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Consultants – Tips on Getting the Most from Confab

Jennifer Beever — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:35:02 +0000

Attending conferences is a time and money-intensive effort. You take time out of your consulting practice, often travel a far distance, and so you want to get a return on your investment (ROI). A few years ago before Confab, by chance I pulled out a book I had bought and flipped it open to preview the contents. Wouldn’t you know I flipped to a chapter called “Be a Conference Commando?”

Now, for those of you who know me, that’s a little strong language for me. Commando? I don’t think so. But “be in command” at the next conference I go to? Yup, that sounds good. The book is Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. (I’m also reading another Ferrazzi book – Who’s Got Your Back?) Here are a few tips from the ‘Be a Conference Commando” chapter in Never Eat Alone:

Help or be the organizer
Speak
Organize a dinner, mini-conference, event or tour within the conference
“Draft off a big kahuna” – hang with the most influential people at the conference
Be an information hub and provide introductions, restaurant and entertainment suggestions, etc.
“Master the deep bump” (in networking situations listen, establish a personal connection, and then move on.) I kid you not – read the book!
Target individual attendees in advance
Use breaks to network and connect
Follow up
It’s the people, not the speakers
Don’t be a wallflower, ankle hugger (Ferrazzi describes this person as a co-dependent who sees the first person they meet at the conference as their BFF – best friend forever), celebrity hound, a smarmy eye darter or a business card dispenser.

Will you be a conference commando at Confab? Who do you think is a big kahuna at Confab? Do you have other tips to add for how to get the most out of a conference? Please comment below.

Jennifer Beever, CMO for Hire, New Incite

Confab Marketing Chair

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IMC USA Earns ISO Accreditation for Its Certification Process of CMC

Confab Comm — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:23:16 +0000

Rather than get all fancy on typing this up it seems the press release can stand on its own:

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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Confab – A Great Place to Network

Alice Heiman — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:44:43 +0000

By Alice R. Heiman

Why do I attend Confab? I’d like to say it’s for all the great speakers, who I really enjoy learning from, but that is not the reason. I attend for the connections I make. Of course I love seeing everyone I already know and getting better acquainted with them but I love meeting new people. I have formed some wonderful collaborations, gotten some great advice and learned some valuable things from the people I have met at Confab.

Since networking is a passion of mine I have shared my best networking tips for you below. I encourage you to attend Confab and try them out. Of course you can use them at your next networking event as well.

1. Figure out the best places to meet your ideal prospects. They may not be at all the usual places you attend.

2. Set goals for each networking event. Meet 10 new people, try a new way to describe your business, determine to do better follow up.

3. Dress for success. Try wearing something that makes you feel like a million bucks. Wear your eye color.

4. Attend new events with a member who will introduce you. You will meet a lot more people this way.

5. Make it a point to meet the people in the room you don’t know. Say hi to your friends quickly and look for the people you don’t know.

6. Have plenty of business cards with you. I recommend having 30. Keep extra in your brief case and car in case you run out.

7. Make conversation by asking questions about their business. Don’t talk about yourself, ask questions and listen.

8. Be prepared with ta great answer to “What do you do?” I am a consultant, is not a good answer. Try something like, “I help small business owners increase sales.”

9. Be sure to ask for the type of business you want. Easiest way to do this is to ask them first, “What would be a good lead for you?”

10. Follow up. Use mail, email, social media and the phone. Schedule time on your calendar to make sure the follow up gets done

I’ll see you at Confab. If you don’t know me, be sure and introduce yourself.

Consultants – Tips on Getting the Most from Confab Attending conferences is a time and money-intensive effort. You take...

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Consultants can Change the Rules and Thrive in Any Economy

Jennifer Beever — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:20:15 +0000

Kathie Nelson, founder of Connectworks, coach, speaker and author, kicked off the Confab consulting conference Monday morning opening session by telling consultants how the right mindset can lead to greater success. She gave a presentation that motivated consultants to face their fear and re-purpose, re-tool, and re-position.

Consultants listen to Confab Monday AM Opening Keynote

Kathie stressed that consultants today should have crystal clear focus and understand what value they bring to the table. Once they understand this, they must connect with as many quality contacts as possible. She advised consultants to show up with a purpose to serve people in whatever they do.

Once told she would never walk again, she defied the odds and overcame the obstacles that promised her life long limitations. Never meeting a limit she liked, she found her way to walk again and has never stopped.

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Master Social Networking At Consultant’s Confab Pre Conference Workshop

Don Scellato — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:36:00 +0000

If you are baffled by blogging, tempted by Twitter, or laboring with Linked In, Confab’s Pre Conference Workshop lets you hear what four experts on social media are doing to find new business and new assignments from current clients. These experts assist their clients to master tools that provide opportunities for professionals and consultants to find new prospects, demonstrate their knowledge and abilities, and to strengthen relationships. Check the Confab web site at http://www.confabusa.org/

Don Scellato CMC

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How I Benefited From Confab Session on Open Space Technology

Jennifer Beever — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:53:44 +0000

At a Confab conference years ago, Michael Shays, CMC, FIMC (Certified Management Consultlant and Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants) and founder of EMS Network International, presented a session called “Open Space Technology.” This is a session that added tremendous value for me and that I have implemented for two Los Angeles associations and for clients, so I thought I would share it with you as an example of what you can learn at Confab.

