Consultants, consultants, it seems like it’s raining (snowing, here in Chicago) consultants!
When you need to hire a consultant, how do you choose one from all the internet listings, online profiles, phone calls, voices in your ears?
A previous post discussed WHY you hire a consultant, which you can read here. Once you have a plan for why you want to bring in a consultant—even a rough idea, since the consultant should be able to help you to get to the details your plan—the search begins.
There are several ways you can find a reputable consultant to partner with you.
Get a few ideas. Talk to several consultants, then ask them for proposals. Questions before answers.
When you are talking to individuals, what questions do they ask? Do they have a clear direction? Do they offer ideas? Do you sense a good fit? OR–Do they try and dominate the call/meeting? Do they seem like they are talking down to you? Are they able to communicate with you? Do they have follow through?
Trust your initial intuition, but take it a step further. Ask for references and follow through on checking them. Is their LinkedIn profile current? Does it match with what they told you? And if they don’t have a social media footprint, but that is part of the work you want them to do, what is their experience?
If they have a website, is the flow easy to follow? If they blog, is it recent? Do you agree with their direction, their tone?
If you know this person, what is their reputation?
As consultants, we all have varied life and job experiences to bring to a new project. It should be our goal to help you solve your problem. Do your upfront research well, and we can help you reach YOUR goals.
The journey continues.
C