Many companies would off-hand dismiss their need for a consultant in regards to their business. I know I have been in their shoes.
As a consultant that produces a hurdle for me to either break through or jump over. Having given the idea some thought I have come up with 3 reasons why a company (any company) might want to find and hire a great consultant.
Reason 1. The company knows what they want to accomplish but do not have the time or resource available.
Explanation 1. Consultants provide a readily available resource that will allow a company to produce the desired goal in a short period of time. They are, in general, well-educated, well versed and experienced individuals who have the knowledge and wherewithal to provide companies with talent that is needed in the short-term. There exists no overhead, no taxes and no insurance needs just a straight cost resource to accomplish a specific task.
Reason 2. The company knows they want to improve in a given area but aren’t sure how to accomplish that goal.
Explanation 2. As mentioned previously, consultants are individuals with varied backgrounds and experiences that can be adapted to meet many needs. The consultant can provide insight and direction for the company and assist in defining the steps necessary to meet the desired goal. Further the consultant can, through their experience, provide development, documentation and training to create a process that can continue to meet the goal for many years to come.
Reason 3. The company knows they need to improve but are not sure where to start or how to change.
Explanation 3. The stated issue is right in the wheel-house of a good consultant. Through years of experience the consultant can provide bite-size projects to get the company started down the road to future success. The beauty of this methodology is that the company can see immediate returns and then use that data to decide, with the assistance of the consultant, how to proceed. The consultant can, in a short period of time, provide education in process development, documentation and training that will help the company stay on a path of continual improvement. In addition, the company will have found an invaluable resource that they can use as needed to insure they are on the path to greatest success.
Conclusion: Before dismissing off-hand the need for a consultant take a minute to consider the value proposition. A consultant can effect maximum change in a minimum time frame with maximum effort and at a reasonable cost.