• Earned ISO 17024 certification for our CMC^® certification process, thus getting global recognition through meeting ISO standards
  
• Focused on federal procurement officers for CMC^® recognition for contracts / preferential treatment as a way to raise the visibility of certification 
  
• We’ve had some success – there are four government agencies from whom we have seen CMC preferred / only RFPs, but more needs to be done
  
• Created an affinity program for preferential insurance rates through Aon Insurance which gives "Best in Class” rates for CMC certification for E&O insurance. 
  
• A member received a quote which was $1,200 as compared to $3,500 for a quote from another insurer - this would pay for six years of CMC certification fees!!!
  
• Whereas this may not be typical for all as it is based on the experience of the consultant, we certainly are seeing that there is a financial benefit to being certified.
• Conducted focus groups with clients of consulting services and have purchasing authority for consulting projects.  They told us:
  
• The CMC® is a differentiator for consultants
• Many expected the CMC® to help streamline their procurement process
• Said they would give it preference in hiring CMC® consultants
• CMCs can charge more for their services

• Created the Certified Management Consulting Firm™ (CMC Firm™) certification for medium and large firms based on the Accredited Consulting Practice scheme from Europe
  
• Attended multiple programs from Kennedy and AMCF, and have spoken with a number of leaders of firms to educate them on who IMC is and how our consultants can help their businesses
  
• Contacted many of the top 10 of the consulting industry to discuss with them about membership in IMC and their getting themselves / their consultants certified. 
  
• Many firms have expressed interest, and we are moving those discussions to the next level.
  

I read with interest the article from August 20 in the Huffington Post about management consultants (I would encourage all to read The Great Management Consultancy Scam). While the article focused on downsizing recommendations by consultants, it was quite critical of the profession.

In a few short days, the article has touched off quite the firestorm of discussion regarding the profession. Indeed, a reading of the comments posted following the article shows the authors of the comments to be polarized, either very critical or very supportive of management consultants and the profession.

I have reflected on this article for several days and am reminded of the quote (usually attributed to the comedian George Carlin), something like, "Somewhere in the world there is the worst doctor, and people are lined up to see him." Every profession, from doctors to management consultants, has a range of competencies and capabilities -- from the worst to the best with most practitioners in-between the extremes. However, there is a tool out there that can help clients separate the wheat from the chaff so to speak, the Certified Management Consultant™ (CMC^®) certification issued by the Institute of Management Consultants USA.

The CMC^® certification is the Gold Standard that executives should take into account when selecting a management consultant. Recognized in 47 nations across the globe including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, China, and many others, CMC^®s are recognized as experts in their profession; the Mark represents their achieving highest global standards of competency, professionalism and ethical practices as a professional consultant.

The earning of the CMC^® by a management consultant is no trivial matter; it can be likened to an attorney passing the Bar examination, an accountant receiving a CPA, or an engineer obtaining their PE license. A candidate must submit to the most rigorous vetting process in the profession which includes receiving multiple positive client satisfaction surveys, taking in-depth examinations covering consulting competencies and ethics, and sitting for an exhaustive panel interview by senior CMC^®s.

Clients can be confident that the consultant who has earned the CMC^® certification has a history of excellent performance in delivering results to clients; has met world-class standards of competence, ethics, and client satisfaction; and has maintained this level of professionalism through continuing education and periodic certification renewal.

IMC USA is about professionalism, consulting competency and ethics. From professional educational opportunities through the Academy, to our annual conference Confab (coming up in October), to thought-leadership teleseminars of Consultapalooza, to a rigorous Code of Ethics with its enforcement procedures, to the local Chapter meetings and online Communities of Practice, and through its CMC^® certification, IMC USA differentiates its members as the best of the best.

Which brings me to the newest news and one more reason for my optimism. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a worldwide federation of national standards bodies, has now accredited our certification process (this prestigious recognition is known as ISO/IEC 17024:2003).This globally accepted accreditation further emphasizes the higher professional standards and ethics that IMC USA s as the benchmark for its certification process and the Certified Management Consultant™ (CMC^®) credential.

How will this help you? Think differentiation. Just as ISO 9000 established the global standard for providing quality management systems, ISO’s accreditation of our certifying process will provide assurance about the quality of management consulting, and enhance client satisfaction in the process.

I feel badly for those folks who have had unsatisfactory experiences with consultants, but I suspect they were working with consultants who were not certified. If you want to ensure you get the results you expect (i.e., what you are pay for), require your consultants have the CMC^® - the highest global standard for professionalism, consulting competency and ethics of the profession.

To download a copy of IMC's brochure "How to Hire a Management Consultant and Get the Results You Expect," please click here.  

Each month I get emails from members with ideas, suggestions, questions, etc., on how to better leverage IMC benefits and our members’ experience (e.g., Gayle Carson / David Goldsmith, which led to the biweekly Consultapalooza interview series – and yes, I answer all member emails personally!). Recently, I received one to which I wanted to respond publicly.

The question: "What happened to ‘Flash Opportunities’?”

For those who don’t remember, every Friday, IMC members received an email ("Flash Opportunities”) with consulting opportunities we had received during the week (we generally received 3-5 requests by phone or email every month). These were sent to all members and members did get consulting engagements through this route. However, this particular member hadn’t seen any for about a year and a half, and thought we had done away with that member benefit.

