If an organisation decides it needs an important injection of expertise, there is often no time to waste as the expertise required is not usually sitting within the organisation with enough bandwidth to assist.

Securing the right independent consultant calls for a fast and efficient process to identify the appropriate level of experience. Unless the company has a good network of consultants to consider, they will often turn to their networks to help get the right person on board as quickly as possible. This is why I always ensure that organisations know that I am available for consulting assignments, whereas many independent consultants will be not be proactive in terms of marketing themselves.

I don’t think this makes good sense on the part of the independent consultant, but of course not everyone is suited for marketing so the consultant, regardless of their level of expertise, can often struggle to retain a regular pipeline of clients. Most people do not enter the world of independent consulting. Whereas it suits some people perfectly, the uncertainly, continuous change and other challenges keep most people in a permanent role.

I have loved the independent consulting world and I thrive upon the challenges and rewards that come with it. It is easy for me to write about all of the positive sides to consulting and encourage others to try it, but I am also aware that it is a lifestyle that many are not interested in. On occasions in the early days of my consulting career, I too had thought, „maybe I should get a job“, but I am so thankful that I never did that and I do not envy those in permanent roles.

Many of the independent consultants I know are not interested in a routine existence and of course there is the hunger for a challenge to change things that they enjoy. They know they are able to do it too, because they have successfully done so for many clients already. They have typically reached a ‚go-it-alone‘ stage in life and thrive on a very demanding, yet rewarding lifestyle.

Experience to create change is essential for a good independent consultant – together with strong interpersonal and communication skills. This is of course reqired of most employed managers, but the independent consultant has to undertake a task without any prior experience of the organisation in question and this is a huge challenge that most people never consider.

Personal attributes required of the independent consultant include being a high-achiever, results orientated, positive, someone who is proactive, prefers a ‚hands-on approach‘ and is able to do what it takes to get things done. They must be politically sensitive and very self-aware too. An understanding of international business and cultural issues is very useful too, depending on how wide you cast your net

A typical independent consultant will step into an organisation on day one and quickly establish a team relationship with their peer group and generally sell the concept of why they are there. Outstanding interpersonal skills and a positive attitude should be immediately apparent with the ability to strike up good relationships with all key people on the client-side.

Potential clients should always move quickly to secure the interest of the independent consultant to undertake their challenge. This is to avoid the risk of losing them to another client. Independent consultants are indeed a growing breed, but many have and will contunue to fail because they do not know how to market themselves properly and suddenly they run out of business. The independent consultant who succeeds the long-haul will usually have a regular flow of clients – not becuase of their expertise in their area of consulting, but because they have learned the various ways in which successful independent consultants market themselves.