Startups” at the May 21 IEEE-CNSV meeting. I volunteered to pull this panel together after a long thread on the CNSV e-mail list June about the topic. I have been fortunate to attract three knowledgeable and experienced engineers to take part in the
Reminder: Successful Consulting Engagements With Startups at IEEE-CNSV Tue-May-21 Read More »
Preliminary Results From Research On Managing Creative Projects If you manage a firm that provides creative, design, or professional services you have to balance making a profit with investing in your team. If you are struggling to increase project profitability you may be interested in preliminary results from an ongoing research effort that has identified key
Preliminary Results From Research On Managing Creative Projects Read More »
Most successful products start in a niche and expand via a sequence of larger adjacent niches. Impatience for success works against learning.
Impatience For Success Works Against Learning Read More »
Saturday March 24, 9-11am Ground Floor Silicon Valley, located at 2030 Duane Avenue, Santa Clara, We are launching new Mastermind groups in response to several requests from entrepreneurs who wanted to form an advisory board of peers with a deeper understanding of each other’s businesses and shared accountability. Come to the meeting and see if
CTO Mastermind Open House Read More »
Here is a list of tools for finding a physical workspace: this covers desks, cubicles, offices, and meeting rooms you can rent by the hour, day, or month.
Tools for Finding a Physical Workspace: Deskwanted, LiquidSpace, Loosecubes, OpenDesks Read More »
Networking is good questions, listening, and helping others. Some rules of thumb for networking from Ford Harding’s Rainmaking (pages 44-59).
Ford Harding on Rules of Thumb for Networking Read More »
Refine and curate your thoughts by reworking the first draft of your answers in an email or in response to a question from a customer or an audience member at a talk.
Refine and Curate Your Thoughts as FAQs, Articles, and Talks Read More »
Len Sklar, author “The Check is NOT in the Mail” has spoken several times at Bootstrapper Breakfasts. Here is a recent talk he gave where he stresses the importance of putting payment terms and the consequences on non-payment in writing, communicating them in advance, and ensuring that they are understood. It all seems so obvious
Len Sklar: Be Clear About Payment Terms And Consequences Read More »
Innovation is never able to “get it right the first time.” Getting unstuck when your perfectionism paralyzes you requires you to be willing to share bad versions and ugly drafts.
Getting Unstuck From Perfectionism Read More »
