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Your Consulting Firm’s Most Important Gifts

Millions of people give gifts on the day of this article’s publication.

Forget the millions of people, though. You know who’s really interesting?

You.

The rest of this article is really short; however, you can only read it if you commit to take action–an action that will require under 1 minute of your time.

Do you promise? If so, click on the + sign to read the rest of the article. But remember, you promised! (If you don’t want to act, no worries. enjoy your day and come back for next week’s article.)

Cool, you decided to jump in. The rest is easy.

You’re important, and I’d like the opportunity to appreciate the value you and other readers create; your gift, as it were, to your clients, prospects and the world around you.

So, rather than an article, today I have a simple question for you:

What gifts (i.e., what big, valuable benefits) do you offer and contribute?

You have total permission to brag. In fact, I encourage you to type bold, lofty claims.

Your action (the one you promised):

Let me and other readers know your gifts by posting them in the comments below.


60 Comments
  1. Tom
    December 25, 2019 at 5:55 pm Reply

    I have been blessed with the trust of my clients. They trust me with quiet discernment to provide active listening, clarifying questions, an acknowledgement of tasks that are in my area of expertise or a suggestion of someone who might provide better assistance. I don’t need to be all things to all people. Just yesterday, a former client responded to a marketing inquiry. He noted that his firm is pursuing a project, internally, along the lines of my expertise. In my response I applauded the efforts and noted that with his leadership, he was additionally growing employee engagement. There are many other prospects that I can serve in early 2020. I will keep checking back with him to take “some gasoline to his roaring fire,” as needed. Some gifts can be delivered at mid-year, too.

    • David A. Fields
      December 25, 2019 at 8:24 pm Reply

      Discernment is, of course, one of the great gifts any consultant can possess and offer. That, plus the awareness and willingness to turn down projects that are not in our wheelhouse, are evidence you approach your clients Right-Side Up–with their best interests firmly in mind. That’s a great lesson for all of us, Tom, and I appreciate you sharing it.

  2. Kevin Wallace
    December 25, 2019 at 6:30 pm Reply

    I meet people who have dreams (ambitions) for their business and I help them realise them.

    • David A. Fields
      December 25, 2019 at 8:26 pm Reply

      Helping others achieve their goals is a noble purpose, Kevin. That’s at the heart of what we do in consulting and I appreciate you letting me and other readers know your vision.

  3. Nick
    December 25, 2019 at 7:44 pm Reply

    Launching a new practice in Jan 2020 based upon my 30+ years of starting and scaling companies. The program focuses on helping owners build successful profitable sustainable businesses that work without them! I see too many “owners” who leave a job only to create a new one for themselves often without realizing they are the bottleneck standing in the way of their success. Time to give back from life’s journey…

    • David A. Fields
      December 25, 2019 at 8:28 pm Reply

      Best of fortune with your new venture, Nick! Sharing three decades of experience, lessons and wisdom is a model of giving back. Kudos to you, and thanks for announcing your intentions to me and other readers.

  4. Mike Ryan
    December 26, 2019 at 8:52 am Reply

    The gift I give to my clients is in pointing out (in a constructive way) the “opportunities for improvement” (aka their “flaws”) that they might know are there, but don’t have a clear way to address.

    TL:DR Helping clients see and action their “blind spots”

    For example, I worked with a manufacturing client where 100% of the machine drawings sent to production were incomplete. *Everyone* knew how painful it was, but didn’t know how to resolve it. The VP actually saw it as a point of pride, that the employees could “figure it out”. I helped him see how much time was wasted in production vs. the small investment in time his team needed to complete the machine drawings.

    The VP accepted, and actioned, the feedback. His team was seen as being adaptable, and the lives of everyone in production became easier.

    • David A. Fields
      December 26, 2019 at 11:02 am Reply

      Your ability to distinguish between pointing out a problem and offering opportunities to improve is, indeed, a gift, Mike. Great case study, too–thank you for providing a useful, concrete example!

  5. Catherine Mattice Zundel
    December 26, 2019 at 1:13 pm Reply

    I can (and love to) dive into toxic horrible organizational cultures and help leadership make positive change. I believe I have the gift of turning something that feels so intangible – culture – into something tangible by assisting my clients in the development and implementation of a series of 6 mo strategic plans. After the third plan, they know how to move forward without me and continue to create a better culture for their workforce.

    • David A. Fields
      December 26, 2019 at 4:46 pm Reply

      Heroes are (often) seen as the people who run toward the fire rather than away from it. Catherine, you see organizations’ tangled messes then leap in–and that makes you a hero to them. Outstanding gift. I appreciate you sharing it with your clients and telling me and other readers about it.

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