There are a lot of very bad people in the world who call themselves consultants. This is both a good and bad thing for you. It's good because the competitive bar is very low. It's bad because, as a result of the damage these people have caused, clients hate consultants almost as much as lawyers and life insurance salesmen. This is true, and yet, good lawyers and life insurance salesmen make a ton of money and people need them even if they don't want them. The same is true for good consultants. I do not presume to have all the answers. This book has been written to be a thought provoking exercise for great business advisors. Getting paid, on a long term basis, by a happy client, is the ultimate A+ report card for any consultant. It means that: The client believes they continue to get real value. If you are prepared to stick around it, probably also means that you are getting more out of it than just the money. "Loyal, interesting, successful clients who are happy to keep paying me" sounds like a good deal all around.