For consultants the problem begins when clients start to reference the noise to learn more about the services being provided. Depending on the number of competitors in a space the conflicting expertise and advice can both confuse and misinform clients in regard to the solutions and exercises utilized by the consultant. It has become common for consultants to be challenged about their methodology because the client “has this friend who once worked in a similar field and that is not how he would do it”.

To combat the noise successful clients can utilize the following recommendations:

1. Accept the noise – know going into a project that your client will reference competing information sources to challenge and understand your services. To combat this problem address the major arguments upfront to mitigate future headaches and consistently monitor the noise to be proactive on new variables.
2. Educate in Advance – during the courting phase take the time to educate your clients on the basic parameters of your services. In some cases providing a written “xyz” consulting dictionary can help better establish your firm as the go to in the field.
3. Sit in the Clients’ Chair – clients are not looking to sabotage your efforts or undermine your expertise. If during the project they begin to question your practices take a step back to understand where they are coming from. Are they being courted by a competitor? Has their budget changed? Are they not happy with progress? Understanding the reason for the challenge can help you establish a means for counteracting and appeasing the client.

Looking into the crystal ball it appears that noise will be a consistent part of our world for the foreseeable future. Being aware of the impact of this noise and establishing a game plan for counteracting its affects can go a long way towards the success of your consulting practice.

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Luckily for those attending Confab 2010 there is the opportunity to attend Lauren Bloom’s “Ethics and Professionalism in the Digital Age“. This session is designed to provide consultants with a legal look at how to properly use available technologies to protect client interests and cover our practices from potential problems.

With the rapid growth of social networking, free access to content, and multiple avenues for potential liability this session will be a great opportunity to look at the digital age with a legal eye. Much like the contrast of the two Wall Street films, consultants will leave this session with a different take on the use of data in the digital age.

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Reno in mid-October means great weather and great scenery. If you have a few extra days of buffer around the conference plan on taking a side trip up to Lake Tahoe to enjoy the fall colors and crisp mountain air. Or head southeast to Carson City and the old gold rush town of Virginia City. With a number of great museums and points of historical interest these destinations will not disappoint.

As the date approaches continue to check-in here for more updates or follow us on Twitter for breaking news. Finally make sure to get the word out to other consultants.

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In 2009 at Confab, the conference for consultants by consultants, we brought in a local photographer who set up a photo booth and offered to take headshot photos for all attendees. Attendees could sign up when they checked in for the conference. The photographer filled all of their available time slots and added more to accomodate consultants who wanted to take advantage of high quality photos at a reasonable cost.

Guess what? We’re doing it again in 2010. All consultants will have an opportunity to get a new headshot photo taken at Confab. How can you take advantage of this great offer?

• Check-in early and make sure you sign-up for a photo appointment.
• Plan your attire ahead of time – you might have a photo taken with a suit and tie (for men) as well as a photo without the jacket for a more casual look.
• Pay extra attention to your haircut and (for ladies) makeup.

I look forward to seeing you at Confab!

Jennifer Beever CMC

Confab Marketing Chair

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Confab 2010 is five weeks away and the committee has locked down a great list of speakers and topics. The early registration discount ends on Oct 1 so get your registration submitted before then. Also, if you don’t see a topic you are interested in let us know. With the wide variety of backgrounds and experiences encompassed by the attendees you are sure to get great feedback and advise simply by meeting and mingling with others.

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WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Institute of Management Consultants USA (IMC USA), the certifying body and professional association for U.S.-based management consultants and management consulting firms, has earned the prestigious International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO/IEC 17024:2003 accreditation for its Certified Management Consultant™ (CMC®) certification process.

IMC USA is only the third institute to gain ISO recognition which further substantiates the high professional standards and ethics IMC USA has set as a benchmark for its certification process and the CMC, a competency-based certification awarded to those management consultants who have met global professional standards of competence, professionalism and ethics.

“This comes at a significant time when American business demands proven experience and ethical behavior,” said Dr. Drumm McNaughton, Chairman and CEO of IMC USA. “Organizations can be confident that consultants with CMCs have a history of excellent performance in delivering results, have met world class standards of competence, ethics and client satisfaction and have maintained a level of professionalism through education and periodic certificate renewal.”

IMC USA is the only U.S. entity to provide certification for individual management consultants and management consulting firms (CMC Firm™) which conforms to the international standards of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes. The ICMCI sets the global standards for consulting competence and professional conduct for consultants and firms in more than 47 nations; and therefore, CMCs are eligible for reciprocity in all 47 countries. There are 10,000 CMCs worldwide.

The CMC certification is awarded by IMC USA to those consultants who have met global professional standards of performance that include technical and consulting competencies, ethics knowledge and application, client and project management skills and professional and personal conduct. A CMC candidate must submit to a rigorous vetting process including the submission of blind satisfaction surveys from clients, taking in-depth examinations covering consulting competencies and ethics, and sitting for a panel interview conducted by senior CMCs.

