February, 2015

article thumbnail

The Most Effective Form Of Outreach – It’s Not What You Think

David A Fields

'Common wisdom says you should offer some sort of value to prospects when you reach out to them. What if that common wisdom is not only wrong, but backwards? I’m sure you’ve seen or heard advice that consultants should only reach out to prospects when they have a compelling, useful tidbit to offer. For example, an article or white paper, your new book, an introduction to a sought-after peer, or insights from a project you conducted recently.

article thumbnail

Advanced Consulting Fit Interviews – Video Overview

Management Consulted

'Okay! So you’ve made it a long way already. You’ve done all your homework on the firm, networked your butt off, and crafted the pristine consulting resume and cover letter. Then you receive a call saying you’ve passed the first round and they want you to come in for an interview. You’re electrified and perhaps a tad nervous, or perhaps very nervous. “What did I get myself into?

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Consulting Jargon 101

Tom Spencer

'ORGANISATIONS hire management consultants to help them solve their most challenging business problems. Senior management are busy people, and so consultants need to communicate their message clearly and concisely, preferably accompanied by some colourful powerpoint slides. The irony, though, is that consultants have gone on to develop an industry jargon which is often completely incomprehensible to industry outsiders.

article thumbnail

How Do You Win Back a Distracted Audience?

Women in Consulting

'By: Marianne Fleischer. Cool Under Fire © series , I of 5. This is first in a series of five leadership articles to help consultants keep cool under fire. San Francisco Speechwriter & Executive Speech Coach Marianne Fleischer, Fleischer Communications gives private speech coaching & workshops. She will also be the keynote speaker at Women in Consulting’s August 10 th , South Bay General Meeting.

article thumbnail

State of AI in Sales & Marketing 2025

AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.

article thumbnail

So, You Wanna Be a Crisis Management Professional. Here’s What You Should Know.

Melissa Agnes

Each week, I get approached by a handful of university students and young professionals seeking my advice on how they can kick-start their careers in crisis management. Although I would love to be able to give time to each and every one of you, my schedule doesn’t always permit me to do so. So I decided to do that here. This blog post answers the questions I get asked most frequently, along with some added comments and insights.

More Trending

article thumbnail

7 Inquiry Methods You Must Master

David A Fields

'Is asking questions more important and trickier than you realized? Many sales techniques exhort you to ask questions that will reveal a prospect’s situation, uncover their deeper needs, and heighten the perceived value of your solution. But what if questions serve a different purpose (they do) and can be made more effective by following certain rules (they can)?

Sales 220
article thumbnail

Why I Never Wanted to Be a Consultant: Confessions of a Bain Consultant

Management Consulted

'This is Part 2 of a 12-part “Transparency” series, tracing Jenny Rae’s slightly crazy life from her early (5-year-old) roots in business to her travels and then to Bain and beyond. If you haven’t read it already, make sure you start at Part 1. Then, enjoy! ** . When I first went to UVA, I was one foot in and one foot out, holding on to the possibility of transferring to one of my first choice schools (Duke was #1 on my radar).

Bain 143
article thumbnail

Just A Game?

Tom Spencer

'Using gamelike elements to engage customers can produce real business value. We are currently taking an online course on Gamification with Wharton’s Professor Kevin Werbach, which provides a fascinating insight into the world of games and how gamelike elements can be incorporated into the customer experience. The basic concept is that games provide a structure within which people can achieve outcomes and have fun in the process.

article thumbnail

Be bright. Be brief. Be gone.

Women in Consulting

'By: Marianne Fleischer. Cool Under Fire © series , 2 of 5 by Marianne Fleischer www.fleischercomm.com. This second of five articles in the Cool Under Fire © Series will help you think on their feet. Speechwriter & Executive Speech Coach Marianne Fleischer, Fleischer Communications, will also be the keynote speaker at Women in Consulting’s August 10 th , South Bay General Meeting.

article thumbnail

Less Stress, More Success: Accounting Best Practices & Processes for 2025

Speaker: Duke Heninger, Partner and Fractional CFO at Ampleo & Creator of CFO System

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Duke Heninger, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

article thumbnail

Your Guide for Data Breach Crisis Communication

Melissa Agnes

Target, Home Depot, Sony and now Anthem. How many data breach hacks are you going to watch happen to others before you get your team in gear and take the necessary precautions to minimize this risk from happening to your organization? It’s true that the risk of a data breach can never be 100% eliminated (unless you go completely off the grid and back to a world of paper and wire phones), but it can be minimized and then planned for.

