Then you’ve found the place to be!

If you are a consultant looking for support and community, you’ve come to the right place.

The best and brightest minds in Canada run their own consulting businesses. But even the best and brightest need support, education and comradeship.

AIC provides this through our monthly events, our Professional Development agreements and our Preferred Supplier programs.

If you’re an independent consultant, you will find a community of fellow consultants to share with and learn from. The AIC holds educational networking events, arranges discounts on products, services and professional development workshops, and our website has articles on consulting, helpful tools and a searchable database of consultants. AIC is a Canadian, federally-registered, not-for-profit organization, run by its members for its members.

AIC events have qualified as professional development/continuing education credits for some professional organizations.

If you’re looking to engage one, you’ve also come to the right place.

The Association of Independent Consultants (AIC) is a community of experts. Our members are specialists in many fields. They’ve helped the largest organizations and individuals achieve their goals.

AIC can help you find specialists, experts and outsourced contractors in many fields. Consultants are available for hire, for speaking engagements and for media interviews.

Whether you want to grow yourself as a consultant, hire a consultant, or interview an expert . . . welcome to AIC.

Home Page (Old before we closed)

To find out more about the Association of Independent Consultants (AIC), please stop by our website at Association of Independent Consultants.

In this issue…

• President’s Message
• At our Last Event…
• Links & Articles
• On My Reading List
• Quote of the Month

President’s Message

Spring continues to roll along. I had almost given up hope for my second-favourite season to make an appearance this year, yet the snowdrops and the crocuses are finally here in my front yard. (And once again, we see that in Toronto, Leafs fall in the spring and leaves fall in the autumn! Oh well, there’s always next year…)

Spring is always a time of beginning, and it’s a great time to end your winter hibernation and come on out to an AIC event to learn, improve, and move your consultancy to the next level. (There’s no self-improvement program on the planet quite like running your own business and AIC’s focus on that is what makes us different from many other groups in the GTA.) . Hope to see you all at our April event (and you can ask me then what my favourite season is!)

At our Last Event…

In March 2014, Darla Campbell of amonavi consulting group inc. (and AIC VP of Communications) gave us a terrific, thought-provoking presentation. With the topic “The Next Level in Productivity: Get on the Fast Track”. Darla challenged the consultants in the room to take steps to increase their personal motivation and energy.

Fast Track Tip #2: Focus on what you want.

As independent consultants, we need to be in the right frame of mind to be productive. That starts with our thinking. As Henry Ford so succinctly put it: “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t – you’re right.” (And yes, this is out of order—Tip #1 is further down!)

Fast Track Tip #3: Access your resources.

Another key component of productivity is to focus on your state, i.e. your emotional state. Are you feeling motivated or anxious? Are you feeling energetic or stuck? As everyone in sales knows, we buy based on our emotions. In fact, all actions and behaviours start with our emotions. Start in a resourceful state. One quick way to change state is to move your body (i.e. listen to your favourite song and dance). Another way is to sing.

Fast Track Tip #1: Leave your baggage behind.

Sometimes what we need to do is to stop paying attention to the excuses, or whatever is holding us back from reaching our goals. Pick your destination and get on the right train. Take only what you need to support you in your success. Leave everything else behind.

Connect with Darla through twitter at @DARLACAMPBELL  or stop by the School of Leadership website  (a division of amonavi consulting group inc.).

Links & Articles

Aubre Andrus (@aubreandrus) provides a quick tutorial on using Hootsuite to manage your Twitter time in this article at Mashable “How to Spend Only 10 Minutes Per Day on Twitter“. I don’t currently use Hootsuite, but I might give it a try again.

Communications are a big part of independent consulting. The Globe & Mail picked up Shanna Mallon’s (@foodloves) “Ten words to cut from your writing” from Entrepreneur.com. Some good advice here.

Derek Halpern at Social Triggers has a video with surprising information on giving your clients a choice when offering a service. Check out “Tired of your customers ‘shopping around?‘”

Game of Thrones fans are, of course, glued to the their TV screens as the latest set of episodes are aired (What? You’re not watching GOT? Do you know how many great business lessons you’ve missed? (Just kidding)). For fans of “Game of Thrones”, Mashable looks at social networks and asks “What If Social Networks Were ‘Game of Thrones’ Houses?”

On my Reading List

This month, I’ve been making way through Guy Kawasaki’s highly recommended The Art of the Start. Anybody else read the book? Have any comments? (Then drop by our LinkedIn group and start up a conversation!)

Or would you be interested in doing a mini-review for a future issue of the Newsletter? If so, please contact me  (%20president1aiconsultca)   .

Quote of the Month

If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.
Thomas J Watson

Professional Development Credits

About AIC

Who are we? Our definition of a consultant is someone who advises other people. Our members are consultants of all types and disciplines, and all levels of experience, from newcomers to veterans.

What does AIC do? What makes us unique?

Education.

If you are passionate about learning, improving and growing your consulting business as a business, then AIC is the place for you.

You are already an expert in your field—otherwise you wouldn't be doing what you are doing. And AIC isn't going to make you any better at that (there are other forums for that sort of professional development). But what we can do is provide you with the opportunities to learn all the other things that are necessary for you to thrive as an independent provider of advice to your clients.

There is no better self-improvement program in the universe than self-employment, but you don't have to do it on your own. And, we've found that you can't always do it from a book. AIC gives you an opportunity to learn from (and teach) other like-minded individuals face-to-face.

