Good reading for consulting?

Essendon

I have read Alan Weiss' Million Dollar Consulting upon recommendation by eMeS, certainly worth a read. I had an offer to pre-order another one of his books for a lower price, Amazon.com: The Consulting Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Create and Expand a Seven-Figure Consulting Practice (9780470928080): Alan Weiss: Books ,hope this one turns out to be a good read too. Can anyone suggest any other similar reads?

Why do I want to read such books you may wonder?

1. I dont want to live from payday to payday,
2. Dont want to have to worry about having a mortgage to pay off,
3. Dont want to have to check my bank account to ensure there's enough money for the next auto-debit payment to go through
4. Choose what work I want to do

I am hitting (probably already have) a plateau at my current role, hence the need to keep me motivated. Thank you for reading this and suggesting a book.

Essendon

I'll bump this up folks, anyone care to provide info. Thank you.

AlanJames

Why don't you just become a contractor!? it was the best move i made it will keep you on your toes and you wont need to read such books to stay motivated.
Money is tones better, and if you start up your own company, you can put yourself on training etc

ps VB = yuk

Essendon

AlanJames wrote: »

Why don't you just become a contractor!? it was the best move i made it will keep you on your toes and you wont need to read such books to stay motivated.
Money is tones better, and if you start up your own company, you can put yourself on training etc

ps VB = yuk

Yeah I have thought of being a contractor. The only thing I have with contracting is the uncertainty of the contract lasting its full length and finding the next one. Thanks for the advice though.

P.P.S VB aint yuk, it's a man's drink.

instant000

Have you tried "The IT Career Builder's Toolkit"?

Amazon.com: The IT Career Builder's Toolkit (9781587131561): Matthew Moran: Books

Essendon

No I havent, but have you? Worth a read? I had a quick look at the amazon page and looks alright, besides at about $13 I wouldnt mind buying it.

TimTheEnchantor

Essendon wrote: »

P.P.S VB aint yuk, it's a man's drink.

I enjoy a healthy vBulletin drink too.

I kid

instant000

Essendon wrote: »

No I havent, but have you? Worth a read? I had a quick look at the amazon page and looks alright, besides at about $13 I wouldnt mind buying it.

Yes, I have read it. I enjoyed it.

I even wrote a review on it, and a few others.

(Match the quotes below to my Linked-In Profile, and find me ... LOL)

You lose some anonymity every time you plug in, and besides that, too much anonymity may make people less "accountable" for their actions. With that said, anonymity is also useful.

The IT Career Builder's Toolkit

"This is recommended reading for anyone just starting out in IT. I would also recommend it for anyone who is struggling in their career, and need ideas on how to get ahead. IT is about more than technology, it is about leveraging technology for business. It does not matter how tweaked your systems are, if the results are not what the users want. Technology is all fine and well, but it is the application of technology toward ventures that can bring in money which make the IT professional valuable. If you are wondering what it takes to build an IT career, then you need to read this book."

The New CIO Leader: Setting the Agenda and Delivering Results

"I read this book because it delivers insights on leveraging IT for business, at a higher level. The book is not about technicals, so if you're looking for that, you will be disappointed. The book is about being a business leader, and does a great job of it. Do you want to be relegated to the role of a "technology mechanic," or do you want to be seen as a "business enabler?" Unfortunately, many times, information technology workers are seen as "business disablers." This book stresses how you can highlight what information technology CAN DO to improve the business, and gives tips on discovering how your business really works. If you need any hints, it is about following the dollars. The book then gives tips on how you can involve yourself in these dollars. The text also delivers tips on negotiating the office politics, i.e., the importance of leveraging influential persons in your organization to get key initiatives through, how to earn the respect of the C-level group, so that they can see IT as an asset, and not as an expense. I highly recommend this book."

The Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource, New Edition

"You're always selling something, whether you realize it or not. The question is if you're convincing someone that what you have to offer is worth buying.

I wish that every sales person who called me would read this book first! This book was very educational. I am the type to see through all the lies anyway, and this book just confirmed a lot of them for me. You might think that to be a successful sales person, you'll get some sneaky, underhanded mind freaks that you can throw out there, to get the deal.

No, you do not have to do that at all.

Have fantastic customer service and follow-up (after the sales), and the subsequent sales will follow. I know that I like to do business with people who give great service and follow-up. I feel sorry for the sales people who have to put up with me (not really, it's just a game).

There were some helpful things in there, though, such as: all things being equal, people prefer to do business with friends, and furthermore, all things NOT being equal, people prefer to do business with friends. Or another tip, the best way to get a sale is to sell to someone you're already doing business with. Referrals are better than death by powerpoint (that's a synopsis.) Another one: don't be afraid to interrupt the selling process when the prospect is ready to buy!

I wonder how many of my vendors are reading this, and think that my ultra-critical mindset is because of my reading this GREAT BOOK and it's not. I only read this in the past couple weeks, honestly. (And if you read the book, it says that good salespeople should not use words that end in -ly...especially those that start with "honest")

I would be remiss if I did not mention that I found this book at the Carver Library, which is part of the San Antonio Public Library System.

I encourage any sales professional to read this book, if you are serious about getting all you can out of your sales career. Even if you are not in sales, in no matter what you do, having a great mindset to deliver superior customer service will carry you far, no matter what your field is.

If you don't know about this book, you better ask somebody, it is that good. Highly recommended!"