Archive
New Testimonial from Alan Weiss
Thankful to Alan Weiss for this new testimonial…
© 2-13 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
Announcing Alan Weiss Visit to the Pacific Northwest!
My professional mentor, Alan Weiss, will be conducting one of his Almost Free events here in Seattle on May 2nd. Registration is now online and ready to roll! Register by clicking here
Alan is the author of well over 40 books related to solo practitioner consulting, most notably Million Dollar Consulting. His events are full of tremendous value for consultants. Here is a sneak peak of what you will walk away from this “almost fee” event with…
Whether you are beginning in the profession or a veteran needing a boost, you’ll find a fast-paced, entertaining, and pragmatic session that will include:
- Finding buyers in times of volatility.
- Framing buyers’ issues quickly.
- Isolating your highest potential constituency and achieving high penetration.
- Creating a fast track to your highest fees for clients.
- Improving self-esteem.
- Improving use of time.
- Overcoming the four primary objections.
- Improving the “language of the sale.”
- Creating “bullet proof” proposals, based on my new book Million Dollar Proposals.
To register and reserve your spot, click here. The events I’ve gone to in Boston and Los Angeles have sold out. Space is limited, so don’t delay. Your investment of $125 will be returned to you exponentially. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
© 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
Free Teleconference – My Interview with Alan Weiss on Thought Leadership
Join me for this power-packed teleconference with my special guest, Alan Weiss. The topic of my interview is fundamentals around thought leadership for as an expert in your field. Alan will offer insight and suggestions on how to quickly and powerfully position yourself as a thought leader to attain greater brand credibility, and to drive business to you.
January 29, 2013 – 8:00-8:30 AM (Pacific)
Register (Space limited to 100 participants)
Alan is the author of Million Dollar Consulting, The Consultant’s Bible, and another 46 books on solo consulting. His mentor community numbers well over 1,000 consultants worldwide. He is “One of the most highly respected independent consultants in the country,” according to the New York Post. His weekly Common Sense Consulting video series is nearing 1,000 subscribers.
Dan Weedin is one of less than 40 consultants in the world accredited as one of Alan’s “Master Mentors.” He founded his consulting practice in 2005, helping business owners and organizations dramatically improve their ability to avoid, mitigate, and respond to crisis. He has been a Master Mentor since 2010. He was recently inducted into the Million Dollar Consultant Hall of Fame by Alan Weiss.
This 20-minute teleconference will be free to attend, but space is limited to 100 people. You must register to save your “seat.” All registered participants will be entered in a drawing for a free 30-minute phone/Skype coaching session from Dan Weedin.
50 Reasons to Call Your Mentor
Collaborated on by Robbie Kellman Baxter and Dan Weedin, both accredited “Master Mentors” for Alan Weiss, author of Million Dollar Consulting, the Consultants Bible and about 40 other books on consulting….
Are you being mentored or coached and don’t know why or when to call your mentor? It’s funny that I sometimes hear this from the consultants that I coach and mentor. Robbie has, too. They get so caught up in their everyday “grind,” that they lose focus on when to get help. To that end, Robbie and I have come up with 50 reasons to call your mentor. That should keep you, and us, busy!
From Robbie Kellman Baxter – website
1. To prioritize your next steps
2. To role play an important conversation
3. To figure out what went wrong, after the event
4. To review your new website
5. To review your book proposal
6. To review your plan to market your book
7. To figure out how to package value at different price points
8. To increase your value and decrease your labor intensity
9. To think bigger
10. To figure out how to fire your worst clients
11. To review your Objectives, Measures, and Values before you send out the proposal
12. To make sure that you use subcontractors effectively
13. To figure out when and if you should collaborate with another consultant
14. To price a project
15. To strengthen your value proposition
16. To plot how to reinvent yourself
17. For practical tips on technology
18. When you’re ready to start building your brand as a thought leader
19. When you need a little push
20. When your project hits a major bump
21. When your client hasn’t paid you
22. When you need language to ask a client for a referral
23. To help you get organized
24. To prep for a speaking engagement
25. To share your successes!
From Dan Weedin – website
26. To help you manage your time
27. To answer question on how to maintain good life balance
28. When you need a confidence boost
29. To get a second opinion
30. When you’re feeling anxious or scared
31. When something worked and you want to learn how to replicate it
32. To review your demo video
33. To help you get better referrals
34. When you need something clarified or defined
35. To learn how to get past a gatekeeper
36. To learn how to overcome objections
37. When you need to vent
38. When you need a sounding board
39. To review your articles, white papers, and executive briefs
40. To help you create intellectual property
41. To review your marketing material
42. When you need the right answer to your biggest concern fast
43. To gain confidence before you walk in the door to a new prospect
44. When you need to hear the truth
45. When you need to learn how to run a webinar or teleconference
46. When you don’t know the answer
47. Before you send the email response to make sure it’s good
48. To help you learn how to effectively network
49. To help you create press releases
50. To guide you towards valuable resources
© 2012 Robbie Baxtter and Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
The “Official” Announcement
Dan Weedin Inducted into Million Dollar Consultant™ Hall of Fame
Dan Weedin
Poulsbo, WA (November 15, 2012) – Dan Weedin, a Seattle-area based insurance consultant, executive coach, and speaker, was formally inducted into the Million Dollar Consultant™ Hall of Fame on November 13th. He was one of five consultants of diverse disciplines to be awarded this honor.
