This unique book is a practical guide to help businesses, organizations and individuals make the best use of consultants and advisers. It will help them get the best value from the experts they hire, and offers a wealth of inside information that clients cannot usually obtain. Written in a crisp, accessible style, the book distils the author's in-depth experience of both sides of the business relationship. It covers the whole process of working with consultants, including: identifying the need for external advice, understanding how consultants operate and calculate their fees, specifying the job to be done, selecting the right experts, going out to tender, drawing up contracts, managing contract risks, keeping track of the work, resolving problems, developing successful professional and partnering relationships. As well as examples and checklists, the book includes case studies of good and bad practice, and personal viewpoints from various professionals that offer pointers for less experienced clients. It will help any client avoid mistakes and pitfalls, save time, money and effort, and make the process of working with consultants really worthwhile.

This book is perfect for anyone who needs to use contractors, consultants or other professional advisers, whatever their business. Acknowledged expert Harold Lewis uses his experience on both sides of the business relationship and explains the whole process. The first book to deal with this subject so comprehensively, Using and Choosing Consultants & Advisers gives best practice advice that can immediately be put into effect; doesn't take sides on client-consultancy issues but offers a balanced view; helps clients get into the mind of consultants, showing them how consultancy works from the inside; is addressed to businesses/non-commercial groups as well as individuals. The valuable advice it contains will be useful not just for new businesses, but also for established firms seeking to strengthen and extend their contracting skills. Written in a crisp, accessible and businesslike style, the book contains numerous examples and checklists as well as case studies of good and bad practice. This book will help you avoid mistakes and pitfalls, save time, money and effort, and make the process of working with consultants really worthwhile.

For professional advice; understand how consultants and advisers operate and how they charge; define your requirements and specify the job to be done; select the consultants that are right for you; go out to tender; draw up contracts; keep track of the work; deal effectively with problems; develop successful working and partnering relationships.

Identify mistakes standing in the way of investment success With so much at stake in investing and wealth management, investors cannot afford to keep repeating actions that could have serious negative consequences for their financial goals. The Five Mistakes Every Investor Makes and How to Avoid Them focuses on what investors do wrong so often so they can set themselves on the right path to success. In this comprehensive reference, readers learn to navigate the ever-changing variables and market dilemmas that often make investing a risky and daunting endeavor. Well-known and respected author Peter Mallouk shares useful investment techniques, discusses the importance of disciplined investment management, and pinpoints common, avoidable mistakes made by professional and everyday investors alike. Designed to provide a workable, sensible framework for investors, The Five Mistakes Every Investor Makes and How to Avoid Them encourages investors to refrain from certain negative actions, such as fighting the market, misunderstanding performance, and letting one's biases and emotions get in the way of investing success. Details the major mistakes made by professional and everyday investors Highlights the strategies and mindset necessary for navigating ever-changing variables and market dilemmas Includes useful investment techniques and discusses the importance of discipline in investment management A reliable resource for investors who want to make more informed choices, this book steers readers away from past investment errors and guides them in the right direction.

Learn what makes a client trust you to be their financial advisor. Put the power of story telling into selling financial products. The authors explain the process of making these intuitive connections, then translate their findings into understandable and practical strategies that any financial professional can use. They present actual stories, including many by Warren Buffet, one of the greatest "storysellers" of all time. These actual stories can help financial pros tap into the "gut reaction" of different types of clients. the book also includes special topics on communicating to women, the 50+ market, and the affluent.

Being your clients’ Most Trusted Business Advisor is not about selling and making pitches. It’s really about showing an interest in your clients, asking the kind of questions that will help you learn what is important to them, and then listening. Based on the AICPA’s successful Trusted Business Advisor Program and intended for CPAs who want to take their consulting practice to the next level, this workbook provides approaches to help you do just that. By the time you finish working through the book’s helpful forms and exercises you will be better able to: have critical conversations with your clients ask the right questions effectively be a better listener easily identify services that will add value to your clients’ organizations avoid administrative pitfalls throughout the process effectively market your services, and profitably grow your practice Find out how to uncover critical client needs in ten minutes or less, how to help your clients prioritize their wish lists, and how to help them quantify the value of addressing each of the issues that keep them awake at night!

When financial advisers need guidance on running their business, they turn to Mark Tibergien, the most prominent, most respected authority and hands-on consultant on the science and practice of managing financial advisory firms. Together with Moss Adams colleague and principal Rebecca Pomering, they have combined their years of research and analysis to write the definitive book on the subject. The authors first identify how to assess the business and evaluate oneself as a manager. They then present strategic-thinking issues—such as practice models, business plans, and differentiators—in a Socratic style. This is followed by a detailed overview of critical topics, from financial management and human capital to IT and marketing—encompassing the management skills, approaches, and mindsets needed for success. With management tools, worksheets, and industry statistics, Practice Made Perfect is the authoritative book from the industry's expert.