Date:  September 23^rd,  7:30 a.m.
Location: Rebecca’s Café, Auburndale map
Presenter, Stephen E. Lipka, PhD, CMC, President, New England Chapter, IMC

Let’s face it. We’ve all had good projects that exceeded our expectations, and we’ve had others that turned out badly in spite of all we did. Why did the good ones turn out so well? Was it our competence and professionalism, or did something fortuitous happen? And why did the bad ones fail? Did we communicate poorly, was our plan off the mark, were the expectations unclear, or was it a client-consultant chemistry problem? (There are, of course, many more reasons projects succeed or fail.)

Steve will share the stories of his best and worst projects, and he will invite you to do the same. We learn more from our failures than our successes, so we’ll talk about the causes of poor outcomes – how you marketed the project and closed the business, what you planned, how you executed, how you communicated, whether ethical problems arose, etc.

Bring your stories and share them with your colleagues. The important thing is to learn from our failures, realize we all make mistakes, and make sure those don’t happen again.

Cost: $10.  Cash or check at the door.  7:30-9:00 a.m.   Coffee served.  RSVP with Ronna Cohen RCohen@breakthroughbp.com.

Date:  October 5th, 2011, 7:30 a.m.
Location: Rebecca’s Café, Auburndale map
Presenter, Ruth Gerath, Founder of Consultants Business Academy

Business and professional services is now the fastest growing industry segment in the country, which means there is a lot of talent and competition in the marketplace .  You can’t serve every industry or type of client, so it’s vital to have a niche strategy.  You must be able to clearly and succinctly state who you are, what you do, and the results clients in your niche receive by hiring you.  Ruth Gerath, founder of Consultants Business Academy and IMCNE Membership Chair, will lead this lively and interactive session to help you define or refine your niche.  Come share your experience and learn from other IMCNE members.  The discussion will include:

• Determining exactly what you do and how you do it
• Defining your target market and presenting your specific credentials as an expert in that field
• Understanding at a deep level what problems your target market faces and the impact these problems have on them
• Getting clear on exactly how you help solve these problems and the results your clients will experience
• Several ways to speak to your target market in a compelling way that makes working with you a wise and intelligent decision

Presenter: Glenn Bachman CMC, AICP, President of Raven Business Group LLC, and CMC Chair on IMCNE Board
Date:  December 9th, 2011
Time:  7:30-9:00 a.m.
Location: Panera Bread, 275 Grove St # 2-150, Auburndale, MA 02466
Cost: None

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

by Laurie-Ann Murabito

Social media is here to stay and it’s become a remarkable form of marketing. How can you use social media for your career or business?

First, there are various platforms available and it’s growing. Where do your customer or potential employers hang out?  Not everyone is on LinkedIn or Twitter.

LinkedIn:

If you want to move along in your career, you must have a profile that is current. Consider LinkedIn your personal Rolodex, that automatically updates itself by each individual that you are connected to. Include key words in your summary that others would search for to find you and your skills. The LinkedIn search works much like Google does for the internet. Don’t forget your work history and achievements and never underestimate the power of a professional head shot. Every week LinkedIn sends out email updates about any changes to your profile and those you are connected to. HINT: to be on this list every week, either edit your summary or connect with at least one new person. It’s a great way to remind others about yourself.

Facebook:
Similar to a backyard BBQ with family and friends, it’s a method to let others get to know you personally and professionally. This is a platform to build trust, educate and learn about your current and future customers. Be consistent with your brand or image while monitoring all photos and post on your wall. BEWARE insurance companies and potential employers are looking to see who you “really” are.

Twitter:
This is micro blogging at it’s best, allowing only 140 characters per tweet. Currently Twitter is allowing video. Don’t only sell yourself but promote others along with re tweeting and passing along useful bits of information.

Consistency is the magic formula to making social media work for you. Develop a strategic plan and stick to it. Don’t expect anything overnight.  The tortoise did win the race.

Laurie-Ann Murabito
Leadership Speaker and Coach
LA@LAMurabito.com

As an experienced consultant, you’ve created a wealth of intellectual property (IP). You know the best practices in your industry and why some clients fail and others succeed.

That IP is an intellectual gold mine just waiting to be tapped. You can use it to showcase your expertise and stand out in a crowded market.

Assessments and surveys allow you to personalize your intellectual property in a way that makes it come alive. Surveys produce “ah hah” moments. The insight they provide prompts participants to take action when they see how their knowledge, capabilities and performance stack up against the best practices you present. Assessments offer the perfect solution to break down barriers and engage prospective clients.

