Found my self nodding a lot while reading this, which is not a good thing to do when reading in public. However it makes such good sense I couldn't help myself!

Although a little dated (social media wasn't even on the radar when this was written), it contains some great nuggets of information. In particular, Chapter 10, "How clients choose" is a must-read for anybody in high-value sales. That chapter alone is worth the price of the book.

Parts of it are irrelevant now but still useful

This is an old book and parts of it have not stood the test of time. The parts that did are still useful and in some places, I was surprised at how ahead this book is of its time.

Even though its age, this book is useful to skim through, if you're in an agency. It formalizes much of the language we don't think about and shows paths for sustainability and scalability. It is quite long as it tries to cover agency business from various dimensions. As I said, feel free to skim through such sections. And some of the chapters are entirely outdated and you'll know it once you see it. This way, the book is a moderately long read.

“Managing the Professional Service Firm provides invaluable insights into the management of professional service organizations. Its practical approach and clear examples make it an essential guide for leaders and consultants striving to optimize operations, strengthen teams, and deliver exceptional client service. A must-read for anyone aiming for excellence in this field.”

the first 2/3 of this book changed my life. so good.

Padded, but the parts that are good are very good. This is a good framework for consultants, lawyers, etc., to understand the incentives of different people in their firms and how leadership of those firms can improve their incentive structure. It is a bit old but doesn't feel too dated (only when the author gets into politics; he seemed like a Reagan fan and maybe even a Bircher?).

(Nearly) forgotten lore on how to run a professional services business - written in 1993. Very relevant for the current wave of IT consulting and software house businesses.

Best advice:
1. Listen to clients.
2. Measure client satisfaction.
3. Set up mentor-mentee relationships.
4. Strive for high quality (how to define quality).

The book also covers:
1. Motivation.
2. Profitability management.
3. Partners management (owners of the business).
4. Sales management.

Quite possibly the most well-written business book I've ever read.

Fascinating and insightful book about how a good professional service firm should be run.

Although a bit outdated this book was very good. I typically don't enjoy reading books that have to do with work but this book provided some insight that is very useful in managing a professional services firm. In particular the notion of improving the leveragibility of existing/junior staff as opposed to hiring externally can generate revenue and increase margins. Also, the mix between the types of professional services firm provides insight on who/what the firm is that is insightful in terms of overall direction and objective of the firm. I was able to pull out several things I need to do to improve as a manager that I can apply to my job today which makes this book worth the read.

Written 20 years ago but still applicable to any professional services firm. My copy is dog eared and annotated and I’ve purchased copies for colleagues as well.
I just gave a biz book 5 stars. Probably my first and only.

Essential book to understand the fundamentals of the business (and its incentives) when it comes to Consultancy.