Last week, Consultants were the butt of a global meme that attracted approximately 500K views, 800 comments (That's how bad it got) which if it wasn't entirely true would have been a serious slight to our egos. Not to worry, the truth shall set you (us) free.
The point of the 30-second clip was, I have to assume, an expose of the sour after-taste of bad consultancy practice. I guess launching it on LinkedIn was fair play --to warn all the hocus-pocus consultants out there that "We're watching you."
The point of integrity in professional practice (and other spheres) is not so much that our moral bar will mesmerize, but because good things (and bad things) likewise will come back to us. (Some call it Karma.) If you keep fresh potatoes out of the fridge, you'll notice that the rotten potato always infects those next to it. A natural law.
Deficient behaviour does not allow consultants to thrive; you get entangled in a vicious cycle of more deficient acts, to cover up the deficient acts, to cover up the deficient acts. Yes, it's convoluted and eventually, it trips you up. So, in no particular order, let us clean up:
- Arguing with the client instead of educating them. When you insist on doing a task a certain way and the client asks 'why', you must have a good professional answer; not, "That's the way it's always done." A good consultant must understand the real 'whys' of their business otherwise you will come off as a briefcase rookie. And then you'll be in an invisible tug-of-war with the client and wind up with an off-colour ending rather than a pat on your back.
- Not building relationships. Business is business, but business is done by and with people. If a client feels safe enough to tell you about a sick relative or a family celebration, it is good to use it as a starting point of engagement rather than just launching into 'business as usual'. One of our biggest clients always starts off by asking about our families in every email. Show interest in their children, special days, or an interesting photo frame on their desk. One of my clients loves icecream; on one particularly depressing day for the family I took her a Kg worth of a new flavour --she loved it. She is now a permanent client. I also once sat through a 30-minute 'History of the Horn of Africa' narration with a passionate client who following his detailed speech gave us a long-term contract thereafter. Be interested in people not just their hand. (Successful business owners will tell you that clients buy people, not products. If you are likeable and pleasant to deal with, you will be chosen over others.)
- Not saying thank you. Just because you went through the bidding process and succeeded does not nullify the importance of gratitude. We make it a point to always thank the client for selecting us for every opportunity, right from the quotation stage. Gratefulness pays itself back 1,000 times over. When people feel appreciated, they give you more of the good thing --the business. And during the festive season, we send the client team an edible thank you. Actively look for opportunities to show gratefulness to --it's also called 'paying it forward'.
- Working at the same pace as salaried workers. The point of being a consultant is that you fill a gap that no one in the company can fill. Often, you will be required to work over and beyond 'normal' working hours. Please don't put up a pity party if weekends creep in or you're burning the midnight oil --that's part of the expectation. You cannot afford to work like those who have a guaranteed monthly paycheque. The deadlines will always be bad, the work will always be more than anticipated, the client can become snappy --endless surprises. Plan to be flexible and emotionally stable, that's when you become truly useful.
- Not being able to actually solve problems. In the aforementioned meme, the video clip shows the 'consultant' attempting to force the subway door to close --whereas the door closes automatically. Then, he congratulates himself. As mentioned previously, in most consultancies you only see one half of the problem before the contract is signed; when you actually get started on the work the other ugly half rears its head. This is where the sifting happens. The flour goes through effortlessly --the stones remain in the sieve. Ensure you have understood every task involved in the consultancy and you have the competency to execute each stage. Clients wont hesitate to blacklist consultants who consistently deliver dodgy work or seem to be out of their element, and they pass on the word quickly.
- Not improving your offerings. Same old, same old is boring. It is important to keep educating yourself on new trends, new products and services that are related to what you are already offering your clients. Challenge yourself to build a new skill every quarter, and then go pitch. Keep your ears and eyes open on multiple social media platforms, in the news, watch documentaries, subscribe to newsletters and watch lots of videos. We are deliberate about having a 'Work on the business, rather than in the business' day every week. On that day we do an informal business scan to see what other consultants are working on and listen to online chatter. By staying alert and sharpening your skills you remain relevant to your clients. (Please note: Skilling isn't about securing more PhDs -- it should be as basic as a 1-month certificate in digital marketing --hands on.)
- Not managing sub-contractors. The importance of a team cannot be overstated; however, a poorly managed or unled team is always disastrous. One of the most regrettable blunders we made was in the busy high season; because of tight deadlines, we green-lighted a sub to send work to the client before we reviewed it. The work was so bad, the backlash was embarrassing that we are almost afraid to list the client as one of our priors. Although we rectified the problem, the damage was done, and this was a new client. There must be an overall quality control person, with a checklist, who oversees all the team members to ensure they are bringing their best, not their average.
- Not recognizing the 80/20. It's true --80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients. This means you have to nurture the 20% with as much love and care as possible. They are the ones who keep the cash flowing, they are perennial, all-weather, all-terrain, which makes them incredibly important. These are the clients for whom you can discount prices, meet impossible deadlines, and throw in freebies here and there. These are the clients to pitch your new services to because they already like the work you deliver. Losing these clients can get you back on the hamster spin, trying to play catch-up.
- Not building up a financial base. The ideal situation is that a client will always give you a 50% deposit (and if not, walk); however, payments tend to get tied up in lots of paperwork. Or it may be that you know this client well and they always pay promptly after the job. If you have no operating cash saved over, you will not be able to start the assignment. Practice saving a portion from each consultancy so that you do not need to lead a sit-down strike at your client's office.
- Not loving your work. When you genuinely love your work, the sweat is satisfactory, invited. However, if it's just a job, it's very easy to get highly strung and incompetent --brain freeze. Thus, if you must consult, do it in a field you love, where you are constantly building up your skills. If you are not motivated to wake up in the morning to start work, you may succeed at being mediocre, but first prize (and benefits) only go to those who excel.
- Bonus tip. Not learning to collaborate with other consultants. Approaching life as a cut-throat business will detract from your energy levels. Who said it? "If you want to go fast-go alone; if you want to go further, go with others." Build a network of specialist consultants who can support you to collectively bring together great work to the client because this will trump up repeat business. There are consultants who have choked on too big a deal that they were not willing to share out.
- Bonus tip. Being satisfied with mediocrity. If you cannot do it better than others, it is difficult to build a solid customer base. There must be a specific reason why the client chooses you from the millions of 'consultants'; it isn't your power suit, although that gets you in the door, it doesn't keep you in the room. Creativity, early delivery, excellent work, ability to solve problems and willingness to go the extra mile are simple unique selling points that are rarely leveraged by the consultant who is just working to finish.
If you constantly find yourself cutting corners as a consultant, you may need to do another Myers-Briggs to see where you truly fit in the professional universe.
