Consult-Con 2020 Agenda

Juan Negroni, CMC, IMC USA Chair

Ken Lizotte, CMC, 2020 Conference Committee Program Chair

Alan Weiss, Ph.D., CMC, FIMC

In these uncertain times there is something all consultants need: proactive rainmaking to land more high-paying clients. Attendees will learn proven approaches to attract more prospects, close more sales, and cement more client relationships. These are challenging times and research shows consultants can fill a pipeline with qualified prospects in as little as 30 days, even during a pandemic. Successful rainmakers create attraction chain reactions by offering advice through writing and speaking to prospects on how to overcome their most pressing problems. Back in science class everyone learned that a chain reaction is a sequence of reactions that causes additional reactions to take place, and it works in rainmaking too. Find out how you compare to successful consulting peers on the current top ten business development tactics. Panelists will share findings on what business development investments top rainmakers are cutting back on, what investments they are increasing, and what are the best strategies and tactics for rainmaking during the new normal.

Moderator: Henry DeVries, business development columnist for forbes.com and CEO of Indie Books International

Panelists:

• Ellen Grace Henson, past president of Women in Consulting
• Linda Popky of Society for Advancement of Consulting
• Lisa Apolinski CMC, author of Weathering the Digital Storm, dubbed America’s Digital Content Futurist
• Mike Smart, a Silicon Valley consultant, expert on tech marketing consulting trends
• Scott Love, host of “The Rainmaking Podcast,” Scott has authored three books and produced hundreds of video training courses on business development

Malcolm Gladwell

Deborah Lee James

Dysfunction abounds in America in so many ways, from continuous turbulent change in the business environment, to a US federal government polarized by an inability to compromise and fulfill its historic missions, to personal levels where even deeper and darker levels of dysfunction reside within our colleagues, families, friends, and ourselves. Can any of us survive and thrive against such a backdrop of unsettledness and anxiety? Deborah Lee James wants to help us try.

Key Takeaway: In this session, Deborah offers an insider’s view on how things really work in Washington—and how the five-step, repeatable problem-solving “zig-zag” approach that she has developed can work effectively in any area of life, i.e., business, government, consulting, personal life.

Bonus Takeaway: As a mother and wife, Deborah also carried her insights and problem-solving skills into the home. For women in similar circumstances, her story provides a powerful guidebook for excelling in both public and private life, and ensuring their battles can be won and their challenges overcome.

These concurrent small group 25-minute sessions will be held in separate Zoom rooms. Attendees will be able to choose two sessions to attend within the overall “Virtual Speakers” time reserved.

“The ‘Insights’ World has Gone Virtual Too” with Michael Egan CMC

Market research, both quantitative and qualitative (now dubbed “Insights”), has embraced virtual tools. Learn how these new tools can assist your clients:
* Artificial Intelligence that has changed the focus group
* Innovative ways to harness your smartphone
* Mining pictures for product development
* Surveys that can now talk back! Just ask!
* … and more

Key Takeaway: Adoption of new virtual tools for acquiring “Insights”

“Harnessing Emotional Intelligence to Shape Remote Client Relationships” with Susan Schwartz PMP

Managing clients remotely requires vastly different communication styles. This session will help attendees recognize how their clients engage their Emotional Intelligence (EI) and how they can align their own EI  to build and maintain high quality remote client relationships.

Key Takeaway: A toolset you can use to adapt your communications and expectations to better engage with your clients

“What Clients Want: How to Make Yourself Irresistible to Clients” with Joyce Gioia CMC

Beyond your expertise, what are clients looking for in a consultant that they consider, engage, and stay with? Based on Joyce’s groundbreaking book Experience Rules, in only 12 minutes she will deliver a roadmap for your consulting success. You won’t want to miss this unique opportunity to discover Joyce’s success secrets.

Key Takeaway: A roadmap for thinking differently about your client relationships

“Information Technology Management for Small Consulting Firms” with Margaret Chock CMC

Is technology your friend or foe? Is your firm too small to maintain an in-house IT manger yet nonetheless can use the help of one? This session will outline how to avoid common major tech problems and instead enjoy the benefits of technology without the headaches. Learn how and why to “store everything” while protecting what you store and also to “follow the crowd!”

Key Takeaway: Learn to better manage your IT and reap its benefits.

“It’s Time: Unleash the Power of Your Purpose-Driven Personal Brand” with Roberta Guise

In a world where COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter have upended a lot of what we knew to be true, there’s never been a more important time to stop paying so much attention to ourselves and start focusing on purpose and making a difference. Your Purpose-Driven Personal Brand can telegraph your intention to help make others better off via your values, philosophy, knowledge, ideas and actions.

Why now? Two reasons:

1. Developing a personal brand solely for our own benefit doesn’t cut it. Instead each of us needs to adopt the mindset of focusing on the well being of others and build our personal brands around this foundation. Even if you’re positively impacting a small niche, it’s a small niche in which you can make a big difference.
2. There’s a generational imperative to develop one’s Purpose-Driven Personal Brand. For example, Millennials — the generation that increasingly will be the decision makers who engage consultants —seek purpose in their work beyond earning money. They want to be known for
3. making a positive difference in the world. When your purpose and theirs align, there will be many wins to celebrate.

