I am really very interested in people's opinions on this..
A client (who is also a (non-competing) business consultant) explained to me this week that I was unusual in the business world in that I would
- expect a demonstrable financial return (however indirect) on an investment I made for my company for implementing advice from a business consultant - OK I wouldn't expect an immediate return on the consultancy itself if I didn't put the recommendations into action!
- consider it a 'given' that I (and other consultants that I am advising) should demonstrate during a pitch how their intervention would eventually result in some form of business (££) benefit
- prepared to be held in some part at least accountable for the resulting effect on client's financial performance. Again, with the proviso that they actually agree with, and implement, the advice given.
The client concerned (whom I respect, and have no doubt does deliver financial ROI) tells me that they are reluctant to make any connection between the investment in time and money required by a client, and any eventual financial benefit to the client's business.
The difference of opinion may be that I find it difficult to disconnect business interventions with a business (£££) result. The cost of intervention in this case is a minimum of £40k per client company.
The reason for asking this, is that I am working with this client so they can gain more work. As an ex-sales manager who listened to many consultancies and training organisations making pitches for work, I was always looking for the eventual business benefit (however hidden or long term). I see this client's absolute refusal to demonstrate any business benefit (and by that I mean £££) to hiring them, and also refusal to be accountable in any way for results as a major reason why they have problems during pitches, and no hires.
They tell me that my eye for a ££ return is because I am from a sales background, and they have never had to account for financial returns from prospective clients in the days when they were successful. This was, admittedly, in very large corporates and at a very high level (maybe that is the answer).
Since I can't unwire 30 years of (clearly) hard line sales attitude to this, please could someone else tell me whether they regard my insistence on seeing a financial return (somewhere, somehow) as 'irrelevant and blinkered'? I have had a bit of an 'am I mad?' crisis about this!
PS Realise the above doesn't sound very neutral, because I just can't get my head round it, not because not open to another way of thinking!
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