Yet some of the most successful consultants have written books on the subject of their expertise.
Somehow I don't think a book would discourage consulting clients. They want him looking at their situation and data with the benefit of everything he's learned since writing the book.
If it gives him a higher profile it might actually result in more consulting gigs.
If it gives him a higher profile it might actually result in more consulting gigs.
So if you take one gram of sodium and add it to a room filled with chlorine gas, you end up with a wee little pile of salt. Pumping more gas into the room does not increase the amount of salt you get, because the sodium is the limiting reagent.
The limiting reagent in the number of consulting gigs I do every year is not the number of people who wish me to consult for them. It is closer to "How many weeks do I want to spend consulting?" That number is about ten to twelve weeks a year. I can fill my dance card at that number without needing to work very hard on getting the word out to new people.
It might make sense if I wanted to scale a consulting business up by hiring employees, training them to be Mini Me, and then closing clients on consulting engagements with fulfillment to be done by the Mini Mes. That is an option. It isn't one which really fits in with my plans for life at the moment.
Your answer to the "why don't you write a book" question was as concise and cogent as can be imagined (a priceless summary of what can make the conventional trade a sucker game for authors) - that said, I can't help but see a book in your future at some point, even if someone has to hog-tie and torture you to give it up. Your public will demand it.
If you have too many customers for the time available, why not increase the price?
And about the book, you can write down a somewhat detailed point-by-point walkthrough and outsource the actual writing of the book. Then sell it as an info product on your website for, say, $150 -- it is easily worth the money, which you get to keep most of and you can A/B test it like crazy.
Heck you could dictate the book while traveling and never have to write a line.
There are, however, three possible upsides you are did not address.
1. The experience of writing what you know down in an organized form is an excellent way of refocusing your thoughts. (OK, you do so much of that anyways that this is not an issue.)
2. An increased demand for your consulting services can result in an increased rate for you.
3. The feedback you might get on a book could make you think of things you have never thought about.
Writing a book is probably not going to increase the high-end demand for Patrick's work, which is where his money is at. He is already turning down work from clueful Patrick-hour investors.
>> closing clients on consulting engagements with fulfillment to be done by the Mini Mes
Your experience was gained over many years. The process of training Mini Mes would start to make the option of writing a book seem attractive by comparison.
Somehow I don't think a book would discourage consulting clients. They want him looking at their situation and data with the benefit of everything he's learned since writing the book.
If it gives him a higher profile it might actually result in more consulting gigs.