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Join RPCN for some holiday cheer!
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 The Rochester Professional Consultants Network (RPCN) kicks off its 25th anniversary celebrations with a Holiday Dinner Party on Thursday, December 11, 2014, at the Bistro at Towpath Café, 6 North Main Street in Fairport. The event begins at 5:30 PM with a cocktail hour and networking. Dinner starts at 6:30 PM.
Bring a guest and join your RPCN peers for some holiday cheer! Learn about the exciting and educational 25th anniversary events RPCN has planned.
Our menu includes appetizers, butternut squash soup, salad, pork tenderloin in cider cream sauce, chicken-artichoke French, angel hair pasta, garlic smashed potatoes, fresh seasonal vegetables and assorted desserts. Your coffee, tea or soda is included in the price. There is a cash bar.
Since this is the season to give back, we are collecting canned goods to donate to Foodlink. Help a neighbor in need by bringing a canned good to the dinner.
Tickets are $20 for members and $30 for guests and can be purchased through the RPCN website, www.RochesterConsultants.org. Please RSVP by Thursday, December 4.
If you have any questions, please contact Laurie Enos at 585-315-4941 or Laurie@BlueDogMktg.com.
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Charter member recalls RPCN’s earliest days
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Interview by David Powe; editing by Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, RPCN Communication Committee
 As RPCN prepares to celebrate 25 years in 2015, RPCN board member David Powe talked with charter – and first female – member Chris Leavitt about her recollections of how the organization began, what makes a good consultant and more. Here are highlights of the conversation.
Q: What do you remember about how the organization came into being?
A: I would not be surprised if Dave Young got the thing going, but it was composed of seven Kodak guys initially. Ted Fraser recruited me on a plane when we were both going to consulting gigs. I think John Foote joined at just about the same time. I also remember Roger Vickery.
We met in homes and sat in a circle talking about how the consulting game worked. No one had a realistic idea – they thought all consultants worked like Kodak consultants and all logistics were worked like those at Kodak. Discussions were often very unrealistic. As each mirrored the other, there was no telling them anything for a long time. I almost dropped out, but I really liked John and Roger, so I stuck it out with them.
After we got a “constitution,” we began to get organized and John and Roger pretty much put the squeeze on me to run for VP, which was also the Program chair. I was pretty scared, but did it anyway, and it proved to be a wonderful experience. I learned how to work in a room full of men, all of whom saw themselves as experts in their field, which back then was almost all quality.
Our meetings soon grew from the seven or nine original members to 20, 25 and 40 members, and then more and more. We had swell meetings with really neat speakers and gained lots of information. We had a lot of fun.
How did the RPCN help you in your career?
Mostly by helping me find good people to hire. I also developed leadership skills and self-confidence by working with lots of guys in suits with loud voices. The real consultants were quiet and never the “expert voice”; just sitting and quietly listening.
To read the rest of the interview, including her advice for both new and experienced consultants, visit this page on the RPCN website. (Chris Leavitt photo from files.)
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By Dave Bassett, RPCN President
 I hope all had a great, festive Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for, and the continuing support of the members of this wonderful organization is up toward the top of that list. Thank you for the responsibility you’ve entrusted me with in overseeing the efforts of this talented, diverse group of volunteers who make RPCN work as well as it does. There are so many people who allow RPCN to keep up with the services and benefits of membership that our members have grown to expect and appreciate through the years – I am hesitant to try to mention them all, as I’m certain that I’ll forgot somebody, but here goes.
The board members and committee heads who directly make the day-to-day working of RPCN happen – on the board: Michael Van der Gaag, David Powe, Sandy Glanton, Jerry Seward, Janice Hanson, Mark Schrader, Mike Molaire and Laurie Enos; heading up our committees: Steve Royal, Ruth Balkin, Bob Lurz and Peter Burns; the people working on various committees (some of whom work on multiple committees): Tracey Aiello, Jim Barton, Ruth Thaler-Carter, Barbara Moore, Emily Carpenter, Mary Sperr, Bob Lewis, Joe Groden, John Foote, Lori Cohen, Bill Vallee, Bob Manard, Judy Shenouda and Peter Rios. We’ve also had a few newcomers pitch in when they’ve been able: Latanya Bispham-Robinson, Collin Paran and Fred Lutz.