Data 72
article thumbnail

Debt of Six Eurozone Countries Exceeds 100% of GDP, Two More Coming in 2015 (France and Spain)

MishTalk

'In 2014 there were six eurozone countries whose debt-to-GDP ratio went over the 100% threshold. Two additional countries will pass that barrier in 2015. The Maastricht Treaty on which the euro was founded was designed to keep "sound fiscal policies", with debt limited to 60% of GDP (not 100%), and annual deficits no greater than 3% of GDP." Every country in the eurozone, including Germany, has been in violation of those rules.

article thumbnail

Two Gifts I Think You Need

David A Fields

'I’m going to walk way out on a limb and assume you want to grow—financially, professionally, and personally. Okay, it wasn’t much of a limb. More like lounging in a lawn chair while looking at the tree. Regardless, the gifts discussed below apply to any endeavor. From building your firm to concocting tastier dinners. Let’s throw a couple of ideas in the blender and see what happens.

Financial 183
article thumbnail

Business Spotlight: Stanford GBS grad launches Returnships

Management Consulted

'Jenny Rae jumped on a call with Linda – a tremendous woman with a big vision to help those who have great pedigree and experience but have taken a break in their careers (whether it be to have children and care for them or to look after elderly parents, or a myriad of other reasons). Linda’s company, Talent Reconnect, offers returnships that are aimed mostly at women who have graduated from top business schools but who had 2 to 5 years of post-MBA experience before opting out.

article thumbnail

PowerPoint Best Practices for Creating Stellar Presentations

Mastering data visualization in PowerPoint will help accelerate your career because it positions you as someone who can present data that drives business decisions forward. think-cell's PowerPoint Best Practices eBook was created specifically for professionals aiming to master the art and science of data-driven storytelling. What’s inside: Practical Insights: Uncover valuable tips for crafting engaging and persuasive presentations.

article thumbnail

Success Is Possible

Tom Spencer

'Not overnight. Not without hard work and creativity. Not without moments of doubt. Not inevitable. But possible. Possible for you. Success, for you, is possible.

article thumbnail

The Mission Statement Is Dead! Long Live the Mission Narrative!

Strategy+Business

'Your company''s guiding principles should be built to focus your employees'' thinking, decisions, and actions.

Company 61
article thumbnail

5 Steps to Becoming a Crisis Communication Pro

Melissa Agnes

Can any organization be a crisis communication pro? Absolutely, why not? Being crisis-ready, crisis-intelligent, isn’t a mysterious quality that only a few people or organizations possess. It’s a skill that gets developed and honed over time, with effort and attention. So what would it take for your organization, your team, to be considered a crisis communication pro?

Media 67
article thumbnail

Gallup CEO Calls 5.6% Unemployment Rate "The Big Lie": What's a Realistic Unemployment Rate?

MishTalk

'On Linked-In, Gallup CEO, Jim Clifton proclaims 5.6% unemployment is " The Big Lie ". And it is. I have talked about this for years, but perhaps it would be interesting to hear the same thing from a CEO of a big agency. I picked this story up from ZeroHedge. Emphasis in italics is mine. Clifton first calls the unemployment rate " extremely misleading " but later on calls it " The Big Lie ", and that is the title of his Linked-In article as well.

Media 61
article thumbnail

Savings Consultants Are Needed in Today's Market More Than Ever

Savings Consultants are needed in today’s market more than ever. With an increase in expenses, businesses are looking for opportunities to save. Often unknown to businesses are savings in expense reduction, specialized tax savings, specialized savings including medical underpayments, health benefits cost reduction, zero cost processing, and more. Blue Coast Savings, with over 20 years in business, assists Savings Consultants in helping these companies move toward more profitable businesses.

article thumbnail

When Should I Start Selling the Next Project?

