September 2005

Best of "Ask A Consulting Expert"

This month brings Best Of questions and answers from 2002 & 2003. The questions cover marketing, diversity, and consultant assessment topics.

From 2002

Question

When beginning consulting to an unknown market (in my case, small business and non-profit organizations), how does one research market norms for setting fees?

Answer

You certainly should gather data about fees for new industries you wish to service. Unfortunately I know of no one place where you can find that data. You could ask other consultants about the "range" of fees. If you have a friend inside an organization or a friend who will give you the name of someone inside an organization you may be able to obtain some information. You could also glean industry journals for "requests for proposals" that may list price ranges. You of course know that the two industries you have chosen are on the low end of the scale. This means you need to be assured that you can provide value-added services within their budgets. Take care that you set a fee that allows you to provide services that do not sacrifice high quality. Lastly, bid on a project or two. If you are accepted you know you fee is not too high, but of course, that does not guarantee that it is not too low. If you are rejected, be sure to learn why and don't be afraid to ask if your price was within the acceptable range. While this process certainly is not scientific, I know of no other that provides the information you seek.

Question

What start-up marketing activities do you recommend?

Answer

You should put a marketing plan together. You can purchase any number of consulting books that will show you how. But in lieu of that, network, network, network. Where? Professional conferences, conferences for the industries that you serve, local civic organizations, local professional meetings (ASTD), community events, neighborhood parties. With whom? Colleagues, potential clients, the person sitting next to you on the airplane, friends, relatives. How? Send congratulations cards, take people to lunch, send books or articles, write notes, speak at conferences or meetings, publish a newsletter, ask how you might help them. You get the idea. You need to keep yourself in front of people to determine where the opportunities exist. There is only one time to market-all the time.

From 2003

Question

I can't find information anywhere on how to become a diversity consultant. I am changing careers at 35, and have no idea where to start. There are courses offered here and there, but that still doesn't tell me where to start. Please help.

Answer

In your letter you give no indication of your level of diversity skills. To be a consultant in any field you need to be equipped with the appropriate skills, and due to the nature of the work this is especially true in diversity. While there are no formal barriers to becoming a diversity consultant (such as licensure) and anyone who wants to can "hang out a shingle," diversity is one area where a poorly prepared consultant can do significant harm to both an organization and the individuals in it.

A good diversity consultant must begin with a strong understanding of organizational behavior, inter-cultural communications, social psychology, some cultural anthropology, curriculum development, and must also have strong facilitation and coaching skills. And this before we even factor in the business side of consulting! As you have noted, there are no training schools. If you do not have these skills I would strongly caution you about going out on your own.

There are a number of options I recommend to you: consider volunteering in a community or professional organization that works in some area of diversity. Is there an ACLU in your area? Does your church do any work in the area of diversity and inclusion? Is your town/city doing anything in this area? This is good networking and volunteering will allow you to see the complexities of diversity work before you make a commitment to a career change. You can also identify the top consulting firms specializing in diversity and begin your new career there, learning the ropes from experts in the field. Another option would be to join the in-house diversity department in one of the many Fortune 500 companies that manage their diversity efforts internally (but beware of companies that confuse diversity with Equal Employment Opportunity). An emergent trend in diversity is the entrance of law firms providing diversity consulting to their clients, so you may also look there.

Finally, I would urge you to check out both the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), as well as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), both offer a wealth of resources about diversity.

Diversity consulting can be very difficult and emotionally taxing, but it is also extremely rewarding, so good luck to you in your efforts!

Guest Response by Renee Yuengling, Diversity Consultant. Reach her at 703/438-8366 or Whitmangroup@earthlink.net.

Question

My small team of Training and Development Specialists is looking for a tool to assess the consultation services that we provide to our internal client groups. For example: did we identify and were we responsive to your needs? What could we have done to provide better support? Do you have any suggestions?

Answer

While there is no specific tool designed, two books will serve as great resources for you to develop your own tool. The two books are Flawless Consulting by Peter Block and How to Manage Training by Carolyn Nilson. Once you develop your tool, you would provide a great service to our readers by sharing it on this website.