4 Misconceptions about Business Management Consultants

What are Some of the Misconceptions about Business Management Consultants?

1. They Live Luxuriously
2. They Tell You What You Know
3. They Create the Perfect Solutions
4. They are Certified Veterans of the Industry

Many businesses are scared of utilizing the services of business management consultants in the Philippines because of the many misconceptions that plague the consulting industry. Some companies who don’t really see the benefit of hiring consultants go as far as to create assumptions about what their jobs really are.

Business management consultants can be a great help to businesses when they are experiencing difficulties which they can’t solve on their own. They are qualified enough to give valuable advice that can make or break a company.

However, due to the assumptions of many people regarding what consultants do, they tend not to utilize them. Because of that, this article aims to debunk 4 misconceptions about business management consultants.

They Travel Luxuriously

When people think about any kind of business management consultants, most of the time, they’d assume that they get to travel a lot. They get to stay in 5-star hotels and get to eat in famous restaurants. People also assume that the clients of consultants are mostly part of the executive team of a company, particularly the CEO or the managing director.

To start off, travel can be a requirement for the job of a consultant, however, staying in luxurious hotels and dining in great restaurants are too grand. Most business management consultants that travel only stay in low budget places with fast food joints as the go-to place to eat. The few instances when consultants can go to 5-star hotels and famous restaurants would be if they will be meeting with their clients or fellow consultants.

It is also untrue that the typical clients of consultants are at the executive level. Most of them are primarily at the managerial level or maybe a VP. Consultants who have executives as their clients are most likely industry frontrunners that have made a name for themselves.

They Tell You What You Know

A common saying among people who don’t know a lot about consultancy, or have experienced bad service from them is that consultants “Take your watch and tell you the time.”- basically, it means consultants tell you how your business works. To some extent, this is true however it doesn’t stop there.

When you hire a business management consultant, one of the fundamental aspects of their work is to find out how your business works, in order for them to identify what needs improvement. They need to learn the processes of your business so that they can solve the problems that you have encountered.

Every company is unique. Similar systems may be found in many companies, however, how they are applied and utilized are almost always different between all the businesses out there. This is why it is important for consultants to become knowledgeable about your business model. It is for them to formulate a case-specific plan in order to help you improve your business.

They Create the Perfect Solutions

Companies hire business management consultants expecting to easily solve all of their problems without any drawbacks. Unfortunately, this is almost never the case. There will never be a perfect plan. An initial plan for improvement will always be open to change during the time it is being implemented.

Most of the time, consultants are hired when they present a proposed plan of action to solve their clients’ issues, however, this plan will always be flexible throughout the application period. This is because the client may change their mind on some policy or operational changes, and the consultant might uncover a more efficient way of fixing a certain concern.

A part of this point is the expectation of companies for consultants to do all of the problem solving on their own. Though it is technically what their job is all about, the consultant won’t be able to do it alone. They can go as far as preparing plans and giving advice on what to do, but the power to implement them in the company will always be with the clients.

They are Certified Veterans of the Industry

One of the most common misconceptions regarding consultants is that they have to have decades of experience in the industry. It is true to some extent because most consultancy firms hire veterans of their fields and train them to become proper consultants.

Though that kind of exposure is something that would make a consultant an expert in his field, it isn’t always the case. There are also consultancy firms that employ fresh graduates into their ranks because there are entry-level consultancy positions.

A good firm has a variety of consultants to choose from, each having rates that match their experience and capability. It is normal to have a consultant that is young enough to be your daughter if your company is equally new to the industry.

This kind of segmentation helps both the new consultants and the clients because it provides small businesses and medium businesses the option of consultancy without having to go for the more expensive and large-scale consultants, which they don’t need.

Key Takeaway

The Business management consultancy industry is slightly underappreciated solely because of the many misconceptions that plague its reputation. They provide a great service to those who need it.

If your business is having some problems and you have doubts about asking a consulting firm for help, maybe the clarification of the 4 misconceptions above will be enough to change your mind.