"Becoming A Consultant," a 3-session workshop

Thinking about joining the ranks of consultants but not sure if consulting is right for you? Wondering how to begin, where to find clients, how to set prices?  The Professional Development Collaborative Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Canton is holding a 3-session workshop on "Becoming A Consultant," for those contemplating independent consulting and those who want to increase their consulting income.  

In the training's first session, participants will learn how to decide if consulting is a good fit for them, how to focus their business, and how to choose the right consulting business model.  The presenters, two long-time successful consultants, Bruce Katcher, Ph.D. founder and Executive Director of The Center for Independent Consulting, and Norman Daoust, founder of Daoust Associates will help participants to weigh the pros and cons of a consulting career.  They will cover in session one the importance of choosing the right niche or problem for your work and understanding the economic realities of consulting. 

Successfully marketing and pricing your services are key to making it as an independent consultant. The workshop's second session will cover learning how to develop and implement a marketing plan and the basics of many time-tested marketing approaches.  Secrets to successfully selling your services once you are in front of a prospect and how to write winning proposals will be shared. 

In the third session, participants will learn some of the most important methods for keeping the consulting pipeline filled and staying billable. You will also learn how to avoid some of the most common challenges encountered by independent consultants.  The final portion of this session will be used to answer those burning questions for participants, how to win business, deliver tangible results, and overcome the biggest challenges to becoming a successful consultant. 

If you are testing the waters, you may elect to participate in the first session only or decide to pay for all three sessions. The workshop will be held on 3 consecutive Tuesdays, February 28, March 6, and 13, from 9 – 11:30 am at the Professional Development Collaborative Training Center, 1 Blue Hill River Road in Canton, MA. There is an Early Bird Discount for the series of $137.00 which is available online through Feb. 18, 2012. It’s only $55.00 for the first session, and $150 for all three.    

The workshop is one of a number offered each year by the Professional Development Collaborative Inc. (PDC), a 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose mission is to provide unemployed professionals with affordable skill building trainings using the talents of other unemployed professionals and subject matter experts.  The goal of PDC is to provide state-of-the-art training that upgrades one’s professional skills and increases one’s marketability to employers.