Confab Conference for Consultants by Consultants

What to Look For in a Consulting Conference

Confab Comm — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:06:46 +0000

There is no doubt that attending a consulting conference is a great way to grow your business, expand your professional network and learn about the new challenges and opportunities facing your chosen field. But with only so much time and money to go around, it is important to choose the consulting conference that will provide the biggest bang for your limited bucks.

That means examining the literature carefully to make sure the offerings at the conference are truly worth your time, and your money. Not every consultant conference will make the grade, and it pays to have a discerning eye and a skeptical attitude when evaluating the various offerings. There are a number of things you should look for when evaluating each consultant conference you are considering. By looking at each of these factors critically, you can make sure you spend your money where it will have the greatest impact.

Industry Experts and the Consultant Conference

One of the chief benefits of attending a consultant conference is the opportunity to hear from recognized experts in your field of specialty. The presence of industry experts can easily set one consultant conference ahead of its competition, and the lack of such experts can doom a consultant conference to failure.

When evaluating the program materials, take a good look at the bios of each expert who will be giving a speech or making a presentation. Are the experts currently working in their chosen fields, or have they long since retired? Are they recognized as true experts in their field by their peers, or only by the organizers of the consultant conference? The answers to these questions will help you evaluate your choices and make a good decision.

Networking Opportunities at the Consultant Conference

No matter what your niche, networking is an essential part of being a consultant, You can never know too many people, and it can be difficult to predict ahead of time which contacts will result in new business. Growing your network is one of the most effective ways to grow your business, and choosing a consultant conference with plenty of networking opportunities is vitally important.

When evaluating a particular consultant conference, be sure to look at the schedule for possible networking opportunities. Social lunches, mixers and other events are the perfect venues for meeting others in your field, finding industry experts and gathering new contacts.

Professional Management

The management of the consultant conference can make all the difference in the world, so it is important to look at the reputation, and the experience, of the conference organizers. These days it is easy enough to check the reputation of a particular company, so take a few minutes to see what others have to say about their experiences at the last consultant conference hosted by the company. A long list of complaints can be a big red flag, while a list of stellar reviews can reassure you that you have found the best consultant conference for your needs.

Consultant Conference Keynote Speakers

Last but certainly not least, look for exciting and informative keynote speakers as you shop around for the best consultant conference to attend. The presence of dynamic and accomplished industry leaders is important for any successful consultant conference. Look for people who have excelled in the world of business, or in the competitive world of consulting, and make your consultant conference plans accordingly.

Explore the Value of a Consultant Conference As a professional consultant, you already know how difficult the...
What to Look for in Consultant Development Whether your consulting business is brand new or already a...
Master Social Networking At Consultant’s Confab Pre Conference Workshop If you are baffled by blogging, tempted by Twitter, or...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Explore the Value of a Consultant Conference

Confab Comm — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:24:29 +0000

As a professional consultant, you already know how difficult the business can be. In order to be successful, you need to give 110% to every client, and you constantly need to look for new business opportunities in your field. In addition, you need to keep up with the ever changing world of technology, otherwise your firm could be left behind.

Consultants also need to keep abreast of a seemingly endless stream of legal changes, new regulations at both the Federal and state level, and changes in the way companies do business. With so much at stake, no consultant can afford to stop learning and growing.

That is why a consultant conference can be such a smart investment for your company, your clients and your business partners. No matter what your niche or business specialty, getting together with others in your field and hearing from experts who are widely respected in the consulting industry can be a big help.

The Consultant Conference – The Perfect Networking Opportunity

Attending a consultant conference also provides your business with the perfect opportunity to network with prospective clients, consulting professionals and others who can help your business grow. No matter how many clients your firm might have, it is vital to never give up your marketing and networking efforts.

As you know, few consulting positions are actually advertised in the traditional media. A great deal of the consulting business operates through word of mouth, often with a friend of a friend recommending a particular consulting business with whom they have had a positive experience. Attending a consultant conference provides the perfect venue for networking with other professionals, business owners and others who are in a position to help your business grow and expand.

The Consultant Conference and Industry Experts

A well organized and well planned consultant conference also provides a golden opportunity to hear directly from recognized experts, not only in the consulting world but in the general business world as well. If you have always wondered what makes one company so successful while a seemingly similar company is failing, listening to the keynote speakers at a good consultant conference is a great way to find out. A properly organized consultant conference will provide plenty of opportunities to learn from others who have been where you are and succeeded. These opportunities are difficult to find in the outside world, but they are plentiful at a quality consultant conference.

Growing your business is important, whether you are a brand new consultant or an experienced professional with years of quality service and a solid reputation. No matter how small or large your client base may be, attending a top notch consultant conference is the perfect way to grow your business, network with other seasoned professionals and learn about the new challenges and opportunities facing the consulting industry. In a highly competitive and fast moving business like consulting, you simply cannot afford to stand still – moving forward at the next consulting conference is the perfect way to grow your business.

