The consultant's consultant.

.. this book describes brilliantly what a consultant has to demonstrate to become successful.

Imagine this; there are great opportunities in consulting for you today!

In fourteen chapters, Harris invites you to imagine a world where doors open up for you, after you begin experiencing, "your own good feelings about yourself, as a successful consultant now. Harris has written what I call a "Self Regard' book for Consultants. Maybe a new category in the support resources for serious Management Consultants. Those who want access to tried and true guidance for consultancy success.

Very mainstream in much of its content, Harris integrates NLP in the way it applies to serious management consultancy. In the 14 chapters, Harris deals with the following: What Is Consultancy, Consultancy and You, Becoming A Consultancy, Defining and Establishing Your Business, Controlling and Promoting Your Business, Enhancing Your Business, Consultancy Techniques, Self Management, Managing Work Effectively, Building Effective Relationship, Facilitating Change Through Influence, Client Interfaces, Helping Others Develop, and Business Writing.

Going through the 14 chapters you will notice that Harris opens the reader up to authentic "Self Appreciation'. Prioritising and honouring yourself as a consultant first is what this book resonates to. It is part of the self care message that Harris is transmitting for all Management Consultants, operating in any industry. Harris puts together all the elements of consulting into an all embracing text which supports all of your goals for your consultancy.

Harris puts together the big and smaller pieces of the consulting puzzle which have been missing in other texts. Harris has produced a comprehensive text for any consultant. Setting out a set of' mandatory, tasks and techniques that all professional consultants adhere to, knowingly or not. Yet also opens you up to establishing a positive attitude to oneself using NLP Instead of waiting with worry or concern about where consulting work will come

Harris asks you to create your own idea of success. To turn around ideas like, "I need this consultancy to be happy or a success", instead she asks you to reverse that. Harris asks you to re-define success for yourself using simple exercises. E.g. Harris asks you to create the energy of happiness and success first. Instead encouraging you to have a full life and engage in a lot of things that make you feel optimistic. So Harris gets you to look at the' whole approach' to consultancy.

A high regard for yourself is at the heart of this book. Only then do you work on your goals with determination. The book helps you to change your energy around consulting and helps you to feel empowered. Harris treats you as a professional from the beginning and respects that all careers have their specialist secrets. All careers have their own way of doing things.

This book is true to the consultants agenda. A consultant's list of items is fully addressed and acknowledged: Business development issues, self management issues, work issues, relationship issues, client management issues, ethical issues, cultural issues, development issues. The guide is an authentic protective guide for consultants, allowing them to nurture and pay attention to the very specialised skills which need to be prioritised in the make up of a consultant.

• Use this book, if you what do to when you have obstacles in your work
• Use this book, if you want to experience the positive feelings of Self care for yourself as the consultant
• Use this book if you find you encounter entanglement issues or other issues within your consultancy practice
• Use this book if you want to find out why you really want to enter the consultancy field.
• Use this book when you want to reflect on your good practice
• Use this book when want to work out how much to get paid
• Use this book in general to be a success in your field

A wonderfully welcoming book " inviting you to appreciate your talent as a consultant, using tried and true NLP and Management techniques found in the most established industries. This book really allows you to prioritise yourself. Where you put yourself first in consulting industry. Indeed, you may realise that without knowing it. This sort of guidance you cheat yourself if you fail to use this book as you operate as a consultant. However like everything, it's your choice

I wholeheartedly recommend "Consult Yourself: The NLP Guide to Being a Management Consultant', as a mandatory comprehensive text for any consultant in any industry.

Recommended as a mandatory comprehensive text:

Demystifying the process, Carol Harris provides a thorough, common sense perspective on becoming and succeeding as a Management Consultant - using NLP to facilitate the most positive approach and outcome to going it alone as a professional. From the original vision and bigger picture through to the minutiae of every day routine, relationships and responsibilities her pearls of wisdom and encouragement cut a way through to making the dream happen ” and sustaining it. A must-have reference for the beginner and many a seasoned MC must be wishing this book had been there to handhold them through the joys and pitfalls when they first started out.

I can honestly say that Consult Yourself is one of the best books I have ever read on consultancy skills.

Carol Harris has managed to capture the most superb picture of working as a consultant and is able to express it the most accurate way possible.

Carol has been superb in describing the rue picture of working as a consultant and has so perfectly diminished the myth that consults are sharp suited people making loads of money every day. She captures and describes so well the loneliness, frustration and downsides of being a self-employed consultant. However she provides balance picture of the upside of this type of work and shows a motivational picture of the satisfaction working as a consultant can bring.

This book is superb, and is an absolute must for anyone considering giving up full time employment to set up his or her own consultancy business. I wish I had been able to read this many years ago as Carol so correctly explains that it just is not enough to be an expert in a specialised field. She makes the reader consider the full picture of being able to market and promote your business, dealing with cash flow problems, clearly defining your business and for those being self employed for the first time the pit falls of self management and self motivation.