This interactive program, presented by Ronna Cohen, Breakthrough Business Performance founder, will help you provide clarity and insight to your clients by creating company and self-assessments. These assessments bring that ‘ah-hah’ moment to your clients and let them self-discover the best practices embedded in your books, white papers, keynote addresses, articles and more.

The bottom line: Participants will leave with an outline of ideas for turning key components of their intellectual property into thought provoking assessments that better engage current and prospective clients, and keep them asking for more.

Presenter: Ronna Cohen, Founder, Breakthrough Business Performance
Date:  Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Time:  7:30 a.m.
Location:  Panera Bread
120 Highland Avenue
Needham Heights, MA 02494

Coffee is provided; please purchase your own breakfast.   RSVP with Ronna at RCohen@breakthroughbp.com.

This half-day event, held on April 21 at the Embassy Suites, Waltham, Mass., was designed for senior management consultants, and those who plan to be. The objective was to focus on the value consultants bring to clients, since that quality is what sets us apart from contractors and alternate business solutions.

Some 45 consultants and other business professionals attended to learn the ins and outs of delivering lasting value to clients, and what it takes to stay there. Three distinguished speakers shared what’s around the next corner and beyond:

• Alan Weiss, Ph.D., known as the “Rock Star of Consulting”
• Larry Stybel, Ed.D. an expert on leadership and career management
• Martha Fields, internationally recognized expert in human resources, health care, and diversity/globalization.

Alan Weiss: Evolution of Intelligent Design: The Future for Outstanding Consultants

Alan was the first speaker and, using his trademark humor and candor (and no slides!), focused on how solo consultants, which most of us are, can grow in stature and expertise by marketing themselves more effectively.  This in turn positions them to deliver added value to clients.

Among Alan’s observations and recommendations were the following:

• The greatest opportunity in consulting today is for sole practitioners as opposed to the big firms due to value-based fee structures.  Having said that though, Alan believes that we’re all over delivering and under charging.
• Consultants need to express the value they’re creating, “It’s incumbent that you do this,” he said, because clients can easily overlook or take for granted the value consultants bring to their assignments.
• Wealth is discretionary time, not money.  Alan says he works 20-hour weeks and takes in millions in income.  Wealth, he reasoned, is being master of your time and schedule, not a function of money in the bank.
• On thought leadership, Alan said you don’t have to be only one holding certain positions.  You just have to be good.  The true test of a thought leader is that you must “sought and cited,” meaning that your opinion and knowledge are both in demand and widely reported.  He said it’s imperative to read what thought leaders say in your fields of interest.  You don’t have to agree with their positions, but you must know who they are and what they say and write.
• Continuing on thought leadership, these people constantly create new intellectual property; they’re never static. And they are global, working internationally, which in today’s wired world sustains their visibility and credibility as thought leaders. As a result, they’re frequently quoted in the media and publish frequently, helping to create the metaphors and benchmarks that define their areas of expertise.
• Finally, he emphasized that consultants cannot do more of they’re doing and expect to grow.  Instead, he said that consultants who reduce their labor intensity will become more profitable, since this enables more effective branding.  This is another way of saying consultants can grow by spending less time in their business and more time on their business.

Alan has written more than 40 books on consulting, more than anyone else in history, and passed out copies of his latest book, “Thrive! Stop Wishing Your Life Away,” which he says is actually not about consulting at all. For more information about Alan, visit his website, www.summitconsulting.com.

Martha R.A. Fields: Flash to the Future: Are You and Your Business Ready?

Martha followed Alan and forged her own path towards imparting valuable lessons on individual and professional growth.  She began with vivid examples of her upbringing in the Appalachian region of the country in the 1950s and her subsequent life experience as an African American to drive home the importance of recognizing the importance of coming to terms with the increasingly multi-cultural make-up of the world today.

She used data just released from the 2010 U.S. Census to show how diverse the country has become ethnically and racially.  Her point was that consultants need to find ways to associate with those from other cultures, because the day will come when we’ll be sitting across the table from them in client relationships.

She encouraged the attendees to look at their business and personal networking contacts and determine how many represent diverse nationalities and cultures.  She said to make a point of expanding your reach in order to understand the behavior and thought processes of others, so when you’re suddenly working with them you’ll have a better understanding and appreciation of how to interact with them.

Martha also said that the growth areas in the global job market are in the STEM disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.  She suggested that consultants become particularly knowledgeable in one or more of these areas to better position themselves for client work in the future.

For more information on Martha, visit her website, www.marthrafields.com.

