How to Acquire Clients: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner

Alan Weiss continues to boil down the best practices for consultants into his Ulimate Consultant Series. Much of the materials he covers are in other books on the topic. What makes How to Acquire Clients: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner (The Ultimate Consultant Series)valuable is that the information is all in one place and distilled into understandable strategies and actions. Only Get Clients Now!(TM): A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants, and Coachesis more direct in its usefulness and approach

I have read almost all the books in this series as well as several others on the topic Mr. Weiss has written. They are all excellent! Contrary to another reviewer this book is not a rehash of other material. This book is incredible in telling consultants how to track down and land new clients, which is the life blood of any consulting practice. I loved the section on overcoming objections. In my practice I have run into some of these objections as well as others and never had a good answer for them. Now I do. The material in this book changed my consulting sales in the one year since I started implementing the ideas and revenue has doubled in that same year. If you are a consultant and have ever struggled with over coming objections, searching for new clients, or landing new business then you need to read this book.

Like the other books from this series, "How to Acquire Clients" is very hands on, and is presented in Alan Weiss' inimitable, tell-it-like-it-is style. It begins with the proposition that successful selling occurs at the intersection of need, competency and passion - all of which, fortunately can be controlled by the consultant. Contrarian as ever, Weiss makes the case for generalising as a way to broaden your appeal, while customising your approach for high potential prospects. In the second chapter, you are told to focus on the economic buyer (the fellow who has the budget and dicretion to spend on your services). You are taught to identify, meet and interact with the economic buyer as a peer. You also learn indirect methods of getting to the economic buyer where direct means fail. Further you learn to match your approach to the predisposition of the buyer, follow a plan for controlling your meeting by setting objctives for each meeting, providing value early, listening 75% of the time and ending with an action plan suggested by you. You also learn to rebut obections which generally fall into no trust, no need, no hurry and no money (though they may be disguised as other issues). Ever realistic, Weiss also teaches you how to "steal" clients from other consultants by plucking low-hanging fruits, positioning yourself through high vsibility, providing a bold contrarian solution to issues etc. You also learn to ensure repreat business and how to be selective (avoiding clients you do not want and getting those you do). Overall, the book provides top value for money.

It has always seemed to me that when quite a few 5-star reviews are accompanied by a couple of one and two-star reviews, something is worth reading. I found this book to be exceptional in that it: addresses finding new targets of opportunity; discusses a variety of ways to get to the buyer; examines behavioral predispositions; provides sample objections and rebuttals; teaches how to deal with committees; and a great deal more. The 5-star reviews are based on this kind of pragmatic detail and the one-stars on clear resentment of Dr. Weiss's success, apparently. In any case, if you're trying to sell professional services, buy this book. The sections on how to provide value early in the sales process and a dozen new sources of business are worth it alone.

Alan faces off against the number one consulting killer...success. How to Acquire Clients provides practical advice on all areas of a practice: stealing clients, negotiating, dealing with buyer barriers, committees, etc. The best aspect of the book for me is that none of the aspects are impossible to implement. You can buy the book today and immediately put the strategies into action.