May, 2017

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2017 Consulting Fees Study

Consulting Success

We recently asked over 25,000 consultants about their approach to pricing and fees as part of our 2017 Consulting Fees Study. Below you’ll find the results from our survey as well as my commentary and observations. Pricing Structure. The most common pricing structure and approach for consultants is project based pricing. However, when you combine hourly rate and daily rate pricing (both are often, but not always, driven by number of hours involved) the ‘Hourly’ driven approach

Study 271
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How to Get a Meeting with a Prospective Consulting Client

David A Fields

Wouldn’t you like to plant yourself across the desk from a prospect who’s dripping with extra cash and happens to be afflicted with exactly the problem you solve? Of course you would. Unfortunately, most executives don’t seem to leave puddles of money in their footsteps.

Meeting 244
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How to Improve Your Sales Skills, Even If You’re Not a Salesperson

Harvard Business

At some point in your career, even if you’re not a salesperson, you’re going to have to sell something — whether it’s your idea , your team, or yourself. So how can you improve your sales skills, especially if you don’t pitch people often? What should you focus on first? And what should you do if you lose a sale? What the Experts Say.

Sales 195
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Black Belt Supreme 2017 Closes May 31st!

Management Consulted

For the last 4 years we’ve been running our popular Black Belt interview training courses – with tremendous success. Compared to a 3% acceptance rate at top consulting firms, 55% of our Black Belt Supreme participants have received 1 or more offers from top 10 firms. That means our Black Belt Supreme clients are 1800% more likely to receive an offer as opposed to going through the process alone.

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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.

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How Do You Build an Awesome Marketing Team?

Clarity Consultants

Your marketing team is the source of some of the most important work products in helping your business grow and your clients learn about your company in an ongoing marketing strategy. Chances are that without an all-star team of marketing experts, your business is missing out. But in the ongoing war for talent, how do you make sure you’re hiring. Read More.

Marketing 164

More Trending

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Should Consultants Offer Guarantees? The Answer May Surprise You…

Consulting Success

“That would absolutely freak me out,” my client said. “Why is that?” I asked. “Well, because lots of things could happen…” the client responded. I went on to explain the reasons for considering offering a guarantee. And by the end of our coaching call, my client knew exactly what to do. You can find plenty of research that suggests the benefits of offering a guarantee.

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Consulting Revenue Down? How to Know if it’s a Temporary Dip or a Dire Problem

David A Fields

I’ve seen independent consulting firms pass through periods of severe, belt-tightening on their journey to booming success. On the other hand, more than one consulting firm’s revenue has plunged from $20 million to a few million dollars before culminating in a total, permanent shipwreck.

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Male Mentors Shouldn’t Hesitate to Challenge Their Female Mentees

Harvard Business

The research is clear: women in competitive, historically male, “up-our-out” organizational cultures make more money and enjoy more rapid promotions when they are mentored by men. Excellent mentors generally provide two clusters of critical mentoring functions. Psychosocial functions include encouragement, friendship, and emotional support.

Culture 176
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Bulger Partners – Strategy Consulting for the Software Economy

Management Consulted

BULGER PARTNERS. Have we got a treat for you today, as we highlight up-and-coming software consulting firm Bulger Partners. Founded in 2012, headquartered in Boston, and already turning down three projects for every one it accepts, the firm has experienced exponential growth in its first five years of existence. In fact, the firm is already beating out heavyweights such as McKinsey, Bain, and Parthenon-EY for strategy projects in the tech sector due to better industry specialty.

Software 165
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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.

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Does a Person Need Passion or Expertise to Start a Consulting Firm?

Steve Shu Consulting

Here are the situations regarding two people I know: Person 1 is terribly bored by the work he does in radiology, but he’s extremely good at it, and organizations like product companies, health systems, and providers seek out his consulting services. Person 2 is extremely excited and passionate about behavioral economics and wants to start a consulting firm.

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Setting Up a Foundation for Consulting Success

Successful Independent Consulting

This article covers two sides of the same coin for independent consultants: how to set up your business for success and what expenses to track to pay less tax. They're interrelated. Let’s tackle the tax question first. What do I need to keep track of so I pay less tax? Here’s a short list of the most important things and some tips to make it easier.

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6 Ways to Promote Your Authority and Get Consulting Clients

Consulting Success

“ Michael, what’s the best way to get more clients? ” is a question I’m often asked. While many online ‘gurus’ will try to convince you there is a BEST way to get clients, there isn’t. They want you to believe that whatever they are selling is the only way to grow your business. It isn’t. The best way to get more clients is to figure out how to get in front of them – effectively and consistently.

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This Simple Step Pushes Your Consulting Firm into High Gear

David A Fields

A simple step will generate enormous, lasting impact in your consulting firm. It’s easy. You’ve thought about it. Now’s the time to act on it. Last week I upgraded my office with some new storage systems. They’re sleek, roomy, organized—just what I needed. But you know what the coolest part is?

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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.

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Gig Work Doesn’t Have to Be Isolating and Unstable

Harvard Business

With the rise of the so-called “gig economy” has come debate about how companies treat the people who “work” for them. Much of this criticism asks whether gig workers are underpaid, overworked , or subject to exploitation and even abuse. More fundamentally, others have asked whether gig work, performed even under the best of circumstances, is something to be celebrated.

