The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients: 6 Steps to Unlimited Clients & Financial Freedom Paperback – Illustrated, April 18, 2017

Given the many responsibilities that fall onto them, solo / boutique consultants must be knowledgeable in the related activities (even those that are outsourced) of practice development and service delivery.So, chances are one is constantly on the lookout for learning resources that help master one or another aspect of the consulting craft. Not only that, we sometimes don't know what we don't know.In their search, solo consultants would spend valuable time on skimming across dozens of resources, and eventually find out that the relevant books on solo consulting can be counted on the fingers of one hand.In my case, I recently came across one such book, "The Irresistible Consultant’s Guide to Winning Clients". It is focused, comprehensive, meaningful, simple to read, and actionable.The book focuses on:- Consulting (Not professional services, coaching, etc.)- Solo and boutique firms (Not large consultancies or internal consulting)- At the same time, it is broad enough to address all consulting segments (Not strategy, operations, etc.)The book addresses the comprehensive set of considerations for a solo consultant while revolving around the right-side-up mindset: Strategy, brand, projects, problem-solving, client discussion, pricing, etc.It also acknowledges the realistic nuances / exceptions, not merely presenting the perfect situation.The book is written by an experienced practician and long-standing mentor to solo consultants. I recognized myself in many described situations.Steve Jobs viewed simplicity as the ultimate sophistication. The process to writing "The Irresistible Consultant’s Guide to Winning Clients" in simple and clear terms, was certainly well thought.The complexity of consulting theory is referred to as a solid basis, but kept to a minimum.The author understands the subjects well enough to make humorous and cartoons representation.Finally, the book is written as a working document, that goes beyond the "so what" to the "how to", by proposing real-life cases, tools, exercices (such as problemeter), and templates.

I am a consultant and The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients is a must-have book for those in my profession. It provides valuable advice such as "...the core offering you market needs to be narrow, narrow, narrow," and "buyers of consulting services aren't looking for different; they're looking for a solution they can rely on."After reading this book, Mr. Fields convinced me to abandon my elevator speech in favor of a more succinct and effective "Fishing Line." He provides excellent suggestions on building visibility among potential clients via multiple media including blogs, speaking engagements, websites, and social media.In addition, this book proposes comprehensive and thoughtful recommendations for creating, nurturing, and leveraging relationships. It also offers practical, sound guidance on developing proposals, setting pricing and fee structures, and negotiating.I believe that consultants and those considering entering the profession will find this book to be invaluable. I have and I am glad I purchased it.

I bought the audiobook and listened to it 3x in 2 weeks before deciding there was too much info for just listening to the book. I then bought the hard copy and couldn't be happier. While we have been operating as a consulting firm for more than a decade we had grown a little complacent. This book brought everything back into perspective and reignited the fires. I have read other books, 3 to be precise, by other authors about consulting but I think David best describes the challenges, actions, and opportunities best (without ego getting in the way).Please note: These are not prescriptive books in how to consult but instead how to win at running a high performing consulting business.Lastly, I really like that I was able to access all the extra materials provided once purchasing the book. It certainly came in handy when organizing information.

David has written an incredibly helpful book for consultants at every level of their development. I’ve been doing this for 15 years now, but still learned tons from this super practical guide to our craft. I also enjoyed the casual, conversational style of this book and David’s delightful drawings. It made it extremely accessible and easy to read.Here are a few of my favorite takeaways:First, David develops a concept he calls the “fishing line.” A fishing line is not a cheesy tag line or a slick slogan (And not an elevator speech either. Who wants to talk in an elevator?). It’s a succinct, highly focused, 10-15 word positioning statement designed to get a prospect’s immediate attention and open a productive conversation.“A great fishing line can take years to perfect, although you can create a serviceable version in about a half an hour,” David advises. “The more precise your target, the better. The more concrete the issue, the better. The shorter the better.“This one concept, alone, is worth the price of the book.However, I also found helpful David’s advice regarding building visibility to be invaluable. His diagram on the visibility power of various kinds of business writing was something I had never seen before, and the nitty-gritty detail of calling clients early in the morning or late in the afternoon when most administrative assistants are not in the building, rang true with my experience.Again, this is a great guide (not a textbook or the “bible” on consulting) from a consultant’s consultant who knows the ropes of building more than a few successful practices. My thinking was stretched and my skills sharpened by this intensely practical, fun read.