In this virtual session, through stories, science, theory and discussion, we’ll cover:

• Why consultants must lead with a Purpose-Driven Personal Brand
• Three ways clients and consultants will benefit
• The six critical personal branding traits
• Principal characteristics of purpose
• The one thing you must do to imbue your personal brand with purpose

Key Takeaway: A foundational technique for identifying and articulating your purpose so you can provide more valuable outcomes for your clients while giving new meaning to your life

3 Key Actions Every Consultant Should Take Right Now: How to Shift from Survive to Thrive in These Uncertain Times

Michael Zipursky is CEO of Consulting Success® and Coach to Consultants. He has advised organizations like Financial Times, Dow Jones, RBC, and helped Panasonic launch new products into global markets, but more importantly, he’s helped over 400 consultants from around the world in over 75 industries add 6 and 7 figures to their annual revenues. 

Juan Negroni, CMC, IMC USA Chair

Ken Lizotte, CMC, 2020 Conference Committee Program Chair

Steve Pemberton

How Internationally-renowned Black American Management Consultants

Thrive and Succeed Despite Racial Obstacles

This panel will hold a riveting solutions-oriented discussion about how internationally renowned Black American management consultants thrive and succeed despite racial and gender obstacles prevalent in workplaces throughout the United States and globally.

1. Attendees should expect to leave this session armed with action-oriented tools they can immediately implement within their own consulting practices.
2. They will learn how to monetize these new tools in a manner that makes dollars and sense for the practitioner and their clients.
3. Attendees will also learn how to effectively lower their stress levels and tactfully deescalate conflict when encountering future racial or gender bias situations with client and/or partner organizations.

Moderated by Dr. Lloyd C. Williams, Ph.D., Ph.D., D. Min., Author of over five hundred papers/articles, over one dozen books, organizational-clinical psychological consultant and Professor, Thomas Edison State University; Professor, Grenoble Ecole de Management; Professor, The Union Institute and University; Professor, Human Sexuality Institute & International School of Management; and Professor – Business Ethics, IÉSEG School of Management.

Panelists include:

• Dr. Yvonne Blanchard Freeman, CEO of Alliance for Global Education and Leadership Inc. (AGEL). She has pioneered a number of signature STEM education and science literacy programs for students and the united teaching professions in collaboration with a large constituent of public and private sector partners.
• Carole Copeland Thomas, MBA, TEDx Keynote Speaker and Innovation Strategist working on multiple platforms and focusing on global diversity, empowerment, and leadership issues. Carole works with large and small organizations throughout the US and abroad.
• Dr. Nadine C. Wheat, Ph.D., MBA, Director of the Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership and Undergraduate Business departments of Union Institute and University. She is an organizational psychologist, trainer, consultant, speaker, mentor and college professor, and is an author.
• Dr. Gregory Thomas, MD, Ph.D., CMC, PMP, CPA, Principal at www.roostech.com specializes in rescuing (turnaround) damaged business relationships with proven conflict resolution techniques, crisis management, project/program management methodologies, as well as fundamental principles of systems thinking and organizational psychology.  He previously spent several years serving as the president of a commission in the office of the mayor for one of America’s top five largest cities, he is a United States Senate Commissioner, and he holds an honorary lifetime appointment as a state legislative commissioner for one of America’s top five largest states.

Learn more about the panelists here.

Moderated by Ken Lizotte CMC

This panel will address your questions about how to successfully serve your client companies with professionalism and integrity, including: 

• What causes CEOs to hire a consultant?
• What causes a CEO to bring a consultant back time and time again?
• What do consultants do RIGHT on the job?
• What do they do WRONG?
• What causes a CEO to vow NEVER to bring a consultant back?

There will also be a Q&A session following the panelists’ remarks.

Susan Chodakewitz, President & CEO, Nathan Inc., a global economic and analytics consulting firm that works with both government and commercial firms

Feyzi Fatehi, CEO, Corent Tech, a Silicon Valley firm cited by Insights Success Magazine as one of the Top 10 Most Disruptive Private Companies in 2018

Surinder Kumar, President & CEO, Arora Innovations, formerly with Wrigley, Mead Johnson, Pizza Hut and Warner-Lambert

Pamela and D. Scott Harper, co-CEOs, Business Advancement Inc., who also host a long-running, award-winning podcast targeted to CEOs called Growth Igniters Radio

Suzanne Bates

This year, 2020, has been a watershed year for companies as they were confronted with events that galvanized the conversation on social justice, fairness and equity. The business case for diversity is now overwhelming. CEOs and their boards are looking for answers. How can they address cultural issues in a meaningful way and by extension make the customer experience better?

Suzanne Bates, CEO of Bates Communications, leads a firm that has researched a growing new area of diversity – “belonging.”  What is belonging?  How does it change the people dynamic in organizations?  And what impact does it have on the business? Suzanne will share how belonging is different from diversity and inclusion, how teams create a sense of belonging that allows for individual expression as well as strong affiliation.

You will discover:

• How to evaluate whether there is a culture of belonging in the organization
• What behaviors are critical to moving from diversity to belonging
• Why belonging isn’t just “nice to have” but essential to growth and innovation
• How to talk with CEOs and boards about the topic of belonging
• How companies can develop a competitive edge by fostering belonging

Key Takeaway: This will be a highly interactive session where you’ll have an opportunity to participate by sharing what is happening in your client companies, and what role you can play in helping them create vibrant, inclusive environments.

Juan Negroni, CMC, IMC USA Chair
Ken Lizotte, CMC, 2020 Conference Committee Program Chair