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If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to keep getting what you are getting. If you feel that you are just treading water in this crazy global economy of ours, and your performance isn’t improving, then maybe it’s time to take stock.

One of the ways to do this is to involve management consultants. They practise the art of helping organizations improve their performance through the analysis of existing organizational problems, and, then go on to develop plans for improvement.

Best Practice is transferable; it is how this is done that is a science. Management consultants provide organizational change, management assistance, technology implementation, development of strategy, staff development and coaching skills to name but a few.

The drive for change is usually a top down procedure. Existing staff may find change difficult in the short-term. D.R.E.C stands for Denial, Rejection, Exploration and finally Commitment, this is to be expected the in the initial stages.

What most management consultants offer is a quality strategy and continuous improvement, improved customer focus, improved on-time, on cost, delivery.

A project manager is usually assigned an account who is an expert in that field and with significant experience in industry. They bring with them methodologies that have a proven track record.

The transference of skills and knowledge and the implementation therein is the key to a successful project. This provides the internal capability for the company to continue the process of improvement.

Complex theories are turned into business solutions that are identified during the project.

One area key to most companies is climate change and rising energy costs. They affect all businesses, and, all organisations will need to change to thrive in the low- carbon economy. You may have already identified the pitfalls?

Personally we are all being asked to reduce our carbon footprints, professionally and for optimum performance it is prudent to tailor an approach for your needs. For example:

· Identify relevant sustainability business drivers to guide your actions

· Develop robust strategy and policies which integrate sustainability

· Mange the implementation successfully

· Continuously improve and develop your organisations

· Minimise the chance of failure

You may already be on the road or just need help with your carbon footprint. This is just one area that management consultants can support operational improvement.

Setting strategic direction is another. Ensuring clarity of purpose when setting strategic direction for your organisation will improve your competitive advantage. The ability to compete is the only way forward. Treading water is not an option.

Sharing information through SharePoint software is not a difficult task at all. As the name tells, sharing is the core point of the software. It has been made with the idea of making and facilitating sharing and collaboration a lot easier and simpler. If you are looking at developing a custom solution for your business venture, then SharePoint will help you through. However, you should seek advice and assistance of a SharePoint consulting team to make the most out of the software. This software works in a way that it integrates itself into other Windows and Microsoft applications. This way, SharePoint becomes a framework around the current working atmosphere of a business organization.

Users can share a file or document with the persons involved in the specific project. Business owners are allowed to choose the user who can access and share the document by pressing on the ‘users’ button on the toolbar. Then, they can select to add a task for them, regarding the file. This way, business people are able to select to either approve or reject the files. SharePoint product suite sends emails to the users and they get notified when they open the mentioned file. Thus, they can either approve or refuse the file. Users get emailed about that decision and about any other comments that they have.

When the users view the files in Word after the approval, they will be able to see their comments and notes exactly in the file, and this is what makes the software the perfect platform for collaboration. If you are planning to design your custom work flows using the SP designer, then you can see that there are many different combinations in reality. So, it is wise to hire a product consultant. That way, SharePoint will be executed as per your needs and preferences with the help of a consultant. SharePoint application development has many built-in features that can be elaborated and reused in different platforms.

The most important application features of SharePoint web parts development includes business intelligence features, user site provisioning, enterprise content management, forms services, social networking features, and integrated search. Its programming services are the best incorporated server for other applications. For users, SharePoint technologies and products have many easy-to-use and desirable features. There are numerous benefits of hiring SharePoint consultants from a renowned company. You will get access to a range of expert IT resources that have diverse skill sets. When you hire SharePoint consultants from a renowned offshore software development company, you will be able to use IT infrastructure with best facilities available in the market.

Select the pioneers in the SharePoint application development field. The company should have deep expertise in developing different SharePoint projects. Ensure the company makes very transparent engagement procedures and inclusive reporting system. When you hire experienced and qualified SharePoint consultants, you are able to experience complete control over your projects flow requirements. So, get dedicated resources with cross functional talents and expertise by hiring experienced SharePoint consulting professionals.

SharePoint Engine is a Microsoft Gold Certified SharePoint Consulting company working with SharePoint since its early release in 2001. Our professionals are recognized experts in SharePoint development and have been involved in speaking engagements at national and international conferences.