Networking? Certainly. But AIC doesn't aim to copy your local Board of Trade/Chamber of Commerce or BNI or LeTip (or what have you). If the only reason that you're coming to AIC events is to find or get clients, you'll always be disappointed, no matter how many you get.

But if you're looking to improve your business, then AIC is the place for you.

The Association of Independent Consultants (AIC) is a Canadian, federally-registered, not-for-profit organization, run by members for members.

Learn more about AIC by email or online. We're also on Twitter at @aiconsult and we have a discussion group on LinkedIn.

Want to keep up to date with AIC? Get information on upcoming events and our newsletter delivered right to your email inbox by joining our mailing list now:

Newsletter—April 2014

To find out more about the Association of Independent Consultants (AIC), please stop by our website at Association of Independent Consultants.

In this issue…

• President’s Message
• Links & Articles
• On My Reading List
• Quote of the Month

President’s Message

Welcome to our spring re-launch of the AIC Newsletter (it’s been several months since we sent one out, but the time of year is right, I think). I know that one my goals for this year at the AGM was to improve our communications with the membership and so we’ve revived the newsletter. Spring is a good time for that sort of renewal! (At least, I’m hoping that the snow and frigid weather will be gone by the time my beloved Blue Jays Opening Day arrives (although I’m not entirely sanguine about that). It’s been a brutal winter this year!)

Our “Next Level” series of events continues this month at our new home at the Microsoft Store are Yorkdale Mall (Barbara Frum Library’s renovations seem to be taking forever and we needed to find a new place!). However, the venue is a bit smaller than the library, so you must now pre-register for our events.

Links & Articles

Ever tried creating a password and had some problems? Joy Reactor discusses the joy and sorrow of creating a decent password (warning, this one contains profanity)(and it’s meant to give you a smile)

Daria Steigman (@DariaSteigman) pointed us towards “Building your brand on other platforms: Facebook Reach loss” in which Ashvini Kumar Saxena warns us about putting all your eggs into one social media basket (especially Facebook).

Brad Shore starts his three-part series on jargon (and better alternatives) in your communications (blogs, websites, informercials and more) in “50 Epic Jargon Solutions for Better Writing” (now ‘fess up! How many are you guilty of using?)(and besides, there’s a photo of a fountain pen. And you know what I’m like about fountain pens. How could I resist reading it?)

And lastly, I can’t let a newsletter go by without some reference to science fiction. Now that Disney owns the Star Wars Universe, Mashable asks will these crossovers be appearing on a lunchbox near you any time soon. “If Disney Princesses Invaded Star Wars” (Jar-Jar Binks still makes my skin crawl, but that’s another issue) .

On my Reading List

…I’ve been working my way through two books on business planning, John McAdam’s The One-Hour Business Plan and Jason Malinak’s Etsy-preneurship. Anybody else read them? Any comments? Drop by our LinkedIn forum or leave a message at our Twitter stream (@aiconsult).

Quote of the Month

It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.
Albert Einstein

See you on March 31st!

Lawrence Fox
President, AIC

Professional Development Credits

About AIC

Who are we? Our definition of a consultant is someone who advises other people. Our members are consultants of all types and disciplines, and all levels of experience, from newcomers to veterans.

What does AIC do? What makes us unique?

Education.

If you are passionate about learning, improving and growing your consulting business as a business, then AIC is the place for you.

You are already an expert in your field—otherwise you wouldn't be doing what you are doing. And AIC isn't going to make you any better at that (there are other forums for that sort of professional development). But what we can do is provide you with the opportunities to learn all the other things that are necessary for you to thrive as an independent provider of advice to your clients.

There is no better self-improvement program in the universe than self-employment, but you don't have to do it on your own. And, we've found that you can't always do it from a book. AIC gives you an opportunity to learn from (and teach) other like-minded individuals face-to-face.

Networking? Certainly. But AIC doesn't aim to copy your local Board of Trade/Chamber of Commerce or BNI or LeTip (or what have you). If the only reason that you're coming to AIC events is to find or get clients, you'll always be disappointed, no matter how many you get.

But if you're looking to improve your business, then AIC is the place for you.

The Association of Independent Consultants (AIC) is a Canadian, federally-registered, not-for-profit organization, run by members for members.

Learn more about AIC by email or online. We're also on Twitter at @aiconsult and we have a discussion group on LinkedIn.

Want to keep up to date with AIC? Get information on upcoming events and our newsletter delivered right to your email inbox by joining our mailing list now:

Newsletter—March 2014

To find out more about the Association of Independent Consultants (AIC), please stop by our website at Association of Independent Consultants.

In this issue…

• President’s Message
• Venue Change for First Quarter 2014
• What’s Coming Up in 2014
• At our last event…
• Book Review
• Interesting Links & Articles
• Quote of the Month

President’s Message

Last month, our Annual General Meeting (AGM) preceded our usual monthly event (look below more information on Barry Sheinbaum’s presentation). During the AGM, I reported on the state of AIC, and for those who missed the AGM and the rest of the event, here’s a brief recap:

Attendance at our events has been very good this year, but of course we’d like to see more coming out as larger groups feed more energy into the room. The switch from the hotel to the library has saved AIC a significant amount of money (financial statements were passed around and discussed); we have surplus this year and we also have some money in the bank–which is a distinct improvement over two years ago when we had nearly none. The change to an overall theme for the year’s events (last year’s series was “Clarity” and this year is “The Next Level”) has been welcomed by the members and is one of the things that sets AIC apart from other organizations. Our main goals for next year include continuing to focus on publicity and communications (including social media), getting members more benefits, and doing some updates to our website (updates, not a complete overhaul as we did two years ago). Our latest addition to our events is to provide members with a list of members who have attended the event–and this is proving to be a popular benefit to attending the event! The AIC Board for 2014 is:

• President – Lawrence Fox
• VP Membership – Paul Marcus
• VP Finance – Edwin Law
• VP Programming – Cheryl Ranking and Heather Freed
• VP Communications – Darla Campbell
• Past President – Keith Thirgood
• Member at Large – Helen Walter
• Recording Secretary – open
• Publicity / Marketing – open

(Thank-you to Cheryl Rankin for taking notes during the AGM and passing them along to me for the newsletter).