Alan Weiss, Ph.D. announced the honors during his annual Mentor Summit held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco, CA. Dr. Weiss is the author of Million Dollar Consulting and over 40 other books in the field of consulting, coaching, and speaking. He conducts a global mentoring program for consultants and holds multiple awards in the consulting and speaking professions.
Criteria for being inducted in this elite group include:
• Serving as an exemplar to others in the profession.
• Manifesting the highest levels of integrity, ethics, and accountability.
• Achieving significant annual revenue and profit improvement.
• Contributing intellectual capital to the consulting profession.
• Engaging in continuing, challenging, personal and professional development.
• Taking prudent risk and demonstrating resilience.
Alan Weiss says, “Dan Weedin exemplifies our Hall of Fame through his generous sharing, community support, business growth, and high integrity. He is constantly asking, ‘How can I help my clients improve?’ trusting that that will always provide positive rewards for him, as well.”
Also inducted in this class are Scott Wintrip (St. Petersburg, FL), Steven Bleistein (Tokyo), Bart Sayle (United Kingdom), and Judy Chan (San Francisco). Honorees are chosen from the global participants in the Private Roster Mentor Program, which number well over 1,000.
Weedin is an expert in crisis leadership and insurance, and helps his clients to maximize their ability to respond and thrive out of crisis. He also coaches and mentors individual consultants and insurance professionals to help them achieve greater success in their careers.
For more information, contact Dan Weedin at (360) 271-1592; (360) 824-8100 (fax); or dan@danweedin.com. Please also visit our website.
Breaking News – Dan Weedin in Million Dollar Consulting Hall of Fame
I am very humbled and honored to have been announced as a 2012 inductee of the Alan Weiss Million Dollar Consulting Hall of Fame. Alan made the announcement at the Mentor Summit at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco this morning. A more descriptive press release will follow when I return. I join an amazing group of world class consultants who share this honor, and I am truly appreciative.
Copyright 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
San Francisco Journal #1
Day 1 in San Francisco turned out to be eventful. I am in the City by the Bay for the Alan Weiss Mentor Summit. It’s a conference where all the world class consultants in Alan’s community congregate about every 9 months to learn more about our business, to grow professionally, to network, and to enjoy the city.
I started the evening meeting a couple of my own mentor clients and going out to dinner at a great place. It’s an Italian restaurant a few blocks away from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel where I am staying (in the financial district). We had a terrific dinner and a nice time together. Afterwards, several of us decided to have a nightcap in the hotel lounge.
Sitting to the table next to me was a guy who looked just like Michael Jordan. THE Michael Jordan of Chicago Bulls fame and glory. The more I wanted to dismiss it, the more I was certain. He was even wearing a Jordan logo shirt. I asked my colleagues to take a look and see what they thought. About that time, a young woman approached him and started talking to him about his career. They were literally about 15 feet away. It was definitely MJ. She asked for his picture (which he at least tried to confirm wouldn’t end up on the Internet), and chatted with him. Shortly, she returned to her seat at the bar, giddy with delight.
I thought, if she can politely approach him, I can to. As I stood up to do so, she re-emerged bearing a pen and napkin for an autograph. Geez! He was still kind to her, but looking like he wanted to return to his private dinner. As she left, I quickly stuck out my hand and said, “I don’t want your autograph or a picture. I simply want to shake your hand and thank you for years of enjoyment in watching you play.” He was also very gracious to me and smiled. We actually talked Seattle Sonics basketball for about 10 seconds. He said he loves the city and they and the fans deserve a team back.
Michael Jordan epitomized graciousness this evening. I don’t know if it always happens, but on this night in San Francisco, it did. What a way to start the week!
Copyright 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
Wisdom from Alan Weiss
with Alan in Providence earlier this year
Alan Weiss is the author of Million Dollar Consulting® and is the foremost authority on solo practitioner consulting. He’s also a really smart guy and my mentor! I follow his weekly memo that gets sent out on Mondays. Yesterday’s was really good and I want to share it with you…
This week’s focus point: No matter what your politics, the first Presidential debate showed that the camera is always on you; preparation is vital; energy is essential; rules are almost always broken at some point; and this is an age of instantaneous communication and viral opinion. What does that mean for us? Be careful about your non-verbal behavior, stay in the moment, frequently express interest, be physically and emotionally fit, and manage the messages you need to send. If you want to stand out in a crowd, you had better plan to look good while you’re standing there.