I often speak about not playing fetch and avoiding the pitfalls of giving away free consulting. So, it is no surprise that after a recent webinar with Hinge Marketing (there is a replay available), I received more than 1 email asking me how the webinar was “different” from that advice on free consulting. I’m being politically correct, since the gist of the message was “it’s ironic that you say to not give away free consulting and then do a 1 hour webinar packed with advice on closing the professional services sale.” And, since we had almost 100 attendees on webinar, I couldn’t exactly hide from the question.

It comes down to 2 critical rules to follow:

Rule 1: Never Give Free Consulting Unwittingly

One of Covey’s principles of highly effective people is to “seek to understand before you seek to be understood.” Too often, we talk about our solution before we fully understand the problem. I encourage people to be generous with their time. Successful businesses can elect to help others and not receive top dollar (or any dollars in some cases) for doing so.

What we should avoid is answering questions before we fully understand the root of the issue. When we jump into answers, we run the risk of opening the faucet and start flooding the room with random information. Without the right skills, one can quickly get pulled into the vortex of evil and spend an hour telling them all of our stuff, without learning anything about the client’s needs. There is an interesting dynamic when we are selling services. The greatest influence for a buying decision, as shown by many research studies, is how well the buyer feels that we understand their specific situation. How can we demonstrate that we know their situation when all we talk about is us? So, not giving free consulting goes beyond giving away stuff for free. More importantly, blurting out our stuff prevents us from learning about their situation to know if it is worth our time to try to find a solution. In that case, we are seeking to be understood before we fully understand. I’m pretty sure that bad stuff tends to happen under that circumstance.

Rule 2: It’s OK to Give a Taste – Don’t Give Away the Full Meal

Am I contradicting myself when I write an article, post a blog, or host a webinar? Probably. But, that’s not the point.:) It is OK to give away pieces of your intellectual property to establish your expertise and experience. In essence, whet their appetite. Our content also gives our clients and potential clients a sense of our approach, philosophy, and style. For those who see it as a good fit, it works well. For those who do not, the content helps ensure that neither party wastes our valuable time. There is also a component of giving back to the community. For example, I often encounter entrepreneurs who cannot afford my services but still need help. The content on my website and in other publications provides a resource to help them make an impact, though clearly not as dramatic as my paying clients. If a good portion of your living comes from being a public speaker, like me, sharing our ideas and style help event planners to determine if our approach could help their audiences.

One last thing, when we share our content, we shall not under any circumstance finish with a sales pitch. The content is designed to share, educate, and inform. Those who find our content valuable will be able to figure out that they can contact us if they want more of what whetted their appetite.

I completely support the notion of intentionally giving away “tastes” of your talent to help establish your position in the market. But, be sure to limit your taste to something that won’t satisfy their hunger. Most importantly, use your time with prospects to learn about their needs to determine whether or not you have a fit. You’ll be surprised that if you do a good enough job learning about them, they’ll make fewer requests for free consulting.

For consulting firms and other start up companies, few items are more important than the company brand name itself. Without a strong and compelling brand identity, most companies get lost in a sea of sound-alike, descriptive or meaningless names. The most common mistake is simply using the owner’s initials or surname (e.g. FJZ Associates or RW Jones Consulting). Not only are these names forgettable, but they create an additional obstacle if the company grows, the owner wants to take on a partner, or eventually sell the business. What new business owner wants someone else’s name on the front door? No one, unless the names is E.F. Hutton, or a legacy brand that has earned its reputation over time. Most new businesses don’t have the luxury of time to build their brand message. So what are some successful naming strategies for consultants? Let’s take a look.

Rather than taking the predictable path of a mediocre company name, why not create something that helps to provide a sense of the company’s meaning, purpose and direction? Here are a few such naming strategies, specifically for consulting companies.

1. Build the company name on a key attribute

With this approach, you center the company’s brand identity on a core strength. For example, IT consulting company Claricent, chose their name based on their ability to provide clear, insightful knowledge about business information systems. Agilent Technologies is another company name based on this type of naming methodology. Key attribute brand names work well if you want to be known for not just what you do, but more importantly, how you do it. They differ from purely invented names in that they contain a morpheme, or word part, that has intrinsic meaning. An added bonus to this type of naming exercise is that it forces you as an owner to determine your pivot point, or core value proposition.

