5 secrets to always get outstanding performance in consulting

Key Takeaways

Many executives blame the consultants when things go wrong. But sometimes, there are the guilty ones. The trick is to keep your eyes on the prize. Be ambitious, clarify your expectations, demand impeccable performance and put the consulting firm in the right conditions to deliver. Get the star Consultants, and watch the benefits multiply as you successfully complete your projects.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 45 of our podcast: Smart Consulting Sourcing, THE podcast about Consulting Procurement.

My name is Hélène, and I’ll be your host today.

Each week I’ll give you the keys to better use, manage and source consulting services. This week, I’ll explain How to Get the Best Performances from Your Consultants

Last week, I explained how to select the right consulting partner for your project

We saw that each company has a unique set of markers and a unique consulting “DNA profile”. And being able to draw this profile will allow you to understand the range of projects where this particular consulting firm brings more value.

Ultimately, this gives you the keys to choose the right consulting providers for your projects.

But this week, I’d like to talk about performance and Neymar Jr.

Everybody knows Neymar. The Brazilian football star is one of the most recognizable faces in the world, and an inspiration to millions of kids who love and play sports. Besides the exceptional talent that he has, we can look at something more tangible and applicable to almost any other professional field – the desire to compete. And the desire to win.

If you like to get the best performance from your Consultants, create competition among them.

Competition inspires people to go for peak performance, and a lack of it creates opportunities for subpar results.

As an executive, you’re probably used to making quick decisions. Given the amount of work that you have to do, we get it. You want to be efficient. But don’t let that efficiency come at a higher cost of mediocre outcomes for your Consulting projects.

You have to get Crystal Clear on Your Priorities –

What are the exact reasons you need to hire a consultant, and who can be the best fit for your specific project and your organization? The most natural solution is to look into your pool of existing Consulting Providers and to pick and choose from there. However, the best consultant for one project is not necessarily the best one for the next project.

Always Look for the Most Talented Experts in The Field –

People are good at different things, and the degree of talent and abilities can vary substantially from one person to another. Make sure you compare the skill sets of candidates.

And It’s necessary to find a consultant who has substantial experience, creative problem-solving skills, and excellent interpersonal skills. It will be a great idea to interview a number of Consultants and evaluate their skills and talent in the process.

However, if you do all this work, you may find that different consultants have different strengths. One might have excellent interpersonal skills, while another might have many more years of experience. One might be endlessly creative and great with design, while another might be a lot more blunt and honest about what your organization really needs. A good way of identifying strengths and weaknesses is also to check references on prior similar assignments.

Whenever you can, Put Consultants in Competition –

People naturally do more and do better when the job or the reward is at stake. They know they need to do their best and prove themselves. And who benefits from this type of competition? You, the client. This way, you will also get the best value for money from your Consulting Spend.

You need to Have the Desire to Win & get the best performance in consulting-

This idea does not apply just to sports. To get the best performance, and to make sure you hire the right people for your project, there is one more aspect to look at – their passion and willingness to win. But since this is not a match, the outcomes are progress, improvement, and solving a particular issue, so make sure they have the motivation to deliver these results. You can’t win if the desire is not shared among all team members, including your Consultants.

It’s way too easy to skip a step and put a little less motivation, and still pass the test, but that’s not what winners do.

You want to Get the Best Value for Your Money –

There is a price advantage to put Consultants in competition. If the consultants know that you will examine other offers, they will give their best efforts to design and price their proposal.

You could always argue that you will take the best for the job regardless of the price, but we all know what pressure on expenses the executives have to live with, especially operating expenses. The better the cost for value tradeoff will be, the easier it will be to convince your boss or your board that this consultant is the right choice.

Many executives blame the consultants when things go wrong. But sometimes, there are the guilty ones. The trick is to keep your eyes on the prize. Be ambitious, clarify your expectations, demand impeccable performance and put the consulting firm in the right conditions to deliver.

And to end this on a lighter note, Neymar Jr. might currently be the highest-paid athlete in the world, but we can be sure that the revenues he brings to his club are way higher to justify the cost of his contract.

Get the star Consultants, and watch the benefits multiply as you successfully complete your projects.

That’s it for today. Next time, I’ll talk about The Future of Consulting (Consulting 4.0)

In the meantime, if you have any questions, or want to learn more about what we do at consulting quest, just send me an email at helene.laffitte@consultingquest.com

You can also have a look at our website smartconsultingsourcing.com to know more about our book and download free templates & guides to improve your consulting sourcing.

Bye and see you next week! Au revoir!

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