Like a ramen broth that simmers for many hours to create perfection, as a consulting firm that has guided a wide range of companies over the past 20 years including food brands there are some intuitions and strategies that come natural now, and this post sheds more light on that especially when it comes to finding the best business/marketing consultants.
First and foremost, as with most things in life whether it’s building friendships as a kid or business relationships later, things take time to develop and it’s absolutely imperative for those on both sides of the table. The companies looking for top consultants then those that have been around the block and know exactly what to do versus spending time/money messing around with theories (something we see often before taking over).
Secondly, the “best” consultant might be labeled as that because they know the financial industry and guided top hedge funds with great results, however that doesn’t make them an expert in the food industry (how can you not love ramen?).
Thirdly, the best consultant will not hold back and bullshit you but instead be honest, put all of the options on the table ranging from firing to hiring, and have been through all of that before becoming an executive themselves.
The moral of this story: Consultants aren’t being paid to agree with you but instead turn the business around so everyone wins in the end. And when you bring on the right person/team to make a change good things can happen.