Not THAT Kind of Consultant
I am an excellent listener. A former colleague once described me as the person who could take her excited ramblings and turn them into a compelling sales presentation, on the first try.
While I am more of a visual and kinesthetic learner, I have developed my listening skills because they help me cultivate knowledge about how the world works.
This extends to polite eavesdropping.
Not the sneaky kind of eavesdropping depicted in movies, with stethoscopes or water glasses held against walls to amplify sound. Instead, I’m talking about a peaceful presence, one without noise canceling earbuds, that makes it possible for me to hear what is happening around me, particularly in crowded places. Like airports.
Several years back, I was waiting to board a plane while traveling for business. Behind me were two young bros excitedly talking about their work for one of the big consulting companies—like a Bain or a Deloitte. I don’t remember which one. The young men were enthusiastic about what sounded like their first jobs out of business school. As I listened carefully to their conversation, I distinctly remember hearing one of them lay out the formula for a successful client engagement:
“You listen to what the client believes their problem is, and the solution they are trying to assess. Then you gather information, and develop a report. In the report, you tell them exactly what they said they wanted in the initial meeting. Then you take all their money.”
They both laughed and agreed it was easy to be a consultant.
Years later, I’m starting my own consulting practice, one focused on helping corporate, government, and nonprofit clients develop and execute development and communication plans to secure contracts and grants. As I develop my consulting identity, I find myself returning to this bro-versation I overheard so many years ago.
I can promise that I’m not that kind of consultant—the kind who says “Yes ma’am” and delivers a product or service that has been created absent critical thinking, thoughtful development, and partnership with my clients.
What I can promise is that my work brings a no-nonsense approach that tries to:
Listen carefully throughout our relationship, so I can fully understand what you and your business needs from me.
Offer you an efficient work product, with full transparency into my process, so there is no mystery to what I am doing with your consulting budget.
Help build your capacity to eventually handle the work you’ve asked me to do as a consultant.
Gently push back by asking questions when I don’t understand something.
Deliver honest and strategic feedback to help ensure your business is positioned to be successful.
Please reach out if you want or need no help with your business development planning and communication. I’m ready to listen.