The Consultant's Law of True Fragrance - Huxiu#
#Omnivore
Highlights#
I have asked many seniors this question, and they generally believe that if there is a lack of that "mutual understanding" feeling from the very beginning, there is no need to continue. Trusting in chemistry is definitely correct. ⤴️ ^976b1d5a
This point is really important; do not try to persuade others, find clients who can understand you without persuasion.
The most important thing as a consultant is to inspire. ⤴️ ^4dfcfd26
The core point is to find problems; solving problems is relatively simpler, finding problems is what matters, seeing the essence through the phenomenon.
One must have a broad industry perspective and understand what stage the client is in and what capabilities need to be supplemented. ⤴️ ^e08d2be6
Organize and build a set of methodologies or develop a strategic framework for delivery. ⤴️ ^a375878c
Build standardized processes in non-standard services.
The Consultant's Law of True Fragrance#
This article introduces the characteristics and roles of consultants, as well as the problems existing in the consulting industry. The author points out that becoming a successful consultant requires mastering tacit knowledge and transforming it into practice to better serve clients. At the same time, the article also discusses why companies hire consultants and the external perspective and temporary needs of consultants. Finally, the author emphasizes the importance of consultants having both a global perspective and methodology.
• The key for consultants is to master tacit knowledge and transform it into practice to better serve clients.
• Reasons companies hire consultants include finding client channels, gaining external perspectives, and meeting temporary needs.
• Consultants need to have both a global perspective and methodology to understand client needs and provide solutions.
Recently, I found that serving clients is very different from other jobs.
This distinction made me very curious, so I asked friends around me who understand this area; some of them have just transitioned from senior positions.
From them, I learned that some people do not fare well in this industry, either unable to find clients or only able to serve some old clients. However, this situation is not universal.
To gain a deeper understanding of this issue, I specifically consulted some experts who have been in the consulting industry for a long time and have their own companies. Some of them have so many clients that they are overwhelmed and even selective about the projects they take.
They shared with me many things I did not know before, which made me feel that becoming a consultant seems to contain a certain "profound knowledge." This knowledge learned through practice can be called "tacit knowledge," and mastering this knowledge is the key to becoming a successful consultant.
To transform hard-to-describe experiences, unspoken rules, and industry insider information into actionable practices, thereby better serving clients and helping new consultants grow, one must return to the essence of being a "consultant."
- What is a consultant?
A consultant needs to have rich vertical industry knowledge and experience, as well as connections, to provide clients with solutions and advice that are relatively objective and fair; at the same time, they will help the company manage relationships with external parties when needed.
In simple terms, a consultant uses professional knowledge to help others solve problems.
There are many types of consultants, which can be categorized based on their professional fields and service targets; among the companies I have interacted with, the most common demands are for process consultants, legal consultants, technical consultants, marketing consultants, personal consultants, etc.
Different people have different names for them; for example, I provide marketing and public relations services to clients, which is also referred to as external brainpower. After visiting many companies, I noticed that large companies usually hire many consultants, but many outsiders may not understand.
For example:
The biggest internal consumption of a company is maintaining a bunch of consultants; consultants charge high fees, but their actual contributions are not obvious; consultants pretend to understand but do not, collect consulting fees, and then leave a pile of problems for the company to solve.
Some people also feel that large companies hire only top talents, so why spend money on consultants? Is it because there are no capable people internally, and they need to rely on external theories, etc.?
These complaints reflect people's biases and misunderstandings about consulting work, while also revealing some actual problems in the consulting industry.
Sometimes, consultants do indeed rely on theories and lack practical experience; at times, their suggestions do not align with the company's situation, which not only confuses clients but also negatively impacts the overall reputation of the consulting industry.
Why do such situations occur?
On one hand, I think consultants, in pursuit of work efficiency and feasibility of solutions, often rely on those models and methodologies that have been validated through practice.
These models and methodologies are usually based on rich experience and extensive data analysis, making them highly generalizable.
For example, in public relations, when a brand faces a crisis, it usually needs to issue a public statement to express the company's position and the measures taken. If you write it on the spot, there may be many loopholes.
So, what should be done?
Public relations consultants will follow a set of "standardized" crisis public relations templates to respond.
This template is built based on the "best practices" summarized from numerous past crisis public relations cases, including emergency response, information disclosure, responsibility definition, and subsequent corrective measures.
By integrating the brand crisis event into this template for response, it can at least help the brand quickly implement segmentation and stabilize public opinion.
This approach sends a clear signal to the public: "The brand is conducting a self-examination, and will promptly inform of any new developments." This practice helps prevent further deterioration of public opinion, thus avoiding a larger crisis.
On the other hand, some consultants, in pursuit of quick delivery and compensation, may overlook investigation and research, hastily proposing suggestions. This one-size-fits-all approach is not because they do not conduct research, but because the topics are too broad.
For example:
In the B2B field, especially for companies that develop software solutions for clients, most delivery models require clients to first purchase a software package.
