Choose the right expert
Written by Shirley Lichti for The Record, July 17, 2002

At some point, most companies turn to outside marketing expertise to help address business challenges or problems.

But when you consider how important choosing the right consultant can be to the success or failure of a project, it's surprising how few resources are available on how to find that person.

Some people display a healthy skepticism about enlisting the services of a consultant. Perhaps they've heard the old joke about a consultant being someone who borrows your watch to tell you the time.

Points to consider
To help you with the task, here are some points to consider before you hire outside help.

I started my research for this column with an unusual source - my 11 year-old son. If he had to find a marketing consultant, what he would look for, I asked him. He replied, "My mom." (Remind me to raise his allowance!)

While I was flattered, I probed more deeply and asked why he would choose me. His response was, "because you teach marketing at university and because you're not in the poorhouse."

For someone who has never hired a consultant before, these responses might seem logical. However, I suspect most of us would want to be a lot more thorough in our approach.

Before you start your search, ask yourself why you are hiring outside expertise. This might sound strange, but often times consultants are hired to do work that could be performed by existing employees.

Look inside first
Sometimes employees are needed to work on other tasks. Or perhaps management feels the need to engage an objective outsider. Both are valid reasons for bringing in a consultant. But be sure you've assessed the talent within your organization before you look outside.

Another good reason to hire consultants is because the organization has no expertise in the area of need. Or maybe the proposed project is considered short-term, something that will take less than a year.

Before you start talking to consultants, ask your colleagues if they know of anyone with the expertise you are looking for. Recommendations from objective sources can prove invaluable.

Not only may colleagues be able to make your search more efficient, they might also be able to steer you away from consultants to avoid. Remember, not all consultants have the same level of expertise or communication skills.

There are pros and cons to considering consultants who work for large public firms or those who operate as independents. Large firms may charge more, but bear in mind they have access to more resources.

On the other hand, don't discount the small independents. Many of them earned their stripes working for larger companies and have lots of experience to offer, without all of the overhead.

Once you have narrowed your search to a few companies or individuals, here are some questions you will want answered before you make your final choice.

• Who is the company?
  You should know at least some basic background information on the company. Who started it? How long have they been in business? Who are their current customers?

• What has it done lately?
  A good company will always be attracting new and better business. Make sure you carefully review the most recent work, for example, within the last six months. Ask if the consultant has done similar projects to the one you are discussing.

• What is the consultant's previous background?
  Ask: What did you do before consulting? What are your academic qualifications? Where did you learn your skill?

• Determine which individuals will actually do the work.
  With larger consulting firms, work often gets delegated to more junior staff members. This may be a non-issue but it's something to be aware of.

• What is the consultant's area of specialization?
  Be careful when engaging the services of a consultant who says he or she can do everything. The best consultants focus on specific areas.

• What tools do you use in your work?
  Consultants often use business models and other tools. Understanding what approach will be used may help you determine its appropriateness for your situation. It will also show you if the consultant follows a process, versus falling back on answers that worked for one firm but may not work for yours.

• Have you written a book or published any articles?
  Published works give you at least some indication of the consultant's expertise and style. If the articles are hard to read and filled with jargon, what might a final report produced for your organization hold in store?

• Ask what kinds of projects consultants consider ideal.
  What kinds of projects do they like to take on? Why? What sorts of projects are poor fits? Why? You may learn invaluable information about working styles and relationship skills that might not come out otherwise.

• Ask for references. Then call them!
  I've been amazed at the number of times I've been asked for references that were never checked. Call the references and talk to them. In depth. Ask them what they liked about the consultant, if they would work him or her again, and what they would change if they could.

• Also ask consultants to tell you about a project they would not consider referencing. Be on alert if they say they have never had a bad experience. You need to have an honest working relationship with your consultant so you should understand up front what has gone wrong in past projects or why relationships did not work out.

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