After guiding companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500s over the past 15 years we’ve learned a lot, and this post touches on the critical things to look for when hiring an outside consultant whether it’s for social media marketing, building a raised bed garden or launching your company to the moon.

First and foremost, the concept of bringing in outside help (a consultant) is a smart move that many companies struggle with because they feel it shows a flaw in their internal operations – like their team isn’t good enough – but in reality that’s far from the truth.

Looking at one example: Imagine you’re a global restaurant chain that’s a leader in your space with an amazing team, happy customers and everything else you could possibly ask for. And that success was achieved by being laser-focused on your goals.

But what happens when being too focused and operating with blinders makes you miss out on everything else going on in the world around you? That blindness will inhibit you from seeing the big picture and what’s around the next turn which could be both good or bad.

There’s a reason why the most successful companies in the world hire outside consultants to guide them on projects and it’s because consultants come in with no bias and provide suggestions based on their independent experience, and as part of that they push for change (what consultants are essentially paid for).

And this leads to the core of this post: Whether you’re reading this because you want to be a consultant in the future or your company is searching for one, never hire a “yes” person. The best consultants will give you the bad news upfront and work with you to fix problems versus saying the right things to make you happy.

Hopefully this post sheds more light on the world of consulting and if you have questions or want to brainstorm let’s connect: info@thebrainchildgroup.com