Courtesy / ACE
Emily Braley is the Maine Technology Institute’s inaugural coordinator of the Maine Entrepreneurial Resource Corps.
January 6, 2023
How to make the most out of your consultant relationship
By Emily Braley, Maine Technology Institute
The Association for Consulting Expertise’s Consultants Academy will be Friday, Jan. 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Cumberland Club, at 116 High St. in Portland. MTI is an event sponsor. It's $50 for ACE members and $65 for others. Register here.
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For many businesses, hiring a consultant is a necessary step in growth, but it can also be a substantial investment.
The question then becomes, “How do I make the most of my consulting project?”
In this column we'll consider advice from Shay Bellas of NaviTour and Roland Sirois of Orono Spectral Solutions. Both Shay and Roland completed successful consulting projects through MTI’s Maine Entrepreneurial Resource Corps (MERC) program and have shared their insights to help your business do the same.
Here is my list of best practices to help your business get its money’s worth.
Choose the right consultant
Pick the consultant who is the best fit for your business. As Roland puts it, “the selection of the right partner can make the difference between success and failure.” For Orono Spectral Solutions, credibility, past performance, subject matter knowledge and interpersonal skills were the main factors in selecting its consultant, ME Startup Solutions. To evaluate each of these factors, you will need to spend time exploring the different approaches, personalities, and skill sets available to you.
As you meet with consultants, be clear about your objectives. What challenges do you hope to overcome? What new opportunities are you trying to seize? By establishing what success looks like, your consultant can determine if your project fits their skill set and knowledge.
Once you’ve established an initial fit, ask your consultant to describe similar work they have done in your industry. Ask your consultant to provide references from recent clients, including from interactions when things didn’t work out. As Shay explains, you can “learn more about communication challenges to avoid by asking to talk to someone who had a bad experience — from this you can learn what doesn’t work.” These references will validate your consultant’s ability and help you gauge if their experience is aligned with your unique needs.
Understand your ‘scope of work’
Typically, the consultant produces the first “scope of work” draft, but it takes two to set the final terms. Be active in its creation.
Remember the objectives you defined earlier? Reiterate those to your consultant and ensure the deliverables are specific. The consultant can only do their job if you are honest and clear about your needs. Also, ask the consultant to include what they need from you. What is your role in making the project run smoothly? Above all, ask questions! If there is something you don’t understand, don’t be shy — ask for clarification. In the case of NaviTour, it sought out clear communication with its consultant, the Midnight Corp., about what was to be done and what was needed. That set up NaviTour for success.
If you and your consultant have thoroughly explored your desired project outcomes, settling on a mutually agreeable scope of work should be straightforward. A well-written scope of work statement outlines what is to be done, when and for what price. With a clear scope of work in place, your project will be on a path to success.
Be engaged and open-minded
As your project progresses, your consultant will request feedback or require additional information. Roland recommends frequent, timely and effective discussions to stay engaged and on top of these requests. Doing so is crucial so your consultant can provide the most effective recommendations.
“You must treat the consultant as part of your team and respond to them the way you would your customer — thoroughly, on time and respectfully. I think this gets you the best results every time,” Shay says.
Perhaps the most essential practice for a successful consulting engagement is approaching your consulting engagement with an open mind. You hired this consultant because you believe they bring something significant to your business. Your consultant may say things you don’t want to hear, but that’s part of the job. Your consultant is there to help your business succeed, so be open to their help and the growth you can achieve.
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Anonymous
January 6, 2023
Well said, Emily! The importance of choosing the right consultant and asking useful questions cannot be overemphasized. And of course, the entrepreneur should be determined and enthused about set goals.
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