Nicki Weiss, a sales consultant that happens to be a cousin of Neal Esserman, writes an excellent newsletter (you can sign up at www.saleswise.ca)    She wrote an intriguing  article this month which is relevant to those hoping to benefit from consulting, discussiong how disturbances are necessary for effective consulting.

A disturbance is an “outbreak of disorder”  and it is a cause for reflection. On a grand scale the oil spill in the Gulf is a cause for reflection on drilling more wells, our environment and our sources and uses of energy.  The recession caused us to re-think our oversights and limits on the financial industry.

On a more meaningful scale for consultants and those who use them, disturbances are cause for evaluation and productive thinking about new solutions.  The monthly plans are a great tool to cause disruption and highlight disturbances. M1 plans help businesses highlight disturbances that are cause for re-thinking what is being done in the business AND changes that are needed to redirect efforts.

EVERY month a consultant’s role in the business is not just to deliver plans. To maintain maximum effectiveness they must:

1.       Create appropriate disturbances

2.       Collaborate to find appropriate actions

3.       FOCUS- FOCUS- FOCUS

Businesses are bombarded daily with personnel issues, inventory problems, sales issues, merchandising problems, marketing challenges, financial considerations and vendor queries. They probably are also dealing with family issues, parent problems, children and social demands as well.  If consultants are not providing FOCUS for them to make sure the most important things are being done, they risk becoming another complication in their lives and not a solution.

 

There is a dichotomy in that to get action consultants must create a disturbance. To get results they must create focus on which of the many disturbances in their lives are the most important.

Those are some of the conclusions I took from Nicki’s article.  Read it and let me know if you agree or find other conclusions.

Have a great Month

Evan