How does the Consulting Process work? Call the Sherpa today (206-505-9752) for a free phone consultation. You can tell me your story and I'll let you know if I think I can help. There's no obligation. If we decide to go further, you can follow the steps shown below and I'll come back to you with a cost estimate. You can decide then if you want to go forward. If we decide to go forward, return to this page and follow the instructions shown below. Then we'll be able to save a lot of time and be more productive on our next call. First, I will ask you to sign the Terms of Agreement that immediately follows this page. These terms essentially state the obvious…that no consultant knows your business as well as you do and after hearing what it is that Gary suggests, YOU are still the final decision maker and must decide on your own course of action. Secondly, you will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire about your company. You can do it online on this website. When finished, you can hit the submit button and it will send all that information to me in the form of an email. This gives me the opportunity to read through and understand your company far better than if you just told me these same things verbally on our phone call. It also saves a ton of time so that when we have our phone session, I can get right to the heart of the issues, ask a few more questions and then delve right into my suggestions for action. The third step is mine. I will review your information and then send you back an email. In that email, I may tell you that I cannot help you….this is rare but sometimes your industry is so out of the mainstream that I am hesitant to suggest anything. In most cases, I will tell you that I am confident I can help and I will quote you a price per hour of discussion. This will vary depending on the size of your company, the severity of your problem and a few other issues. The range is usually between $250 and $2,500 with most small businesses finding themselves at the extreme lower end of that scale. In any event, most businesses will find that my fee is less than they will gain back in the one month's bottom line improvement! The fourth step is yours again. If you accept my terms, email me back and we will set up a time to discuss everything. I usually need about one week to prepare so that gives you enough time to write a check and mail it so that it arrives before our scheduled session. (Sorry, I'm not accepting credit cards right now so I appreciate getting the check PRIOR to our discussion). After I receive the check, we will have our session. In most cases, I can help you design a bonus or incentive plan within that first hour. Don't sweat the clock. I don't. You won't get cut off at the 61st minute. We may reach an adequate conclusion in less than 60 minutes or it may take us 75 or so. Whatever. Lets just solve the problem. If it looks like we're going to take much longer, we'll figure something out on the payment. After our conversation, you will have a tool specifically designed for your company which you can use to change the pay structure and involve your employees. It will be your choice on when and if to use it. If, at the end of our hour, you feel that you did not get your money's worth, you can tell me and I will refund your money at that time. I am confident you won't feel that way but if you do, then the advice is free. Please move on to the Terms of Agreement! >>>