Michael showed us how Open Space Technology (OST) worked during the session at Confab – this was not a “talking-head” discussion of how OST works, but a hands-on demonstration. First, we established a subject that we wanted to discuss in the session. Then, Michael had us sit in a circle. Each person could walk to the center of the circle, announce their specific topic under the group’s subject, and then post that topic on a note on a bulletin board. Once all topics were posted, we combined like topics and each chose the topics we were interested in. Michael placed each remaining topic discussion in a different part of the room. You voted with your feet and joined in any discussion that intrigued you. Some topics became extremely popular and others fizzled after a while.

This process is widely used – there are even some conferences that operate as Open Conferences, allowing attendees to select the topics covered and vote with their feet. I brought this process to the Association for Strategic Planning and the Institute of Management Consultants in Los Angeles. Both groups loved the exercise, which is just one example of the valuable take-aways you get at Confab, the conference for consultants by consultants.

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Consultants Who Speak and Write Make 40% More Income

Jennifer Beever — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:29:27 +0000

My fellow consultants – did the title of this blog, “Consultants Who Speak and Write Make 40% More Income” get your attention? I was thinking back on the nine Confab consulting conferences I’ve attended since 1998 and trying to remember what takeaways I’ve remembered most. Confab is the conference for consultants by consultants that takes place every year on the last weekend in October in Reno, Nevada. The conference is full of take-away value for consultants who are starting a practice, building their consulting practice, and refining a mature practice. Every year I attend I come back to my office with a list of action items a mile long.

At one Confab conference (I can’t remember which), I attended a session presented by Kennedy Information. Kennedy Information provides market research and advisory services to the consulting and other professional service industries. During the presentation, the speaker said that their research showed consultants who speak in front of their target client audiences and write articles make 40% more income than those who do not.

Needless to say, this factoid about how to make more money as a consultant stuck with me, and I’ve made sure I repeat it to other consultants and practice it in my own consulting. After referrals, speaking is the number two source of clients from my own marketing. After speaking is… …you guessed it, writing. The articles I’ve written and published in print or online have generated business for me, and now my own blog entries do the same. Not only have the articles attracted client inquiries, but they’ve also attracted inquiries from the media and resulted in additional mentions in print and online.

So, I have questions for consultants who read this blog entry. First, whether you’ve attended Confab or not, what are your top sources of new clients? Second, for those consultants who have attended Confab, what are your favorite takeaways? Please use the comment field on this blog to provide your answers!

Jennifer Beever

Confab 2009 Marketing Chair

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Follow CONFABUSA on Twitter

DaveB — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:59:32 +0000

Follow CONFAB 09′s Twitter stream at:

http://Twitter.com/confabusa

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Consultants Learn How to Innovate Like Edison

DaveB — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:12:27 +0000

Confab, the conference for successful consultants and those who want to be, was fortunate to have as its kick-off keynote speaker Sarah Miller Caldicott, President of The Power Patterns of Innovation, grand-niece of Thomas Edison and co-author of the book, Innovate Like Edison: The Success System of America’s Greatest Inventor. According to Caldicott, while most people know about Edison’s inventions, they don’t know that he started 150 companies and had thousands of employees. His companies were quite flat in structure, unlike traditional hierarchical companies, a structure to which today’s companies are returning in order to create innovation. Edison’s companies resulted in some of the largest in businesses today such as G.E. and Con Edison. His patents created by 1910 have created $6.7 billion in market value today. If the market value number included patents that Edison sold, it would come in at over one trillion dollars.

How can we learn from Edison about innovation? According to Caldicott, Edison used analogy and fantastical story telling to come up with inventions. He kept a notebook and often drew pictures and diagrams of inventions, which helped engage right brain creativity and made it easier to communicate his ideas with employees. He valued solitude and was aware that some of the best ideas came from quiet time. He surrounded himself with a small and diverse team of great minds to facilitate innovation.

This keynote presentation got great reviews from attendees, and many attended a two-part follow-on workshop that was offered by Caldicott to help consultants learn detailed processes for helping their clients create an environment of innovation.

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Consultants Ask and Learn at Confab Talk Show

DaveB — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 22:13:29 +0000

At Confab’s annual Talk Show lunch for consultants, the questions steered toward how consultants can survive and thrive during tough economic times. The Talk Show is a forum where consultants can submit written questions in advance. The questions are read out loud and “runners” with microphones go into the audience of consultants for those who have answers. Here are some examples.

Question: Has the downturn affected your consulting practice?

Answers: Ronna Cohen, President of Breakthrough Business Performance, said that as layoffs increase, many individuals will enter the consulting profession. As the unemployed flood into consulting, members of the Institute of Managment Consultants(IMC) who follow the Institute’s Code of Ethicsand benefit from its resources and educational programs will have the competitive advantage over new consultants. Chris Rollyson, Managing Director of CRSA, said that the downturn is creating disruption, which usually means opportunity for consultants.

Question: When writing a book, should self-publish or go through a publisher?

Answers: Michael Shays, Fellow of the Institute of Managment Consultants (FIMC) and President of The Focus Leader, said that he self-published in order to get his books out in print more quickly. Certified Management Consultant (CMC) Idora Silver, President of I. Silver Management Group, Inc., said that she prefers self-publishing because she has control over how the books are distributed. If she wants to give a book to clients or potential clients, she can do that at no cost. Mike Van Horn, President of The Business Group, said that by self-publishing, consultants are free to create other products that compliment the book, mentioned that publishers don’t really do much marketing for authors, anyway and added, “Plus, we’re too old to have to go around begging publishers to publish our work!” Charles Day, FIMC and President of Charles E. Day and Associates, LLC, disagreed. He feels that the credibility that goes with being published by an established publishing company is worth the extra time spent soliciting publishing companies and working within their way of doing business.

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