What Do Clients REALLY
Want from a Consultant?
Surprisingly, when questioned about the greatest
benefit in engaging a consultant, clients do NOT mention great results,
overhauled performance, or transformed organization.
The predominate reasons why clients were “glad
the consultants had been there” all centered around the
relationship formed with the client.
Getting results and having the required talent to get results
were givens. Consumers
of consulting services viewed the results and required talents to
achieve them as very important, and these factors certainly helped
to distinguish consultants from those that were big talkers but
couldn’t perform.
However, the defining characteristics that
separated consultants who “did a good job” from consultants “we
definitely want to have back” focused on the experiences that resulted
from the relationship established with the clients.
What have satisfied
Clients said about their Consultants?
-
I could think
out loud-test my own hypotheses and assumptions with
a safe sounding board.
-
My consultant helped me to understand
and more precisely define the problems
in my organization, and helped me accept that there was more
(to the problem) than just symptoms I initially wanted to address.
-
I learned things about myself that were
key in helping
me change with the organization.
-
I know more now
than I did when we started; I’m more capable.
-
This was a hard project. Looking back, I can see how my view
of the organization, and the world around it, has
changed.
-
I felt like I had a
strong ally on the face of a lot of resistance.
-
I feel more confident
now to tackle even bigger problems on my own.
-
Not only did I get what the contract said
I would get, but there’s a sustained improvement in performance. We learned things we didn’t anticipate
learning.
- My staff noticed
that I got smarter.