Whatever you celebrate this time of year, please do it and do so with joy and happiness. From me, my family and the Board of AIC, may we all have a happy, successful and healthy 2014! See you on January 27th at the Microsoft Store in Yorkdale!

~ Lawrence Fox, President AIC

Venue Change for First Quarter 2014

As the library is now uncertain as to when renovations to the Auditorium will begin and how long they’ll take, we’ll be switching our events to the Microsoft Store at Yorkdale for January, February and March of 2014. We’ll be starting an hour earlier (at 6:15 instead of 7:15) and all events will require that you RSVP in advance–the space is a bit smaller and there’s a maximum limit of 20 people allowed in the room. (Our October event was over-subscribed and we actually had a waiting list, so sign up early for our events!)

What’s Coming Up in 2014 in “The Next Level” series….

• January 27, 2014 – The Next Level in Change – Terry Hodgkinson, Hypnotist
• Feb 24, 2014 – The Next Level with Online Marketing – Changes to newsletter laws and email / online marketing by Constant Contact
• March 31, 2014 – The Next Level in Productivity – Get on the Fast Track: Leave your baggage behind – Darla Campbell

At Our Last Event

In November, Barry Shainbaum spoke about learning from the joys and sorrows of life, and the importance of setting high goals. We also looked at the power of synchronicity and visualization. (We also talked about the power of focus–and Barry demonstrated some of his juggling skills!)

After his presentation, Barry sat down with former AIC President Keith Thirgood for an interview, which you can find on here on our YouTube Channel. While you’re there, check out some of other videos of past speakers–subscribe to our channel and hit the “Like” button, and share them with your friends, colleagues and clients. Got any questions or comments? Leave one there, or even better, come over to our LinkedIn group and start (or join) a conversation.

Book Review

by Darla Campbell, P.Eng., amonavi consulting group inc. and School of Leadership

Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by The Arbinger Institute

Although many of us work as sole proprietors in our consulting businesses, I found this book on leadership both interesting and thought provoking. It helped me understand how we can get “stuck” when we think our way is the right way (or only way) and miss the reality of what is going on for the other people on our team, or in our family. It’s more than just thinking outside the box. Through its storytelling approach, this book presents a fable which lets us into the life of Tom as he starts his job at a new company. We learn with Tom, through a series of meetings with the executive vice president, how to live life out of the box. It’s a powerful lesson at the business level as it relates to how we interact with our clients, colleagues and bosses. It’s an even more powerful lesson at the personal level as it relates to how we interact with our families.

Links & Articles

Anna Codrea-Rado writes on “The Complete Guide on Taking Notes at Work“, especially good for those of us who are analog people in this digital world (which often times describes yours truly)

In the wake of the NSA and SESC I found this interesting but I think PIPEDA may helping in Canada “Privacy? There’s no such thing on the road“. On the other hand, maybe I’m overly optimistic.

While most of us don’t have “job interviews” any more, we do often have a “first meeting” with a potential client–which is sort of like a job interview! Monster.com lists the “Five Best Things to say in an Interview”

Just in time! Since my BlackBerry PlayBook died, I’ve been looking for a new tablet! Mashable provides a flowchart in “From iPad mini to Galaxy Note: Which Tablet Is Right for You?” and a 45-minute #Mashtalk Google+ hangout conversation . (I haven’t had a chance to watch all of it yet, but plan to!)

And last, but not least, did you think you’d get a newsletter without some reference to a favourite sci-fi show or two? Wrong! Allons-y, Alonzo and check out this Doctor Who kitchen ornament—Time and space in the kitchen.

Quote of the Month

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka!”[I’ve found it!] , but “[Hmmm…]that’s funny”. — Isaac Asimov

Professional Development Credits

As always, please visit us at our website, our LinkedIn group or our Twitter feed, and if you liked this edition, forward it along to a friend or colleague who would benefit from it.

If you are passionate about learning, improving and growing your consulting business as a business, then AIC is the place for you.

The Association of Independent Consultants (AIC) is a Canadian, federally-registered, not-for-profit organization, run by members for members.

Learn more about AIC by email or online. We're also on Twitter at @aiconsult and we have a discussion group on LinkedIn.

Want to keep up to date with AIC? Get information on upcoming events and our newsletter delivered right to your email inbox by joining our mailing list now:

Newsletter—December 2013

To find out more about the Association of Independent Consultants (AIC), please stop by our website at Association of Independent Consultants.

In this issue…

• President’s Message
• At our last event…
• Book Review
• Interesting Links & Articles

President’s Message

Welcome to the first newsletter of AIC’s 2013-2014 programming year! I hope everyone had a terrific guilt-free summer and that your batteries are re-charged and that you’re all ready for a terrific last quarter of 2013.