As you can see, it takes a lot of people to make this group run as smoothly as it does. And as mentioned above, I am certain that I am forgetting somebody; please forgive any lapse, it is not intentional!
Consulting Business Boot Camp
We’ve accomplished a lot this past year, including reinstituting the Consulting Business Boot Camp this past February, under the leadership of Bob Lurz. The program was full useful information and the classroom at MCC was packed. We had such a good response from this boot camp (and the original one as well) that I am very pleased that Bob has agreed to hold another one this February and March. To accommodate the demand, we’re moving the boot camp back to HTR so we can squeeze in a few more participants.
TrendTalk
We also held the second in an ongoing series of TrendTalk dinner panels this past May. The theme was Rochester’s human services sector and Mike Molaire, who spearheaded the effort, brought in three excellent dynamic speakers – Marlene Bessette, Carol Love and Michelle Prohov. We look forward to providing another TrendTalk this spring with a focus on local government.
Conference
We will be holding a full-day conference on Tuesday, April 7, at MCC. We have a large roster of speakers and will be presenting topics that will be beneficial to consultants and service businesses. Whether you are just starting out or have been established for many years, our three tracks will provide something of interest. There also will be several opportunities for sponsorship, advertising and exhibit booths, so there will be many ways that you can promote your business and name at the event.
25th anniversary
In 2015, we’ll be celebrating our 25th anniversary with a celebratory dinner/awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 21, as the main event. Check this newsletter for more details in the coming months as we get closer.
With all these activities, plus several others going on behind the scenes, it’s a busy time for RPCN. It’s also fun. If you’d like to help, we’d love to have you contribute. All of our committees are actively looking for volunteers to help out. To get involved, just check out the website to get the contact info for the particular committee you’re interested in or contact me at president@rochesterconsultants.org.
Please also feel free to contact me with your thoughts on how we’re doing, what you think we’re doing well and what you think we could do better. The members are the lifeblood of RPCN, and we look forward to your enthusiasm and continued participation. Thank you for your support!
This has been a busy and fun year for me, especially these last six months; I look forward to the coming new year. I hope that your 2014 has been successful and wish you even greater successes in the coming year. Peace.
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Registration is now open for 2015 Consulting Business Boot Camp
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By Bob Lurz
Here’s your opportunity to start up or refresh your consulting business. At the 2015 RPCN Consulting Business Boot Camp (February 3–March 3 at High Tech Rochester), you will learn to:
• DEFINE your services, clients and benefits
• CHOOSE a legal entity (DBA, LLC, Corp, liability, taxes)
• BUILD your reputation and image
• MARKET your consulting services
• DISCOVER your value to potential clients
• PRESENT your value proposition and receive feedback
Some comments from past Boot Camp participants:
“As a result of the Consulting Boot Camp, I felt empowered, capable and challenged to begin my own consulting work.”
“Helped me think seriously about my consulting business."
“Allowed me to be in an environment of other people attempting to do the same thing, and I learned a lot and accelerated my business by being in that environment. One thousand percent better than sitting at home trying to go through this solo."
A unique experience
After the presentations and workshops, you top off your Boot Camp experience by pulling together the value proposition of your consulting practice. You present your value proposition in a scenario that describes your prospect’s problem, your value and the results you bring. You have 10 minutes, uninterrupted, to present to a panel of evaluators. You receive immediate feedback and improvement advice on your stand-up presentation of services, benefits and proposed results. Participants consider this the high point of their Boot Camp experience.
Save $50 when you register by December 15. Prices go up December 16. Join RPCN and save $70 on the Boot Camp. Click here to register now!