© 2012 Alan Weiss. All Rights Reserved
A great lesson for all of us in business and life…
© 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
Extra Points – Success Not Perfection
This week’s focus point… 
Success Not Perfection.
My car is in the garage.
One of my summer objectives was to get the car in the garage. It became a necessity as my mother’s mobility has diminished and as the weather gets worse, it’s important. I had made strides in cleaning out the garage, but since the weather was perfect, I knew it was “go time.” In 2 hours, I was able to clean out and re-organize to the point that the car first perfectly and in a spot that is easy for my mother to get in. The garage is not perfectly clean, but success was achieved.
Life and business are about success, not perfection.
How often do you see that someone is not willing to take a next step because everything isn’t just right? It’s not perfect. They don’t want to put something out there or take a risk because conditions aren’t exactly right. How often do you do that?
There is never a perfect time. Not taking that risk may be worse than waiting for that ideal time because you’ve lost opportunity or never do it. In the end, you really just need success. That’s what business and life are all about.
This week’s quote – “When you are 80% sure, go for it. The last 20% is dysfunctional. You were going to do it anyway, but lost valuable time in waiting,”
~Alan Weiss
© 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
Weedin 360 Newsletter – October
Your Secret Sauce to Success: 
Lessons from Boston
Last week, I spent 4 days in Boston. It is now one of my new favorite cities. Great city to walk, the food was awesome, the weather was perfect. And, the reasons I went turned out to be great. It seems whenever I go somewhere, especially new, I pick up some lessons for my business and life. Boston was no different. I’m happy to share them with you.
The reason for my trip was to meet with my Mastermind group created out of Alan Weiss’s consulting community. Alan was personally meeting with us for a day. My colleagues are from all over North America and are world-class consultants in their own rights.
Lesson #1 – You have to be present. By present, I mean face to face. Technology is a wonderful thing, however nothing beats personal interaction. Out of the group of six (including me), I had never met three of them in person. We had spoken by conference call, emailed, and dialoged on an online forum. But, we’d never met in person. The opportunity to meet in person before our session with Alan, to have dinner together, to relax, and to have fun, was simply priceless. It made the next day more meaningful and valuable, and it will make the rest of our journey together more rewarding.
When was the last time you dropped in to see your clients face to face?
Lesson #2 – Be flexible and creative. For as much as I believe in Lesson #1, things do happen. One of our group, who lives on the West Coast, injured her back the day before she was set to leave. There was no way she could do a 5+ hour flight with a bad back. But, instead of having her miss what was a very important session, we were able to Skype her in for the entire day-long meeting. She could see us all, ask questions, and felt part of the group. Even when my iPad flipped her over, it didn’t hurt!
Find a way to leverage your resources to be inclusive, save time, and provide value in a real-time manner.
Lesson #3 – Mix business with pleasure. I knew this already, but it was cemented here. My college-age daughters go to school in Pittsburgh, so I invited them to join me. They came early and we enjoyed some great meals, a trip to Fenway Park, and even included them with my colleagues for dinner. They were a big hit with my friends, and they enjoyed being part of my “business” life, too. In addition, after they left, I stayed an extra half day to walk the city, explore the history, and enjoy the vitality of Boston. I spent almost 3 hours walking with my History Channel app guiding me to historical spots.
When business takes you someplace new and interesting, find a way to arrive early, or stay late to enjoy where you are. When was the last time you did that?
Lesson #4 – You can’t be brilliant by yourself. Again, not a new concept, but sometimes you need to be reminded. Each one of us throughout the course of our daylong meeting, found several different ways to enhance our practice, provide more value, and improve our lives. These all came from a suggestion or comment from someone else. We often can get sucked into a myopic gaze, where we end up being our worst enemy when it comes to innovation and creativity in our own business. Having regular contact with a mentor, coach, or support group is critical to new idea generation and success.
Where do you go for help? Do you have a mentor, coach, or group to help you be brilliant?
Lesson #5 – When you’re in Boston, swing by Sonsie on Newbury and buy the Butternut Squash Pizza. You won’t be sorry. I know this is more of a tip than a lesson, but you just gained a little slice of food value. Go with it!
Do you take time to slow down and enjoy where you are in the moment? Sitting by myself, eating lunch, and enjoying the world go by was refreshing> When was the last time you rewarded yourself?
Fenway Park with my girls
Butternut Squash Pizza from Sonsies
© 2012 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