What to Look For in a Consulting Conference There is no doubt that attending a consulting conference is...
Growing Your Network at Consultant Training Seminars No matter what you do for a living, your business...
Growing Your Practice Through Consultant Development Many people in the business world have found that they...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Professional Development in the News

Confab Comm — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:06:07 +0000

One of the blogs we follow is over at the Vault and their most recent posting could not be more spot on with Confab 2010: Professional Development. The gist of the article discusses that for consultants one of the more important aspects of their liking or disliking an employer relates to the training program. As the author notes a big part of consulting training occurs on the job but that structured “classroom” type training makes a big deal too.

Confab 2010 combines aspects of on the job and classroom training for management consultants. For independent consultants our weekend sessions can be a great way to leverage relationships and possibly find mentors. Read more about what consultants look for in training here.

Growing Your Practice Through Consultant Development Many people in the business world have found that they...
What to Look for in Consultant Development Whether your consulting business is brand new or already a...
Confab 2010 Build Your Consulting Business Confab 2010 is scheduled for October 23-25 at Silver Legacy...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Consulting in a Commenting World

Confab Comm — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:08:32 +0000

The Wall Street Journal is a good case study on the modern use and implementation of free range commenting. Alongside every story published online the Journal offers registered users the opportunity to post comments in regard to the articles. Often times the posted comments include insane ramblings, grouchy quips, or personal attacks at other comment writers . What is interesting about the comments, and relevant to consultants, is their symbolism towards the proper management of a project.

As consultants on projects it is often found that scope creep and ancillary problems will find their way into projects. Rather than simply being asked to address the original problem the project will metamorphose into uncharted realms. The cost of this change generally impacts consultants at the bottom line by increasing hours spent without greatly increasing billable hours. Just as the comments on the Journal stories drift away from the main topic consultants can find clients drifting away from the main problem.

The scope creep can usually be found early on in projects during status meetings or within email chains. Rather than being asked to address issues relevant to the project consultants will start to receive questions or “suggestions” that move the scope towards ancillary issues. With easy access to information via the internet client employees can become quasi experts who begin to challenge methodologies or consultant findings. In these cases the project can change into an ugly battle of who knows more than whom.

To avoid the pitfalls of a comment based client relationship consultants can utilize some of the methods employed by the WSJ online:

Require registration and subscriptions: Every user who posts a comment must first be a paying subscriber who is then identified by their full subscriber name. The removal of anonymity helps lessen the hostility by breaking down walls. As a consultant facing attack during a project it can be beneficial to employ tactics that break down walls and remove any anonymity.

Moderate: By allowing other users to self moderate hostile comment posters, online news websites can minimize internal resources devoted to monitoring chatter. Consultants can use a point person within client relationships to filter all communications. This gate-keeper then become the consultants singular access point helping to reduce burdens on their own resources. As issues come up consultants then have one person to address the issues with.

Track: Every comment is trackable back to the original poster, forever. By keeping a log of the postings made by users the WSJ can use the history to punish or ban repeatedly hostile users. Consultants, obviously, can not ban client employees but they can keep a log of any hostile remarks to address with the gatekeeper above.

In the end consultants not only play a practical business role within their projects but they also play a practical people manager role too. Effectively managing the “comments” with a consulting project can help to improve the end results.

MBA Job Market for Consultants The Wall Street Journal reports that the market for new...
What Does Love, Power, Wisdom and Knowledge Have to Do with Consulting? According to Dr Lynn Ellsworth Taylor of Taylor Protocols, knowing...
Listening for your Consulting Business Listening for your Consulting Business is not a new type...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Starting a Consulting Business

Confab Comm — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:44:07 +0000

The process consultants go through to start a consulting business vary by trade, personality, and goals but in the end we all follow the same general path to success. Confab 2010 is focused on helping consultants grow and improve their business. To this end we have just posted a brief primer for would be consultants discussing “How to Start a Consulting Business“. Check it out and let us know what we are missing or if we are right on the money.

Innovation in your consulting business It is a new world, the paradigm has changed, change...
Listening for your Consulting Business Listening for your Consulting Business is not a new type...
Confab 2010 Build Your Consulting Business Confab 2010 is scheduled for October 23-25 at Silver Legacy...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Consulting Growth in Government Practice

Confab Comm — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:45:09 +0000

News reports abound that Deloitte is ramping up hiring in their federal government consulting arm (article). News of this move should not surprise anyone who has watched the rapid increase in federal government spending. The growth will lead directly to increased demands for outside consultants to implement and develop various projects to meet new federal requirements.

The article pinpoints two primary growth areas of Health-care and Cyber infrastructure for the firm and offers independent management consultants an opportunity to tailor their services to dovetail with the offerings of the big boys. Going forward it may be a good idea to think about how your services can be marketed to federal government agencies.