Nay nay, my friend!!! Flash Opportunities are alive and well – they just "grew up,” i.e., got automated, so you can get them quicker and specify the types of opportunities you want to receive. Here’s how the new process works.

A client contacts IMC, either through the website or calling / emailing the office. We capture the details about the engagement and the expertise for which they are looking, i.e., CMC, technical and industry expertise, etc. The information is posted in the Consulting Opportunities section of the IMC site, then automatically sent to those consultants who are registered to receive the type of opportunity. We still hear from members about getting consulting engagements with clients that posted their needs with IMC.

This whole process is automated but you must opt in to receive these notices.

Here is how you subscribe:

1. Go to your personal profile, and look on the right side of page in the menus. Click on "Manage Profile”
2. Scroll to the bottom of the list under "Networking and Careers” and click on "Career Postings”
3. Under "My Posted Opportunities,” click on "Subscribe.” That will pull up the menu of all the different types of opportunities to which you can subscribe
4. Check the boxes for those disciplines or industries for which you want to receive notices of opportunities, and then click "Save My Preferences”

However, even subscribers may not always receive opportunities, for several reasons:

First, emails are sent from office@imcusa.org and, unless you have white listed "office@imcusa.org,” they may be flagged in spam filters or junk mail folders (or you may delete these without reading them). The moral of the story – read at least the first couple of lines from your emails before you delete them!

Second, you may not be subscribed for all the categories in which you are qualified. Double check the category settings you have for opportunities – you may be too restrictive. Also, be sure to check these from time to time, whenever you update your IMC bio. Your expertise changes as does the market, and what worked a year ago isn’t what you can do or what is needed by clients now.

By the way, IMC also has an agreement with North Highland Consulting for them to preferentially use our CMC members. They will identify needs for consultants and post them in the Consulting Opportunities section of our website. If you are subscribed as described above, then you will be notified of these opportunities.

While you are at the website, be sure to subscribe to the Chair Blog (left menu under "Blogs.” This is how I send out information on new benefits for members and news you can use. Other IMC blogs include Daily Tips for Consultants, Website Features and Consulting Humor (feel free to contribute to this last one).

If there are other things that you want to know about via the Blog, let me know via email (drumm@imcusa.org) or call me (760-723-0022).

Yours in consulting,

Drumm McNaughton, Ph.D., CMC

Chair and CEO

Happy 2010! The year is off to a grand start - I have heard from many of you who have told me that your 2010 is showing many signs of the economy improving - one person  I know is booking clients into May, and I am booking out a few months (nice to be able to spell client again!). However, many of our colleagues are not yet seeing signs of the economic upturn, and are retooling their businesses, focusing on new markets, and building new relationships (which is the focus for this blog).

Many of you have heard me speak that for the last 5 years, most of my business has come from IMC members. For instance, last week I received an e-mail from a member in Pennsylvania referring me to a potential client who is looking for team building and improving employee communications. Yes, because of my position I am known, but it has come from working hard for the Institute, volunteering in multiple roles, and getting myself known as a "go to" person who can make them look good with their referrals - NOT because I am Chair.  Each of you can do that by volunteering at the local and/or national level -- which we know is relationship marketing.

Let's face it - ours is a relationship business.  We network and form relationships with buyers of consulting services to get hired by them, or we volunteer at our local Chambers of Commerce and other organizations to develop referral sources, but many of us don’t think about IMC in that same way. In fact, it is almost the opposite. In the past, many people joined IMC with the expectation that they would "get business," and when they didn't, they were disappointed and resigned their membership. They forgot one of the "laws of the universe" is you must give to get.

Question. Do you refer business to someone you don't know?  NO!  Why would I or anyone else put our reputation on the line with someone we don't know. However, can you get to know someone by volunteering on chapter boards and other committees? ABSOLUTELY!  This is the way to become a magnet for referrals.

Maybe I'm altruistic, but I never volunteered in IMC with the thought of what I could get out of it. However, that is exactly what has happened -- I have established and nurtured relationships which have blossomed into excellent referrals.  For instance, Mark Haas and I have teamed on multiple proposals; when I have a question, he and I discuss it (which frequently become the subject of one of his "Daily Tips" :) ). In a sense, Mark and I have formed a "virtual partnership" which has been nurtured over the last 6 years I have served on the Institute's Board of Directors.  Mark refers business to me that he doesn't want, and vice versa.  This is one of the benefits for serving at the chapter or national level.

One of my fundamental beliefs is that members should benefit from serving at chapters, in skill development, advice and referrals. Take for instance the upcoming Chapter Leadership Summit in Chicago May 6-7.  We are planning a number of sessions which will benefit attendees in both running their chapter AND running their business. Without going into details because the agenda is not set, we are hoping to have a "prominent someone" talk about the state of the consulting industry, Bette Price talk on how to leverage media for publicity for yourselves and your chapters, and a well know speaker talk about the importance of leadership in chapters and our own businesses.  As you can see, we want serving in chapters to be a win-win proposition – one which helps IMC, our members, and YOU as chapter leadership.

So, let us modify John F. Kennedy’s famous line from his inauguration speech, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"; instead, we suggest the following:

"Let us ask what we can do to help one another, and watch us both grow and thrive.”

Take time to volunteer for your local chapter or on one of the national committees.  It will help IMC and be an excellent experience for you, and most importantly, will help you develop your leadership / technical (business) skills, and network you in ways that will get you known and get you more business.  After all, isn't that the biggest reason why we join a professional association?