You need help, you know it, so you hire a consultant, and things are not quite going as you thought.
We’ve been on both sides of this equation; the one hiring and the hired. Here are our top five tips for working successfully with a consultant, agency, or contractor.
1. Don’t try to “have it all together.”
It’s ok, we have seen it all. Just be honest; bring the truth and all the information you can find – cocktail napkins, scratch papers, voice memos, or emails. Let the consultant sort the info and prepare a list of questions.
The sorting process is often very informative for a consultant to help piece together the situation and to help inform potential solutions.
2. Give them time, and answer their questions.
Working with a consultant will require availability for a couple of meetings. Don’t worry – they will make good use of your time. It’s essential they can have some of it to get questions answered, clarify specifics, and report updates to ensure they are on track.
And for the love of good, answer their emails or voicemails. They aren’t just bugging you – they are helping grow YOUR business. If they ask, they need input.
3. Get them access to the information they need.
If you can’t get them access to programs, reports, or information, you’d be better off not hiring them. This is a big time and money waster. If you have a proper NDA (non-disclosure agreement), you don’t need to worry about picking reports apart; just inform the consultant on what parts relate to the project at hand.
4. Ask for what you need.
You are the boss. You tell the consultant what reports and progress updates you need, when you need them, and in what format. You should be able to use the items they prepare for you as is. Don’t try to “re-do” the report, ask them to prepare it as you need it.
And if they aren’t providing you reports, updates, or status check-ins… that is unacceptable. They are being paid to impact your business – make them prove it is working.
5. Give feedback.
You shouldn’t hire a consultant or contractor and then leave. They need feedback, anecdotal or other. They need access to data, insights, and ongoing input so they can optimize their efforts.
Marketing and Customer Experience are integrated and vital functions of your business. They can’t be grown and scaled without some mechanism to get feedback regularly.
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We believe truly exceptional patient experience is woven of a strong culture, commitment to employee engagement, aligned brand messaging, and superior safety and service. ClarityPX works with you to ensure your strategy is comprehensive, meets your business goals, and supports a thriving culture for staff, caregivers, and patients.
Are you ready to improve your patient experience and your bottom line? See if ClarityPX is the right fit for you and your organization, and get in touch to schedule a no-obligation exploration call here.
