Alan Weiss > Quotes

“Real wealth is discretionary time. Money is simply fuel for your life. You can always make another dollar, but you can’t make another minute. Don’t let the pursuit of money erode your wealth.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Coaching: Build a World-Class Practice by Helping Others Succeed

“None of us—not you, not me—is here to stick a toe in the water. We’re here to make waves.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Coaching: Build a World-Class Practice by Helping Others Succeed

“You Will Be What You Decide to Be, Nothing Less, Nothing More”
― Alan Weiss, Getting Started in Consulting

“Abraham Maslow observed, “When the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting: the Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice

“Objectives are business outcomes and results that have substantial impact on the products, services, and relationships of the enterprise, and which can be measured. They may be new opportunities reached or problems solved.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting Proposals: How to Write a Proposal That's Accepted Every Time

“The only measure that matters is improved results—an improved client condition, in this case represented by objectives met and validated by key metrics.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting Proposals: How to Write a Proposal That's Accepted Every Time

“Too many consultants fall in love with their own methodology. Success in this business comes from marketing, not from the depth of consulting expertise. I know that this is heresy to many of you, but all the nonrainmaking consulting gurus are working for somebody else and merely earning a paycheck.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting: the Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice

“You grow based on exploiting strengths, not by acclimating to weaknesses.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting: the Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice

“Don’t accept contingency fees or “pay for performance”; you’re not a trained animal act. Variables are often outside your control, and besides, you’re being paid for your best advice. It’s up to the client to implement it effectively.”
― Alan Weiss, Value-Based Fees: How to Charge - and Get - What You're Worth

“When you settle for “vanilla” objectives such as “increased clarity,” or “more confidence,” or “higher commitment” (which I call “human resources objectives” because they are so weak and nonmeasurable), you deny yourself the opportunity to create dynamic ROI, where the client receives huge benefit and your equitable compensation is quite reasonable in light of that improvement.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting

“Million Dollar Consulting Orchestration: if you don’t blow your own horn, there is no music.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting: the Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice

“Ironically, most people submit proposals far too early and far too often. They are actually at the conclusion of the sales process, just prior to a project’s launch. When a proposal is accepted, you should be able to begin work immediately.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting Proposals: How to Write a Proposal That's Accepted Every Time

“One Percent Solution: Videotape clients giving you testimonials and place these on your Web site home page. This is the most dramatic video marketing tool that I know of.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting: the Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice

“The key to finding a terrific mentor is not to pursue someone who is at the very top of the profession, but to find someone who two years ago was where you are now. He or she will be most familiar with your current situation, and have relevant, timely experiences and perspective to share.”
― Alan Weiss, Getting Started in Consulting

“On a more localized basis, you can and should relentlessly pursue need within your clients and with your prospects.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting

“only measure that matters is”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting Proposals: How to Write a Proposal That's Accepted Every Time

“The humorist George Ade once said, 'Don't pity the martyrs, they love the work.”
― Alan Weiss, Threescore and More

“Always ask yourself, “Would I be proud of this if it appeared all over the Internet tomorrow?”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting: the Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice

“Whenever you receive or generate a lead, don’t simply do backflips because someone is interested in your services.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting Proposals: How to Write a Proposal That's Accepted Every Time

“Value, like beauty, may be in the eye of the beholder, but it’s nonetheless discussable and mutually appreciated.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting Proposals: How to Write a Proposal That's Accepted Every Time

“The key is to minimize labor while maximizing fees.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting

“when people knock on your door, credibility is assumed and fees are whatever you say they are.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting

“No money. There is always money! The lights are on, the floors are clean, people at their desks are being paid. Professional services providers think that money is a resource. It is not. It’s a priority. So the question is really not one of finding money but of moving money that already exists from something else to you.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting Proposals: How to Write a Proposal That's Accepted Every Time

“charts, yada yada. I hated this stuff, and the thought of trying to embrace it and make a living at it was anathema. So I decided that I’d go with my natural inclinations and oppose it. And a contrarian was born.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Maverick: Forge Your Own Path to Think Differently, Act Decisively, and Succeed Quickly

“Marketing is the art and science of creating need. You can reach out to people to do this, but it’s far more effective to attract them to you.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting

“Alanism: The phrase “specialize or die” is among the worst advice in the world. You need to “generalize and thrive.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting, Sixth Edition: The Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice

“Fees are money paid you as equitable compensation for the value you’ve delivered.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting

“Let’s say that a client has asked you to speak to a management team of 50 people. It is a successful high-tech (or health-care or automotive—it really doesn’t matter) organization in a competitive marketplace. The vice president of operations wants to instill formalized techniques that people can use to constantly raise their own standards and outpace the competition. Your speech is the kickoff for the daylong conference. All of the other speakers and activities involve internal people.”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Speaking: The Professional's Guide to Building Your Platform

“The Acme Company is a provider of financial services located in Cheyenne, which has been in business for 30 years and has a capitalized market value of $800 million. The Acme buyer knows this! It’s nothing novel or new or related to the project. It’s irrelevant. Here’s an excellent situation statement: The Acme Company has traditionally attracted the best and brightest talent because of its excellent brand and relationships with top schools. However, recent bad publicity over poor financial decisions, the removal of the CEO, and loss of key contacts in top schools have made it imperative to launch an aggressive plan to acquire the best talent in the industry, both at entry and senior levels. That situation appraisal explains exactly why you’ve been talking, why the project is urgent, and what the general goals are. Take a project you’re considering, have under way, or have completed, and try writing your own situation appraisal below:”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting Proposals: How to Write a Proposal That's Accepted Every Time

“You will see an immediate increase in every aspect of business acquisition (meetings, follow-up, suggestions, and so forth), and every aspect of your life once you form the habit of naturally offering options. Why”
― Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting