One of the great things about being a consultant is that you’re on your own. But being on your own is sometimes one of the not-so-great things about being a consultant. When you’ve got a really tough question about running your business, who’s there to ask? The Society of Professional Consultants has an answer for this one: This year our annual summer barbecue will feature a panel of seasoned consultants ready to answer your tough questions on consulting. 

We won’t be surprised if many of the questions have to do with closing sales: 

• What do you do when you’ve sent a proposal and followed up with a call or e-mail, and been greeted with deafening silence? 
• How do you respond when you’re told you’re not getting the contract? 
• What if you hear, “We’d love to bring you in, but our budget won’t let us”? 

But sales are not the only thing a consultant has to think about. Other questions are welcome, too: What do you do when a colleague you’ve recommended does a poor job? How do you gear up to break into a whole new market?  

What tough questions would you like to ask? Send them in advance, if you can, to contact@spconsultants.org. We’ll post them on our website, and promise they’ll get a priority response from our panel. 

We’re inviting members of the Venture Forum (formerly the WPI Venture Forum) to join us, so we hope you’ll see some new faces to smile at and find some new elbows to rub. 

Dress will be casual, and if the weather cooperates, we’ll be outdoors. 

Sign up now, and don’t forget to send us your questions.