In this process, as a solution consultant, one may encounter some large and complex projects that involve multiple departments, business processes, and technical issues, requiring long-term and in-depth research and discussion.
If consultants truly study everything thoroughly before providing solutions, it may take a month.
Therefore, to quickly enable the company to use the tools, the most direct method is to push the software tools to the company for use first, and then adjust and optimize based on the company's actual business needs.
Using this method, many unexpected problems may arise at first, but at least the company has a real environment to test and use, and everyone can more directly see how the tools perform in actual business, optimizing while using, and gaining a deeper understanding of what is needed and how to adjust accordingly.
Moreover, this method of rapid trial and adjustment can also help the company adapt to new tools and processes more quickly, facilitating faster innovation and change.
Thus, sometimes quick trials and improvements can more easily identify the core of the problem and better meet the company's actual needs than long-term planning and design.
Understanding this, you also understand why consultants always want to deliver quickly and provide after-service.
- Companies certainly know that "maintaining a bunch of consultants" is a waste of money, so why do they still hire them? There are three real demands:
- First, finding clients and channels.
What? Finding clients through consultants? Yes, you heard it right. Most people think of traditional client acquisition methods such as advertising and marketing, which aim to attract potential clients' attention through extensive promotion.
However, in the B2B industry, companies pursue precision and efficiency more. To save time and shorten transaction links, directly finding clients through consultants can alleviate many burdens; it may be hard to imagine.
A boss told me that the company has signed contracts with 20 niche self-media like me, and the reason for this is that you all create content that is professional enough to attract industry attention.
Instead of creating content ourselves and attending conferences, it is better to invest that money in consultants; I only need consultants to provide leads for me throughout the year.
Moreover, consultants can also provide more personalized and professional service suggestions; they have a foundation of trust that can reduce the traditional B2B sales screening process, making it a win-win situation. They push clients to me, and perhaps this client can also collaborate with them, benefiting all three parties.
Another boss who operates a single brand told me that to ensure smooth store openings on platforms like JD, Tmall, Douyin, and Kuaishou, and to quickly connect with the official channels of each platform, he even directly hired someone with rich industry operation experience as a consultant.
Why do this?
On one hand, this strategy greatly reduces the pressure and energy diversion of the internal operation team in finding suitable candidates and connecting channels.
On the other hand, through consultants acting as intermediaries, brands can more directly and accurately grasp the latest developments and upcoming support plans from major platforms, allowing for timely adjustments to operational strategies and directions.
This not only ensures that we can occupy a favorable position in market competition but also allows us to more accurately meet the demands of platforms and the market, enhancing competitiveness.
- Second, providing external perspectives.
A few days ago, a market consultant shared his experience with me. Many of his clients, mostly enterprise-level, have tried to persuade him to join their company, asking what treatment he wants, willing to meet his demands, and even allowing him not to work on-site, but he has rejected them all.
I said, isn't that good? He said, no.
You see, any organization can fall into fixed thinking patterns; when everyone works in the same environment, the way they think about and view problems may become increasingly similar, and new perspectives and innovative ideas become scarce.
Even if someone has different ideas, the senior management of the team is likely to remain silent. Why?
After all, they know that once a problem is raised, a solution must be found. If the solution is not good, it will leave a negative impression; at this time, the boss needs an external, global perspective that can guide the team like a navigation system.
For example:
We all know the way home, but why do we still use navigation? Because navigation can provide real-time updates on road conditions, speed limits, and construction information, giving us the most accurate guidance and saving energy.
Therefore, if I am too closely related to a company, I may not be able to continue playing this role well, and instead, I may fall into the same predicament as the executives.
In the past, I did not understand this; now I do.
A boss, if he stays in the same "pool" for a long time, will become like the people around him. He does not urgently need a solution but needs some "external brainpower" to diagnose problems and provide critical feedback, which is a key factor in stimulating organizational vitality and creativity.
In addition to the above, there are also some temporary support "demands." A senior consultant told me that he serves as a process consultant for a leading office software company, and the HR department often encounters process reform issues.
For example:
Business is dynamic; sometimes, cross-collaboration and reporting are needed, and everyone has KPIs and OKRs. How to ensure that everyone can complete their tasks while reducing potential friction and confusion often lacks a holistic perspective internally.
Indeed, I deeply resonate with this.
Among the clients I serve, I often encounter some temporary demands; for example, they may ask me, everyone is planting grass for branding, we are not, can you help me see if a new method is feasible?
Also, how should the market public relations department be structured to align with my current stage of development, etc.?
This actually counts as a form of risk-bearing; clients obtain professional opinions through consultants, alleviating the pressure on internal teams, and utilizing the consultant's perspective to solve problems or develop new strategies.
Finding client channels, external perspectives, and temporary needs are three points I often encounter. Every company has its own set of rules, and the matters involved are diverse, not just the few I just mentioned, but can be further subdivided and explored more deeply.
If you can understand these, as a consultant, it may be easier to meet client needs, but not everyone can fulfill the role of a consultant. Because consultants must reconcile both "Dao" and "Shu," both are indispensable.