Late last year I read Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project and just finished the sort-of sequel Happiness at Home (and I do recommend both books!). Her “First Splendid Truth” about happiness notes that it happens in an atmosphere of growth. When I thought about that, I realized that this is one of the reasons that I started (and continue) going to AIC’s events – learning new viewpoints and skills from AIC’s speakers (or other members!) has certainly helped my growth as a consultant—and that has certainly contributed to my overall happiness!

Speaking of growth, that’s also the theme for this year’s events. Building on last year’s “Clarity” series, we’re focusing this year on taking your consultancy to the Next Level (and for most of us, I’m pretty sure that means growing the business in some fashion and not in taking a step backwards). For more information on our September event, (Chaos & The Power of Focus)  check out the event info over here.

~ Lawrence Fox, President AIC

At Our Last Event…

Our 2013 season kicked off a couple of weeks ago, when at the end of August, we met to listen to a presentation by Barb Sawyers of Sticky Communication on “Using Stories in Your Marketing”. Barb told us that stories convince audiences better than statistics, talking points or any other technique, because they can grab and hold someone’s attention, and get them to relate to you. For an interview with Barb and more on her presentation, check out our YouTube channel.

If you like the video, subscribe to our channel and share it with your friends, colleagues and clients. Got any questions or comments? Leave one there, or even better, come over to our LinkedIn group and start a conversation.

Oh, and while you’re over there on YouTube, please take a look at the rest of our videos featuring some of our prior presenters.

Special Offer for AIC Members

Speaking Club:  Kick It UP a Notch!

Increase your self-confidence and make great first impressions with your prospective clients.  Join NLP trainer Darla Campbell (School of Leadership) to hone your business pitch in a group coaching environment.  Delivered over 8 sessions, Speaking Club is a safe environment for practicing your speaking skills using an accelerated learning technique. Speaking Club is now available by webinar using video conference that you can access from your laptop/iPad.  Session starts Friday, October 4th at 10am to 11:30am EDT.

AIC members receive a special price, saving $100 on registration.  Use promo code:  AICPromo.  Working in partnership with AIC, School of Leadership will donate 15% of registration fees by AIC members and guests (using the promo code) to AIC.

Book Review

The E-Myth Revisited
by Michael E. Gerber

Review by Darla Campbell (VP Communications, AIC)

What I remembered from the first time that I read the E-Myth by Michael Gerber was the concept of working on your business, not in it.  This became a question that I asked myself and my clients:  Are you working on your business, or in it?  When you are working in your business, you are so focused on the details that you can’t see the big picture.  And what Gerber illustrates so eloquently in his book is that every successful business, first of all, needs to be a business that you work on.  Just doing the “technician work” that generates income for your business isn’t enough, or isn’t enough for long term sustainability.

In rereading the E-Myth, I rediscovered the brilliance of Gerber’s storytelling and teaching through the eyes of Sarah and her business, All About Pies.  I could feel for Sarah, when she describes her first three years in business as “the longest three years of my life.”  When Sarah reconnects with the passion of why she loves to make pies, the story becomes directly relevant to me and my business.  I was intrigued to learn how to apply the teaching of Gerber to my own business.  In Part III: Building a Small Business That Works!, Gerber presents five strategies and guidance on how to develop those strategies for your business.  It’s a step by step process that any entrepreneur can easily work through.  It will take time.  It will be worth it.

By the way, Gerber describes McDonald’s as a small business, so the sky is really the limit when you put into action the strategies and processes presented by Gerber and you begin to work on your business, not in it.

Want to discuss this further? Come on over to our LinkedIn Group. Have you recently read a good business book that you’d think your fellow AIC members would enjoy? Let Darla or Lawrence know and we’d love to publish your review!

Links & Articles

When I’m not acting as the President of AIC, CMA Magazine (that’s the Certified Management Accountants magazine) thinks I’m a rebel. Check out the online copy of July/Aug 2013. That’s me on the upper left-hand side of the cover. Seriously, I was interviewed about the joys of self-employment and the feature starts on page 22.

Of late, I have been getting some productive stuff done before the rest of the house awakens, and I’ve always been more a morning person than a night owl. Julia Boorstin, CNBC correspondent on writes on “Why I Wake Up Early and 3 Reasons You Should Too”.

Many of us work from the “coffee shop office” (I know I do sometimes when I want to ensure that I’m not interrupted). This article appeared earlier this year in the Globe & Mail, “U.S. coffee shops reserve tables for the ‘laptop free’“. What do you think?

Derek Halpern (at Social Triggers) has a terrific video on “How to Ask Great Questions – 3 Step Formula“; well worth watching.

At last, but not least, and not strictly business related, but Doctor Who lands at Heathrow amidst music.

Quote of the Month

“There are three types of people: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened… You can decide which type of person you want to be.”

— Mary Kay Ash

Professional Development Credits

As always, please visit us at our website, our LinkedIn group or our Twitter feed, and if you liked this edition, forward it along to a friend or colleague who would benefit from it.

If you are passionate about learning, improving and growing your consulting business as a business, then AIC is the place for you.

The Association of Independent Consultants (AIC) is a Canadian, federally-registered, not-for-profit organization, run by members for members.

Learn more about AIC by email or online. We're also on Twitter at @aiconsult and we have a discussion group on LinkedIn.

Want to keep up to date with AIC? Get information on upcoming events and our newsletter delivered right to your email inbox by joining our mailing list now:

That’s all for this month–see you all on Monday, September 30th for our September event. And watch your email box for the Board’s special Hallowe’en surprise treat!

Newsletter—September 2013

To find out more about the Association of Independent Consultants (AIC), please stop by our website at Association of Independent Consultants.

