Geoffrey Bellman describes his book as follows:

This book has been a great surprise to me. It continues to sell word-of-mouth; it has been through a number of printings over the last six-plus years. The Consultants Calling addresses the personal side of being a consultant.

Bellman describes consulting as a "life path, not just a living" and we agree. Yet another approach, and an appealing one to the profession of consulting. Not a "how to book", but one that relates to personal growth, personal values, and their relationship to consulting.

Several readers have described this as the best book available on the subject. Hyperbole? You decide.

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Product Description

This book is for anyone who wants to know what consulting is really like as a career, as a living, as a way of life. A successful consultant for many years, Geoffrey Bellman shows how to make the job rewarding--both financially and personally. The Consultant's Calling examines every aspect of the work, from the practical issues of managing time, clients, and money to such broader concerns as how to balance work with family life and how to remain honest with oneself. Both personal and pragmatic, this book is for all types of consultants, inside or outside organizations; for those who work with consultants; and for those who dream of becoming a consultant.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1531738 in Books
• Published on: 1992-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

Review
Praise for the First Edition

"Taps into our feelings about our work, but it also makes definite suggestions to improve our craft as consultants. It helped me, even though I have twenty-nine years of experience as a consultant."
— Journal of Management Consulting

"The best book for [people who are trying to determine whether] consulting is for them."
— T & D

"A triumph of goodwill, wisdom, and a kind of humble Midwestern practicality. If Will Rogers had given attention to the consulting profession, this is the book he would have written."
— Peter Block, author of Flawless Consulting

"I must have a couple of dozen colleagues who shouldn't go another day without this book. Bellman has found a way to portray consulting as a way of life rather than just an abstract function. Here it all is-what we enjoy and exult in, and what we ponder, anguish, and whisper about. You will already know Geoff-the-Consultant: He is yourself."
— Peter Vaill, author of Managing as a Performing Art

"A wonderful book for people who want to test the waters of consulting, as well as for those who are looking to affirm their role as consultant but want to enhance their impact with clients and their own lives."
— David B. Wagner, Mercer Delta Consulting

"All my life, as a girl, as a professional consultant and now a retired elder I have shaped myself to be able to answer the internal question: Am I truly making a difference in the world? Am I truly living my beliefs through the contributions? And one day, some years ago I found Geoff Bellman and The Consultant's Calling. I wanted to shout out loud in my room, 'Yes that's it! That's what it's all about!' It affirmed for me everything I believed . . . .and we need affirmation with regularity, because it's often lonely out there. This book has been an inspiration for me and the most important part of reading it over and over is that it affirms what's best in me and my work. Thank you for being there, Geoff."
— Kathie Dannemiller, consultant and author of Collaborating for Change

"Geoff Bellman, you wrote my song! I laughed and cried and hummed as I sang The Consultant's Calling. It left me feeling affirmed for who I am, empowered with what I could be, guilty for what I choose not to face, skilled with what I can now do, and clearly convinced that I am living my work on purpose."
— Chip Bell, management consultant and author of Clients and Consultants

From the Publisher
Praise for the First Edition

"Taps into our feelings about our work, but it also makes definite suggestions to improve our craft as consultants. It helped me, even though I have twenty-nine years of experience as a consultant."
— Journal of Management Consulting

"The best book for [people who are trying to determine whether] consulting is for them."
— T & D

"A triumph of goodwill, wisdom, and a kind of humble Midwestern practicality. If Will Rogers had given attention to the consulting profession, this is the book he would have written."
— Peter Block, author of Flawless Consulting

"I must have a couple of dozen colleagues who shouldn't go another day without this book. Bellman has found a way to portray consulting as a way of life rather than just an abstract function. Here it all is-what we enjoy and exult in, and what we ponder, anguish, and whisper about. You will already know Geoff-the-Consultant: He is yourself."
— Peter Vaill, author of Managing as a Performing Art

"A wonderful book for people who want to test the waters of consulting, as well as for those who are looking to affirm their role as consultant but want to enhance their impact with clients and their own lives."
— David B. Wagner, Mercer Delta Consulting

"All my life, as a girl, as a professional consultant and now a retired elder I have shaped myself to be able to answer the internal question: Am I truly making a difference in the world? Am I truly living my beliefs through the contributions? And one day, some years ago I found Geoff Bellman and The Consultant's Calling. I wanted to shout out loud in my room, 'Yes that's it! That's what it's all about!' It affirmed for me everything I believed . . . .and we need affirmation with regularity, because it's often lonely out there. This book has been an inspiration for me and the most important part of reading it over and over is that it affirms what's best in me and my work. Thank you for being there, Geoff."
— Kathie Dannemiller, consultant and author of Collaborating for Change

"Geoff Bellman, you wrote my song! I laughed and cried and hummed as I sang The Consultant's Calling. It left me feeling affirmed for who I am, empowered with what I could be, guilty for what I choose not to face, skilled with what I can now do, and clearly convinced that I am living my work on purpose."
— Chip Bell, management consultant and author of Clients and Consultants

From the Inside Flap
This thoroughly revised and updated edition of The Consultant's Calling— the book that has become a classic in the field— is written for anyone who wants to know what consulting is really like as a career, as a living, as a life. A successful consultant for more than thirty-five years, Bellman knows how to make the job rewarding, both financially and personally. He understands today's marketplace, the vocation, and the art of consulting. Every aspect of the work is examined including the practical, the profound, and the curious. This is a book for all types of consultants, all those who work with consultants, and all those who dream of becoming consultants.

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Customer Reviews

Essential reading for service professionals
If you "help others with what they need and want," you will treasure this book and re-read it every year for a "tune-up." How do you create integrity in your work, bring honor to the profession, and gain your client's trust and gratitude? The author believes our best service to clients is accomplished through consciousness of self, and he calls on those of us with "radical hearts and pin-striped suits" to lead clients by our example to have the courage to implement our recommendations and thereby fulfill their organization's needs and our own. He says we must make our "values and viewpoints" evident to clients so they know they're buying a human being's integrity and expertise, and he walks his talk on every page. Most valuable to me is his clear insight into the mind and heart of the client, the person across the table who's hiring me. I have 10 years of consulting experience and am now building a practice in a new area, and this book gave me (1) practical advice on getting clients and making money, updated for today's marketplace and client expectations; (2) an inspiring reminder of how valuable I am to my clients and (3) a role model for creating a life for myself with contribution, friendship, and integrity at its center. Read this book if you are a coaching professional, management consultant, dentist, attorney, financial advisor, personal trainer, or any other client-focused service professional.

Thoughtful book on consulting as a life mission
Best book on consulting I've read; it helps frame what one can bring *as a person* to a consulting career. Completely different context then the usual "make $200k a year as a consultant from your own home" books. I'm buying a copy for me, and one for a friend who is just entering the field.

Significantly fresh and new. Affirming and Inspiring !
"All my life, as a girl, as a professional consultant and now as a retired elder I have shaped myself to be able to answer the internal question: 'Am I truly making a difference in the world? Am I truly living my beliefs through the contributions?' And one day, some years ago I found Geoff Bellman and The Consultant's Calling. I wanted to shout out loud in my room, " Yes, that's it! That's what it's all about!" It affirmed for me everything I believed... and we need affirmation with regularity, because it's often lonely out there. This book has been an inspiration for me and the most important part of reading it over and over is that it affirms what's best in me and my work. It was relevant and spoke to me then as it does now. Reaquaint yourself with the new edition of Consultant's Calling. It's a gem."