Larry Stybel: “Fishing Lessons for the Future”

Larry is a master story teller, and used examples from his own career to illustrate his points about the consulting profession and career growth in the field.  He illustrated the importance of avoiding being typecast and pigeon-holed when he talked about describing himself and business on his first business card.  He first thought of stating the type of consulting he did (e.g., outsourcing and placement) or the fields in which he specialized, but realized that would essentially rule out opportunities beyond those areas, and this was being too restrictive.  Instead, he highlighted the value he delivers to clients who are in transition periods – and in the human resource arena, transition is a constant.  That way there were no stated limits to the clients he could serve.

He spent much of his time considering consulting the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets, and asked attendees to raise their hands based on whether the bulk of their work was in one silo or the other; and how many were involved in both areas.  The majority was B2B, with relatively few doing B2C and fewer still involved in both areas.

Larry told a story about how a client of his, a well-known bank that specializes in helping businesses make the right institutional investment decisions based on their unique needs and objectives.  “Clearly B2B, right?” he asked the audience.  That was Larry’s view as well until he saw that the bank was so focused on the unique needs of its customers that it was similar to how a packaged goods company, for example, would relate to the consuming public.  He

Larry realized the bank was an institution that treated its business clients as individuals, and coined the term “instividual” to describe this unique, hybrid approach.  As he talked more about this logic he asked for another show of hands about how the attendees viewed their market positioning.  The B2B practitioners held firm, but B2C increased and “both” was the new majority.

Larry concluded by saying the biggest problem he sees facing individual consultants is the practice of sole-source contracts by companies.  He feels this practice steals business from clients by giving them the false impression of cost savings and ease of administration by entrusting a certain product or service exclusively to a single supplier.  Instead, sole-source contracts increase a company’s risk and reduce flexibility.  He cited the example of a “Big 3” U.S. automaker that awarded a sole-source contract for the exterior paint color on some of its vehicles to a Japanese company.  The automaker got a great price as a result, but because of the earthquakes and tsunami that has ravaged that country, the paint supplier has experienced a severe interruption in its operations.  As a result, the auto company literally cannot deliver a vehicle to a customer in those specific paint colors until the sole-source supplier catches up with production.

For more information on Larry, visit his website, www.stybelpeabody.com.

Friday, March 18th
7:30am-9:00am
Breakfast Roundtable
Panera Bread, 120 Highland Avenue, Needham MA
Presenter Steve Lipka

This program is back by special request!

Your marketing materials can say you’re terrific. They can even look great, making you look professional. But do they say anything that reveals your value (and we don’t mean low price)? Nothing in marketing materials works as well as a great case study. It’s your only evidence that you can really help the client.

How good is yours? Is it convincing, or is it just a lot of cliches about “optimizing company performance”, the same stuff everyone else says?  Worse, is it about your methodology, surely  a recipe for inducing sleep? In this one-hour workshop, you’ll find out what really matters in a case study. Learn the vocabulary that shows value. And along the way, if you’re seeking your CMC, find out how to write your case studies for the application.
We’ll take the time to look at a few that demonstrate value. If you have a case you’d like to work on, bring it. We’ll work on two or three attendees’ cases in the workshop.

Steve Lipka, our presenter and President of the New England Chapter of IMC, has been consulting for 18 of his 36 years in information technology. Steve has delivered results in a wide variety of industries, including marketing and advertising, high tech, business information services, metals, electronics, automobile manufacturing, real estate, and pharmaceutical services. For DoD clients, he has worked with organizations to improve aircraft maintenance and design processes, financial management processes, and software development processes. He has learned, over the years, that prospects measure candidate consultants on two criteria: How well you relate to them, and how well you can demonstrate a record of delivery. Steve is a Certified Management Consultant in IMC and holds memberships in the Society for Information Management and the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). More about Steve at http://www.consult-avatar.com.

The event is free; however, attendees are responsible for purchasing their own breakfast.  RSVP to Steve Lipka at Stephen.Lipka@cushwake.com

Presenters:

Alan Weiss, Ph.D.
Larry Stybel Ed.D.
Martha R. A. Fields

Date:
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Time:
12:30-1:00 p.m. registration
1:00-5:00 p.m. presentations
5:00-6:00 p.m. networking, hors d’oeuvres, and cash bar
Location:
Embassy Suites Waltham (formerly Doubletree Guest Suites Boston)
550 Winter Street, Waltham, MA

Value to clients is the ability see what they do not or to view their environment and their future differently and opportunistically.

Beyond the Curve will give you just that.

