Executive Summary: A proven way to either supplement your income or transition out of a clinical career is to serve as a consultant. Consulting can be highly lucrative, most of the work can usually be done from a home office and overhead, start-up costs and risks are relatively small. This hands-on intensive workshop will show physicians how to start, build, and run a high paying consulting practice. Attendees will be guided to find their best consulting niches and be provided with strategies for getting started, and building, marketing and expanding their new consulting practice. Emphasis will be placed on the practical needs of the physician and his or her consulting practice. Physicians will be provided the tools, forms, and checklists to get their consulting practice off the ground.

At the conclusion of this two day seminar physicians should be able to:
• Identify a lucrative niche to offer consulting services in
• Describe an action plan for landing their first few clients
• List techniques to build a superior consulting brand
• Discuss methods to make sure you are fully and fairly compensated for your expertise
• List methods for exceeding client expectations and excelling at consulting
• Describe how to identify and capitalize on emerging consulting opportunities
• Discuss how to negotiate a premium consulting fee
• Identify the challenges and opportunities unique to physician consultants
• Explain the common ethical issues that physician consultants face

COMMENTS FROM PAST ATTENDEES:
“Excellent”
“Very informative”
“Lots of excellent information, presented very well. Well worth the money and time away from work”
“Worth it”
“Excellent, good guidance, good coverage of all aspects of consulting”
“Informative and enlightening”
“Excellent. It has sparked my interest in several areas of possible future employment/self employment”
“The speakers were quite informative on the subject of consulting. Their insight was invaluable to someone like myself who is just starting this process”

Registration Information:
The $1,295 tuition includes continental breakfast and lunch with faculty each day and a detailed conference manual. All persons registering prior to October 15, 2011 will receive a complimentary copy of the best-selling 52-minute DVD The Expert Medical Deposition: How To Be An Effective and Ethical Witness (a $104 value).  Click here to register online.

CANCELLATIONS:
Conference cancellations received in writing prior to January 15, 2012 will receive a full refund.

FACULTY:

Steven Babitsky, Esq., is the President and founder of SEAK, Inc., a continuing education, training, consulting, and publishing firm. He is the co-author of the book Non-Clinical Careers for Physicians (www.nonclinicalcareers.com) and has trained thousands of physicians over the past 30 years. Steve has served as a consultant for many years in the fields of marketing, business development, risk management, and negotiation. He is an expert on medical-legal consulting and has co-authored numerous books in this field and has worked one on one with numerous physicians to help them expand their consulting practices. He was a personal injury trial attorney for twenty years and is the former managing partner of the firm Kistin, Babitsky, Latimer & Beitman.

Stuart Portnoy, MD is a senior consultant for medical devices Biologics Consulting Group in Arlington, VA where he advises medical device manufacturers regarding regulatory strategy, clinical trial design,
and technical considerations to gain FDA market approval for their products. Dr. Portnoy spent 8 years at the FDA, rising from medical officer to acting deputy director of cardiovascular devices. He worked for 5 years in industry for PharmaNet as a medical device consultant. Dr. Portnoy received his MD from George Washington University School of Medicine.

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT:
SEAK, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. SEAK, Inc. designates this live activity for a maximum of 14 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

HOTEL AND TRAVEL INFORMATION:
A limited block of rooms will be available at special rates at the site hotel ($189 Resort View / $219 Gulf View). Rooms are limited and this rate expires January 13, 2012. To make your reservations please call 1-800-237-7600 and mention that you are with SEAK, Inc. These rates are available for a limited time and on a limited number of rooms so you are strongly encouraged to make your reservations as soon as possible. The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club (www.naplesbeachhotel.com) features a gorgeous beach on the Gulf of Mexico, onsite championship golf, an award winning Tennis Center, large beachside swimming pools,complete fitness center, a world class Spa and a complimentary Beach Klub 4 Kids. It is located in the heart of Olde Naples and is a 2-3 minute drive to the world famous shops, galleries and restaurants of Fifth Avenue.  To register for the hotel online click here.

Most major domestic carriers and several international airlines provide frequent service into Southwest Florida International Airport, just 40 minutes from the resort. Naples is located approximately 100 miles west of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, 150 miles south of Tampa and is easily reached by automobile.

SCHEDULE

Day One (Thursday, February 9, 2012)

7:30–8:00 REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

8:00–8:30 Introduction to Consulting
Attendees will be provided with an overview of the consulting industry, the opportunities available to physicians in consulting groups, solo consultants, and the federal government, why businesses hire physician consultants, and what successful physician consultants provide and how they provide it. Questions and Answers.

8:30–9:00 Your Consulting Niche
Faculty will explain the importance of selecting the “right” consulting niche that fits your needs and the needs of the marketplace. Questions and Answers.

9:00–9:45 Presentation and Critique of Attendee Niches
Attendees will present and explain the results of their pre-workshop questionnaires and have their consulting niches discussed, critiqued, clarified, and improved by the faculty and the attendees. What physician attendees are truly good at and can be compensated for will be stressed. Questions and Answers.

9:45–10:15 Initial Call from a Potential Consulting Client – Exercise
Attendees, with the assistance of the faculty, will engage in an initial call from a potential consulting client. The faculty will stress techniques for demonstrating competence and landing the client. Attendees and the faculty will critique the conversations and present the lessons learned. Questions and Answers.

