The art of consultancy / Calvert Markham.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Markham, Calvert, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Business consultants.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (254 pages) : illustrations.

Other Title:

Art of consultancy : a powerful toolkit to becoming a top consultant

Place of Publication:

London : Legend Business Ltd, 2019.

Summary:

"Whether you are just starting out, considering or already working as a consultant this book is essential reading, enabling you to understand the needs of your client and to get the result they want. There are more factors to consider in order to be a successful management consultant than simply subject matter knowledge. Problem solving and solution delivery have to be accomplished in usually tight project timescales while keeping clients happy. This book, based on the experience of training thousands of consultants, provides insights into the key processes of selling and delivering consulting services, together with the essential underpinning tools and techniques, and the commercial imperatives for running a successful consulting practice. This book contains the tools, tactics, secrets and attributes to develop and become a successful management consultant. The contents include chapters on the key processes such as: The business of consultancy; Marketing and selling consultancy projects; Overview of the delivery process; Entry, Contracting, Diagnosis, Intervention and Closure. And the essential underpinning skills such as: Analytical tools and techniques; Reporting and Influencing clients; Designing, delivering training sessions and workshops; The practice environment..."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Overview of the delivery process

Entry

Contracting

Diagnosis

Intervention

Closure

Chapter 2 - Entry

So, who am I?

Consultant roles

The consultant as an outsider

Chapter 3 - Contracting

Revisiting terms of reference

Planning a consultancy project

Preparing the project plan

Practical operating

Questions of standards and ethics

Chapter 4 - Diagnosis

Problem solving

Data collection

Constraints on data collection

Forming conclusions

Chapter 5 - Intervention

Recommendations are conclusions adjusted for the process of change

Organisational readiness for change

The process of change

Techniques for assisting change

Words of consolation

Chapter 6 - Closure

Completing a project

Deriving ongoing commercial value

Deriving value for the practice

Chapter 7 - Analytical tools and techniques

Generic data collection techniques

Structured data collection tools

Data analysis techniques

Some useful models

Chapter 8 - Reporting to clients

Reports to clients

Preparation

Writing reports

Making presentations

Informal presentations

Review

Chapter 9 - Influencing clients

The power of the consultant

The response to consultants' influence

Preparing and presenting a persuasive case

Processes of social influence

Improving your influencing skills

Chapter 10 -Designing and presenting training sessions and workshops

Creating a training specification

Designing training sessions

Improving training presentations

Running workshops

Chapter 11 - Marketing and selling consultancy projects

The marketing and sales process

Promotion

Prospection

Proposition design

Pitching

Chapter 12 - The business of consultancy.The consultancy business process

Rule 1: Maintain utilisation

Rule 2: Invest non-fee-earning time carefully

Rule 3: Control the cash

What do the three rules mean in practice?

Chapter 13 - The practice environment

Becoming a consultant

A model of the consulting business

Working in a consulting practice

And finally…

References

Publishing history.

ISBN:

9781789550825 (electronic book)

9781789550825

1789550823