*Interview with Alan Weiss Part 2: Building a Successful NLP Consulting
Practice*

Recently business consulting guru *Alan
Weiss*,
author of *"Organizational Consulting: How to Be An Effective Internal
Change Agent"* exchanged some thoughts with me on the current state of NLP
corporate consulting based on his 20 plus years of experience consulting and
training with some of the largest organizations worldwide. These comments
from someone distinctly outside of NLP may be quite valuable for those of us
involved in helping organizations change at the deepest levels. Here is the
second part of our recent *interview*. The first part of this
*interview*was titled
*NLP and Corporate Consulting .*
-*NLPschedule.com.
*

*Q. The two most common forms that I've seen people bringing NLP into
corporations are either as individual practitioners looking for individual
organizational work, and as trainers who bring the ability to train groups
in specific skills like sales. How should individuals following these paths
proceed, and what differences should there be in their marketing methods? *

*Weiss*: No difference in marketing. Marketing is based on finding need,
matching competency to the need, and having passion. The key is to have a
value proposition based on business outcomes (e.g., faster sales, closing
time) and downplay the actual NLP methodology which, rightly so, will cause
the eyes of the buyers to glaze over.

* Q. Assuming that one of the major skills that a consultant or trainer
brings is NLP skills, and NLP training, how would you suggest that each go
about attaining new prospects? You mentioned in the first Q & A that
branding around NLP doesn't make sense. What methods should one use to find
prospects that are a good (and likely) fit for these services?*

*Weiss*: Actually, this is the same answer as above. Find need and meet it.
The best bet is for NLP to be simply one of many OD and or/ coaching tools
used, and not be a "one trick pony".

* Q. Judging from what you have seen in the field, what are a couple of
those "needs", that NLP methods (as you've seen them at their best) would
match? (I've considered this on my own, and would like to see how mine
compare to yours.)*

*Weiss*: I think this repeats prior questions. Basically, it's a tool among
many. It can be used for improving individual performance and coaching; for
gaining higher quality relationships in sales; for exerting influence in
recommendations, etc. But I reiterate, this is not an intervention in its
own right, but an augmentation to others.

* Q. Once someone has identified the outcomes of their work, and identified
the need that they can fill, how does one go from to targeting specific
companies as prospects?*

*Weiss*: You determine who is the likely buyer for your services, despite
industry and company (e.g. Vice President of Sales) and then find that
person in companies that can spend money and do have a strong history of
using outside aid. NLP is cross-cultural in its application. One should
publish, speak, and network to get in front of that buyer, but basing all on
business outcomes not the methodology.

* Q. For example, if someone does helps solve people issues in corporations,
or does helps executives improve personal performance, or trains groups in
highly interactive sales skills, how should they go about prospect hunting?
Considering that they might be located in Amherst , NY , or Marin , CA .*

*Weiss*: You do some homework via reading and research and find firms with
clear challenges, successful enough to have money to spend, a history of
using consultants, a culture of change, etc. But you have to be willing to
get out of Amherst or you're just dabbling…