• Monday, 30 Mar 2015 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

  New Challenges: Getting More Sales Appointments–Using the Phone!

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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• Monday, 23 Feb 2015 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM

  New Challenges: The Tools of the (Consulting) Trade

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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• Monday, 26 Jan 2015 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM

  New Challenges: Your Image • Your Message • Your Market!

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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• Monday, 24 Nov 2014 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM

  New Challenges: Bulls Eye! How To Target Your Best Customers!

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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• Monday, 27 Oct 2014 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM

  New Challenges: Mind Mapping those New Challenges (a workshop)

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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• Monday, 29 Sep 2014 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM

  New Challenges: How Big is Your But

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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• Monday, 23 Jun 2014 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM

  The Next Level: Networking Success

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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• Monday, 26 May 2014 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM

  The Next Level: How to use Social Media to get there—a workshop

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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• Monday, 28 Apr 2014 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

  The Next Level: Creating a BIG Idea

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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• Monday, 31 Mar 2014 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM

  The Next Level: Productivity – Get on the Fast Track

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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• Monday, 24 Feb 2014 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM

  The Next Level: Training Your Brain for Change

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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• Monday, 27 Jan 2014 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM

  The Next Level: Change – Online Marketing

  Microsoft Store (Yorkdale Shopping Centre) (3401 Dufferin St) Toronto, ON M6A 2T9

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Past Events

To find out more about the Association of Independent Consultants (AIC), please stop by our website at Association of Independent Consultants.

In this issue…

• President’s Message
• At our last event…
• Board News
• Interesting Links & Articles

President’s Message

There’s nothing like a well-planned business (and this month, I can tell you that for me, my business has been nothing like a well-planned one! ). However, November and December are perfect times to stop and reflect on the past year and start looking forward to the next one—and so our November event with Grace Attard will focus on planning.

I spent a big chunk of time in December of last year thinking about 2012, and it’s definitely had some positive impacts on my business. I plan to do some of that again this year in preparation for 2013.

We’re at another new venue again this month—this month we’re at the Don Mills and Lawrence branch of the Toronto Public Library.

It’s also time for our Annual General Meeting (AGM), so please be there at 6:00 pm (party sandwiches will be available for snacking!). Come out and hear your Board report on the year that has passed and our plans for next year. Your input is valued and valueable. (And we have two Board positions open, and this is a perfect time to join the Board and start helping your fellow members!)

At our last event…

Last month’s event continued our Clarity Series with Helen Walter presenting on Marketing Clarity: More Than You Think.

Her partner, Keith Thirgood, summarized Helen’s presentation for us:

Helen Walter began her talk by stating that to be successful in your marketing, you need clarity in two vital areas:

• WHO it is you are marketing to
• What you need to say to have an impact on this group.

She explained why having a target market is vital for creating more effective messages, and what to do if you have more than one target market. (Don’t try to hit multiple targets with one arrow.)

Helen introduced the concept of the Awareness Scale which she and her partner invented some years ago. Using the Awareness Scale, you can hone your message much more finely. Are they Unaware, Doubters or the Aware? You need different messages for different groups.

Helen explained about picturing your “ideal client”, how to do it and why it helps. (Hint, it’s a tool to help you make marketing decisions.)

She emphasized the importance of addressing your prospects in their emotional/technical language, about their pains and passions (in the area you deal with) and not simply the things you want to sell them. Your marketing message is about them, not about you.

Helen then showed a famous (but altered) visual, which she flashed on the screen for less than a second. Most of the audience instantly recognized the image. Helen used this to demonstrate the power that images (and branding) has on us and how we process and retain visual information much more clearly than textual information. She went on to explain that we can successfully use the power of our prospects’ visual brains to get our message into their heads bypassing their “logical” reasoning.

Helen went on to show how the normal, inward focus of most marketing misses the mark. Using an example of one of her clients, she showed how a normal, rational, inwardly-focussed client’s thinking led to poor results, and how new client-oriented visuals and message completely changed their approachability and suitability to their prospects.

Helen finished with a visual that really blew away the audience. No one saw it coming, and it drove home the point that we, and our prospects, are not in as much control of our minds as we like to think we are. These subconscious biases and predilections work for us or against us, whether we like it or not. She pointed out that because these forces are always at play, it’s better if we know about them and use them rather than let fate rule our destinies.

Board News

We have two open positions on the Board—Events/Programs and Recording Secretary.

Interesting Links & Articles

Now here’s an interesting consulting gig; anybody want to try this? (If so, let us know!) From the Daily Mail: “No holds barred: The professional ‘cuddler’ who makes $260 a day by inviting strangers to take a nap with her at home”.

Some days I worry about signon security. Then I read articles like this one, I get really worried! From Mashable’s Zoe (no relation) Fox, “‘Password’ Tops List of Worst Passwords of 2012 [VIDEO]“.

In late September, we had a very interesting discussion at our LinkedIn Forum about newsletters. Then I spotted this: VAPartner’s blog about email newsletters in “Six Keys to Creating an Engaging Email Marketing Newsletter“.

This one is really good. Anthony Iannarino writes on The Sales Blog on the difference between “Me Management” and “Time Management”.

And last, but not least—many of you know about my fascination with fountain pens (and if you don’t, I’ll be happy to discuss them with you!). BBC News Online Magazine on “Why are fountain pen sales rising“. And you all think I’m crazy.

Professional Development Credits

As always, please visit us at our website, our LinkedIn group or our Twitter feed, and if you liked this edition, forward it along to a friend or colleague who would benefit from it.

