Million Dollar Consulting: The Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice, Fifth Edition

I bought this book and read it five years ago and got some great ideas. Last year I started my own consulting practice and recently I picked this book back up and read through it again and it has been a game changer. I also had the opportunity to attend an in person workshop that Alan was running, which reinforced many of the teachings from the book. This book has helped me revamp my client meeting and proposal process and I have been having more success as a result. I have also gained confidence in the solutions I offer and prices I charge. I am confident this book has already made me thousands of dollars and I am just getting started. If you are starting or running a consulting practice, especially a solo practice, you need to read this book. Andy Storch Author of Own Your Career Own Your Life

I think it is important to say that this book assumes you already have technical competence in your service area. But if you are considering going freelance, or run a small services business and are struggling with how to handle price conversations with customers, this book is a gem. No one else can convince you of your own worth, but this book can help you with how to communicate your pricing model in a professional and effective way. If you are in field of improving business process, this book is foundational for how to think about what's a fair price for your efforts.

There is a lot of stuff in this book that I'm already doing, which is confirming. But I got a big kick from all the neat ideas connected with the Rainmaker concept. Excellent suggestions. I particularly related to the contrarian idea. I could relate to that in a big way. A great read - very helpful.

In the process of first reading the book, I found the repetition annoying. A few days after completing the first read, I went back and started reading it again. It was as if I was reading an entirely different book. This is not a one read book by any means. It is an invaluable resource providing us with opportunities to look at who we are, what we have to offer, and how to get from here to there. He makes no bones about it being a demanding journey involving, at a minimum, commitment and grit along with some hutzpah. The book is not for the person looking for an easy way out, there is none. It is a guide for people who are willing to change, learn,grow, be accountable, and do the work.

I'm so, so, so thankful for reading this book at this point in my life. I am working hard to improve my coaching skills, trying to add value and let my clients feel and realize the gains from great consulting. This book is a masterpiece on the subject and when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.. I was ready, baby!!!!

Before you do anything read the book Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss. This is my bible for consulting and should be the bible for anyone else considering this field. As a book publicist this has been the single most important book that has helped me establish my firm and charge the fees needed to succeed. One key point Alan makes is "don't sell your time, sell value." Not comprehending this fact dooms many people who try consulting and fail; they don't charge enough for their services. My copy is so beaten up the cover is about to come off. Why? Because I read it all the time. Furthermore, I have given this book as a gift to budding consultants so many times I've lost count. If you are a consultant now or want to be a consultant then read this book.

Some good and some common sense.

As a seasoned consultant, I found Alan Weiss’ book incredibly valuable and relevant. The author provides real client examples and important mindsets for business owners of consulting firms. I highly recommend this book to anyone starting or operating a consulting firm.

Weiss is an excellent coach and provides here very useful advice

So this is my first book review ever despite being an avid fiction and non-fiction reader. This should already tell you how valuable I think this book is. I am the co-founder and Managing Partner of an Organisational Development Consulting firm (currently 6 permanent staff and a circle of 9 trusted and preferred subcontractors) and we're now entering our 5th year of existence. After two years of struggling for survival and two years of "take-off" growth we are planning to open our second office, which will be overseas. We have great clients and great projects, but I always felt we are working very hard - yes - but not very smart. I also felt that charging by days doesn't really make sense, because days do not really reflect the years of accumulated experience that go into our project. Plus we often end up doing work for our clients that we don't charge. For one reason or the other. So Alan Weiss' book couldn't have come at a better time. Another reviewer said it right with his quote that "the teacher appears when the student is ready." This book is less about delivering great service (hypothesising correctly that delivery is not the real challenge), but more about how to market yourself to (a) attract the clients you enjoy working with and (b) charge the fees that truly reflect the value you provide to your clients. Along the way Mr. Weiss provides great hints and insights on how to build and sustain personal wealth. I particularly liked the idea of "sealing watertight doors" so that you thrive in abundance once you have "arrived" in your niche instead of risking to slide back to a struggle for survival. Mr. Weiss is a proponent of immediate ROI and I feel I am well on the way to receive mine. After being puzzled by the concept of a retainer fee where "the client pays for access to your smarts" I suddenly had the insight to include this option in one of my current proposals and both, our subcontractor as well as our client, immediately liked the idea and the client signed the agreement. Now I am curious to see how that's going to work out. But I have a gut feeling that it will turn out to be a win-win-win for all of us (my firm, our subcontractor, and our client). So all in all Mr. Weiss' book is a great investment for everybody who either wants to build a consulting practice (solo or boutique) or take his existing one to the next growth level.

My husband is working his way through this and keeps sending me quotes - from what I have seen it is a really useful guide to improving a consulting business

Useful book for consultant

Every chapter has nuggets of gold!