I'd like to teach a seminar in order to gain some additional experience and to get publicity for my practice. I have some previous public speaking experience. How do I seek out opportunities to do this?

Before you begin actively seeking out opportunities, make sure you have a clear idea of the kind of seminars you might want to teach and what value you intend to get from doing so. Start by making a list, from basic to advanced, of the subjects you want to present and the benefits you hope to accrue. Also, recognize that you are going to have to put in many hours of preparation. A good rule of thumb is somewhere between 5 to 10 hours of preparation for every one teaching hour (depending on how fast you work, how skilled you are, what you already know and what knowledge you will need to obtain).

To find opportunities, try your industry association, other associations, local universities, junior colleges, etc. Identify those individuals who teach the same or similar seminars. Contact whoever is currently offering the kinds of programs (or those offering programs related to what) you want to teach. Check the industry journals in your field, various association websites/monthly calendars, and even with your clients.

Tip: To really test the market, talk to colleagues you think might want to attend your seminar. What sources do they pursue when advancing their education? Finally, remember that teaching of any kind requires you to really learn the material, so even if your goal is to get publicity, you end up honing your skills.

© 2011 Institute of Management Consultants USA

Too often consultants try to be all things to all people and, as a result, lose credibility. But what happens if you do a lot of different kinds of consulting work spanning more than one specialty area? What's wrong with being a generalist?

There is a time for being a generalist and a time to be a specialist. You might appear to be useful to a wide prospect base if you are not too specialized but your best value comes from providing a deeper, more nuanced and forward looking expertise in a specific field. Some consultants have separate, customized biographical information that they use for each of the different audiences they serve. For example, they might have one bio for speaking engagements, another for mailing to specific category prospects. Also, you might have general processes for diagnostic work and different service sheets for each industry segment.

That said, you may be a generalist in marketing your services, but recognize that your client is hiring you for a particular problem that requires specific skills. Once you are engaged and into a project, you will need to shed the generalist mindset and narrow your focus. The more you consider yourself a generalist, the more you will have to work to narrow that focus once you start to serve the client.

Tip: You can't be all things to all people, but you can be different things to different people. Position yourself appropriately for each audience and, once you are engaged, keep focusing to provide more value in increasingly narrower areas of need.

© 2011 Institute of Management Consultants USA

Am I liable if I make a recommendation that doesn't work out for my clients?

Yes and no. You are always going to be held "professionally" accountable (or measured) by your client based on your performance. Whether there is a presumption of legal liability depends on the kind of consulting work you do and how you position it with assumptions, disclaimers, etc. This is both a business and legal question. For the legal portion consult your attorney and check out The Consultant's Legal Guide published by Jossey Bass/Pfeiffer.

Tip: As a matter of good business, make sure you have both boilerplate disclaimers and qualified recommendations. Larger consulting firms have more to lose than independents simply as a matter of financial resources/exposure. Errors and Omissions insurance can be a useful risk mitigation strategy, at least to moderate the downside financial exposure incurred with a litigious client.

© 2011 Institute of Management Consultants USA