The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully (Consulting Secrets Book 1)

The Tenth Law of Trust: Get it in writing, but depend on trust. To a consultant, trust without a contract is infinitely better than a contract without trust, in spite of anything Fowler learned in school.

According to legend, Henry Ford was once interviewed by Congress on the question of how to prevent river pollution caused by industrial plants. Ford pooh-poohed all the complex legislation that Congress was considering, proposing instead a single law that would "end river pollution once and for all." Congress didn't pass the law, but its

around from change to constancy, that is, from what clients want to happen to what they don't want to happen: I ask a question such as, "As we implement this plan, what is the one thing you want to be sure doesn't change?" If I remember to ask this question before I start rattling off plans for change, I may avoid resistance altogether.

Over the years, I've discovered that what I do has no commonly accepted name. The best name would be jiggler, but who in his right mind would pay for the services of a jiggler? Sounds too much like juggler, or giggler, or even gigolo. So, after trying various alternatives, I still use the public name "consultant," although secretly I know

"I don't believe I've ever seen a buffalo bridle. I suppose it must be very solidly made." "Ain't made a' tall." Jack looked even more puzzled than I felt. "I'm afraid I don't catch your meaning." "It ain't somethin' you make. It's somethin' you know." Now, I pride myself on knowing a lot of things, but conce

FEATURING FAILURE Once upon a time, a man went to Levine the Tailor because he heard that he could get a cheap, custom-made suit. When the suit was finished and he went to try it on, it didn't fit him at all. "Look," he said, "the jacket is much too big in back." "No problem," replied Levine, showing him how to hunch h

To quote Will Rogers again, "It ain't what we don't know that gets us in trouble, it's what we know that ain't so." I think Rogers was on to something big.

The Second Law of Trust: Trust takes years to win, moments to lose.

The Label Law I laughed and showed him how he could see from her posture and the way she wagged her tail that she wasn't about to bite him. In fact, his only danger was that she might lick his hand. "Okay," Rick said, cautiously extending his hand for a tongue bath. "I believe you. You see, it's just what I meant when I said, 'The bi

The Fourth Law of Pricing: Pricing is not a zero-sum game. In other words, my gains don't have to be their losses. By searching for conditions that benefit us both, I can lower the effective price without lowering my image in their eyes, thus beating the law that says they'll respect me less if I charge a lower price.