While
it is a common feature that most of the new startups and business
establishments solicit and take help from outside consultants, it is not
that common in old & established business players to hire the
consultants.
Typically, many traditional business establishments
are happy with the way things are going in their organization and are
not facing any problems. They are not looking to venture into new areas,
doing well in what they were doing already and are happy to continue
doing things their way.
For such organizations, it takes a drastic change in the work sphere to be woken out of the slumber. When it comes to approaching the new clients, the traditionally established businesses are the most difficult nut to crack for consultants.
We can look below at some strategies for approaching and turning the established businesses into clients, and giving them logical and justified reasons about how they also need consultancy services:
1. Prevention is Better than Cure:
Instead of going to a consultant after running into problems, it is prudent to hire a consultant beforehand and prevent the losses in business. With changing times and old business models going obsolete, established businesses are likely to encounter various complications that their traditional approaches have no answer to.
The business world has seen countless changes and updates with the arrival of digital revolution. However, due to their reactionary approaches, traditionally established businesses have not kept pace with these important changes. When established businesses encounter the new emerging challenges in their industry, they are not prepared to handle these challenges and suffer damages as a result. Thus, it is recommended to hire a consultant earlier, because prevention is always better than cure.
2. A Rolling Stone Gathers no Moss:
In a business, moving along gives stability and constant growth. Businesses that keep innovating and reinventing, stay on top of the competition as “market leaders”. Whereas businesses having rigid strategies, run the risk of losing ground to their competitors.
As the industry evolves, the established businesses are advised to seek a specialist consultant’s help from time to time. The Consultant’s timely suggestions will help the old businesses to adapt to the key trends and latest innovations without hassles. Businesses that keep soliciting a consultant are less likely to be troubled by the upcoming challenges and will have more time working on possibilities surrounding their industry.
3. Lethargy and Flab Accumulate if Given a Chance:
Established businesses are slow in adapting to change and prefer to stick to their traditional business approaches. Their vision is limited by what they already have, instead of looking for further possibilities. Established businesses that don’t go to a consultant will find it difficult to keep up with the competition. Such businesses will always lag behind in adapting to change and will go bust soon due to the rapidly changing environment.
Consultants can help the established businesses to build their organizational structure into dynamic, lean and adaptable to changing circumstances. Established businesses, operating in the long run are advised to implement a consultant’s suggestions to save their time and money from being late in adapting new technologies.
4. Newness is required to keep things Lively:
Revamping and restructuring the business is important not only to streamline the workflow but also to retain the existing in-house talent and to drive a positive work environment across the organization. Like plants and trees, new leaves need to keep growing for survival and growth.
Stale ideas, employees and obsolete strategies let the decay set in and cause the business to suffer harm from internal management deficiencies. Shaking up and resonating vibrance helps the business keep alive and in the race.
Many traditional businesses continue using the age old methodologies and keep spending hours on doing tasks that can be easily expedited with good software programs. The resistance to change and new approaches kills the spirit of growth.
Established businesses looking to revamp their strategies can better implement them by hiring an outside consultant. A Consultant’s suggestions are based on a long term perspective and once implemented, their benefits continue for over a long period of time.
5. Finding the Gaps:
In order to acquire these established businesses as clients, it is important for the consultant to identify various lacuna or gaps in their industry, where there is a possibility for these established businesses to expand further. It will help them to understand the significance of a consultant’s services.
There are many established businesses with potential to grow and expand their scope of activities. But, being engrossed in the daily business activities they are not able to identify the same. An expert consultant’s 360 degree vision can identify these possibilities and bring it to the attention of the business owners.
To Sum Up
Convincing the owners of successfully established businesses to hire the services of consultants is much a tricky task as they are not looking to hire the consultants. Independent consultants are well aware that each established business always has a scope for improvement and growth. The business can also support the expenditure of consultancy fees and also benefit by practicing and implementing the advice of the consultant. A win win situation is always present.
Consultants need to approach the established businesses and explain the importance of these quick steps to be taken to enhance their business performance. The Consultant can cite examples of other traditionally established businesses that adapted to change successfully and are growing.