If you are passionate about learning, improving and growing your consulting business as a business, then AIC is the place for you.

The Association of Independent Consultants (AIC) is a Canadian, federally-registered, not-for-profit organization, run by members for members.

Learn more about AIC by email or online. We're also on Twitter at @aiconsult and we have a discussion group on LinkedIn.

Want to keep up to date with AIC? Get information on upcoming events and our newsletter delivered right to your email inbox by joining our mailing list now:

Newsletter—November 2012

To find out more about the Association of Independent Consultants (AIC), please stop by our website at Association of Independent Consultants.

In this issue…

• President’s Message
• At our last event…
• Board News
• Interesting Links & Articles
• From the Reading List
• Quote of the Month

President’s Message

The cool crisp days of autumn (or fall, if you prefer) are upon us! (And Blue Jays fans like yours truly are once again bereft of post-season excitement. Oh well, there’s always next year). But if we won’t be watching any World Series games in Toronto this year, AIC continues with a Series of its own–the Clarity Series! Our second event is this month with the singular Helen Walter of Capstone Communications picking up the theme and will be presenting on Marketing Clarity—More Than you Think.

Change in Venue

As I mentioned in our last newsletter, we’ve had to move from old home at the Crowne Plaza Airport to a new location at the Barbara Frum Library at 20 Covington Road, Toronto. Covington is is one block north of Lawrence Ave W and runs west off Bathurst St. There is limited parking at the library, but there is some street parking nearby. The best place to park is in the north-west corner of the shopping plaza at the corner of Bathurst and Lawrence and then walk over to the library.

Member-only Coaching Call

On October 15th, we attempted to launch a new “members-only” benefit for AIC—our first “members-only” Coaching Call, hosted by our Darla Campbell, our VP Communications—only to be let down by some technical problems with the conference call lines. (We were going to be discussing Tom Stoyan’s presentation from September in more detail). We’re working on finding an alternative supplier and we’ll have some more news on this at our event this month. Members, watch your emails for the new date (and if you’re not a member yet, why are you waiting?)

Car Pool with a Member

At our last event…

Tom Stoyan (Canada’s Sales Coach) spoke at our last event about how to get our clients to get clarity on their needs, so that we could focus on providing the right solution (or referring the client to someone better suited).

Darla summarized Tom’s presentation at our LinkedIn Forum  (and you’re welcome to drop in and discuss the presentation further):

Here’s a quick summary of some of the key points from Tom’s presentation last at the kick-off of AIC’s CLARITY Series.

Tom helped us with tools to get to know our prospective customer better. It’s only when we really understand their “pain, passion or priorities” that we know how to sell to them.

Here are some key phrases from the presentation.

• Consultants are in the customer attraction business.
• Our job is helping people with their buying decision.
• It’s not what we know, it’s what we do with what we know.
• “The ability to learn faster than you competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage.” ~ Peter Senge

Tom also provided us with a couple of “Blue Chip (BC)” insights:

• BC Insight: Give your future client an opportunity to know you. (Tool: Comparison Chart)
• BC Insight: People act for their reason, not ours. Discover “why” they want to do it.
• BC Insight: Let them experience exactly if and how you can help them. (Tool: Audit)
• BC Insight: One of the most powerful sales tool we’ve got is the other person’s imagination.
• BC Insight: Treat prospects as friends and clients as really good friends. You’ll know what to do.
• BC Insight: Continually focus on clarifying their pain, passion and priorities.
• BC Insight: Remember your future client is listening with their self-interest. Not yours.

And lastly, Tom advises that you have a positioning statement that starts with the words “I specialize in….”, that identifies your target market and provides a benefit or two of why someone should spend time, money, or send someone to you.

See the Video

You can see Tom interviewed on his presentation at our YouTube channel or right here on our site (but read the rest of newsletter first!)

Board News

We still have two vacancies on our Board—VP of Programming (Events) and Recording Secretary. If you are interested in either of these two positions (and its a lot of fun!) please contact Lawrence  (president1aiconsultca)   .

Interesting Articles and Links

We’ve had terrific conversation at our LinkedIn Group on newsletters, their effectiveness and how to improve them. Come on over and add your opinions!

Hmm. I’ve been doing some of this stuff. Maybe I should do more of it? From Fast Company “What Successful People Do With The First Hour Of Their Work Day”

Daria Steigman (@dariasteigman) writes on “The Worst Thing you Can Do When Networking”

In a similar vein, here’s a video from Marie Forleo’s Q & A Tuesday “Networking Basics: 8 Tips to Networking Without Being Fake”

Consultants at the forefront of a boom in business? Why not! From the Calgary Herald “Canada to see unprecedented boom in new businesses: CIBC”

And lastly, something that might be more appropriate for February and Valentine’s Day (instead of October and Hallowe’en), here’s yet another reason for setting up your workspace some days at the local coffee shop instead of your basement! The Atlantic Wire reports on “The ‘Coffice’ Romance for Freelancers Without an Office”

From the Reading List

There are a couple of books that I’m working my way through but none finished yet. Watch this space for next month. Of course, if you’ve read anythign that you think might be of interest to your fellow consultants, drop me a line  (president1aiconsultca)   with your mini-review and we’ll be happy to publish it here, along with a link to your website.

Quote of the Month

Two short ones—something to ponder.

“Not all who wander are lost” (JRR Tolkien)

“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” (Albert Einstein)

Professional Development Credits

As always, please visit us at our website, our LinkedIn group or our Twitter feed, and if you liked this edition, forward it along to a friend or colleague who would benefit from it.

