“I’ll admit it. I’ve had my consulting practice for close to 20 years and I just created a website, and only because my book was published. I am what you’d call a late adopter in any technology cycle, other than the Apple I phone which I bought after it was on the market for a year and the bugs were worked out. So starting a blog, critical to building awareness for my book, felt personally and mentally overwhelming. Brad made the whole process effortless, with easy to understand information about blogging, guidance for my decisions and steady encouragement. On my own, I’d have had to read multiple books and articles and I’d still be behind where Brad’s taken me. Saving time, saving frustration, priceless.” — Kay Plantes, Principal, Plantes Company LLC, and author of Beyond Price: Differentiate Your Company in Ways that Really Matter (Greenleaf Book Group, 2009)
Thank you, Kay. Along with marketing services for packaging companies, providing blogging, messaging and social media support for consultants is the hottest part of my business right now. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a number of real stars, including Kay, Jody Michael, a prominent, Chicago-based executive coach, and (NEW BLOGGER) Bill Welter, author of The Prepared Mind of a Leader.
As a group, I find consultants to be fabulous clients. Here’s why.
Consultants have something to say. I learn an important business or life lesson virtually every time I have an interaction and every time I read one of their blog posts. These lessons, in turn, make me more of an asset to other clients.
Consultants know what they don’t know. This attribute is a sign of real intelligence, one which is crucial to success in anything. And it is rare. Being aware of gaps in their knowledge is I think the main reason why consultants are such efficient learners and explains why …
Consultants ask great questions. Consultants are inquisitive and analytical – a powerhouse combination for learning quickly and deeply. They have a way of cutting right to the heart of an issue, which saves time and headaches all the way around.
Consultants love to write. A passion for the written word is a big plus in blogging and social media. It’s what keeps blogging from becoming a chore or a necessary evil. Consultants have that passion, which is one reason I think the ones who try thrive in social media.
Consultants write well. You can be a passionate writer and still not get your point across. Consultants can write; otherwise they would surely be in a different line of work. Communication is their stock in trade, which explains why …
Consultants are phenomenal listeners. Do you find yourself giving the same advice time after time to certain people? Well, I find it happens very rarely with consultants. They retain what they learn, absorb it, apply it, tweak it, improve it. Why do I love this? Because with consultants there is always a sense of movement, of progress, of accomplishment. That fires me up.
Consultants are decisive. Indecision is business purgatory, and I seldom see consultants languishing there. They make up their mind. They take an idea and run with it. But equally important, consultants are just as apt to say, I don’t need to know that. This is not relevant to what I want I want to do. Saying yes to everything is just as bad as saying no to everything. Consultants have good idea filters.
Consultants are daring. I’ve been promoting business blogs since 2005. Even now, most prospective clients ask, Why? Consultants ask, Why not? This stands to reason, since consultants are out there trying to persuade their clients to change something in the way they do business or approach life. A sense of adventure and a willingness to stumble are key attributes of successful social media participants. And it’s just plain fun to work with people for whom work is fun.
I suppose this checklist of attributes is a good self diagnostic for anyone thinking about diving into business blogging and social media. How about you … do you have the heart of a blogger?
(The cartoon above was created for Bill Welter.)
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Brad,
I sense a great deal of conviction in your tone on this subject (as always), and no doubt your level of respect toward consultants has been built up over your many years of business experience.
One of the great things about consultants, I would imagine, would be their constant exposure to different systems and different operational methods and procedures, which I would have thought would not only help them to maintain fresh perspectives but also give them a great breath of knowledge and experience from which to draw upon.
It’s not quite the same thing, but I am reminded of a comment by one of my university lecturers on the subject of auditing. Speaking predominately to an audience of students who were soon to enter the accounting profession, he made the comment that auditing was not a bad place to start within the profession. The reason – even at a junior level, auditors received exposure to the business and accounting systems of systems of a wide range of enterprises, and the breadth of experience which they gained from this in the early years provided a magnificent springboard from which to launch a career within the accounting profession.
Personally, I did not follow this advice, and went to work for a small accounting firm (at the time, I dreamt of owning my own accounting firm). Nevertheless, I would certainly imagine that those that are exposed to a broad range of systems in the course of their work gain a great deal of breadth in terms of their professional expertise.
Andrews last blog post..Should nightclubs pay for cops?
Andrew, You have great insight despite your background working for a small firm! Yes, the consultants I know all have a background in large organizations – corporate and in some cases, military. This does, I think, give them extremely broad experience in seeing what works and doesn’t work in terms of organizational structure and human interaction. Today, people seem to shift jobs and companies on a regular basis, even though it may be from one small company to another. These people get a different kind of experience. Consultants who are somewhat older may have worked in one or two large organizations – much different. I wonder how this change in workforce culture will challenge them to adapt for a new type of client.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Why I Love Working with Consultants
Brad, I love the way you love and celebrate your clients! No wonder you business is hot
Joanna Youngs last blog post..Premio Dardos with a Community Twist
Joanna, I heard something from Liz Strauss a few years ago that’s stuck with me – Do what you love for people who love what you do. (Wish I could remember who came up with that.) It is a real blessing on those days where you can do that.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Why I Love Working with Consultants
And consultants come with a built-in niche; they already know the who, what and why of their blogs.
