Many vendor-consultants will recommend what they have to sell, based upon their own niche perspective:

• An accounting firm may suggest that an economic forecast is a full-scope business plan (which it is not).
• A trainer may recommend courses for human behavior, believing that these constitute a Visioning process (of which they are a small part).
• Marketers might contend that the latest advertising campaign is equivalent to re-engineering the client company (though the two concepts are light years apart).
• Niche consultants believe these things to be true, within their frames of reference. They sell what they need to sell, rather than what the client really needs.

1. Vendors sell products which were produced by others. Those who sell their own multiply produced works are designated as subcontractors. (82.99%)
2. Consultants conduct programs designed by their companies, in repetitive motion. Their work is off-the-shelf, conforms to an established mode of operation, contains original thought and draws precedents from experience. (17%)
3. High level strategists create all knowledge in their consulting. It is original, customized to the client and contains creativity and insight not available elsewhere. (.01%)

1. Those who still lead in an industry and have specific niche expertise. (13.5%)
2. Those who were downsized, out-placed or decided not to stay in the corporate fold and evolved into consulting. (28%)
3. Out of work people who hang out consulting shingles in between jobs. (32%)
4. Freelancers and moonlighters, whose consultancy may or may not relate to their day jobs. (16%)
5. Veteran consultants who were trained for and have a track record in actual consulting. That's what they have done for most of their careers. (2%)
6. Sadly, there is another category...opportunists who masquerade as consultants, entrepreneurs who disguise their selling as consulting, people who routinely change niches as the dollars go. (8.5%)

1. Technical or niche industry orientation.
2. Financial.
3. Entrepreneurial, small business management.
4. Academic, research.
5. Human resources management.

How to Pick the Right Consultants for Your Company
These pointers are suggested in the selection of business advisors and consultants:

• Ask a corporate strategist to help determine which consultants are needed, draft the requests for proposals, evaluate credentials and recommend contracting options.
• Understand what your company really needs and why.
• Don't pit one consultant against another, just to get free ideas.
• Don't base the business on "apples to oranges" comparisons.
• Ask for case studies which were directly supervised by the person who will handle your business... not stock narratives from affiliate offices or a supervisor.
• Find out their expertise in creating and customizing for clients...rather than off-the-shelf programs which they simply implement.
• Determine their abilities to collaborate and interrelate with other consultants.

• Budget for consulting at the start of the fiscal year, averaging 10% of gross sales. This does not include marketing, which should be another 10%.
• See consulting as an investment (short-term and long-term), not to be short-changed.
• Every size of business needs consultants, just as your clients need your services.
• The company which makes the small investment on the front end (consulting) saves higher costs. Research shows that consulting fees foregone are multiplied six-fold in opportunity costs each year that action is put off. (This is another of my trademarked concepts, known as The High Cost of Doing Nothing.)

• Would you feel comfortable if they ran your company?
• What is their longevity? Were they consultants 10-20 years ago? Consultants must have at least a 10-year track record to be at all viable as a judgment resource.
• What is their maturity level? Could they appear before a board of directors?
• How do they meet deadlines, initiate projects and offer ideas beyond the obvious?
• If one level of consultant sells the business, will this same professional service your account? Big firms usually bring in junior associates after the sale is made. Demand that consultants of seniority staff the project.
• How consistent are they with specific industries, types of projects and clients?
• How good a generalist are they? Consultants with too narrow a niche will not ultimately serve your best interests.

• Respect among current and recent clients.
• Reputation among affected constituencies within the business community.
• Activity in professional development and business education. If they do not pursue ongoing knowledge progression, they are obsolete and not valuable to clients.
• Track record at mentoring other business professionals. Check to see that they give beyond the scope of billable hours.
• Pro-bono community involvement. If they have done little or none, they are not worth hiring. Top professionals know the value of giving back to the community that supports them, becoming better consultants as a result.

• Clearly differentiates what he/she does...and will not presume to "do it all."
• Is a tenured full-time consultant, not a recently down-sized corporate employee or somebody seeking your work to "tide themselves over."
• Has actually run a business.
• Has consulted companies of comparable size and complexity as yours.
• Has current references and case histories.
• Gives "value-added" insight...in contrast to simply performing tasks.
• Sees the scope of work as a professional achievement...rather than just billable hours.
• Pursues client relationship building...as opposed to just rendering a contract service.

Been There, Done That...
People Often Say They Have...But Really Haven't!

Wonder why it's lonely at the top? It's because few people get there...really achieve the pinnacle of a career. Reaching the top means being the best that you can be. It's not indicative of occupying a certain chair in the board room. Being "at the top" is a journey that was enjoyed. It entails "staying power." It's analogous to working hard, getting stronger with age and prospering due to a continuum of accomplishments. Many folks (especially young ones who don't know any better) seemingly want to short-circuit the dues paying process. They say that the slow track is for chumps. They say "Been There, Done That" but are hard-pressed to list where they've actually been and what they've really done (or the processes for accomplishing).

Characteristics of those who will fall by the wayside include:

• Will not listen to superiors.
• Didn't have business role models or mentors.
• Don't see the merits in being a mentor to others.
• Make a lot of excuses.
• Are not prepared.
• Cannot wait.
• Think that they know better ways.
• Seek to rise too fast.
• Would rather be an executive that "doing the work."
• Think they will get rich quick.
• Don't respect authority or the process.
• Don't see the merit of continuing education and training.
• Won't pay dues...in the office, in the community and in business organizations.
• Don't learn how or why to research.
• Persist in gossiping and blaming.
• Insufficient life experiences.
• Don't have a plan for life or career.

• Realize that time commitments never decrease with the years.
• Motivation to excel and exceed...by reasons other than money.
• Know and acknowledge strengths...applying them in appropriate ways for best company advantage.
• Know and acknowledge weaknesses...not letting them get in the way of progress.
• Know better than to misrepresent one's self or claim expertise that is not earned.
• Realize that the more you learn will point up the need to learn more.
• Realize that there is no such thing as perfection.
• Show proper respect for those above and below them on the corporate tree.
• Show loyalty, honesty and ethics to each company-project where working.
• Create original ideas, work concepts and processes.
• Exhibit a consistent, cohesive body of work.
• Be judged by the average of work product...not rare "home runs" or "gold strikes."
• Do things in such a way as nobody else in that job could have done it.

Executive Seasoning