If your company needs computer IT consulting, it will find no shortage of consultants. Finding the right consultant, however, is where the IT road can get rough. As with any industry, managed IT services has its share of charlatans and companies that would make a big sale at the expense of offering mediocre solutions. How do you avoid these companies? The key is to know what to look for in a consultant's demeanor and presentation.
Five Types of Managed IT Services Consultants to Avoid
Everyone thinks that they can spot an insincere salesperson. But when you lack IT savvy, spotting less than upfront consultants can be difficult. Below, we list five types of consultants that every company should avoid.
1. Those that Offer Progressively Cheaper Solutions
If you've decided that a consultant's solution is too expensive, it should either offer the solution for a lower price or give you time to reconsider your decision, not offer progressively less expensive solutions until one meets your budget. Some companies think that a sales hungry consultant keeps promoting the same solution, despite its high price, but the opposite is often true. Remember, if the price keeps falling, the person is aiming to meet your budget, not solve your Issues.
2. Those that Propose a Solution Outright
Some consultants propose a solution before they even examine your problem, a scenario where the consultant's "expertise" weighs heavily. Yet, just as your company wouldn't propose a solution within its area of expertise without first performing problem analysis, neither would a respectable information technology company. While there's always the chance a consultant could suggest the right solution without examining your problem, why gamble with your company's money?
3. Those that Immediately Offer a Sales Presentation
A consultant that soon gives you a sales presentation probably hasn't taken time to study your interests and issues-much less your preference of presentation style-in depth. Either that, or it views you as a non-major account and treats you as such. If a sales presentation becomes one of the first steps and not one of the final steps in your relationship with a consultant, it's probably best to look for a new one.
4. Those that Talk Better than they Listen
Almost all consultants talk more than they listen, but many of them also talk better than they listen. If you feel that you've made your questions and concerns clear and that they still aren't being answered, it's probably time to seek better ears.
5. Those that Don't Offer Results Tracking
If you're implementing a new solution, it should have a results tracking period courtesy of the company that offers it, with a promise tailor the solution if it doesn't perform at a certain level. If your spending the money it takes to improve your business, there should be a guarantee in place that a solution will offer the results outlined in the contract.
Five Types of Managed IT Services Consultants to Avoid
Everyone thinks that they can spot an insincere salesperson. But when you lack IT savvy, spotting less than upfront consultants can be difficult. Below, we list five types of consultants that every company should avoid.
1. Those that Offer Progressively Cheaper Solutions
If you've decided that a consultant's solution is too expensive, it should either offer the solution for a lower price or give you time to reconsider your decision, not offer progressively less expensive solutions until one meets your budget. Some companies think that a sales hungry consultant keeps promoting the same solution, despite its high price, but the opposite is often true. Remember, if the price keeps falling, the person is aiming to meet your budget, not solve your Issues.
2. Those that Propose a Solution Outright
Some consultants propose a solution before they even examine your problem, a scenario where the consultant's "expertise" weighs heavily. Yet, just as your company wouldn't propose a solution within its area of expertise without first performing problem analysis, neither would a respectable information technology company. While there's always the chance a consultant could suggest the right solution without examining your problem, why gamble with your company's money?
3. Those that Immediately Offer a Sales Presentation
A consultant that soon gives you a sales presentation probably hasn't taken time to study your interests and issues-much less your preference of presentation style-in depth. Either that, or it views you as a non-major account and treats you as such. If a sales presentation becomes one of the first steps and not one of the final steps in your relationship with a consultant, it's probably best to look for a new one.
4. Those that Talk Better than they Listen
Almost all consultants talk more than they listen, but many of them also talk better than they listen. If you feel that you've made your questions and concerns clear and that they still aren't being answered, it's probably time to seek better ears.
5. Those that Don't Offer Results Tracking
If you're implementing a new solution, it should have a results tracking period courtesy of the company that offers it, with a promise tailor the solution if it doesn't perform at a certain level. If your spending the money it takes to improve your business, there should be a guarantee in place that a solution will offer the results outlined in the contract.
In my research on managed IT services, I've studied the traits of great IT consultants versus the traits of mediocre ones.
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