If you are passionate about learning, improving and growing your consulting business as a business, then AIC is the place for you.

See you at the end of the month at the Barbara Frum!

The Association of Independent Consultants (AIC) is a Canadian, federally-registered, not-for-profit organization, run by members for members.

Learn more about AIC by email or online. We're also on Twitter at @aiconsult and we have a discussion group on LinkedIn.

Want to keep up to date with AIC? Get information on upcoming events and our newsletter delivered right to your email inbox by joining our mailing list now:

Newsletter—October 2012

To find out more about the Association of Independent Consultants (AIC), please stop by our website at Association of Independent Consultants.

Here’s Tom’s comments on the evening:

No one has told us that the business we’re in is client attraction. How do we get clients into a conversation that ends with them saying “that’s exactly what I want”.

And to do that, I have a tool that I developed years ago called “The Opportunity Audit”. At tool that has one question followed by a series of statements. Any entrepreneur can develop can develop this tool for themselves.

When I spoke this evening, I gave the members three different tools. One of them is the opportunity audit. The second is a comparison chart– clients look at you or I, and they look at somebody else; they don’t typically just look at you or I and just give us money! It’s our job to help them with their buying decisions–that’s part of my definition of selling.

It’s part of our job to protect their [the potential client’s] ego. Why? Because they need to experience that were there to help them, that we’re there to work with them. We buy people people, ideas and services in that order.

The second job is to address their concerns. And one way we do that is by continually asking for feedback. I have a 100% responsibility for the quality of communications between me and my clients. I find that when I come from that place I can significantly improve the quality of the communication between us. And clients appreciate that.

One of the decisions that we can help our client with is “Who were they going to hire for a consulting contract?” They interview us, they may interview three other people,  they don’t have the sophistication or the experience, maybe even the wisdom, to determine from the three candidates interviewed who is the best candidate. So you have to ask them “Would it be helpful if you had a chart in order to make an easier decision, to make sure that you’re going with the right candidate? Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s not. But here’s a list of criteria that other people in your position have used to help make that decision”. Come up with 10 or 25 different criteria and then put down what you do for each one.

For example, how many years experience do you have? So let’s say you have 15 years experience, so you put that down on the chart and then beside that create columns for your competitors and leave them blank [for the client to fill in]. So now what you’re doing is giving the client a way of comparing our strengths to other individuals. This is the comparison chart.

One nice thing about the comparison chart is that our potential clients get to know us because the criteria that we list are typically our strengths. And so they get to know about our experiences, our strengths, our characteristics as they go through the chart.

To create the chart, write down all the things that come to mind and then look at the more powerful way to present them. And it may be that the most powerful way will differ from client to client or from industry to industry.

In order to have that conversation that ends with with them saying “that’s exactly what I want” we have to discover their pain, their passion, and priorities as opposed to me saying “let me tell you everything that’s terrific about me.” They don’t care. Most people care about themselves and their own issues.

Something else that I developed is called “The Opportunity Audit”. It allows us to clarify and delineate exactly what the client’s pain, passion and priorities look like. It gives them an opportunity to talk about it. So we asked them one question: so what do you need in order to sell more? And then we have them check off items from the list and so we know the things that are important to that client. Then we ask them to tell us more about each item that they’ve selected.

One of the big advantages of this audit is that it moves the client very quickly from complaining (about their business) to problem identification. After a client checks off and identifies his issues and potential issues that were good at solving we can then go through what I call the “CIA Process”. That stands for “Clarity, Importance, Application”.

The clarity is simply where the client says “Item number four on the list is important to me.” All you have to do is respond “Can you tell me more about that?” I find that works 90% of the time in finding out why the client is having a problem with that item.

After they’ve carried on and vented for 10 seconds (or 20 minutes), the “Importance” kicks in.I now work with the client to find out how important the item is to him. I’ll ask “On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is ‘that’s nice to know’ and 10 is ‘this would make a signficant difference’, how would you rate this problem to your bottom line or your sales or…?”

The Application is a chance for me to ask “If we had met six months ago and decided to do busines then, and you have gotten much better at this by now, how much better would your life be today?” Conversely I could ask “There’s lots of things you can spend your time and money on, if we decided to not do business today, and we met six months from now, would there be any opportunity cost for you to have not gone forward with me today?”

This gives the client a chance to get involved with their own imagination which is one of the most powerful sales tools ever.

I like to say “Treat prospects as friends, and treat clients as a very good friends”.

I help people answer the question “So what you do?” In a way that’s precise, and often more interesting for your target market. I talk about a three-step process. I believe you should start with the statement “I specialize in…” (because our society honors and pays respect to (and pays more for) specialists over generalists). The second step is to give them a name of the target market and the thrid is to mention a benefit or two that you can provide. For example, I specialize in coaching professionals in acquiring and retaining more clients.

I’ve also developed a referral tool that I call “The Referral Prospectus”. It helps you identify people that will refer you to potential clients. Like most of my audits it starts with one simple question: What do you need to feel more comfortable in referring me?” That’s followed by a number of statements that you could check off. I use it on a regular basis. You can use it with anyone that you might think is in a position to provide a referral to you or for you.

My general advice to people? When dealing with clients and prospects the number one thing is to “Be Yourself”– because that’s all we have. We’re only here for a short period of time. Be who you are. People wants to make a real connection.

Number two, get good at what you do. Why? Because I want to refer people to you and I can’t refer you if you’re not good at what you do. And every day get better. The world is changing very quickly. Clients don’t want somebody who says “I was really good at that three years ago but I haven’t done much of that recently”. Know your clients want somebody who is up-to-date, who is up to speed. I suggest that you dedicate (at least) one hour a day to getting better at what you do.

