Chapter Four - Negotiate the Relationship

Consulting is ambiguous: Consultant can be vague depending on the task to be performed. All consultants must grasp this concept. It is the consultant obligation to clarify his roles with the client. The most successful consultants are skilled in helping clients understand how the process will work, making sure that the client knows that together will reach the desired result and at the same time consultant must assure that expectations on both sides are clearly delineated.

Clarify expectations early: It is important to define the boundaries of the relationship between the consultant and the client. For example, the consultant should not be called at 3:00 am if something went wrong if that scenario was not negotiated at the beginning of the engagement.

The six rules of negotiation: Avoid imposing your role, avoid having a role imposed on you, take out the emotions and the ego, negotiate creatively, avoid table disagreements, and document your agreements.