The Expert Edge

Why Can’t You Pick a Consultant’s Brain for Free?

Guest author: Carole C. Edman, SPHR, of HR Manager To Go Consultants.

In her Forbes.com blog post, consultant Adreinne Graham describes the complex issues consultants face when friends, family, potential clients, and business colleagues ask about business issues during informal conversations. These are often requests for professional advice, which we all give at times. Yet we are paid for our expertise and knowledge, which we tailor to specific client projects and situations. Graham’s response is a resounding, “No, You Can’t Pick My Brain. It Costs Too Much!”

Does this sound familiar? Their “…mission is to pick my brain to gather as much free intel and knowledge they need to make their jobs easier.” Graham says, “Not gonna happen, sorry. My brain costs money to maintain. There’s training, classes to attend, reading (I have to buy books), gaining certifications, costs of memberships so I can network, attending conferences and mastering my skills that all cost me money.”

Physicians hate to be cornered at cocktail parties or family dinners! We understand that doctors, at a minimum, need to review patient history to give proper medical advice. In HR, employees often ask about a personal issue or want to talk off-the-record, but we can't violate client policies. Even though we may want to help, we can't.

Every professional must decide what is appropriate and when to give free advice without the proper context and without payment. Prospective clients sometimes push the boundaries, too, by:

• Picking the consultants brain as a test of knowledge, like taking a new car on a long test drive.
• Spending too much time discussing details before approving a consulting agreement.
• Asking for lengthy proposals that explain exactly how the client's problem would be solved.

Assessments require an up-front consulting agreement and fees, with confidentiality terms to protect both parties. Otherwise, the proposal can be shopped around for a better price, leaving the consultant uncompensated for a good faith effort.

It isn't easy to say no, but establishing clarity at the first contact makes navigating tricky issues much simpler.

© 2011 Carole Edman & Associates

Techniques for Converting Potential Clients

Two blog posts caught our attention this week, and coincidentally, they both offer similar insights. Interesting reading for consultants, and a good reminder for 2011.

The first is a very simple idea from Daniel Rose's Blog entitled, "There is No "They," Only "We." Basic idea: get on the same page with your client from the start. Be on the same team. Become part of the group that gets things done.

The second is Carter McNamara's more detailed list of questions to ask a potential client, with the end result being the same. It includes 13 questions to ask that will perfectly establish the consultant as someone who understands the client's needs and desires. This also helps determine if the consultant should become part of a team of stakeholders, or if the consultant should be expected to work independently.

Good insight to have at the start of a new relationship.

How to Treat Your Best Clients

Think all clients should be created equally? Not so, says Michael Zipursky, who writes for Business Consulting Buzz. Here are a few ways to take care of the clients who are loyal to you and give you your best business opportunities.

• Respond to their emails and calls more quickly
• Make more room in your schedule to see them at their convenience
• Go the extra mile for them, not just once or twice, but every time
• Offering to help them in any way you can anytime the opportunity arises
• Send them gifts and notes of appreciation, not only on the major holidays but also at unexpected times.
• Refer them additional business.
• Constantly look for new opportunities to help them grow their business.

Read more.

Thoughts on Thought Leadership

There was an interesting article by Dorie Clark recently on the Harvard Business Review blog, called How to Become a Thought Leader in Six Steps. It has particular importance for consultants, since our value lies in our depth of knowledge. We all strive to be known as leading-edge thinkers in our field of expertise, and consultants often struggle with how to "be known."

The article offers some excellent tips for building a following and standing out from the crowd, but the comments from readers were even more thought provoking.

"The first step in being a thought leader is to BE a thought leader. Being smart is not enough - there are lots of smart people who are not thought leaders." - Fred

"If you really want to be a thought leader you need to be thinking less about leverage and more about listening. Once you've listened for a few years, you may begin to see areas where you can lead." - Timothy Ogden

"...there's a role for everyone in an organization to galvanize and inspire others by their logic or their example." - Dorie Clark

... and many more insightful comments.

So, the first step is to develop an online presence and be part of the conversation. What do you think it takes to become a thought leader today, especially for consultants? Add your comments here on the PATCA blog, or on the HBR blog, or both.

Skills Matter in Today’s Marketplace

A recent Harvard Business Review article entitled, “Higher Education Is Overrated; Skills Aren't” includes several common sense explanations for the title’s premise that “great knowledge doesn't confer great skill.”  The points made are equally important and relevant for consultants, job seekers, and small or large companies who are trying to land a new client engagement or a new job.

The article states, “While higher education itself isn't marginal or unimportant, its actual market impact on employment prospects may be wildly misunderstood. In ‘Econ 101’ terms for job-hunters: time spent cultivating your Facebook / Linked-In network(s) may be a better investment than taking that Finance elective.”

Adapting to new ways of finding and cultivating connections has value for consultants in all fields when we consider that the best sources of new clients have always been through our various referral networks. Today, those networking contacts are often found online and maintained through emails and social networking sites.

For consultants, linking to blogs, published articles, PowerPoint presentations, podcasts and webinars will help create an impression of "purported knowledge" that goes beyond their own websites and social networking.However, long-time consultants know that their “purported knowledge” matters less than demonstrating what has been done successfully for other clients.

This “vast structural shift in the human capital marketplace” has made clients much more selective in hiring consultants. According to the HBR, proven skills, the distinctions between them, and their value in landing a new assignment “aren't subtle; they're immense.”

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Contributed by PATCA member Carole Edman, of HR Manager to Go.