Bet this article attracts a few of ‘em.
Terry Heaths last blog post..Are You a Mozart or a Franklin?
Hi Terry, That’s sure true, and one reason why they have a comparatively easy time getting acclimated to the blogosphere.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Why I Love Working with Consultants
Brad, as Joanna has said, I too love the way you have celebrated your clients with this posting, while appreciating your own connection with them; this is one of the best blog posts I have read all week, and I read dozens a day!
Whether we call it targeting or prospecting, or something else, there is great wisdom in choosing our customers, and one big advantage consultants, coaches, and freelancers have is that we can do so, as opposed to say, a brick-and-mortar business where you must serve all who enter your doors (ah, the memories of my own big-corp background in the hotel business!). We cannot be all things to all people, and this also gets me to reconsider the coaching of Kevin Kelly (tag-teamed by Seth Godin lately) to focus on our 1,000 true fans and truly serve them well.
This is such a great exercise, to sit as you have and honestly reflect on which working relationships feel best for us, employing our own strengths and fortifying our sense of purpose in our work. It’s what I call Ho‘ohana; bravo Brad!
Rosa, Wow, I am quite flattered that you think so much of this post. Coming from an avid reader and thoughtful teacher, this is high praise indeed. The concept of 1000 true fans is something to think about – I suppose I was unconsciously moving in that direction here. But yes, so much of success in any business is due to chemistry. If there’s no chemistry with a large percentage of folks who walk through the door of that hotel, it won’t stay in business long. Yet, it is always tempting to want to be all things to all people. I see this manifested almost every day, by the way, in website content. We have a temptation to try to say it all on every web page, to convey every possible benefit to every type of customer in every list of bullet points. That’s the writing version of the marketing problem of chasing every niche. Pretty hard to make that work.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Why I Love Working with Consultants
You bring up another good point Brad, with how consultants are so helpful. One of the best things I did when I started coaching was to hire my own coach (I’m now working with my third one) because they have helped me focus where I serve others best – truly serving them, versus my natural inclination to be thoroughly responsive to anyone who asks, allowing mission creep to seep into my work. My own challenge can be with stopping; what David Zinger calls getting to GEMO; good enough, move on! Sometimes others can see what you fail to, with such startling clarity – that “trees, but for the forest” effect. I am sure you serve your clients exceptionally well in this way Brad!
Rosa Says last blog post..That life? It’s all yours!
Hi Rosa, So true! It’s easier for me to write copy for clients than for myself – that’s for sure. I’ve heard other writers say the same thing. Of course, I know from personal experience how thorough and giving and focused you are. You went above and beyond in acquainting me with the dark mysteries of gmail and JJL … I hope you don’t move too far in the other direction!
Brad — thanks for the mention — consultants love working with you as well. Bill
Wow, Brad, what a great roundup of why consultants are truly a special breed of folks! I’ve always loved bein’ around the ones who exhibit the characteristic you listed here. Heck; they’re fun folks to be around – always somethin’ goin’ on. And talk about inspiring! We all need folks like this around us, I’m tellin’ ya!
Brad,
thanks for your post which gave me to important insights:
1. Being far from corporate business I now have something of an image of what consultants are, what they do and why we need them. I didn’t have that before reading your post.
2. and that’s more important to me: you are somebody who loves his job, and that can be felt throughout your blog posts. Our world has to many people who hate their jobs, who are unhappy with them, and it’s great to know somebody like you who loves what he’s doing!
Ulla Hennigs last blog post..Writing Lessons
Hi Ulla, Thanks for the feedback – I’m so glad you get something of value out of a post even though you aren’t in the corporate world. I’ve been around may people like you describe, especially when I was doing a lot of b2b sales. It’s very sad to see, especially when these folks get older. It becomes much harder to change after a certain point.
Well, that is a great testimonial for you Brad – well deserved!
I too have total faith in a good consultant, saves time, money, aggravation and often – face.
Jannie Funsters last blog post..$69.97
Hi Jannie, Good to hear you are favorably disposed to consultants. Not everyone shares this point of view, something I’ll be talking about in an upcoming post.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Why I Love Working with Consultants
Hi Brad – I love that cartoon. And I do believe that consultants should possess all those qualities.
Do I have the heart of a blogger? I hope so. I was recently told that my branding needs to be more anarchaic (don’t know if that spelling is right). But I don’t know whether that’s true or not. I think if I started trying to be “something” just for the sake of it, I wouldn’t feel genuine.
Cath Lawsons last blog post..What Your Customers Really Want
Hi Cath, You of all people have the heart of a blogger, at least in my opinion. When I think of your “brand”, I think – outspoken, brutally honest, clear thinking, focused. Certainly genuine. I’m not sure what anarchic means exactly, but I would wonder how so and why you need to do that.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Take the Online Marketing One Question Quiz!