Don’t Despair – They’re Out There!
Seek and You Shall Find.
The right help for you is out there, the hard part might be finding it. My answer is to look for referrals and ask for recommendations. Here are few ways to go about this.
Look to Your Contacts
You could ask other business owners you know and trust to offer referrals. This works well if they’ve actually had experience with a few consultants or at the very least those you are considering. If they’d had experience with them, you can get “insider’s” knowledge about what the experience was like. This information should give you a snap shot of their experience. It should likewise give you some clues about what to expect.
If you don’t know people that have worked with a particular consultant, then ask for recommendations. They should have a list of clients that would be happy to speak with you. Look for a variety of businesses, length of time working together and degrees of success. This should give you some ideas about how the consultant works and if that person might be worth checking out more closely.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions
The following list of questions were provided by my client Regina Barr of Women at the Top Network. Regina is excellent at getting the scoop and I was told by my clients that she did a phenomenal job interviewing them. I’m telling you this so you have confidence that this type of research really works.
Here They Are…
1.What kinds of programs/ services did _______ provide for you?
2. Did the program/ services provided meet your expectations? Explain.
3. What did you appreciate most about working with _________?
4. Looking back on your experience in working with _________, if you could improve upon one thing, what would it be?
5. Would you recommend working with ___________? Explain.
With this line of questions, I’d be looking for action, creativity, commitment, and results. Here are a list of questions I would include:
1. Was the consultant action oriented?
2. Were they willing to step up to the plate to make things happen for the client?
3. Were the resources used tailored to client’s needs or were they templates that were delivered to everyone in the same way?
4. Was the consultant creative in their approach to the client’s needs?
5. Was the consultant responsive to opportunities that cropped up for client?
6. Was the consultant’s commitment extreme?
Results?
It shouldn’t take long for a client to start seeing results with a good consultant. Some consultants believe their earnings depend on slow results. I’m not a fan of this mentality. I want immediate results for my clients and have a bit of an issue with consultants who seem to make progress only when the client is about to quit. Shady, very shady!
Another point of interest is how long the consultant has been in business. They say at 10,000 hours a person becomes an expert. That translates into about 10 years. I’ve noticed that as I’ve passed the 10 year mark things have clicked in ways that I’d not seen before. My success delivery rate for clients has been there right from the beginning, I’m happy to say, it’s just my viewpoints on business have been changed. Also my program has become much more refined and therefor much more valuable. I see the impact of this 10 year mark with my client businesses as well.
Passion is Key!
After track record, I place high value on passion for the project. In consulting “you’re the project!” The consultant should be passionate about helping their client succeed. They need to see this as the race of the client’s life and want to do everything in their power to make the client WIN! This is HUGE! That excitement, energy and commitment to success must be there. Unless they have that level of ownership of the outcome I wouldn’t place my business in their hands.
The Help You Need
Is out there. Don’t despair. Don’t go it alone and possibly sacrifice your opportunity for true business success. Get the help you need.
Now my pitch for your business…
For help figuring your business out, getting results quickly and making money, contact me. As a business consultant, I combine strategic growth initiatives with coaching style methods. The result is success much quicker than you dreamed possible.
