When you leave the world of paid employment and become a consultant, you need to change the way you think. That means no more Mr. Yes Man. (Or Ms. Yes Woman, as the case may be.) Upon becoming a paid expert -- a consultant -- you need to start standing up for your own beliefs. And you won't be credible unless you stand your ground.

Over the course of your independent consulting career, you're going to run into people who:

• Knock your consulting fees
• Question the approach you're taking
• Tell you you're wrong
• Argue that they've got a better idea
  
• Decide not to implement your recommendations

Sometimes, it makes sense to listen to your clients. But, other times, it's better to stand your ground. If no one every disagrees with you, you either have superhuman sales abilities or you're doing something wrong. Consultants are experts and experts should, in theory, know more than the rest of us. So if people always agree with you, you might want to check over your work.

Related

• Managing client behavior