CMC Requirements

IMC USA certifies CMCs through a rigorous process. Members of the IMC USA in good standing applying for CMC designation must meet requirements including:

• Experience: Three years in practice as a full-time consultant, with engagement management responsibility.
• Education: A degree from a four-year college or significant experience in consulting to management.
• References: Five satisfactory references from officers or executives of client organizations.
• Client Case Histories: Written descriptions of five client engagements, including problems addressed, solutions provided and results achieved.
• Competence: A qualifying written examination and an oral review conducted by senior CMCs to demonstrate proficiencies in areas of specialization and applied experience in a range of consulting disciplines.
• Ethics: A written examination and oral interview on the IMC Code of Ethics and ethical aspects of consulting.
• Ongoing Education: Commitment to ongoing professional education
• Renewal of certification every three years.

ABOUT IMC USA

Since 1968, the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC USA) has set the standards for competency, professionalism and ethics for the consulting profession in the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the nonprofit IMC USA is a charter member of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI), a 47-nation body that sets global standards for competence, professionalism and ethics for management consultants. IMC USA has approximately 2,000 individual members and 21 chapters throughout the country. IMC USA’s certification process has earned the prestigious ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation.

For more information on the Institute of Management Consultants USA or the CMC® designation visit IMC USA’s website at http://www.imcusa.org.

ABOUT ISO

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a worldwide federation of 145 standards bodies. Globally accepted as a the gold standard for organizations that certify processes worldwide, the ISO is a non-governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland and is the world’s largest developer and publisher of international standards.

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That is why it is so critical for new consultants, and all self-employed individuals for that matter, to budget carefully for the taxes they expect to owe. Putting aside one third of every dollar you make as a consultant may sound excessive, but in fact it is just good business practice. Every time you receive a payment from a client, immediately put aside one third of that payment in a special savings account you will use to pay your taxes. Try to find a quality money market account so you can at least earn some interest for setting that money aside.

As a new consultant you might also be required to make quarterly income tax payments, instead of paying your taxes once a year like you did when you were working for someone else. The best way to determine if you will have to file these quarterly tax returns is to check with your certified public accountant. He or she can analyze your own situation and determine if you meet the criteria for quarterly filing. Financial professionals are often the best source of specific tips for starting a consulting business and running that business effectively, so do not overlook the expert advice your CPA can provide.

You can also run the numbers yourself during the year by purchasing a tax preparation software package designed for small business use. This will make it easier to prepare your taxes and determine how much you are likely to owe the IRS at the end of the tax filing season.

As a small business owner, you do have the ability to make the tax bite a little less painful. There are a number of excellent retirement plans designed specifically for self-employed individuals like consultants, and the contribution limits on those plans are quite generous. While in the beginning you will probably need every penny your business brings in, once the business gets going and the money starts rolling in, you can minimize your taxes and maximize your tax savings by putting money in a qualified retirement plan for your consulting business. Among the most important specific tips for starting a consulting business are the tips that help you spend less on taxes and more on growing your business and securing your financial future.

It goes without saying that few among us enjoy paying taxes, and it is certainly true that the tax burden often falls disproportionately on the self-employed. But it is also true that with the right tax planning and preparation, you can reduce the tax bite and help your new consulting business thrive.

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One of the most important things to consider when you want to be a consultant is what type of business you are most comfortable with. In many cases you will want to start a consulting business that focuses on the area where you have been working all those years. After all, that is where you are most comfortable, and that is where most of your expertise lies. It will be much easier to be a consultant in an industry with which you are already intimately familiar than to try to learn a brand new industry from the ground up.

But if you have experience in more than one area, it can be a bit more confusing when you want to be a consultant and strike out on your own. Do you focus on the area you know best, or do you spread yourself around to more than one field of endeavor? In the end, only you can answer that question, since you are the best judge of your own experience and expertise.

The bad news is that being a consultant requires more than mere technical know how and expertise. In order to be a consultant and a successful business owner, you need to develop a level of expertise and business savvy that can be difficult to develop while you are still working for someone else. To make the transition from employee to self-employed business owner easier, you might want to schedule a few business classes when you can. Even if the business classes you choose do not specifically teach you how to be a consultant, the strategies you learn in class can help you when it is time to deal with taxes, budgeting and other business necessities.

Another thing that can really help you be a consultant is to learn the ropes from someone who has been there and done that. You might want to get started by joining your local Chamber of Commerce or other business organization and seeking out a mentor who has worked in the consulting field. Business organizations often include retired business people who are happy to take on mentors and teach them not only how to be a consultant but how to run a successful business as well.

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With chaos comes confusion and from this confusion consultants are asked to analyze a company and provide actionable (or specific) plans for improvement. With all the doom and gloom in the air it may be a great opportunity for aggressive consultants to court potential clients while enhancing current relationships. The sky might be falling in the macro environment but for the micro environment, impacting consultants, opportunities do abound.

As summer nears an end and last ditch vacations are enjoyed take a few moments to clean up your consulting tool-kits and refine your goals for the fall season. With October just around the corner what steps are you taking to prepare for new clients and, more importantly, what do you plan to accomplish at Confab 2010?

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