- What is Dao? The "Dao" people talk about refers to rules, scientific principles, or the essence of things. From the consultant's perspective, I prefer to understand "Dao" as a "energy field" with dual meanings.
First, this energy field of Dao originates from the upstream of the industry and specific circles. It is very precious and rare, capable of determining whether you can establish a basic reputation, gain widespread recognition, and have many people follow and support you.
A senior consultant in the marketing industry revealed to me that when clients need to communicate, they can not only develop plans for clients but also quickly implement them. If KOL support is needed, he can quickly gather many influential figures through his energy field.
Therefore, this ability field should not only be measured by the principle of "mutual benefit"; it more reflects the network of relationships that consultants build in integrating upstream resources.
Second, from the company's perspective, this Dao is an organic combination of chemistry, emotional value, and information asymmetry, which largely reflects whether the consultant can accurately and profoundly understand and grasp the needs and expectations of the boss and employer during communication.
Why three layers?
Because chemistry is the first step to establishing cooperation, I call it the metaphysical art. In daily life, when people make friends, they often can feel at a glance whether they are willing to continue communicating with the other party.
For consultants, this first impression is particularly important. It seems trivial, but it often determines whether a subsequent cooperative relationship can be established and even affects the smoothness of the cooperation.
I have communicated with many bosses; some can chat for days, and I am willing to share everything I know with them, and they hope to seize this opportunity to ask me as many questions as possible.
However, even so, it does not necessarily lead to a final cooperation; conversely, some people can reach a contract with just an afternoon of communication.
==I have asked many seniors this question, and they generally believe that if there is a lack of that "mutual understanding" feeling from the very beginning, there is no need to continue. Trusting in chemistry is definitely correct.==
However, relying solely on chemistry is far from enough; you must also possess rich emotional value. In the process of communicating with founders and business leaders, listening is certainly an important part, but the more core aspect is guidance.
What to guide? There are four points:
The direction of the dialogue, the problems encountered, the client's existing solutions, and the risks they are concerned about. However, clients generally do not easily open up completely, especially the bosses; they will only express part of their thoughts and needs.
They may have seen the practices of others or companies and are unclear about how their team should implement them; or they always feel that something is lacking in their approach.
Therefore, ==the most important thing as a consultant is to inspire==. This requires oneself to use information asymmetry and communication skills to stimulate client thinking, gradually delve into discussions until reaching the core of the problem, and inspire the other party to find solutions.
A senior business consultant friend told me that before meeting a client, he does his homework well, checking the client's competitors and consulting other clients who have done business with that company.
Understanding the potential problems and shortcomings of that company ensures that he is well-prepared for the meeting, asking pointed questions. In simple terms, he cannot be completely unaware of the external dynamics.
- Understanding Dao leads to discussing "Shu." What is Shu? It encompasses both global perspective and methodology.
What is a global perspective?
Understanding what role a service plays in a company or industry, and how it interacts and connects with other parts; in short, understanding the position of this service within the entire system and how it creates value for everyone.
For example:
An expert consultant in the ERP field told me that from consulting to implementation, they must first have a solid accounting foundation, understand the accounting system, and possess integrated financial and business knowledge, then master the product design concept, overall process, and usage scenarios.
Furthermore, they must be proficient in any field such as finance, supply chain, manufacturing, smart factories, mobile office, or retail. Only then can they deeply understand client pain points and provide clear and detailed solutions.
SCRM, SaaS, OA, and low-code platforms require such methodologies as well, meaning that ==one must have a broad industry perspective and understand what stage the client is in and what capabilities need to be supplemented.==
There exists a property whose characteristics make it difficult to fully grasp even with a broad perspective, such as "marketing services and public relations consulting."
From a single perspective, these services belong to a specific module or field, but in actual execution, these services are highly complex and mixed.
What to do?
Experienced seniors suggest that one can ==organize and build a set of methodologies or develop a strategic framework for delivery.==
Through this approach, it is possible to integrate knowledge and experience from multiple aspects, thus responding more effectively to various complex and changing demands.
For example, providing sales consulting services to B2B companies generally faces difficulties in directly providing specific and targeted solutions.
In this case, a more ideal solution is to distill and summarize the various capabilities required for sales skills. Then, transform these capabilities into specific training content and delivery materials.
In this way, not only can it help companies enhance the professional capabilities of their sales teams, but it can also ensure that consulting services more accurately meet the actual needs of clients.
Any consulting service can be standardized, whether it is strategy, process, methodology, or practical guidelines. In my view, what is deeper and rarer than these is the knowledge and wisdom related to the "Dao" level involved in consulting.
In summary: The best strategy is to outsmart, followed by outmaneuvering.
In this world, there are no eternal friends, nor eternal enemies. Consultants are more like individuals who continuously grow and improve; as a business, knowing how to make good use of consultants is also a skill. If you feel it is not fragrant, perhaps you are not using it well.
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