If I were hiring a consultant, this is what I would want it to look like.
If I could construct a perfect scenario when I need help, it would look like this. Someone is asking me good questions. Not the usual questions. Please don’t ever ask anyone again, “What keeps you up at night?” We’ve all heard that one too many times. Really good questions that no one else has ever thought to ask.
What qualifies as a good question?
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I haven’t already asked myself the question.
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It does not start with the word, “why.”
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It is not a suggestion dressed up to look like a question. You know the ones. “Have you tried such and such?”
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It pushes on areas I haven’t yet thoroughly examined myself.
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It doesn’t dwell on the obvious solution. Trust me. I’ve already thought of all of those.
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It assumes the problem is solvable.
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It assumes there is always a way forward, even if we haven’t found it yet.
After the good questions, what happens next? Give me some time to think out loud. To turn things over in my head. Don’t jump to your solution. Prompt me to think of some solutions of my own.
What have I tried before? How much did I spend on that? What went well and what didn’t? What am I hoping will be different this time? When I have said those things out loud, better solutions will emerge.
Then we can put a solution on the table and figure out the “how” together. Keep asking me questions about the how-to. Don’t push your ideas because you can make money at it. Let me figure out how to implement and you figure out how you can help me with that. Build on my ideas and help them to take shape in a way you are confident will produce the results I am looking for. If I get stuck, jump in.
Outline clear project steps. First, we’ll do this, and then that, and here’s what each step will accomplish. Help me picture myself and my organization making the journey and arriving at a better place.
Match the cost of the solution to the size of the problem. What is it worth to me to solve this? Only I can calculate that. But you can help me derive the number, and you can scale the scope of your assistance to it. Don’t build me a race car to get to the mailbox, if that’s the only place I need to go. But if I truly need to win a grand prix, don’t be afraid to tell me so, and don’t be afraid to tell me the cost.
Finally, do what you say you are going to do. Show up on time. Do the work. Tell me when it’s going sideways. Tell me when I am getting in the way. Fix what you have control of. Don’t pretend to know the answers when you don’t.
This is what great selling looks like to me.