Consultant Referral Network - Anyone in MI, OH, MN or WI seen this?

[qualitygoddess]

CONSULTANT REFERRAL NETWORK.doc

A new database for companies to do searches for consultants to help them implement a quality system, or other services. Has anyone checked out this database, or perhaps paid the fee to join it as a consultant??

--JM

[Wes Bucey]

Originally Posted by qualitygoddess

A new database for companies to do searches for consultants to help them implement a quality system, or other services. Has anyone checked out this database, or perhaps paid the fee to join it as a consultant??

--JM

I've seen literally hundreds of similar databases for consultants, both non-profit and for-profit sponsored.

I am leery of operations which seek to garner a "commission" (called referral fee here) on a continuing basis for simply acting as a searchable "directory" for the consultant.

In terms of being a business looking for a consultant, after I read your post, I signed up for my own corporation and was dismayed at being forced to rank the size of consultant organization I preferred after I specifically answered a question stating I had no preference.

An error has occurred with the question:
"What is your preference for the consultant's firm size? Please rank the following, indicating your first, second, third, and fourth choice."
Please go back and enter unique values for each option. You must enter 1, 2, 3 or 4.

I asked for a consultant for "Organizational Transitions, Major" which I suppose is code for "Change Management" since there was nothing similar in the menu to choose from. I hate "corporate speak" because when I sit in the Board Room with the Directors, they don't speak like that - only fawning sycophants trying to impress them use such terminology. There is a difference between "elegant language" and "corporate speak." I was so glad to be rid of that kind of language when Military Standards became obsolete and along with them terms like "suffix identifiers" and "Standardization Document Improvement Proposal." I didn't search hard, but if they have "Organizational Transitions, Major" - they probably also have "Meals, Ready to Eat"

The system produced two consultants to choose from. One had this as part of her "pitch":

_________ maximizes your business results by effectively assessing, analyzing, prioritizing, and efficiently integrating seven key performance factors within your organization: Talent Growth & Management, Leadership Development, Sales Force Effectiveness, Organizational Alignment, Customer Service Excellence, Team Performance, Compensation, Rewards & Recognition.

Even I got out of breath just reading such a sentence. I use enough polysyllabic words in my life that I am decidedly unimpressed by others who use them in advertising.

Her website wasn't much better:

___________ Is a new type of business consultant.
We understand that your business is a concept, a symphony composed of many people, entities, and operations. Our goal is to achieve the delicate balance of harmony without drama, and results without guesswork. Effectively combining the art and science of business is the essence of _______.

Can you imagine YOUR boss signing up?

I once got over 200% return on a mailer (two or more orders for each mailing piece sent) which had a color photo of typical parts plus a sawed 1/2 of a part glued to the piece. The sole copy was:
"If you need parts like this, you need us!"
together with our contact information. Note only words of one syllable!

If a clearing house for consultants is to succeed, it has to do more for the fees it charges than merely supply the equivalent of a white pages ad (no graphics or links allowed) with a text description of services.

Somebody at the clearing house has to make an effort to get it boosted up on search engines. They may even need a copywriter to help consultants create "grabber" copy to delineate their services. They also need to do something to assure the competence of the consultant. I'm not sure how a clearing house can do that when even the top Registrars have trouble assuring the competence of every one of their individual auditors.

Sorry to be negative, but in its current state, I wouldn't pay ANY money to be listed. If my experience as a buyer looking for a referral is any indication, I would be discouraged by apparent lack of "vetting" of consultants other than voluntary adherence to a "code of ethics" which I would expect as a normal course of business anyway. Even "free" is no bargain for an organization if it is merely a waste of time to run the search.

I predict within a few months folks will ask, "What were they thinking?"

[qualitygoddess]

As my dad has always been fond of saying, "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is."