Want to keep up to date with AIC? Get information on upcoming events and our newsletter delivered right to your email inbox by joining our mailing list now:

[VIDEO] Tom Stoyan on “Getting Clarity on What Your Client Needs from YOU” (AIC Event 24-Sep-2012)

To find out more about the Association of Independent Consultants (AIC), please stop by our website at Association of Independent Consultants.

In this issue…

• President’s Message
• How the Board spent its summer vacation
• Board News
• Interesting Links & Articles
• From the Reading List
• Quote of the Month

President’s Message

I hope that you’ve all enjoyed your AIC guilt-free summer! (We coined that phrase last year when we opted to put AIC programming “on hold” for a short period of time.)

Yes, I know that the calendar doesn’t say that it’s fall yet, but with school supplies in the stores and the opening of the CNE, it certainly feels like the end of summer. And did you see the Halloween costumes creeping into stores?

Mark your calendars for our first event of the fall season on Monday, September 24th. Details to follow in a future e-mail.

~ Lawrence Fox, President AIC

How the Board spent its summer vacation

During the break, however, the Board has been busy, meeting several times to discuss a number of issues. At our May 2012 event, Rhonda Page spoke about clarity, and I have to admit that that word has been coming up at Board Meetings all year, and is quite a hot topic in the business press and in several business-related books that I’ve read this year. The Board has spent a great deal of time this summer getting clear about AIC’s membership, goals and what differentiates us from other groups. I think that most organizations need to go through this process every few years, and that we were due for this kind of review.

I now believe that we have clearer idea of who we are and where we want to go — so please keep on reading.

Who are we?

Our definition of a consultant is someone who advises other people. Our members are consultants of all types and disciplines, and all levels of experience, from newcomers to veterans.

What does AIC do?

What makes us unique?

Education.

If you are passionate about learning, improving and growing your consulting business as a business, then AIC is the place for you.

You are already an expert in your field–otherwise you wouldn’t be doing what you are doing. And AIC isn’t going to make you any better at that (there are other forums for that sort of professional development). But what we can do is provide you with the opportunities to learn all the other things that are necessary for you to thrive as an independent provider of advice to your clients.

There is no better self-improvement program in the universe than self-employment, but you don’t have to do it on your own. And, I’ve found that you can’t always do it from a book. AIC gives you an opportunity to learn from (and teach) other like-minded individuals face-to-face.

Networking? Certainly. But AIC doesn’t aim to copy your local Board of Trade/Chamber of Commerce or BNI or LeTip (or what have you). (I’ll be talking about the taxonomy of networking groups another time). If the only reason that you’re coming to AIC events is to find or get clients, you’ll always be disappointed, no matter how many you get.

But if you’re looking to improve your business, then AIC is the place for you.

Change in venue

The rates for our meeting rooms at the Crowne Plaza have gone up. We are trying to re-negotiate, but we may have to relocate. I’ll have more news on that in the next newsletter.

Change in membership rates

On the good news front, effective September 1, 2012, full membership is reduced to $149.00 per year.

Full members will pay $10.00 at-the-door fee when attending an event.

Current members who paid the $199.00 fee will not have to pay at the door until your current membership renews, at which point you will pay the lower annual rate and the “at-the-door” fee.

Please email me  (president1aiconsultca)   if you’d like to discuss any of the above, or drop by our LinkedIn forum!

Board News

We’d like to welcome to the Board Richard Baker of Baker Branding as our new VP of Publicity/Promotion.

We still have a vacancy in our VP of Programmes, the person responsible for finding and arranging our speakers for our events.

The AIC Board is a terrific group of people and joining the Board is an excellent way of giving something back to the consulting community. (It also counts as professional development/continuing education credits for some professional programs!)

If you are interested in this position, please contact me  (president1aiconsultca)   ASAP!

From the Reading List

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
Published by Portfolio Trade, Dec 2011, 256 pages

I just couldn’t finish this book.

All I can say is, “Watch the Tedx talk. Then go read a better written, less repetitive, better edited and researched book like Built to Last.”

1/2 star (out of five)

Interesting Articles and Links

Great advice for those just starting a blog: “What Makes a Successful and Outstanding Business Blog?” from @LizStrauss at Successful Blog.

When vacation times ends and we get back to work, this is timely. “How to get the Most from a Networking Event” from VA Partners.

From the Business Consulting Buzz blog “Why Consultants Need to Read More”. I agree with everything he says; there’s always more to learn and some of it is outside of our area of consulting expertise.

Our president blogs (on his own blog) “Branding Surprise–What I learned about my brand at AIC’s May 2012 event”.

In June some LinkedIn passwords were compromised. According to this article, mine was one of them. Yes, I have changed it! From Mashable: How to Check If Your LinkedIn Password Was Stolen.

Quote of the Month

“I’m addicted to self-improvement. The thing is, there’s so damn much about myself to improve.” (A.J. Jacobs)

Professional Development Credits

The Association of Independent Consultants (AIC) is a Canadian, federally-registered, not-for-profit organization, run by members for members.

Learn more about AIC by email or online. We're also on Twitter at @aiconsult and we have a discussion group on LinkedIn.

Want to keep up to date with AIC? Get information on upcoming events and our newsletter delivered right to your email inbox by joining our mailing list now:

Newsletter—August 2012

To find out more about the Association of Independent Consultants (AIC), please stop by our website at Association of Independent Consultants.