10:15–10:30 BREAK AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

10:30–11:00 Building Your Consulting Brand
The faculty will explain and demonstrate techniques for defining and building a successful consultant brand, including: developing your branding elevator speech, using feedback from your clients, using testimonials, references, and referrals, and branding services, ideas, and concepts. Questions and Answers.

11:00–12:00 Landing Your First Clients
The initial hurdle physician consultants will have to overcome is how to deal with the “experience” and “references” questions when they are first starting out. The faculty will present fifteen different effective techniques for landing your first consulting clients. Physicians will be taught to make themselves desirable and “go-to” consultants that clients seek out. Case studies will be presented. Questions and Answers.

12:00–12:45 LUNCH PROVIDED WITH FACULTY

12:45–1:45 Fees, Billing, and Collection
The faculty will present the advantages and disadvantages of different fee structures that successful physician consultants employ. These include hourly rates, fixed fees, project based fees, contingent fees, and value based pricing. The faculty will emphasize how to be fairly compensation for your knowledge, expertise, talent for problem solving, and bringing value to the table. Attendees will be encouraged to present their proposed fee structure. Questions and Answers.

1:45–2:30 Setting the Scope and Goals of the Assignment
Faculty, with the assistance of the attendees, will explain the crucial importance of properly setting the scope of the assignment, the goals to be achieved, and how to deal with scope creep. Questions and Answers.

2:30–3:00 Managing Client Expectations
The faculty will discuss how to best set, meet, and exceed the expectations of your consulting clients. Case studies will be presented. Questions and Answers.

3:00–3:15 BREAK AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

3:15–4:00 Communication with Your Consulting Clients
Faculty will present best practices for keeping your clients informed, obtaining approvals, and buy-ins during the entire consulting assignment. Questions and Answers.

4:00–5:00 Marketing and Business Development for Your Consulting Practice
Faculty will present best practices and techniques for cost-effectively and successfully branding, networking, building your credibility, and marketing your consulting practice. Case studies, form letters, surveys, and checklists will be presented to demonstrate key points. Questions and Answers.

Day Two (Friday, February 10, 2012)


6:30–7:00 CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

7:00–7:30 Delivering a High Quality Product and Service
The faculty will discuss qualifications, experience, and your consulting protocol and methodology for delivering the highest quality service. How to exceed the expectations of the client and providing added value based on consultants’ insight and nuanced in-depth knowledge will be explained and demonstrated with case studies. Questions and Answers.

7:30–8:00 Spotting, Creating, and Capitalizing on Emerging Consulting Opportunities
The faculty will explain and demonstrate how to spot, develop, and capitalize on emerging trends and potential consulting opportunities. Case studies of “looking at what everyone else looks at and seeing something different” will be presented. Questions & Answers.

8:00–8:45 Business Side of Consulting: Running Your Practice
Attendees will learn the myriad of techniques for starting and building a successful consulting practice. Faculty will present forms and procedures for assignment proposal intake, billing systems, updates to the client and numerous other business considerations for the physician consultant. Cost effective use of support staff, letters of agreement, client updates and communication will be provided. Risk management techniques and insurance requirements will be discussed. Best practice in physician consulting office management will be presented. A discussion of the utility and necessity of insurance,
corporate structure and risk management will be presented. Faculty will present the key elements of a consulting assignment and provide advice on how to succeed at each stage and make the assignment successful for both client and consultant. Questions & Answers.

8:45–9:00 BREAK AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

9:00–10:00 Client Retention, Satisfaction, and Obtaining Repeat Business
The faculty will present numerous techniques including transparency, setting realistic goals, consistency, connecting with clients, making them your advocates, and obtaining letters of reference, etc. A sample closing memo and original research will be presented. Case studies of highly successful consultants and how they continue to obtain repeat business will be presented. Questions & Answers.

10:00–10:45 Negotiating your Consulting Fee
One of the most challenging aspects of acting as a physician consultant is negotiating your consulting fee with a potential client. Faculty will demonstrate how to be paid for value, service, and unique abilities of the consultant. Attendees will engage in an exercise demonstrating techniques for negotiating the highest fees available for a specific project. Discussion and analysis will follow. Questions & Answers.

10:45–11:00 BREAK AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

11:00–12:00 Competitive Analysis
Faculty will demonstrate how to realistically analyze the size of your potential consulting market, the competition and set realistic and reasonable consulting expectations. Questions & Answers.

12:00–12:45 LUNCH PROVIDED WITH FACULTY

12:45–1:15 Consulting Ethics
Faculty will present ethical best practices and discuss ethical dilemmas and solutions for consultants. Best interest of the client, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and creating client’s independence will be presented. Questions & Answers.

1:15–1:45 Unique Challenges of Physician Consultants
The faculty, with the assistance of the attendees, will discuss the unique and vexing challenges that physician consultants face and will provide proposed solutions to these challenges. Questions & Answers.

1:45–2:30 Action Plans
Attendees will present their written action plans for starting, building, and developing their consulting practices. The plans will be analyzed, critiqued, and improved by the faculty and fellow attendees. Questions & Answers.