A Strategy for Successful Consulting

C onsulting is a widely used but often misunderstood term. Some say consultants provide clients with advice or perform professional services for them, but there’s really no standard definition. We define it as a specialized professional service that provides expert advice to clients in a domain-specific field (such as IT or management). People hire consultants to diagnose, define, and solve their problems. But what does it take to be a successful consultant? Is just being an expert in the field sufficient to deliver an outcome the client will value? Three main factors affect a consultant’s ability to synthesize his or her accumulated knowledge, experiences, and expertise to efficiently deliver the desired advice and services. The successful consultant listens well, understands the client, and provides honest feedback and solutions.