The Question Most Commonly Asked of a Consultant

Just about every meeting I have with a potential client starts the same. They ask, “So what exactly do you do?” My response is always the same. “I am a consultant; why don’t you tell me a little more about what you do?” Most consultants have a specific area of expertise that can be briefly expressed, but the real discipline of consulting comes from their ability to help you realize your goals. Because of this frequent dance, I’ve decided to make this my first blog post and hope you all will enjoy this post and follow the posts to come.

A consultant is many things to many people, but at their core they are problem solvers. People who fit easily in to many different structures and are good at finding ways to improve any situation they are engaged in. Great consultants can do this under enormous pressure and deadlines. With this said, I decided to provide my followers with 3 tips on how to have a productive conversation with a consultant.

• Prepare for the Meeting- Many times over my initial meeting is spent talking about what type of services I have provided for other clients and what type of successes I have yielded with those services, but when you meet with a consultant you should be thinking about what type of results you expect of the consultant. Talk to your consultant about your vision, your short term goals, your long term goals, and why you decided to meet with him/her. The service we are selling is completely dependent on your goals. If they have a web presence, look them up and see what their advertised strengths are. Consultants have always researched your company before your meeting (at least good ones have).
  
• Discuss the Project before you discuss the Billing Structure- Another mistake is to begin discussing consulting rates before you have even discussed the project. When you ask consultants for bill rates before discussing the project, you’re basically asking them to guess. A bill rate is derived from various factors. For example, we need to consider the skill levels, length of assignment, and resources the project will consume. While most consultants have a minimum hourly rate, you should focus on expressing your needs and allow the consultant to respond with a proposal—after the meeting. This is your opportunity to negotiate the price and/or scope of work.
  
•  Close the meeting with Action Items- Many meetings have often ended with potential clients who say “we’ll see what happens” or “I’ll get back to you.” Instead close the meeting with an action item. Request a proposal of services based on your conversation or—if you already have decided to contract with the consultant—give him/her their 1^st task, contact information of the people they need to get started, and propose a deadline. This both ends a productive conversation and begins a potential working relationship.