Insurance 149
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In Charge Of Change Management?  Command The Chaos!

Clarity Consultants

In order for businesses to stay competitive, change is inevitable. It is often received with hesitation and even resistance, but when handled correctly change is a great opportunity. It is an opportunity to start clean, to fix broken systems, to build more effective teams, and above all to be the best you can be. As we all know, knowledge is power, and preparing for the challenges of change management will help you be better able to overcome those challenges.

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Reflecting on Your Consulting War Stories Builds Character

Steve Shu Consulting

I don’t claim this to be a good war story, but it is a war story has had a deep impression on me. Early on in my career, I was asked by the managing partner on the project to help a struggling manager to help develop their plan for the business. When I got into the weeds, the problem was essentially an operations strategy and planning project. I brought a little rigor to the analysis, and I worked with the manager to break down scenarios and workflows and applying Little’s Law (i.e., average inv

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Top 10 Consulting Firms in San Francisco

Management Consulted

Here at MC, we’ve been absolutely thrilled to launch our new series and bring you some juicy insights into the Top 10 Consulting firms in every major consulting city and region around the world. This week, we continue with sunny – and windy – San Francisco. Before we begin, for those of you who do not know the layout of the Bay Area well; here is a little geography lesson – The San Francisco, California Bay area is also commonly referred to as the Bay Area region on the w

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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.

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To do, or not to do

Tom Spencer

Why the traditional to-do list is possibly doing you more harm than good. We are all familiar with the concept of a to-do list. We are taught from a very early age that the best way to get things done is to make a list and tick tasks off as we complete them. The idea of a to-do list is comforting, it’s tangible and having one makes us feel like we know where we are in life.

Study 103
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3 Steps to Building Trust in Your Firm (and You)

David A Fields

Trust is important for falling backwards into crowds, eating any food your grandfather prepares and winning consulting projects. No news there. But how important is a client’s trust in your consulting firm as opposed to trust in you as an individual consultant? Very.

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How to Convince Your Boss to Let You Work from Home

Harvard Business

Stephen Smith for HBR. More and more people are working remotely, and many say it improves their productivity and satisfaction — while also saving them time and money. If you’re commuting to an office every day but would like to work elsewhere on a weekly basis, how can you convince your boss to let you do so? What arguments or evidence should you use?

How To 141
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Make Your Corporate Training More Like MacGyver

Clarity Consultants

MacGyver is known for a style of creative thinking and problem solving that can get his character out of a tight spot with little more than chewing gum and a paper clip. That ingenuity and critical thinking can be directly applied to your learning and development programs for greater outcomes. How? The post Make Your Corporate Training More Like MacGyver appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

Training 124
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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.

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Reflecting on Heuristics

Steve Shu Consulting

I was recently asked on Quora, “Should one use heuristics at all as they are prone to cognitive biases?” What follows are my thoughts. Heuristics usually allow people to make quicker decisions. For example, when catching a fly baseball, sometimes people use a gaze heuristic to keep the ball at roughly the same inbound angle by adjusting their position and moving forward or backward.

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Bulger Partners – Strategic Advisers to the Software Economy

Management Consulted

BULGER PARTNERS. Have we got a treat for you today, as we highlight up-and-coming software consulting firm Bulger Partners. Founded in 2012, headquartered in Boston, and already turning down three projects for every one it accepts, the firm has experienced exponential growth in its first five years of existence. In fact, the firm is already beating out strategy heavyweights for strategy projects in the tech sector due to better industry specialty.

Software 100
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The Nine Traits of Highly Effective CMOs

Strategy+Business

Tips for long-term survival in what has become a short-term role.

72
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How to Win Consulting Projects in the Face of Stiff Competition

David A Fields

There is always competition for the consulting engagement you’re hoping to land, even if that competition is only internal staff. Our profession is becoming increasingly crowded, though, and competition from other firms is on the rise. Do you know how to defend against other consultants gunning for your business?

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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

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Prevent Burnout by Making Compassion a Habit

Harvard Business

“I am sick to death of the ridiculous situations I have to deal with at work. The pettiness, the politics, the stupidity — it’s out of control. This kind of thing stresses me out to the max.” Stress a happiness killer. And life is just too short to be unhappy at work. But we hear this kind of thing all the time from leaders in industries as varied as financial services, education, pharmaceuticals, and health care.

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In Charge Of Change Management?  Consider The Complications and Command The Chaos

Clarity Consultants

In order for businesses to stay competitive, change is inevitable. It is often received with hesitation and even resistance, but when handled correctly change is a great opportunity. It is an opportunity to start clean, to fix broken systems, to build more effective teams, and above all to be the best you can be. As we all know, knowledge is power, and preparing for the challenges of change management will help you be better able to overcome those challenges.

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The Digital Marketing Revolution Has Only Just Begun

BCG

Article Tuesday, May 16, 2017 Classic marketing techniques have no place in digital marketing. If your company is still relying on ways of working that served you well ten years ago, it’s time to accelerate change.