The IT Consultant : A Commonsense Framework for Managing the Client Relationship

By Rick Freedman

Book Overview

Become a successful information technology consultant This is the only book on the market that will teach you the crucial "soft skills" of communication, facilitation, and presentation, plus a methodology for applying IT analysis skills to meet your client's business needs. Using an organized, common sense approach based on his 15 years experience as an IT consultant, Rick Freedman presents this landmark method for partnering with clients, collecting and analyzing data, creating recommendations, and delivering business benefits to clients. You'll learn how to: Develop rewarding and mutually beneficial client relationships Help clients visualize the end product of IT systems consulting projects Negotiate projects that have clear goals, specifications, budgets, and schedules Market proposals to executives, managers, and users Plus, the companion website provides you with customizable job aids for use in your own work. Never again will you be simply a "technician-for-hire." Whether you're a newcomer to consulting or a seasoned professional, The IT Consultant provides you with a blueprint for developing your advisory skills, providing quality services, and building successful client relationships.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0787951730
• ISBN13: 9780787951733
• Release Date: February 2000
• Publisher: Pfeiffer
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.2" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

No Relationship...No Client

Actually, all of the sound advice in this book is relevant to almost any consulting relationship, both internally and externally. In this sense, the title is somewhat misleading. Freedman offers what the subtitle suggests is a "commonsense framework for managing the client relationship." He organizes his material within three Parts: The Profession of Consulting, The IT Consulting Framework, and Developing Superior Consulting Skills. The consulting profession has undergone all manner of changes in recent years, no doubt the result of many factors which include the increase of outsourcing, the recognition by many organizations of the need for engaging employees as specialists to address specific needs and interests, and also the emergence of what Daniel Pink describes as "free agents" in his recently published Free Agent Nation. As Freedman explains, his book is based on "a few fundamental beliefs": "informational technology consulting is a profession on a par with engineering and architecture...professional standards must be applied once a consultant has accepted a consulting engagement...advisory skills, which enable us to develop relationships of trust and confidence with out clients, are as important to our success as mastery of technical disciplines...[and finally that] there are proven practices and common sense techniques that help consultants deliver the benefit of information technology in a way that would be impossible without us." He examines with rigor various phases of the IT Consulting Framework. Along the way, he generously shares his own experiences (both good and bad) as he established and developed his own client relationships. His objective is to help his readers to understand proven practices that IT consultants can use to define their role in the engagement, and to understand m[as indeed they must] their clients' technical, organizational, and cultural environments.One of the book's many value-added benefits is the provision of four Appendices: Sample Request for Proposal, Sample Proposal, Sample Communications Plan, and Sample Project Plan. Obviously, these are benchmark templates, each of which must be modified (perhaps significantly) to accommodate the specifics of a given situation. The chapters which precede them help the reader to make such modifications. In the Conclusion, Freedman reaffirms that the book's aim is to prepare consultants, "through the use of a structured delivery system, to help clients obtain the results they expect and so have a better shot at generating the customer satisfaction that leads to referrals -- and ultimately to a thriving practice." I hasten to add that many organizations now have internal consultants for whom this book will also be immensely helpful. They, too, have several "clients" whose satisfaction with the quality of their work determines whether or not they will also have a "thriving practice" within their own organizations.

Filled with practical advice - will ensure client satisfacti

If ever there was a book that puts consulting into perspective it is this one. In the Spring of 2000 I left a 24-year job in mainframe operations to join a national consulting firm as a service delivery consultant. My first few months were filled with disorientation that led to self-doubt and an attempt to fit into a new world. Had I read this book before the move my transition would have gone a lot more smoothly. Now that I have successfully established myself in the world of consulting I find that my new profession is a blend of being a technical expert and customer relationship facilitator. This valuable book focuses on the latter set of skills, which are not easy to acquire, and has given me insights and knowledge that will foster my continuing professional growth.If you are new to consulting or considering the move to this profession the first three chapters will show you what to expect and what you need in order to "make it". Chapter 4, on negotiating the client/consultant relationship, provides some of the most valuable advice I have come across. This is the essence of consulting and something that every consultant needs to master in order to be successful (which is another way or saying "survive"). Ignore this chapter at your peril. I thought the approach given in chapter 5 on visualizing success, communications and change was excellent. If chapter 4 gives you survival skills, this one adds polish to your approach and further guarantees your success in delivering and executing.Chapters 6 and 7 cover areas not only important to consultants, but also to internal project teams. Understanding the situation (and requirements) is the key to developing a solution that is completely aligned to needs and expectations. I do disagree with the recommendation to develop an "as-is" model in all situations, however. If you are developing and implementing a new process or resolving a seriously broken existing process the "as-is" step adds little value in my experience. I reserve this approach when the engagement calls for process improvement. On the other hand, the data collection methods and discussion of surveys were highlights that I liked very much. I also thought the entire treatment of the design process was excellent and provided a clean, methodical approach that will fit nearly any kind of consulting engagement. The lead-in to collaborating with the client on solution selection in chapter 8 is a powerful strategy - it will ensure that the client participates in the process. You will find that this approach will result in client buy-in and satisfaction - two things to which we all aspire to achieving. This strategy is fleshed out in chapter 9 on delivering the solution. There are some important key areas covered here as well. I liked the emphasis on managing quality and the advice on knowledge transfer to the client (which doesn't always go smoothly because it is not always adequately planned).The rest of the book is on developing consul

Area Consulting Manager

This is the book you need to read if you are taking the step from technician to consultant, if you manage consultants or if you want to be successful as a consultant. Freedman not only describes theory, but puts it to practice. He has a framework that can be used to model a consulting practice and consulting engagements. The case study and sample documents help pull it all together. This book is worth the investment!

This is a Winner!

I have been providing consulting services for the past ten years and the material covered in this book will assure my success over the next ten years. It provides an effective road map to improved productivity, increased value to your clients and improved profitability for the practice. The disciplines explored in the book are absolutely valuable in leveraging experiences from one project to the next. It is obvious that Mr. Freedman has lived the process and is not just a casual observer. Thanks for the lessons!

The mystery revealed

As a senior executive with Oracle consulting, I found Freedman's case studies and observations on the money. It is a fast forward view for the fast foward world of consulting. I would highly recommend this book for the new and old to IT consulting. Read this book and plan for the future. I am sure your competitors will.