In the past several years, we’ve seen a rapid increase in our country’s trend towards a gig economy – one in which temporary positions and independent contractors are common. A recent survey by Korn Ferry, a human resources consulting firm, suggests that consulting professionals make up a growing percentage of those entering this economy.
How, then, does a consultant find ways to stand out in such an overcrowded market? The answer is a simple yet often underestimated one – by leading through values.
Whether you’re new to consulting, considering making the jump, or have consulted for quite some time, it’s essential to understand that consulting is ultimately about establishing a strong relationship with those seeking your services. Consider an infrastructure of some sort. Trust is the bedrock of any relationship’s foundation, and trust rests on values.
The role of trust cannot be overstated.
To be most effective, consultants should strive to serve as a trusted advisor. However, there’s no quick and easy way to earn trust. It’s a process that requires work and effort. Trust allows individuals to work together cohesively. It can either fuel the engagement or undermine it before it begins. More importantly, trust drives the state of the relationship that is built, in large part, upon shared values.
While each consultant’s values will differ, some values are common to many. Credibility, reliability, intimacy, and self-orientation are among the values and components often associated with being trustworthy. Others are competency, fairness and vulnerability. Consultants must personally define what these terms mean to them and how they show up in their work with clients.
In other words, values-based consulting is more than putting buzz words on a website or branding deck presentation. It should be apparent in every action and decision.
By incorporating personal and professional values into a consulting philosophy and framework, values-based consultants differentiate themselves from others occupying this space.
Consider the following two-pronged strategy to help guide you to long-lasting client relationships:
- Transformation, Not Transactions. Not every consulting opportunity will be a good fit for various reasons; chief among them value misalignment. The effective and values-based consultant not only recognizes this truth but embraces it. This type of consultant understands that there must be fundamental agreement and fit between the parties involved to achieve large-scale impact. They view transformation not necessarily as the amount of time invested in a client project or how wide-sweeping the work may be but, instead, looks to offer more than technical solutions to problems. Values-based consultants work to lay the foundation for relationship development from the start of client engagement. While ensuring that a proposal turns into a contract is essential for a sustainable consultancy, it is equally important to recognize that consulting is people-based and not numbers-based. The proposal process offers an excellent opportunity to showcase the values that govern an individual’s business dealings. During this process, the consultant’s approach, communication and delivery are critical.
Often, prospective clients show a great deal of vulnerability when letting consultants into the inner world of their problems. This provides an opportunity for the values-based consultant to highlight their commitment to leading from a place of authenticity. While traditional consultants may not heartily engage in this process, the values-based consultant readily participates in this vulnerability exchange, which allows them to stand out and serves as a solid element of trust for both parties.
- Manage Expectations, But Always Deliver. Thinking of the potential relationship as more than a contract sets the stage for additional follow-up work and referrals to others the client may know that face similar challenges. This concept – often interchangeably referred to as network trust and networked reputation – is crucial to gaining traction and longevity in consulting. It also serves as a solid reason for managing expectations and delivering as promised. A good business leader is always concerned about their return on investment. As such, consultants should bill their services as just that – a worthwhile investment.
Consultants should never undervalue the knowledge and experiences they bring to the table. However, their services must be priced fairly, and they must possess the competence to deliver on the agreed-upon scope of work. The values-based consultant seeks to manage expectations by setting clear deliverables, communicating well and often, and being transparent when challenges inevitably arise. Moreover, the values-based consultant goes above and beyond to understand what the client believes to be their problem, ensures they address the problem and not merely symptoms of it, and then offers practical, actionable, solution-oriented recommendations. When operating from a values-based system, consultants do not intentionally look to expand the consulting agreement. However, they recognize that others view them as subject matter experts and find ways to thoughtfully incorporate suggestions that may be considered add-on services, only if it serves to make the client more successful should they be willing to consider a fuller picture of what may be required.
Instead of selling potential clients on their vast knowledge, expertise and skills, values-based consultants focus on listening intently to client issues and seeking to understand not only the client’s problem but the client itself. Values-based consultants establish rapport early on and achieve it by being approachable, relatable, straightforward, and, most importantly, honest. In this way, trust is not rooted solely in the consultant’s ability to provide a specific range of services, but the knowledge that their commitment is to do the task well while remaining true to their values. It is the latter which reveals a deeper level of investment and care that leads to being sought out in an overcrowded market.
