Past Book Review (February 15, 2009): "How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession"
Past book review (i.e. posted prior to starting this blog) for How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner, by Alan Weiss, Pfeiffer, 2001:
This book was written for independent consultants and small consulting practices, and Alan Weiss effectively focuses on the core subject of branding. While the content that the author provides is written for those new to branding, Weiss also mentions that his discussion is targeted at successful consulting entities, although in the opinion of this reviewer the material can also be applied by those who have relatively less experience and who wish to start positioning themselves.
In the introduction to this work, the author mentions that he did not write for those consultants who position themselves in a way which does not explain what is in it for potential clients, but for successful professionals who understand that "acquiring business is about convincing the prospect that a partnership will improve the latter's condition by a huge multiple of whatever investment is required" and "want others to seek them out because they have created a great interest in who they are and what they do".
This book slowly walks through the reasons why consultants need brands to thrive, why experienced consultants already have the makings of a brand at hand, how to use brands to attract buyers, the branding power behind writing a book and hitting the lecture circuit, myths of branding, publicizing brands and creating products to boost brands, and other related branding topics.