Great article: speaking as a consultant, this article hits the spot perfectly (ouch, who threw that?).
Aside from their particular expertise, I believe that good consultants need to do these three things:
1) listen/consult: to understand what's really at issue here, sometimes to challenge themselves to accept that the answer is not always the service they provide, to be honest and ethical about their advice
2) tailor: to ensure that any advice and recommendations provided are appropriate to the client's situation - their issues, culture, budget, etc.
3) add value: to do more than just 'borrow the client's own watch to tell the time'.
The main value in using a consultant is to bring in the fresh pair of eyes; to pull up from focusing too tightly on process and certification; and to remember that there are people here working with other people and that the dynamic can affect the outcome as much as systems and skills.
I may not be a super [...] awesome social media guru (search YouTube, if you want to understand that reference), but for me the clincher is in:
good consultants help the organization understand how to adapt to new realities
If consultants don't or cannot do that, then the answer has to be "No, you don't need that consultant".
ericbrown
· 2 months ago
Great stuff David.
I like your 'three things'...listen/consult, tailor, add value. Great way to describe what a consultant does.
How many times have you seen a consultant come into an organization with "the answer" and never really do anything significant for the organization? unfortunately, I've seen it happen many times and people can't understand it because the consultant (or consultants) knew what needed to be done.
No consultant can walk in off the street with the answer. They need to understand the organization, the business, the people and then help create a solution that works for that organization.
Danny Brown
· 2 months ago
The answer's in the description, Eric - "consult". A great consultant - whether it's marketing, image, design or (whisper the words) social media - all consult with the client. It's not, "You will do this". It's, "Here's what we'll do together".
You hit the nail on the head with the "human" quote - no matter what business you're in, it all boils down to the people. Without people - employees, customers, sales folk, marketers, investors, etc - you don't have a company. Get the consultant that recognizes this, has a solid strategy for how you mix your human voice and people with your business aims and the tools relevant for that, and you're on the right track.
ericbrown
· 2 months ago
Hey Danny - Thanks for stopping by.
Right on. A consultant should be someone who can bring a human voice back to business and you'll be headed in the right direction.
igobydoc
· 2 months ago
Great post, and reply to the original. Totally agree with you here.
Doc
ericbrown
· 2 months ago
Thanks! I definitely appreciate the feedback.
Thanks for stopping by.
Gene De Libero
· 2 months ago
Good stuff, as usual. Listen, I'm right there with the 'be human' line of thinking, but no matter what you do (business, parenting, relationships, auto repair, plumbing, etc.) there's always room for consultation. It's simply a way to fill gaps in your knowledge (or confirm what you already know.) I'm consulting right now! (no charge.)
ericbrown
· 2 months ago
Agreed Gene.
You know this but I'll tell ya anyway - my issue is with those consultants that deliver a solution before knowing the problem. Of course we need consultants (heck...I made my living in the past as one...and may move back into a consulting role in the future).
Blue Fire Media
· 1 month ago
A good example of this comes from the book What Would Google Do? In this book Jeff Jarvis uses the example of Dell. They had terrible customer service. People started posts and web sites complaining about them. In fact, when you did a search for Dell, a blog post with the title Dell Sucks showed up in the top 5 on Google. Finally, Dell got the gist of it after talking to some social media consultants. They began reading blogs and communicating directly with unhappy customers. They monitor twitter and join in conversations. And, now they also follow through on making customers happy. My point is similar to yours. Most big companies have no idea how to be human. They think they can just ignore social media, or use it as a soap box and this is not the case. Hiring consultants can do wonders for improving the companies image and in return their bottom line.
All Comments
Aside from their particular expertise, I believe that good consultants need to do these three things:
1) listen/consult: to understand what's really at issue here, sometimes to challenge themselves to accept that the answer is not always the service they provide, to be honest and ethical about their advice
2) tailor: to ensure that any advice and recommendations provided are appropriate to the client's situation - their issues, culture, budget, etc.
3) add value: to do more than just 'borrow the client's own watch to tell the time'.
The main value in using a consultant is to bring in the fresh pair of eyes; to pull up from focusing too tightly on process and certification; and to remember that there are people here working with other people and that the dynamic can affect the outcome as much as systems and skills.
I may not be a super [...] awesome social media guru (search YouTube, if you want to understand that reference), but for me the clincher is in:
good consultants help the organization understand how to adapt to new realities
If consultants don't or cannot do that, then the answer has to be "No, you don't need that consultant".
I like your 'three things'...listen/consult, tailor, add value. Great way to describe what a consultant does.
How many times have you seen a consultant come into an organization with "the answer" and never really do anything significant for the organization? unfortunately, I've seen it happen many times and people can't understand it because the consultant (or consultants) knew what needed to be done.
No consultant can walk in off the street with the answer. They need to understand the organization, the business, the people and then help create a solution that works for that organization.
You hit the nail on the head with the "human" quote - no matter what business you're in, it all boils down to the people. Without people - employees, customers, sales folk, marketers, investors, etc - you don't have a company. Get the consultant that recognizes this, has a solid strategy for how you mix your human voice and people with your business aims and the tools relevant for that, and you're on the right track.
Right on. A consultant should be someone who can bring a human voice back to business and you'll be headed in the right direction.
Doc
Thanks for stopping by.
You know this but I'll tell ya anyway - my issue is with those consultants that deliver a solution before knowing the problem. Of course we need consultants (heck...I made my living in the past as one...and may move back into a consulting role in the future).
Finally, Dell got the gist of it after talking to some social media consultants. They began reading blogs and communicating directly with unhappy customers. They monitor twitter and join in conversations. And, now they also follow through on making customers happy.
My point is similar to yours. Most big companies have no idea how to be human. They think they can just ignore social media, or use it as a soap box and this is not the case. Hiring consultants can do wonders for improving the companies image and in return their bottom line.