Why Are Consultants So Expensive?
I’ve been dancing around this post for months, but now it’s time to put the spotlight on the elephant in the room – i.e. – the (perceived) cost of hiring a consultant. Before we dive into the WHY, let me start by clarifying two things.
- A coach and a consultant are not the same thing. While many may dabble a bit in the gray area between the two, the job of a good coach is to ask the right questions and provide sound advice to help you become a better business owner, leader, etc. The job of a good consultant is to listen, access, and provide solutions specific to issues or problems within your organization or business.
- Coaches often work with you long-term while consultants usually work short-term or based on a contract. While a good coach produces positive and lasting results in your personal development, a good consultant will provide positive, immediate, and lasting results in the way you run your business (or at least they should, in my personal opinion).
So, why are consultants so “expensive”?
- They’ve already learned the lessons and done the work and will save you hours upon hours of time and headaches of having to figure it out for yourself.
- They’ve worked with other similar business owners as well and know from experience what the common issues are, where most people get stuck, and how to steer you toward success.
- They are most likely “wired” differently than you are as a business owner and approach things from a unique perspective.
If you’re familiar with DISC profiles, here’s a quick stat for you. While only 10% of the population is high D (with ISC all coming in around 30%), 65% of business owners are high D. That means you’re just not “hard wired” to create systems and processes.There’s no fault in this, however… smart business owners:
1 – Recognize this
2 – Hire to fill in the gap
And this is where the “expensive” consultant comes in…
Would you spend a couple thousand dollars on a new computer if you knew it would last you at least 5 years and increase your overall productivity? Most likely, yes. Now, would you spend a couple thousand dollars on a consultant who could provide the missing systems, processes, structure, etc. to calm the current chaos and keep it that way for at least the next 5 years? …..
Just something to think about when considering the cost vs. the value when you perceive something to be “expensive.”
If you want to learn more about how “expensive” I am, you can do so here. 😎