---

Guest post by: Jesse Hopps Become an Author

Tweet

---

---

Selecting the Right Consultant Selecting the right consultant for your organization can be a very daunting task. Choose right, and you have a very successful project and everyone is satisfied; choose wrong, and you have a recipe for disaster. Use Demand Metric's downloadable Consultant Evaluation Matrix to compare your potential consultants across 5 key dimensions.

What Makes a Good Consultant?

• Relevant Experience- strong candidates should have excellent academic credentials, recent experience (2-3 years) in your industry, and have worked successfully with companies your size.
• Skill Set- critical skills for consultants include: extraordinary verbal/written communication, listening skills, knowledge of vendor solutions and compatibility, project management, technical skills, business acumen, analytical reasoning & problem solving ability, team-building, leadership, creativity, strategic planning & prioritization.
• Professionalism- solid consultants should offer references and testimonials for their work, be sensitive to political issues, always be punctual, display honesty & integrity, dress appropriately, and certainly have no axe to grind.
• Methodology & Tools- the methodology should be transparent and flexible. Additionally, clear deliverables, pricing, and timelines should be present. Enquire as to the toolset that will be used, to ensure your organization is not paying for the development of a new Consulting Methodology & framework.
• Personality- this soft skill is very important; senior staff must respect your consultant and be accessible as required. Don't overlook the character, and passion your potential consultants express, as it is a good indicator of their willingness to give 110% effort and quality for the entire project.

Action Plan:

1. Document Requirements- before you go into the market to find the right person for the job, be sure to have a good understanding of what you are looking for in the first place. Document and prioritize your project requirements, in the form of a Request for Proposal (RFP) or similar method.

2. Research Top Candidates- speak with peers and colleagues in your industry to identify which firms, or particular consultants, have a strong history of delivering projects in your area of need. Industry associations are another great place to start the research process.

3. Conduct Initial Interviews- invite your top 2-5 consulting firms to an informal interview. While this can be done over the phone, looking each consultant in the eye is a much better way to judge his or her character. Ask for any reports or thought leadership they have contributed to their subject.

4. Compare Contenders- use Demand Metric's Consultant Evaluation Matrix to do an apples-to-apples comparison across the 5 key dimensions: relevant experience, skill set, professionalism, methodology & tools, and personality.

5. Check References- before signing on the dotted line, check the references you are given, along with a few indirect references from their customer list. Typically this list can be found on their company website.

6. Make a Decision- after reviewing proposals from your top 1 or 2 consultants, make a decision and move forward with the project. Be leery of proposals that are based on a Time & Materials (T&M) cost structure. You should favor fixed pricing & deliverables over time & materials.

Bottom-Line:

Choosing the right consultant can be a difficult task for any executive. Use a systematic evaluation method to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Related Articles

  Why You Should Work With a Franchise Consultant
  Should I buy a business plan online?
  Self-Quiz – Should my business hire a consultant?
  Negotiate Your Commercial Lease by Dale R Willerton
  The Need for Problem Solvers
  Making the Most of Your Agency
  3 Best Ways To Hire An SEO Consultant
  The Trouble With RFPs (Part 2)
  Travel Consultant – A Necessity or A Waste Of Money?
  A Funding Consultant Could Show You An Easier Way to Raise Capital in the United States
  Updating Your Employee Handbook? Four Reasons to Hire an HR Consultant
  Reasons to Use a Franchise Consultant
  5 Features To A Quality Web Host For Your Home Internet Business
  7 Steps To Hiring A PR Consultant
  Team Marketing: The Right Approach
  WHAT MAKES A MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT GREAT? Part II of III
  3 mistakes in selecting a right Web Development Company
  How to Choose a Small Business Marketing Consultant
  Five Tips for Selecting an HR Consultant
  Technology Consulting Career Potentials

Related Forum Posts

Re: what position to request?
Re: Today's Hottest Franchise?
Any experience with McManus UK Ltd.?
Re: How to finance your independent movie
What is the Best Franchise?

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

The Priorities Game

Why Use an Advertising Agency

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.