Loyalty Truth

Reading through the Twitter stream today, I saw this tweet from @davesnyder “There are lots of companies and consultants who are willing to lie and manipulate clients just to make an extra buck”. I thought to myself that the number fitting that description should be quite small, but responded immediately to say that this perceived reality is something we have to work constantly to change.

Sitting in a meeting with the CEO of a credit card services company recently, my eyes drifted to a list of 10 marching orders for the business as my client took a quick phone call. When I regained his attention I asked “why are we wasting our time since you have #8 on the wall”? You see, item #8 said “Don’t hire consultants”. Fortunately, #8 was just a display of his sense of humor!

There are as many consultant jokes as people using the term as a catch-all to describe their otherwise idle time. The value that you can derive from a good consultant is unquestionable and I’ll bet that Accenture, Bain, McKinsey, as well as my friends at Colloquy and Peppers & Rogers would vigorously defend their calling.

Just a few reasons why hiring a consultant is good for business:

1. Focus – Corporate resources are stretched and people are being asked to multi-task their regular duties with some that are out of their comfort zone. Doing desktop research to become an “instant expert” on a topic is a reasonable first step, but to dig into a specialized area of business in a meaningful way, an outside resource is uniquely positioned to get the job done and meet deadlines.
2. Eclectic Experience – The complement to a laser-like-focus is eclectic experience. For example, I have worked on projects in multiple industries and markets, often while speaking another language (Spanish for me). To draw on this range of experience is important to help clients plan not just for the competition across the street but that which is around the globe.
3. Independence – Valuable consulting resources walk in the first meeting with an independent viewpoint and have the courage and integrity to stick to their guns throughout an assignment. One benefit of engaging a consultant is to consider the implications of doing what has not been done in the past. Recommendations can be uncomfortable to convey, which brings us to the next point.
4. Change Agent – I didn’t use the words “fall guy” but that can sometimes be the role. More often, I have witnessed that change can occur through the recommendation of an outside consulting resource. It is politically dangerous to present an argument to your boss that s/he is predisposed to dislike. Having a credible voice to run the gauntlet with you is invaluable for creating needed change.

Possibly the ultimate test of a consultant is their willingness to stick around to assist in execution of the recommended strategy or plan. After all, if “Technology Enables but Imagination Wins” then it is “Flawless Execution that will save your job.”

The Loyalty Marketing business is demanding innovation and it is in scarce supply in today’s market. As I described in a previous post, “Loyalty Truth” is synonymous with Innovation. A consultant worthy of the fee charged should deliver not only on the 4 points above, but be willing to take responsibility for recommendations and help with execution if asked.

Perception changed?