What’s a consultant? ‘Someone who takes your watch to tell you the time.’ Or, ‘someone 50 miles from home.’ We’ve all heard these jokes. The reality is there are many more Brand U’s telling time and being more than 50 miles from home working as consultants.
Why are there these jokes? Most consulting is project work providing a customer with a vague product called ‘peace of mind.’ Consultants take advantage of changes in technology and complexity, which result in client confusion and uncertainty. Brand U’s can provide ‘peace of mind’ because they have special knowledge, know-how, objectivity, and independence.[i]
[i] “Management Consultancy,” The Economist, March 22, 1998, p. 1-22.