Consulting vs. “Lecturing”
Agency-to-client consultation can be a bit dicey sometimes. Most often with consultation one is trying to guide. To guide from one’s own experience, one’s own learned mistakes, one’s own learned successes. Yet, recently when providing some very straightforward consultation regarding the value of social media, and how it is best leveraged, my consultation was less than appreciated. It was perceived to be counter to the client’s own objectives. It was perceived to be lecturing! Unfortunately, this was in no way my intent. And note, I was quite diligent in the use of my language in hope to avoid this very outcome.
Here’s the thing … My only goal for any client is the client’s success. The success of the basic objectives. Because I know that only if my efforts translate to success will the client solicit my help with future successes.
And here’s the rub … If my consultation is ignored or discounted, I still have to execute the will of the client. And I’m happy to! Only, when the client comes back to me in a month or longer and asks why this particular initiative was not quite as successful as I had initial positioned, it’s difficult to respond with … “Well, I told you so!”
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