Monthly Archives: February 2013

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DASM: The Dummies

At the request of faithful readers, my awards for Dumb-Ass Stupid Management for 2012, in anticipation of the Oscars. Herein the Dummies: • For Cowardice of Embarrassing Proportions Senior management of credit card issuing banks, who approve of routinely denying customers’ charges, despite inconvenience or embarrassment, based on arcane formulas to absolutely ensure no single charge is illegitimate. These paragons of puerility would rather lose good customers through alienation than accept the risk of a stolen card being in use. …

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If You Want To Earn Seven Figures In The Consulting Business

• Be specific about the value you provide, your ideal buyer, and what influences that person. • Speak and write, speak and write, speak and write. • Peer-to-peer referrals are the platinum standard, a commercially-published book the gold standard. • Converse with enthusiasm, volume, and confidence. • Hang out with people more successful and smarter than you are. • Develop a powerful brand or brands, culminating in the recognition of your name as an expert. • Laugh-off unsolicited feedback, negative …

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You Can’t Make This Up

Here’s an email I received today, with my response. I’ve withheld the writer’s name to avoid public mockery: Alan- I’ve enjoyed reading your book (Million Dollar Consulting), which is very well written. I nevertheless began highlighting typos on page 133 of your 4th edition, and have counted 15 errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. You strike me as someone who holds himself to high standards. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to propose a suitable value-based fee in exchange for my time …

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Alan Weiss’s Monday Morning Memo® – 2/18/13

Alan's Monday Morning Memo

February 18, 2013—Issue #178 This week’s focus point: One of my granddaughters, Alaina, noticed that Bentley (our white German Shepherd puppy) had his toys on the floor in front of his bed. So, she dutifully picked up each one and deposited it in the bed. As soon as she did so, Bentley threw it back onto the floor. Alaina (four years old) kept retrieving, and Bentley (four months old) kept tossing. To her it was straightening up, to him it …

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Strut Your Stuff

Early in my career, a veteran consultant, arrogating wisdom, gave me some really bad advice—”Be humble and low key,” he said, “don’t overwhelm the prospect.” Shortly thereafter, the briefly low key Alan was facing a buyer who said, “You don’t seem very eager or excited about the project, and I need someone whom I feel will take charge and run with this.” That’s when I changed my theme song, and when I realized that most consultants’ advice was pretty awful. …

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In Case You Were Wondering What I Was Thinking

• Jon Stuart can find parody in Marco Rubio having to drink water, but not Bobby Menendez allegedly hiring prostitutes in the Dominican Republic? How’s that for an agenda, Jon? • American Idol has far more superb female than male contestants this year, but the voting constituency for the show is mostly teenage girls. • The State of the Union speech was no doubt once a major event, but now it’s a predictable, choreographed, vaudeville act. • I’ll be you can …