David A Fields

'A consultant asked me this question: Once I’ve won a project with a new client, when should I start trying to win the next project? What advice would you give this consultant? When have you started selling follow-on or pull-through projects to existing clients? Share your thoughts below using the comment box. You can see more discussion of this question by joining the Solo Consultant’s Network on LinkedIn.

article thumbnail

A Penn State MBA considers Deloitte Federal Consulting: An Interview with Sam

Management Consulted

'Sam approached us a few months ago to ask about his options after completing his MBA at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, which has a strong reputation for supply chain management. He, however, wanted to do something outside supply chain. He had a few opportunities on the table. Among them was an offer for Deloitte’s Federal Consulting practice – from Penn State, people had been hired in the past at 2 levels and Sam – with strong extracurriculars and work experienc

Deloitte 116
article thumbnail

Discipline and Decency

Tom Spencer

'All too often partners in professional service firms know how to issue orders, but forget about the need for kindness. Employees develop fear rather than fondness for their managers, and quickly learn how little they can produce to keep people happy. In professions where the quality of the final product hinges on the quality of the thought process used to develop it (e.g. law, accounting and management consulting), monitoring effort is often impossible and employees have significant lee way abo

Tools 65
article thumbnail

From Fee-for-Service to Fee-for-Value

Strategy+Business

'Medicare''s big announcement on payment models is an inflection point in the transition from volume to value.

60
article thumbnail

TOOLS and METHODOLOGIES for developing DECISION SUPPORT PACKAGES

This White Paper targets opportunities for Management to develop proficiency in the Decision Framing and Analyses element of input to Decision, & Risk Analyses for Major Project Funding Decisions.

article thumbnail

Tips For Getting Your Tweets Indexed by Google in a Crisis

Melissa Agnes

As I’m sure you’ve heard, Google and Twitter have reached a deal that will allow Google to once again index tweets in real-time. This means that relevant and timely tweets may appear in your Google search results. This deal is mutually beneficial, as it provides Google with a way to remain even more relevant in real-time news-worthy searches, and it provides Twitter with exposure to those Googling real-time events, rather than simply exposing themselves to those who use Twitter searc

Study 66
article thumbnail

Panic in Ukraine Over Food, Empty Stores and Protests; Strategic Food Reserve Empty

MishTalk

'Here''s a brief update from "Ellen" who lives in Lviv, a city in Western Ukraine. Hello Mish We have quite a panic over the collapse of currency. People buy any food product that can be stored. Everyone wants to rid of Hryvnia. We haven''t seen anything like this since 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. Stores are empty. It is hard to say what exchange rate this days, somewhere between 34 and 42 There were riots in downtown today.

article thumbnail

Is Confidence Important? If So, How Do I Act Confidently If I’m Not Feeling It?

David A Fields

'A consultant asked me this question: Does expressing confidence lead to increased business? If so, do you have any tips on how to express it… especially when I’m not feeling confident? What advice would you give this consultant? Have you found confidence matters? How do you project it? Post your thoughts using the comment box below. You can see more discussion of this question by joining the Solo Consultant’s Network on LinkedIn.

article thumbnail

10 Reasons for Powerful Interviews

Chad Barr

This week’s reflection point: I was just interviewed by Social Media and global influencer, Mitch Jackson. I enjoyed it immensely while answering Mitch’s provocative questions on life, business, cyber strategies and creating your global digital empire. I even managed to put Mitch on the spot towards the end of the interview. I conduct interviews as well and find them to be a powerful aspect of your marketing strategy.

article thumbnail

Why You Need to Use Case Studies in Sales and Marketing (and How to Start Now)

Case studies are proof of successful client relations and a verifiable product or service. They persuade buyers by highlighting your customers' experiences with your company and its solution. In sales, case studies are crucial pieces of content that can be tailored to prospects' pain points and used throughout the buyer's journey. In marketing, case studies are versatile assets for generating business, providing reusable elements for ad and social media content, website material, and marketing c

article thumbnail

Purpose of the Consulting Interview

Tom Spencer

'ARE you an aspiring management consultant? If so, then you’re in luck. Over the coming months we will be posting about the consulting interview. In this post we look at the purpose of the consulting interview. The purpose of the consulting interview is twofold. Firstly, it is a test of client readiness. Management consultants are hired by senior executives to advise on their most pressing and challenging problems.

article thumbnail

Diversify or Focus? The Best Strategies Do Both

Strategy+Business

'It''s time to break your company''s cycle of expand-contract-repeat.

article thumbnail

TCIP #036 – How To Conduct a Crisis Simulation with Garth Rowan

Melissa Agnes

Welcome to episode #036 of The Crisis Intelligence Podcast, with Melissa Agnes and Garth Rowan. Crisis simulations are an amazing way to test your crisis plan and strengthen your team’s crisis communication skills. I’ve been conducting crisis simulations for a few years now and the results that they bring to my clients never cease to amaze me.