Its become fashionable to bash marketing "gurus" nowadays.

There are some for whom prospect of even looking at someone as a "guru" is a sin. They believe in being free-thinkers, unfettered by bonds of guru-dom.

Then there are those who try to score points by "proving" gurus wrong. They think they have achieved a new high in their field just by proving that a "guru" made a false statement.

The problem with such people is that they refuse to understand "gurus" for what they are.

So just what IS a guru (marketing or otherwise)?

To put it simply, a guru is someone who has "been there, done that."

A guru is not one who is meant to be followed like a sheep, nor one whose every word is written in stone.

Of letters in Sanskrit word "Guru ", letter 'Gu' stands for darkness or ignorance; and letter 'Ru' stands for one who removes it or dispels it.

A guru is one who imparts knowledge that clears path of seeker. Knowledge that helps seeker gain a better understanding of himself.

Unfortunately many people see gurus - and marketing gurus in particular - as successful, over-bearing, conceited boors.

Trust me, if a person was successful in this field, he'd never have got there by being over-bearing and conceited.

Why? Because to be a success, you need other people to help you get there. And no one is going to do business with you if you're an over-bearing, conceited boor.

So just why do you need a guru?

For same reason you need a parent - to guide you when you are young and still learning ways of world.

For same reason you need a teacher - to introduce you to new concepts and ways of thinking you may never have conceived of.

For same reason you need a football coach - to teach you rules of game.

For same reason you need a mountain guide - to take you through treacherous terrain to a safer place.

Sadly, people only perceive gurus as someone to look up to with fear and disdain, or as someone to pull down so that one can feel important.

But client demands and evolution of sophisticated billing software have led to more detailed invoices today. Itemized statements have triggered discussion among businesses about whether hourly billing is best way to be charged for legal services. As legal profession becomes more competitive and dependent on high quality customer service, lawyers need to embrace alternate billing methods.

Fixed or flat fees, contingency fees, non-refundable retainers with discounted hourly fees, blended hourly fees and variations on those themes are becoming increasingly common. But many law firms have been slow to join this trend — lawyers still perform approximately 95 percent of their corporate legal work on an hourly basis.

What does that mean for your small business? If your company is currently working with a law firm or looking for legal counsel, try requesting alternate billing options. While many law firms rarely initiate different options, they'll negotiate when brought to table. If you want something better than old "bill by hour" deal, try presenting one of these billing structures:

Project billing for routine issues

Questions To Ask Your Legal Counsel

Is attorney experienced in business law or just practicing it between drafting wills and selling homes? Does attorney give advice in plain language or does he use a lot of jargon? Is there good "chemistry" between you and attorney? Are attorney's ethics and goals clear? What's attorney's track record with other businesses similar to yours? If your legal needs include large but repetitive tasks, consider a flat-fee approach, also known as project billing. If you need legal assistance on a large research project involving several repetitive tasks with a fair amount of predictability for cost estimation and time duration, request a dollar cap for predetermined services. Be sure to compare estimated costs at equivalent hourly rate—a projected cap that far exceeds any likely bill is really no cap at all.

Once you get a project billing estimate, don't hesitate to shop around. Making an informed decision — shopping around, comparing prices and services with other law firms — is good business sense, especially if you intend to hire a firm for a single project. If you anticipate establishing a long-term relationship, mention this as you're negotiating a project amount — a firm may provide a better deal if it expects future work from your company.