Is Your Team Overwhelmed, Understaffed, or Needs a Fresh Perspective?

Five ways a consultant can add value to your business

There are many reasons organizations may look to an outside consultant. Whether it’s bringing a fresh perspective and dedicated support to a large project, entering a new market, winning complex government contracts, or strategizing an all-encompassing brand refresh, consultants can bring a new perspective and much-needed expertise to your business.

Five Ways a Consultant Can Add Immediate Value to Your Business

1. Neutrality: Job descriptions often call for candidates with a “passion” for elements of the role at hand. From leaders to every level of an organization, we all put a certain amount of emotional investment in our work, and that’s a good thing! It’s what gets us out of bed in the morning, but it’s also what can make us cling to ideas and processes that may not be the most lucrative option. At the other end of the spectrum, even the best teams can sometimes “check out” and unintentionally operate on autopilot for far too long. An outside consultant provides a holistic view and an impartial understanding of what your company’s marketing and pursuit efforts need.

2. An eye from the outside: Just like you might seek a second opinion on important health issues, a second opinion is invaluable in your business as well. When faced with big decisions, engaging a consultant can help you see solutions that you may have missed by being too close to the challenge. And remember, consultants work with many companies, so they bring best practice knowledge that you can apply to your situation.

3. Skills within a timeframe: You might hire a specialist with a skill set that you need right now but don’t need for the long term. This type of consultant will lay the groundwork for your strategy by performing market research, building out your website, setting up your CRM system, writing a winning proposal, or creating a suite

of collateral materials. A consultant might also provide coaching and training for your staff and sales team. On the other hand, you might need a pinch hitter; someone who can jump in and provide extra horsepower when your team is swamped.

4. Flexibility: Hiring a consultant allows you to propose on your sweet-spot projects or develop a new marketing campaign even when you’re not fully staffed to handle it. As your needs fluctuate and grow, a consultant helps you fill in the gaps. A consultant can also be an ongoing, extended member of your team. Building long term relationships with consultants provides the added benefit of knowing exactly whom to call for your current need.

5. Quality, speed, and cost effectiveness: With a consultant, you are not just hiring a single person with a single skillset. Often when working with firms like Summit Strategy, you have a team of specialists at your fingertips, from strategists, proposal managers, digital marketing specialists, writers, designers, and more. Because these individuals have often worked together on previous projects, they are able to provide value on Day 1 of the engagement. There is no ramp-up time, HR hurdles to overcome, or training to provide. The consulting team simply comes in and gets the job done – for a fraction of what it would cost to hire a team of specialists.

Whether you are a large, established corporation or a growing company, hiring a consultant is a value-add that will strengthen your team and contribute to your growth. Summit Strategy partners with market leaders who set industry trends by helping them plan, develop, measure, and expand their business.