Where did March go?

What I want to know is, who took March?

This month I invented an in-the-workplace game so behaviours taught in training are transferred into the real world (we're perfecting it, but it's really cool!).

I've been very lucky to have a clever and thoughtful client who is ready to experiment to get his people performing differently, and it's a pleasure to work with him (thanks Keith!)

Otherwise, I've been up and down to Melbourne, played a lot of Theatresports®, even directing a season of my own, and last night I saw one of the cleverest comedians on the planet, Ross Noble (twice)!

Down to business, though, here’s a summary of what’s in this ezine:

• Improvising in business - another Ludic Creative workshop
• self-promotion and difficult staff - new articles on the website and a conference in Coolum
• get a free e-copy of the Australian Consultant's Guide when you buy Consulting Mastery
• networking, common gst errors and business plans
• pricing your services
• fun, of course

May it make you smile!

Cindy

Twelve able and independent consultants and a few managers had a fun day at the Ludic Creative Life is not a rehearsal workshop in March. They said:

• "Well done – very appropriate to business people today –
  helping to develop mind-flexibility" Noelene Dawes Unlocking Potential
• "Fun, practical exercises, tools. The day was well put together – a layered experience that took me through skills and improvisation exercises. At the end of the session I realised I had achieved my outcomes. Great fun too!" Suzanne Mercier – Business Alchemy International
• "A safe challenge and interactive fun" Sophie Lippell
• "Interesting and inspiring. Worth doing if you want to
  discover inner strengths." Joseph Arena
• "A few hours to get re-acquainted with the innocence and openness we used to have as children. A GREAT afternoon.
  Love your positive take on absolutely everything! Well Done!"
  Sandra O’Neill
• "Fun, unpredictable, opening, enabling. A joy!""
  Jill Chivers - The Corporate Compass

Our next Life is not a rehearsal workshop is on Saturday 17 June 2006, at Social Life in North Sydney, 12 to 5pm. It's usually $150. Put ezine in the discount code when you enrol, and get it for $100.

If you're also interested in conferences in exotic locations, then how about the 15th Annual Pacific Rim Help Desk and Support Services Conference in Coolum in May?

I'll be giving a keynote on being recognised, appreciated and promoted (ethical self-promotion i like to call it!), and also a segment on dealing with difficult staff. You can get the guts of what I'm planning to say in articles on my web page. There are 2 more new ones as well - tips on performance management and on rewards and recognition.

I've sold the most recent version of the Australian Consultant's Guide probably 100 times since I re-revamped it in November last year. John Levine was the first person to notice that Page 69 was missing in the e-book version.

If you bought the guide from me, then please find page 69 in pdf format on my website. If you didn't, you can still download it (it summarises what's in section 2 - which is about marketing your business).

On another note, I have only 6 hard copies of Consulting Mastery left (which asks the question why no-talent charlatans get ahead in the Consulting world). These are the only original editions left. You will not find it in any bookshop anywhere.

If you buy a copy of Consulting Mastery in April, I'll throw in an electronic version of the Consultant's Guide (now with added page 69!). To claim your copy, order a Consulting Mastery, and put "ezine offer" in the special instructions box at the bottom of the order form.

Found some useful things for your business when trawling around the net in the past few weeks.

If you're running your own business, check out this article on Common gst errors. You could save yourself some pain! At entrepreneur.com, they've got an article on How to build a biz plan.

And if you know networking is good for your business and your career, check out The Art of Networking - it's not Schmoozing. It's a very practical article, with really basic tips like never put more than 3 bites on your plate, never sit with someone you know, and find low key learning environments, not high-powered networking environments.

The "low key learning environment" which made the biggest difference to my network of successful and clever people, was a course in NLP with Philippa Bond and Inform Training and Research in 1994 (and then for many years after that!).

Pip stopped doing public programs for a while, and now she's back, with a whole new set of NLP based public programs. My entire business changed in nature as a result of doing her programs; ideas I came upon have formed the core of my books and training courses. My consultancy fees quadrupled in the first year, and continued to get larger over the following 3 years. My client base increased. I cannot recommend her and her programs more highly. Go check out the courses

And here's the best thing. Robert Cialdini's research says companies should keep higher priced products in their range, so that the other products seem cheaper. Do you have "deluxe" versions of your products which make everything else seem reasonable?

Alan Weiss suggests consulting proposals should always provide three different prices (the basic, the deluxe and the ultimate package). In my experience, as Alan suggests, they'll take the middle option. It's about making the decision easier for the client, right? And maximising your possibilities!

Because no ezine is complete without some fun things to play and do, to you from me via my favourite lawyer, Michael Palmer, a game The Zen Puzzle Garden. A monk makes lines in the sand... how much zen can you handle in a work day? I have been unable to complete a single one (you can only access the first 5, by the way). But I'm certain that I will find it some day!

And if you live in Sydney, come see me play at Scared Scriptless Theatresports® every Friday night. It’s at the Clarence Hotel, 450 Parramatta Road, Petersham. I help them with publicity as well as play on stage as often as I can. Theatresports® is improvised, team-based comedy (just like Whose line is it anyway). Show starts at 8pm. It’s in a smoke-free bar. You can get meals there, and make a night of it. Mention the code word in April at the door, and save the $5 entry. The code word in April is Oscar. We're even playing on Good Friday (remember when NOTHING was open?).

Love to hear from you if any of these ideas spark something good for you and yours!

C

Cindy Tonkin The Consultants’ Consultant
Certified Management Consultant

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This month's images are copyright Cindy Tonkin 2006. Mostly taken in Melbourne in the past month or 2. The Scared Scriptless photograph shows Steve Johnston "testing" Chee-Hoe Tham's eyes in a Chain Murder scene.

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