Consultants will learn how to stay ahead of their clients – to learn to see their clients’ situations in ways that position themselves to be more valuable and effective.

This event is for senior consultants…and those who plan to be.

The three distinguished presenters have been there, done that, and want to share their experiences with you. They will share what you need to know to handle what’s around the next, treacherous corner and beyond.  Find out what you should be planning for right now so you a better equipped to deliver value to your clients — before they even realize they need it.

“Evolution or Intelligent Design: The future for outstanding consultants”

Alan Weiss, Ph.D.

Alan Weiss has written more consulting books than anyone in history and is known as the “Rock Star of Consulting.” He is one of only two people in history accorded the highest honors of the Institute of Management Consultants-Fellow-and the National Speakers Association-CPAE, Hall of Fame.

His latest books are The Consulting Bible (John Wile & Sons) and Million Dollar Referrals (McGraw-Hill). He has consulted with over 300 major organizations and his speaking appearances, newsletters, blog, and teleconferences reach millions of people globally.

His subject is what to really expect as a solo consultant or boutique firm owner in the years ahead, including:

. The role of thought leadership and what it really is

. Why global impact is a must

. The technology plateau

. The future is in communities and not associations

. The Accelerant Curve for attracting business

. The Market Value Bell Curve for determining prime audience

“Fishing Lessons for the Future”

Larry Stybel, Ed.D.

Larry is regarded as an expert on leadership and career management by The Wall Street Journal and he writes regularly for The Harvard Business Review. Over that last 15 years, we at IMC have watched and listened to Larry’s thoughts on change, leadership, business planning and consulting career management. And he’s been on the money time and again.

In “Fishing Lesson for the Future,” you will be challenged to have a clear picture of what your life will be like in 3-5 years through the story of Larry and the FBI Agent.  You will also be asked to define yourself. Are you a person who seizes technology before you understand it?  If you wait until it becomes mainstream, it is too late?

“Flash to the Future; Are You and Your Business Ready?”

Martha R. A. Fields

An internationally recognized expert in human resources, healthcare, and diversity/globalization, Martha is an author and speaker specializing in connecting human resources with business strategies to make a positive, memorable difference within people, organizations and the world.

In Flash to the Future, you will learn about the evolving needs of customers based upon the results of Census 2010.  In addition, you will acquire information on what skill sets you will need to perform effectively in the future based on the changing customer demographics.  You will discover how such things as publishing a book, hiring a publicist, increasing your speaking engagements and media appearances can lead to increased future business.

The presentations are followed by a networking hour with hors d’oeuvres and cash bar.  Seating is limited to 75 attendees.

Registration Fee

Through April 17 April 20: $80 members and affiliates, $95 non-members
April 21: $100 members and affiliates, $115 non-members

Check with your organization for your affiliate discount code.

What do April 29, 2005, May 15, 2006, and February 21, 2007 have in common?

Disaster struck and threatened to destroy the livelihood of the owners and employees of

• an insurance agency
• a wholesale computer distributor, and
• a medical practice.  

Each owner had a road map to build their business, but fell short by not having any plans for dealing with a disaster.  They risked losing their businesses when their inventory, buildings, income, and clients were lost, all at the same time.

Have you ever thought about what you would do if disaster stuck your business?  We see examples of disasters striking every night on the news.  A disaster plan is necessary for every business, even sole proprietors.

         Do you know what risks could jeopardize your business?

During this event, you will learn that backing up your computer is just a very small part of a disaster plan.  In addition, you will learn from our first hand experience

• why you need a disaster plan
• what goes into a disaster plan
• how to determine your direct and indirect risks
• what is the economic impacts of the risks
• how to minimize the economic impact of risk
• what to do when disaster strikes, and
• agencies that can help you after a disaster strikes.

After this event, management consultants will be able to put together their own disaster plan, and discuss this need with their clients.

Note:  IMCNE is providing the coffee.  Panera Bread is donating the use of their room.  As a courtesy, please buy your breakfast at Panera Bread.

Our new chapter website has been approved as a pilot to explore the possibilities of chapter communications for IMC Chapters nationally.  For you that means:

• You can use our new website!
• Detailed, easy-to-read program announcements
• Member News
• National News
• You can comment on posts
• Sponsorship opportunities
• IMCNE Affiliate Event postings
• Archived previous programs
• A treasure trove of chapter content searchable by topic

If you have content, articles, events, or info you would like to submit for publication on our website, contact our webmaster dan@lexiconsystemsinc.com or call 781-526-0738.  Have questions about the site and what’s possible?  He’ll answer those too.  We are particularly seeking member news and member articles.