Getting Naked in Consulting

I am an Engineer by education. I am a Technologist by experience. And now I am a Consultant by profession. This happened about 3 years ago. I switched sides. I became a seller/provider of similar services that I used to purchase in my prior life in the “industry”. This transition should have been easy and intuitive. I had been, after all, dealing with “consultants” for over 20 years now. I knew a lot of them, hung around with them, many happy hours and working lunches, many trade shows, and even more invoices and SOWs; I should have been well prepared for life as a Consultant. But I was not.

My journey as a consultant got off on the wrong footing. I made almost all the rookie mistakes that you can imagine. But it was not the mistakes that hindered my growth. I had a solid support structure around me, and I had mentors who were eager to help me when I needed them. The problem was FEAR.?

Turned out that I was very afraid of being embarrassed. What if the client asked me a difficult question that perhaps wasn’t in my domain of expertise? What if I asked a dumb question? What if they didn’t like my advice?

And then there was the fear of feeling inferior. I had reigned the industry with my solid technical and engineering knowledge. I was confident and spoke with authority. But it was always something I knew. As a Principal Consultant, I wasn’t always in familiar territory; I was supposed to help my clients solve complex and novel problems. Many of these did not have any existing solutions and others were complete Klingon. I would often keep quiet or participate only in selective discussions. I did not want to feel inferior by saying anything wrong or contrary to the norms.

It wasn’t until my second year as a struggling consultant that someone suggested Patrick Lencioni’s book, “Getting Naked”. After I stopped giggling like a 12-year-old, I picked a copy from the local bookstore. ?This wonderful book allowed me to self-diagnose and get to the root of my fears. Using storytelling, it provided practical tips on how to shed these fears. ?I put more bookmarks and ink on this book than anything I had read before.

"Getting Naked" talks about a small company that is very successful in their consulting business using a model called "naked service" which in turn is based on Vulnerability. A vulnerable consultant is one who embraces humility, selflessness, and transparency for the good of their client. A "naked" consultant gains higher trust and confidence of the clients which leads to loyalty and longevity. But all of this is very difficult and many consultants are afraid of being "naked". The book talks about the three most common types of fears a consultant can face: Fear of feeling inferior, Fear of being embarrassed, and Fear of losing the client.

1. Fear of feeling inferior - Many consultants are afraid to appear inferior to their clients. They maintain a sense of self-importance and avoid situations where they can be “exposed”. A naked consultant puts his clients above themselves and earns their respect and trust by saying and doing the right thing. Here are some ways listed in the book on how to shed this fear:

• Take a bullet for the client – accept and take the blame for your clients and you will earn their respect
• Make everything about the client – Understand their journey and support them by focusing on them and their accomplishments. Clients love consultants who make them feel number one.
• Honor the client’s work – appreciate the client’s work by taking an honest interest in their business
• Do the dirty work – going above and beyond will earn loyalty from the client

2. Fear of being embarrassed - Consultants create large distances between them and their customers when they are afraid of making mistakes so as not to embarrass themselves. This fear prevents them from asking tough questions, making out-of-box suggestions, and taking intelligent risks in their solution-making approaches. Here are ways to shed this fear:

• Ask dumb questions – you will be surprised how many others were thinking about asking the same question! Asking for clarity and explanation is normal.
• Make dumb suggestions – clients can tell when you are genuinely trying and thinking about all options. Make suggestions even dumb ones so as to get the creative juices flowing.
• Celebrate your mistakes – No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Accept them and your clients will like your honesty and transparency.

3. Fear of losing the client - Every business, including consultancy, has this fear at one time or another. It makes them hide the truth or their weaknesses from existing clients and instead work tirelessly to get new customers to grow the revenue. Here are some ways to shed this fear:

• Always consult and don’t focus on selling.
• Be transparent and honest about your capabilities.
• Always tell the client as it is, even if it means exposing their shortcomings. Clients love courageous consultants who can stand up to their senior management.

Monologue: I cannot say that I have shed all the fears or there aren't times when I am not sweating about what would the client think if I opened my mouth. What I have learned though is that being different is OK. I am respectful and I acknowledge the other opinions on the table. And then I state what I think is the best solution. Or what is in the best interest of my client. I am getting better at this. My expanding clientele and happy hour discussions are the proof!

So, go ahead, be NAKED. Your clients will love you.