Consultant Angst… We are a necessary evil.

I’ve been “consulting” for over 13 years. What to do, when to do it, how to do it when it comes to doing business and succeeding online. I’ve honed my skills and have the experience only found with those who have been along for the ride from the start and continue to test, tune, try new things and learn — all so that I can advise from a point of knowledge and real world experience when asked for my input by clients.

It seems with a certain type of onliner; no matter how clear my policies and my communications — when that bill goes out — I am the bad guy! The experience, fast as lightning responses and customer service rarely found online that includes accurate information and specific details to inquiries that include “What do you think?” is not appreciated.

“I could do this myself, right, and save your fees?”

To which I answer; “Yes, you can!” An answer which is easier for me to type than actually apply by those who see no value in having my vast wealth of knowledge and experience at their disposal.

What is consulting? Maybe it is those who hire a “consultant” who need to review what it is a consultant actually is:

consultant:  n. One who gives expert or professional advice.

The Small Business Encyclopedia defines a consultant as:

A consultant is an individual who possesses special knowledge or skills and provides that expertise to a client for a fee. Consultants help all sorts of businesses find and implement solutions to a wide variety of problems, including those related to business startup, marketing, manufacturing, strategy, organization structure, environmental compliance, health and safety, technology, and communications

One thing is clear; our culture no longer values the intangible — knowledge and experience.  And in the face of someone who knows more, has more experience than one may have but desire, some tend to trivialize the value of the other’s knowledge and experience by many times thinking they can easily do what the consultant can and save having to pay their fees.  Have at it!

“Why do you charge so much for something so easy I can do it myself.”

One has to ponder… if it were so easy — why are you asking me?  DIY, of course without all the experience, education and time spent to gain the level of expertise the consultant has to offer.   I admit that I may contribute to this perception that things are easy; because technology is easy for me.  The majority I work with truly have no concept of how much time, work, frustration, aggravation, trial and error has gone into (over the past 13 years) acquiring the level of knowledge and expertise that I have to offer.   One could say if you investigated me, read my sites, Googled me, you could appreciate that a bit more — but those who complain don’t take time to read that type of stuff.

And I am still learning every day that I sit at this keyboard! When I am approached in that manner, all I can say is “Good luck with that.”

If we can’t touch it, use it or eat it, we devalue it. While those who complain about my fees wouldn’t have a clue what to do without my counsel, they do not hesitate to complain about having to pay me to offer my advice and experience that they in fact asked for.  You can’t have it all ways.

“Are you going to charge me every time I e-mail you and ask a few simple questions?”

No, and I do not charge for “every e-mail” (read the TOS please)!  Sheesh.  E-mail is not any different than consulting on the phone or in person. Regardless of how you ask for my input and advice in regard to a service you are using that is not offered by TheIStudio.com, an e-mail you received from a third party provider, a strategy moving forward, I will offer my expert and professional advice. That’s consulting - that’s why I thought you chose to become one of my clients.

If I didn’t have a Letter of Engagement and TOS that covers all this in excruciating detail — including the specific definition of consulting and what and when one can expect to be charged, I probably wouldn’t be just a wee-bit, a tad, insulted when folks act as though I don’t have a right to charge for the knowledge and experience they asked that I share with them.

Some actually insinuate that I am here to answer any question they have about outside services, third party communications and “what should I do…” e-mails en gratis because they are my clients.    Hmmm…. if you are a client, that means you pay for services rendered. How can you be a client if I am not allowed to bill for my time to answer your e-mails or questions on the phone?  If you want unlimited access, put me on retainer!

Since consultants provide advice; don’t ask questions if you don’t want them to “consult.” If you are unable to accomplish a task on your own, or are unclear about how to proceed on a certain subject, don’t ask your consultant for assistance or input. Otherwise you will be charged — that is what they do for a living — consult.

If everything were so easy online, and every business owner put as much time, knowledge acquisition and diligence into their programs that is needed to survive let alone succeed online; there would be no need for consultants.  But in until that time comes, for some, we are a necessary evil.

For that rare breed that prefers to run their business while having a proven consultant on their team that possesses the experience and knowledge they could never hope to acquire; my fees are a value, an investment in their business that will help them attain ROI — not an expense to be complained about.

At your service,
Judith