Questions? Contact Bob Lurz at RFLurz@ConsultantsAccelerator.com or call 585-544-2387.
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“Have the gumption to try something new, and the grit to see it through.” – Karen Wynn Fonstad (American cartographer, 1945-2005)
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We want you!
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The RPCN newsletter welcomes news, success stories, tips, resources, events and other items that would be of broad interest to consultants. Submit a newsletter item by email to the Communication Committee. RPCN members also may write articles for our website; submit articles here. In the newsletter, we'll highlight submitted articles aimed at helping consultants make their businesses better.
If you have newsletter questions or suggestions, or ideas for how RPCN could improve communications, contact the Communication Committee:
Janice Hanson, Chair
Barbara Moore
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Steve Royal
Collin Paran
Sheryl Rhodes
Please send articles for the January newsletter by December 15.
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Upcoming events
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Technical Forum
facilitated by Steve Royal
Friday, December 5, 2014
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library
An informal, facilitated roundtable discussion of any technical issues that consultants encounter in running their businesses, including computers, the Internet and phones. Wondering what kind of questions people are asking? For a list from recent forums, click here.
RPCN Holiday Dinner Party
Thursday, December 11, 2014
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
The Bistro at Towpath Café, 6 North Main Street, Fairport
Join RPCN for some holiday cheer! RPCN kicks off its 25th anniversary celebrations with a Holiday Dinner Party. The event begins at 5:30 PM with a cocktail hour and networking; buffet dinner starts at 6:30 PM. Since this is the season to give back, we are collecting canned goods to donate to food link. Help a neighbor in need by bringing a canned good to the dinner. Tickets are $20 for members and $30 for guests. Please register by Thursday, December 4.
Great Consulting Service, But Who Needs It?
presented by Bob Lurz (with assistance from Barb Moore)
Friday, December 12, 2014
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room
This presentation shows you how to interview potential clients to discover if they need and want your service (and what to do if they don’t). If you don’t discover your prospects’ opinions about your value, you risk building a consulting practice that won’t meet your goals. You’ll learn how to build an interviewing strategy, then observe role plays that demonstrate the “Do’s & Don’ts.” Our Motto: “Ask, don’t sell.”
Here is a video introduction to his presentation:
Business Forum
facilitated by Bob Lurz
Friday, December 19, 2014
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library
An informal, facilitated roundtable discussion of issues regarding starting or running a consulting business. Wondering what kind of questions people are asking? For a list from recent forums, click here.
RPCN Board Meeting
Friday, December 19, 2014
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Pittsford Community Library
RPCN’s monthly board meeting begins at approximately 10:00 AM, after the Business Forum. Everyone is welcome to attend, but only board members may vote.
No Meeting
Friday, December 26, 2014
There will be no RPCN meeting today because of the holidays.
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Making your business better
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Blogging: RPCN member Laurie Enos lists three ways to use a blog to market your company: 1) share knowledge, 2) answer questions from readers, and 3) offer promotions and deals. More of Laurie's advice on using a blog can be found in her article, Why Small Firms Can Use a Blog.
Productivity: Do your productive times match with these stats? The most productive day of the week is Tuesday. The least productive day is Friday. The most productive time of day is 10:26 am. The least productive time of day is 2:55 pm. Read more in Robin Harisis's blog article, The Best – and Worst – Productive Times.
Negotiation tactics: Time is a critical element in most negotiations. If you understand the rules, you can gain some advantage. RPCN member Bob Whipple offers five techniques he finds helpful and two true stories of how these techniques worked in his blog Using Time in Negotiations.
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RPCN welcomes the following new members.
Fred Lutz
Rafi PN
Michael Vogt
Not an RPCN member? You can join the RPCN now to receive great benefits including free admission to RPCN presentations, a listing in the RPCN Member Directory and discounts to RPCN events such as the conference and TrendTalk. Click here to join the RPCN.
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