The greatest battle with any client is to instil “trust and peace of mind.”
The consultant must deal with the clients emotional status during the preliminary discussions and assess possible constraints and current issues.
Here are some common emotions you might feel when selecting and working with an outside advisor
I’m feeling insecure. I’m not sure I know how to tell which of the finalists is the genius and which is just good. I’ve exhausted my abilities to make technical distinctions.
I’m taking a personal risk. By putting my affairs in the hands of someone else, I risk losing control.
I’m worried. By the very fact that they are suggesting improvements or changes, these people going to be implying that I haven’t been doing it right up till now. Are these people going to be on my side?
I’m exposed. Whoever I hire, I’m going to have to reveal some proprietary secrets, not all of which are flattering.
I’m feeling ignorant, and don’t like the feeling. I don’t know if I’ve got a simple problem or a complex one. I’m not sure I can trust them to be honest about that: it’s in their interest to convince me that it’s complex.
I’m sceptical. I’ve been burned before by these kinds of people. You get a lot of promises. How do I know whose promise I should buy?
I’m concerned that they either can’t or won’t take the time to understand what makes my situation special. They’ll try to sell me what they’ve got rather than what I need.