2. Base the business name on positive connotations

This is one of our favorite naming strategies. It involves the use of timeless “perennial” words to create new, positive sounding, brand names. OnStar is a great example of how GM used two positive words, “On,” and “Star,” to create a blended name that speaks to intelligent navigation. A wealth management company Parkworth, used the positive imagery of a park like setting, combined with the richness of the word “worth.” Together they communicate a sense of natural financial growth. Also a mortgage advisor went with the name BrightPath. Again, it underscores a sense of guidance and direction, attributes important in the consulting field.

3. Choose a metaphor to develop a new company name

If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, then a metaphor brand name can convey a host of attributes with one mental snapshot. If, as a consultant, you are known for being at the leading edge, the point of the spear in your industry, you may use a metaphor such as a trident, javelin or arrow. You may need to add a word to these names to further customize them and obtain the matching domain name, such as ArrowPoint, or Trident First, etc. One logistics company that wanted to be known for their speed and agility, was named Bluefin, after one of the world’s fastest fish. An investment banking firm went with the name FourBridges, since they “bridged the middle market” and connected companies with capital. It also helped that they had four partners and resided in Chattanooga, TN, a city with four rivers.

By utilizing key attribute, positive connotation and metaphor naming strategies for your consulting company, you can give yourself a head start when introducing yourself to potential clients. Instead of stumbling with an awkward acronym name, or spelling out a difficult last name, you can segue from your core strengths right into your product and service offerings. Tungsten, the wire in Edison’s light bulb, often sparks a conversation about clarity, insight and brilliance. So plug in some of these company naming strategies and see what ideas they generate. And if need some extra “juice,” just flip our switch and we’ll provide some company brand names designed to make you and your company shine.

In this generation, the internet is becoming a part of most people’s lives. It is a means to keep or store information, to research, to play games, to keep in touch or meet people from all around the world through social networking, and more, including business marketing. With the increasing demand for the World Wide Web, the best thing businesses should do is to take advantage of it by promoting their products and services online. But this is not just done by creating a website, but by making sure of its visibility. This can be best done by finding an expert Search Engine Optimization consultant who will focus on optimizing your website to increase its page ranking.

Search Engine Optimization or SEO is an Internet Marketing strategy that aims at optimizing websites through various processes like keyword research, Meta tags, analytics, and more. One reason why you should hire an expert in this field is because optimizing a website and achieving visibility is easier said than done. This requires a lot of on-site and off-site techniques to make sure you get the right visitors. And while there are SEO tools you can use for free, using them requires a lot of reading and understanding. Thus, doing SEO yourself can be a lot of work, and doing it can eat up most of your time. A Search Engine Optimization consultant therefore can be your best resort. Be sure, your competitor has one and is already enjoying the benefits. So don’t be left behind, when you can move ahead with your ranking.

A Search Engine Optimization consultant understands the needs of the clients, knows the right group of people to target, and plans how it is going to be done. He or she knows how to professionally strategize on making an effective SEO campaign. This could be achieved with proper communication between the client and the consultant so as to define the objectives, the goals, and the processes that would be involved. Once a strategic marketing plan is set, an SEO Consultant needs to make a comprehensive analysis of the client’s website, as well as that of the competitor’s. Adding keywords and Meta tags in the client’s web page is necessary. These keywords must be the top searched phrases relevant to the client’s services and products. Moreover, a SEO consultant is expert at link building on forums, blogs, and articles, to increase your website visitors. While you can do this yourself, link building is not as easy as it sounds. It should be done with proper ethics to avoid being marked as spam.

Indeed, there are a lot of other ways to make your web page move to the top of search engines like Google and Yahoo, but it does not happen overnight. By having a Search Engine Optimization consultant, your website will be monitored for its progress and he/she will continue to promote your website for months or even years.

However, you must also be aware that not all SEO providers can do the right thing. Sometimes, they can manage to give your website a lot of hits, but fail to deliver the key-customers. Finding a professional and appropriate SEO provider must be your priority. Do not be confused with the many different inviting offers. Surely, you do not want to do more work in the end just because you get the wrong person to do the job. Start improving your website visibility now to increase your brand recognition with the best Search Engine Optimization consultant.