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The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully (Paperback)

by Gerald M. Weinberg (Author)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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This item: The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully by Gerald M. Weinberg
In stock but may require up to 2 additional days to deliver.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
More Secrets of Consulting: The Consultant's Tool Kit by Gerald M. Weinberg
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
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Product details

Paperback: 228 pages
Publisher: Dorset House Publishing Co Inc.,U.S. (30 April 1985)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0932633013
ISBN-13: 978-0932633019
Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.2 x 2 cm

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 245,964 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review

." . . much more than about giving advice successfully. It's a guide that recognizes and respects the individuality and freedom of each person you deal with in business and social dealings. It's clear-eyed and clever and fun to read. Highly recommended."

Synopsis

In this book the author offers a personal tour of the often irrational world of consulting. He chooses a storytelling format, deriving rules, laws and principles from his anecdotes to make the points memorable. His style is informal and personal, the secrets applicable to other disciplines. This book does not tell you how to become a consultant but midst the wit and humour are practical steps to become more effective in this highly competitive profession. Among the topics covered are pricing and marketing your services, keeping ahead of the client, avoiding traps, finding alternative approaches, establishing trust, measuring your effectiveness and dealing with client resistance.

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most important books for any consultant, 9 Mar 2004

By	A. K. Johnston "(www.andrewj.com/books)" (LEATHERHEAD United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This is a little book with some big messages. As the subtitle says, it's a book not only for those who give, or sell, their advice, but it's also for those who are taking or buying it.

It's a book both for those who help to manage change, and for those undergoing change themselves. Many people should read it.
That said, the main focus of the book is on those who produce the advice and ideas. If you are a consultant as I am, this may be one of the most important books in your collection. I have read it cover to cover twice, and parts of it many other times.

The book is written with a light, humorous touch, illustrated both with many funny stories and some very apt cartoons and quotations. From each discussion he abstracts multiple "laws" and reminders, which on their own should prompt you to remember the key points he discusses.

Weinberg doesn't pull any of his punches. Consulting is hard, and the secrets are guides to improving your success and survival rate, not any set of "magic wands". He addresses ways in which you can fail just as much as ways to succeed.
In successive chapters, the book deals with the nature of consulting and the problems it can address, and how to develop your own mind so that your can see the problems and come up with possible solutions to them.

Throughout, Weinberg teaches us to focus on the "people" problems: cultural, political and psychological, which tend to be at the heart of any issue, assuming that, as he says, "it's always a people problem". If you can solve the people problems, the practical problems should be easy by comparison.

In later chapters, the book focuses specifically on how to make consultancy more effective: how to improve the impact of what you do, how to help make change happen, and the importance of things like setting the right price and marketing yourself.

This is an easy book to read, with lots of good advice very humorously presented. I can thoroughly recommend it to all consultants, would-be consultants, clients and would-be clients.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most valuable book about consulting I've ever read., 19 Jun 1998

By A Customer

This book is full of insights which are invaluable to anyone in consulting or considering it for a career. The light-hearted and often comedic style belie the pragmatic nature of the wisdom presented in this book. It's a cross between Plato and Dilbert.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to price consulting? This book told me how., 9 April 1997

By A Customer

When I quit my day job, and struck out on my own, this book was invaluable. In fact, I re-read it now and then, to help my piece of mind. Weinberg's book describes several key aspects of consulting, which a consultant needs to know for success. Trust of the client, pricing the consultant can live with, pitfalls to avoid are some topics. Though Weinberg describes general management consulting, his principles extend to other consulting fields. Best of all, I know when to say $100 an hour, and when to say $50, and to be happy with the result. Yet the reading is light and enjoyable. Recommended especially for the self-employed consultant, or the downsized or dilbertized, who want to be self-employed.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Book about being human among humans
Lets face it every fool can handle technology, but it takes expert to work with people. At least thous who are working in IT business tend to think so but the thought is not on... Read more

Published on 3 April 2007 by Kerola Sami

5.0 out of 5 stars Chock full of humorous thought-provoking anecdotes!
I've tried to keep copies of this book around to no avail. I've lost two books passing it around to customers and fellow consultants. Read more

Published on 16 April 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars It's not really about CONSULTING....It's about life.....
This title by Weinberg is *THE* book to have if you fill any type of consulting role. Don't worry if you aren't a full time, dreaded consultant - you'll find plenty of good rules... Read more

Published on 18 Nov 1997

5.0 out of 5 stars All the rules of thumb you need to be or hire a consultant!
This is the most funny AND instructive book I ever read about consulting. I own two copies - one for my own use, and one floating around loaned out to colleagues. Read more

Published on 4 Nov 1997

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