Confab Conference for Consultants by Consultants » Topics

Consulting Ethics in a Digital Age

Confab Comm — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 23:41:31 +0000

With the recent release of the sequel to the first “Wall Street” movie I took the opportunity this past weekend to revisit the original work. What struck me immediately was how much technology has changed in the workplace. The computers, phones, office spaces, and communication environs have changed so drastically that it is almost hard to fathom the depth of the change. As consultants our ethical and practical world has changed drastically as a result of this same technology shift. Greed may have been good back in the 80′s but now it is a matter of being ethical and legally sound.

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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Are Consultants The Last to Adopt Social Media?

Jennifer Beever — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:00:30 +0000

LinkedIn? “Okay, if I have to….”

Facebook? “Maybe, to connect with my kids and grandkids….”

Twitter? “Are you kidding me?”

I’ve been speaking on Social Media Marketing for the last two years. At first whenever I said the word “Twitter,” people in the audience laughed. A majority sat there with their arms crossed, as if to say, “No way, no how!” But in the last few months I’ve noticed a shift. The arms are not crossed (well, there is always that one guy – and yes, it is always a guy!).

But now consultants, business owners and service professionals are starting to realize the value of social media. They’ve seen that social media presence drives search engine results, and that by blogging, tweeting and updating their status on sites like LinkedIn, they stay in front of their colleagues and clients in a credible way. The question consultants are asking this year is not so much “Why social media?,” it’s “How do I do it?” and “How much time does it take?”

If consultants have questions about social media, Confab includes some presentations that have answers. In the last general session of the conference, I’m presenting Social Media Marketing Machine. In this presentation I’m going to show you how to set up your own social media marketing machine, tell you exactly what social media tools to use to streamline the process, and tell you how much time your social media marketing machine will take.

How can you get ready to create your Social Media Marketing Machine before Confab? Create a Twitter profile and start following some of your consulting colleagues. Listen to what they have to say. Follow Confab – our Twitter name is @confabusa. Follow IMC at @IMCUSA.

What do you think? Are consultants the last to adopt social media? Please comment below.

I look forward to seeing you at Confab!

Photo from Flickr, Some rights reserved by Stefan Baudy

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

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Confab 2010 Workshops

Confab Comm — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:08:38 +0000

One of the most valuable things about attending a consulting seminar is the ability to gain knowledge in areas you might not otherwise be able to explore. When evaluating a particular consulting seminar it is a good idea to look at the various workshops the seminar has to offer and see how each of those workshops might apply to your own business.

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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Time to Get Naked with Consulting

Confab Comm — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:11:32 +0000

As consultants we are always looking for ways to better acquire and retain clients. Sometimes a unique approach crosses our desks that makes us stop and pay attention. InvestmentNews.com ran a story on “Naked Selling” whereby practitioners take a more honest and open approach when dealing with clients in order to build a more human interaction.

“What does being naked look like in practice?

Naked consultants kindly confront clients with difficult information and perspectives, even if the client might not like hearing it. Naked consultants ask potentially dumb questions and make potentially dumb suggestions, because if those questions or suggestions ultimately help their client, it is worth the potential embarrassment.

They also admit their weaknesses and celebrate their mistakes. Even before landing a client, a naked consultant will demonstrate vulnerability and take risks.

They will give away their best ideas and start consulting to the prospective client during a sales call. In fact, they will do no real selling at all, forgoing that activity in order to find a way to help an individual even if he or she never actually becomes a client.”

Since it is a Friday maybe it is time get naked… with your consulting.

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Consulting, Politics, and Media

Confab Comm — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:47:47 +0000

The big news in DC Consulting circles regards the publicized conflict between on-air television news experts and their private consulting roles. As The Plum Line Blog on The Washington Post covered the following:

“…The case of two CNN contributors, Alex Castellanos and Hilary Rosen, and their work for BP.

This morning’s Washington Post reports that BP has retained the services of Rosen, a Democrat who heads the Washington office of the Brunswick Group, to help out with BP’s lobbying and public relations offensive inside the Beltway.

Rosen has contracted out some of this work for BP to Castellanos, a Republican consultant who’s perhaps best known for the racially charged Jesse Helms ad showing white hands ripping up a resume.”

Is there a conflict of interest if consultants consulting for a firm in an unrelated market then present opinion on television news for another? (in this case consulting for BP public relations while providing commentary on politics) In this example the highly publicized oil spill places BP immediately into the political spectrum meaning there probably is a conflict. Consultants, at the same-time, do need to earn a living and would have no reason to reject a client based upon their infrequent television commentary positions.

