Choosing Team Members

Random drawing of membersSit with your team members for the

duration of the semesterTeam building exercise Select project managerTeam contract

Skills and Talents Worksheet

With regard to your potential consulting career:

1. List things you can do2. List things you would be rather doing

Some items will appear on both lists– Where your true interests lie– True passion areas determine how successful

you are

Introduction to Business Information Systems Consulting

What is Consulting?

The U.S. spends $2.3 trillion on projects every year, an amount equal to one-quarter of the nation’s gross domestic product.

The world as a whole spends nearly $10 trillion of its $40.7 trillion gross product on projects of all kinds.

More than sixteen million people regard project management as their profession.

More Consulting Info

Famous business authors and consultants are stressing the importance of project management. As Tom Peters writes in his book, Reinventing Work: the Project 50, “To win today you must master the art of the project!”

Categories of Consultants

Three categories of consultants:– Large firms consultants– Internal consultants– Independent consultants

• Solo (proprietorship)

• As a group (partnership)

What is Consulting?

What is a consultant?– An advisor who is in a position to have some

influence over an individual, a group, or an organization, but who has no direct power to make changes or implement programs.

What is Consulting?

The term “consultant” has become much maligned and in disrepute.

Scenario 1:

Client: What time is it?

What is Consulting?

Scenario 1:

Client: What time is it?

Consultant: What time do you want it to be?

What is Consulting?

Scenario 2:

Client: What time is it?

What is Consulting?

Scenario 2:

Client: What time is it?

Consultant: Give me your watch and I will tell you.

What is Consulting?

Scenario 3:

Those who can…do.

What is Consulting?

Scenario 3:

Those who can…do.

Those who can’t…consult.

Areas of Consulting

1. General Management Planning, strategy, corporate policy

2. Manufacturing Production control, facilities management,

materials management

3. Personnel Training, recruitment, employee benefits

Areas of Consulting

4. Marketing New product introduction, pricing,

promotion, sales forecasting

5. Finance and Accounting Cost accounting, tax advice, investment

6. Procurement and Purchasing Commodity classification, inventory

management, stores operation

Areas of Consulting

7. Research and Development Project determination & evaluation, cost

control

8. Packaging Packaging machinery, design, testing

9. Administration Office management, office planning design

& space utilization, EDP

Areas of Consulting

10. International Operations Import, export, licensing, tariffs, joint ventures

11. Specialized Services Catches all the many other areas

Executive recruitment Test prepping, essay editing, and application

consulting IT/Computer consulting E-Business consulting

Types of IT Consulting

1. Contract Programmer Codes, tests, debugs for an hourly rate

2. System Integrator Selects and configures hardware and

software

3. Custom Developer Develops custom software for clients

Types of IT Consulting

4. Expert Consultant Advices top decision makers on policy or

technical direction via lectures and seminars

5. Technical Management Consultant Project management; provides SDLC

6. Consulting Firms Employee Employee of the Big Four accounting firms

and corporations

Why Does Company Want a Consultant?

Fill in the blank space

Why Need a Consultant Anyway?

1. The need for personnel Put out a great amount of work over a short

period of time Unique expertise on short-term or project

basis

2. The need for fresh ideas Employees too close to problem to

understand all ramifications

Why Need a Consultant Anyway?

3. Company politics For various political reasons those who

understand the problem are not allowed to present it

Consultant assumed to be more impartial and less likely to be influenced by company politics

Why Need a Consultant Anyway?

4. The need for improved sales No business can exist without sales To increase sales in a short time frame

5. The need for capital Every company needs money Help find sources of capital

6. Government Regulations If not obeyed can result in penalty

7. The need for maximum efficiency Inefficiency leads to high costs, making

prices noncompetitive

8. The need to diagnose problems and find solutions

You should become very adept at this

Why Need a Consultant Anyway?

9. The need to train employees Business operations are becoming more and

more complex

10. The need for a complete turnaround Consultant troubleshoots to pull off a

complete turnaround

11. Computers and data processing

Why Need a Consultant Anyway?

How Do Clients Analyze Consultants for Hiring?

Fill in the blank space

How Potential Clients Analyze Consultants for Hire

1. Can you add something to company’s total output?

2. Will your expertise bring company any closer to its goals?

3. Can you make company work more effectively?

4. Will you save company time and money?5. Within budget, can you do a comprehensive

and effective job?

Assessing Your Skills and Talents

Aware of both strengths and weaknesses– Type of consulting field to break into

Take time to assess skills and talentsIn-class Consulting Skills Assessment

Exercise – Do It Now … take out a sheet of paper and make 2 columns – list your strengths and weaknesses

What Skills Do You Need To Be An Outstanding Consultant?

Fill in the blank space

What Makes an Outstanding Consultant?

1. Bedside manner– Ability to get along with client– Not so much what you say but how you say

2. Ability to diagnose problems– One of most significant criteria

3. Ability to find solutions– After diagnosis, suggest right course of

action

What Makes an Outstanding Consultant?

4. Technical expertise and knowledge Technical expertise in a field is important Expertise comes from education, experience,

personal skills

5. Communication skills Superior communication (written/oral)

What Makes an Outstanding Consultant?

6. Marketing and selling abilities A good marketer and a good salesperson Sell an intangible product

7. Management skills Ability to manage a business Ability to run projects

What Makes an Outstanding Consultant?

Two groups of skills BIG Three and BIG Four BIG Three

1. Communications 2. Technical command of a subject 3. Ability to get along

BIG Four1. Analytical skills 2. Sensitivity to others

3. Tolerance for lifestyle 4. Strong personal drive

Minimum Six-Figure Consultant

1. Eat, drink, and breathe customer service

2. Keep up with latest changes in your field of expertise

3. Develop ability to identify problems quickly

4. Look for creative ways to solve problems

5. Use excellent communications skills

Minimum Six-Figure Consultant

6. Be 100% confident that you will succeed

7. Be professional in everything you do

8. Be a people person

9. Be the best manager you can be

10. Give clients more than they expect

Skills and Talents Worksheet

Outstanding job skills possessedSpecialized education and training

possessedSpecial licenses possessedWhat most do you like about present jobWhat you have been told that you do

extremely well

Marketing YourselfNaming Your Business

What is in a name?– Plenty, esp. if you want your business to be

successful– Choose names carefully– Portray an aura of professionalism– Stay away from cutesy names– Must contribute effectively to your marketing

approach

Naming Your Business

1. Should name of practice contain your name?

Advantage:• Clients like personal touch

2. Should name of practice precisely and and immediately communicate the services that you provide?

Naming Your Business

– Examples:• Telephone Marketing Consultants

– Preciseness locks you into predetermined market and service

– Hindrance to expand your services later

3. Should the company name cause others to view your practice as being a public-interest, non-profit organizations?

Naming Your Business

Examples:o The Center for _____________

o The ___________ Resources Center

o The Institute for the Study of ___________

o The Alliance to ______________

Advantage: - Prestige, lends credibility

- Field important enough to warrant founding of an institute or center

Naming Your Business

Using fictitious names other than your business names?– Advantages:

• On retirement or withdrawal from business, you can sell your assumed name but keep your corporation

• Helpful for trial efforts. If they flop, no harm done

Developing a Brochure

As part of marketing planEntire career depends on itDescribes what you have accomplished

and what you can do for clientConcentrate on your past successes

Developing a Brochure

Five issues to be addressed:1. Should clearly convey your services2. Should tell customers why you are best3. Should give a few reasons why you

should be hired4. Should include brief bio information5. Should include info about your other

clients

Brochure for Your Consulting Firm

Develop a brochure to market yourselves to your client