I would recommend this book to anyone as essential reading if they as many people now feel they are ready to become independent consultants. It simply is so accurate, detailed but straight forward it really is a pleasure to read.

I found that despite having worked as a training consultant for many years, it was so refreshing to read Carols book as it made one focus on issues that it's sop easy to take for granted. Consult Yourself should be part of any consultants library from new to experienced as I found there is a wealth of information for everyone to gain from.

This brilliant book covers everything for the new consultant to consider from Business issues, self-management, relationships with clients, client management ethical issues, cultural and development issues. Carol Harris has excellent experience in consultancy and she describes this by covering all aspects one has to consider when working as a consultant.

I particularly found the section on "facilitating Change through influence" absolutely invaluable. This amongst all the important points that Carol states is very important as often the consultant can describe all the answers to their clients problems yet as an outsider can remain powerless to make it happen. Positive influencing provides excellent examples for the consultant to gain credibility as one who can assist in facilitating the changes in the business, and often that's what the client wants to see.

Consult Yourself should be a must for all consultants no matter what their experience, a superb publication that I could not recommend highly enough.

Overview
The only guide to consultancy that anyone could need, covering the why, what, who and how of building and sustaining a successful career in consultancy. The messages are clear, sincere and very readable" and they make complete sense. Any consultant " new or experienced " will learn a lot. I wish it had been around when I started out.

Evaluation
Carol Harris's book takes a practical and very readable look at what it takes to become " and remain " a successful consultant. It starts at the beginning with the basics, and takes a well-crafted and logical path through to more advanced processes and the finer points of acquiring, delighting and satisfying clients. Consult Yourself covers all the proven techniques that effective and efficient consultants know about " charts, graphs, analytical techniques and the like " but puts them inside a framework of human relationships. Businesses are people, nothing more, and the book does justice to that emotional side of the equation without losing the practical edge.

It's such a good read that the strongly ethical side of the book could slip past unnoticed. But everything Carol says about successful consultancy is linked to the client's needs and context. There are none of those "off-the-shelf' solutions that can give the profession a bad name. Her emphasis is on professional practice, professional techniques and professional behaviour although she doesn't make a great play of this. It's her instinctive approach and that simply strengthens the message. She doesn't bang on about how expert she is " she allows her expertise and professionalism to shine through on its own.

The style is engaging and natural. It reflects her chapter on business writing where she talks about using modern grammar and style, rather than outdated bureaucratic language and jargon. The headings explain clearly what's coming next and the vast amount of useful information is broken down into digestible chunks that make sense" and make you want to read the next one. And when you do you're never disappointed. If you're looking for a marketing slogan that fits this book, try this. There's nothing precious about it" but it is precious.

Carol's emphasis is on the practical skills and requirements of consultancy. She links NLP to the consultant's role and practice, where it fits " which is often. And she gets the balance right, with NLP supporting the individual who has the right credentials and the right skills to develop. There is no attempt to overplay the NLP card and pretend that it's a magic wand that can turn a no-hoper into an international guru.

Having said all these positive things I tried to find the odd negative, to balance it up a bit. But the only problem I could come up with is that there's so much here. One reading doesn't do it justice. Carol's preface invites you to" either read it from start to finish, or dip in at those points that attract your interest the most. I don't agree. I think you should do both. Read it through, then read it again, then keep dipping into it. Then read it again. It will certainly stand it.

True guides in how to establish, promote and control a consultancy business are rare. Consult Yourself is an essential book not only for every consultant and consultant-to-be but for trainers, facilitators and other change professionals alike. Unlike other books that take an either-or approach to focus on tools or personality of the consultant this book has it all. Starting with the pre-requisites of you as a person and the foundation of your business, to self management strategies as well as essential consultancy techniques and a wealth of resources Consult Yourself is holistic, paying attention to each and every aspect of a successful consultancy. A must-read!

What is the most important attribute a freelance consultant must have? Is it communications skills, a package of up-to-the-minute techniques, or the ability to project manage effectively?

All of these things are necessary. But I encourage you to read this book through a different lens. The most important attribute, in my world, is the ability to market oneself- products, pricing, promotion and routes to market. This book will support you on that journey.

Consult Yourself is a "must have' book for anyone considering consultancy as a new career. Although targetted at independants, the book is a veritable asset to all aspiring consultants.

Consulting is a tough option and Harris pulls no punches, offering guidance and self-assessments so that any decision is confidently and wisely made - this book is a shrewd investment considering the hardship, fall-out and family problems amongst less well resourced aspirants.

Subtely and wisely, Harris draws the reader into critical self-analysis, introspection and educated reasoning for consultancy is not just about on-the-job skills. this she achieves by using proven tools of NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) in an acceptable and impactful way.

Well-written and logically developed this is a book for reading and then referencing time and again. If you are considering a career in consultancy, read this book and act on your learning.