Consulting for Non-Profits The non-profit niche offers consultants a unique opportunity to both...
Consulting, Politics, and Media The big news in DC Consulting circles regards the publicized...
7 Steps for Growing that Consulting Practice Jennifer Leake will guide attendees through an interactive discussion covering...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Paperless Office for Consultants

Confab Comm — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:53:26 +0000

Here it is 2010 and there are still articles coming out discussing the upcoming wave of the “paperless office”. A Canadian story from this week cites a graduate student’s research project that found many consumers and businesses still prefer paper receipts, invoices, and archiving over digital copies (link). In March, CNN ran a story on the similar topic with a history of the evolution of the paperless office (link).

As Management Consultants we are in a unique position to effect change in this realm. Depending upon your niche and project guidelines the use of less paper in your projects or identifying ways your clients can improve business processes with less paper can create positive change. There are a number of well documented business cases where companies went paper-less (less being the operative term – not free) and reduced storage costs, processing costs, and communication bottle necks.

Consultants within their own practices can also free themselves from internal operational inefficiencies by developing paper-free work processes. By digitizing all printed materials consultants enable a work from anywhere practice that allows them to access, store, and process any and all related business documents via a laptop and cell data card. Be the agents of change by enabling a paperless work environment.

MBA Job Market for Consultants The Wall Street Journal reports that the market for new...
Consulting in a Commenting World The Wall Street Journal is a good case study on...
Consultants Getting Paid As the roster fills out for Confab 2010 we are...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Planning for Holidays as a Consultant

Confab Comm — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:13:43 +0000

With the major Fourth of July holiday one week in arrears the topic of holidays should be on the front burner for new and soon to be consultants. The advantages that often draw individuals into the consulting field, such as control over scheduling and work/ life balance, can also work to make life as a consultant less than fun.

Why? Consultants, notably rookie consultants, forget to build buffers into projects for holidays and by doing so set themselves up for project work while family and friends draw upon them for leisure time. In an effort to impress early clients consultants will push forward deliverables and over promise on timelines. The net result can be late deliverables, unhappy family members, or worst of all both.

Confab 2010 focuses on building your consulting practice and as of now there are no sessions covering work life balance but remember consulting is not so much a sprint to complete projects in record times as it is a field of practice to be endeavored over a life time. Purposely planning, scheduling, and allowing moments of freedom will ensure a long and happy consulting career.

Growing Your Practice Through Consultant Development Many people in the business world have found that they...
Why You Should Attend a Consultant Training Seminar The nature of the labor market has changed dramatically over...
Confab 2010 a Great Keynote Address for You I always wonder what role the keynote plays in a...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Did You Get Those Flowers?

Confab Comm — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:26:19 +0000

June 26 came and went and we are guessing that no one sent you flowers or took you out for that nice business luncheon. Why should they have you ask? Because June 26 was International Consultant Day. Designated a few years back by the top IMC managing board the day was intended to remind people that consultants play an integral and important role in modern society.

Consulting in a Commenting World The Wall Street Journal is a good case study on...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Growing Your Practice Through Consultant Development

Confab Comm — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:48:38 +0000

Many people in the business world have found that they can make far more money and derive far greater satisfaction by working as consultants. By opening your own consulting business you can share what you know with eager companies while earning an excellent hourly wage. Of course there are challenges along the way, and it is important to get your new business off on the right foot. If you make a misstep during the initial startup business, it could take years for your company, and your reputation, to recover.

One of the best ways to get your new business off to a good start is to attend a consulting seminar. These seminars and training sessions are designed to help new consulting firms plan for life as freelance professionals, and to help experienced consultants grow and expand their businesses. By attending one of these seminar you can learn the ins and outs of the consulting business and avoid some of the most common mistakes made by newcomers to the consulting business.

Growing Your Consulting Business

No matter how long your consulting business has been in existence, chances are you can use some additional clients. Finding new clients is one of the hardest parts of running a consulting business, but in order to grow your business you will need to learn the right techniques for attracting new clients.

The marketing techniques you learn at a consultant training seminar or consultant development course can help you grow our business and attract the new clients you will need to increase your earnings in the future. You will also learn how to keep your current clients happy by exceeding their expectations. Exceeding the expectations of your client every single time is one of the best ways to grow your consulting business. A great deal of consulting business is gained not through traditional marketing methods like newspapers and magazines but through word of mouth from satisfied clients. Attending ongoing training sessions aimed at new freelance consultants and owners of consulting businesses is one of the best ways to learn the skills you will need to go above and beyond the expectations of every client.

Whether your consulting business is just getting started or already a going concern, you can enhance your earnings and grow your business with the right training and the right techniques. By learning from those who have already succeeded in this challenging and competitive business environment, you will be better able to compete and thrive as a business owner and consultant.

Growing Your Network at Consultant Training Seminars No matter what you do for a living, your business...
What to Look for in Consultant Development Whether your consulting business is brand new or already a...
Why You Should Attend a Consultant Training Seminar The nature of the labor market has changed dramatically over...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.