The biggest gaffe these individuals made is to step into the highly polarizing BP fiasco. The result of the controversy should be watched by consultants in all other fields to gauge the public tolerance for conflicts of interest and the net repercussions of such conflicts.

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Learn to Write a Consulting Book

Confab Comm — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:25:12 +0000

Writing a book related to a consultants niche of consulting is the dream that many a consultant holds. Actually writing that book takes a bit more than a dream. Putting together the various thoughts, theories, and facts into a logical and sell-able book format is the difficult task. Consultants who attend Confab 2010 will have the opportunity to attend a session presented by Roger S. Peterson titled “So You Wanna Write a Book“.

The presenter will bring his experience and expertise in consulting, book publishing, and marketing to the audience for this excellent session that will provide attendees with a tool set and expectation list to finally accomplish that long held dream. Attending consultants will learn and be faced with some of the key questions to whether they should even write a book and then how to structure the book.

As with all sessions at Confab 2010, attendees will gain real world knowledge from real world practitioners looking to impart their experiences on the audience. So if you are a consultant looking to write your own book then maybe Confab is the place for you.

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Consulting for Non-Profits

Confab Comm — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:23:32 +0000

The non-profit niche offers consultants a unique opportunity to both consult and operate within the non-profit company sector. At Confab 2010 we are excited to announce a session led by Penelope Cagney, MA, CFRE, President of The Cagney Company, who has just released her book “Essentials of Nonprofit Consulting: What Every Consultant and Nonprofit Needs to Know“. This consultant training session affords attending consultants with the opportunity to learn from a leader in the non-profit consulting sector.

Like any other niche of the consulting world there are specifics to be aware of when entering the market with care taken in approach and obtaining of clients. Why leap into the market blind when this session will provide actionable guidance on providing consulting solution to non-profits.

Confab 2010 is shaping up to be a record breaking year for the IMC conference. Registrations are already well above any previous years so get in on the place to be for consultants in October… see you there.

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Making it Rich with a Consulting Business

Confab Comm — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:36:03 +0000

Did you hear the one about the entrepreneur who started a business built around her passion, built it for six years, and then sold it for $40 million? Well it was not a joke and it really did happen. Meet Theresa Szczurek, PhD a presenter at Confab 2010. She will provide attendees with a practical framework for success in both life and business.

Owning and running a consulting business can often place consultants within the trees unable to view the entire forest. Take a refreshing step back with this session titled From Zero to Forty Million in Consulting Fees. Providing attending consultants with a framework for understanding and developing passion within their practices this consultant training session is another great example of what sets Confab apart from the rest.

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Innovation in your consulting business

Confab Comm — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:13:01 +0000

It is a new world, the paradigm has changed, change is inevitable, and so on and so forth. These are the messages consultants continue to receive on a daily basis that in order to grow they must change. Confab 2010 includes a consultant development session that will provide attending consultants with practicable tools to Innovate or Die.

Innovation is not just a buzzword rather it is a frame of practice that, when used properly, can continually improve and add value to consultants’ services. With an ear to the ground and an eye for the future innovative consultants will live within the world of change and thrive within its throws. With the tool set provided within this development session attendees will be able to advance their business no matter what changes are hurled their way.

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Listening for your Consulting Business

Confab Comm — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:56:59 +0000

Listening for your Consulting Business is not a new type of consulting rather it is a way to manage your existing client relationships in a manner that can improve results. As experts on our various fields, over time, it becomes easier to talk about what we know and what has worked. Listening on teh other hand is often ignored and the real client problem is skipped over or lumped in with every other project we have handled in teh past.

At Confab 2010 Jennifer Landers will be leading a consultant training session titled “Listen to Win”. Attending consultants will learn specific techniques for becoming a better listener and how to deal with the various personalities consultants will encounter during projects. Listening is an art and must constantly be reinforced and practiced.

The power of listening is a valuable tool that can make sales happen, open new doors, and put consultants in the winner’s circle anywhere they go. Participants will uncover their “Listening Superpower” and learn how to use it to meet their client’s needs. Being a masterful listener is a mindset shift. This presentation will provide the knowledge and tools needed to understand the power of actively listening, and more importantly how to do it.

Running a consulting business can be tough enough on its own but not hearing what a client is looking for and providing a prepackaged solution will only exacerbate the difficulties. The consulting conference this year promises to be filled with wonderful training sessions that provide real world tools to attending consultants. Learn more on this consultant training session by clicking here.

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