When you think of the word “Consulting”, names like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, McKinsey, KPMG, among others, come to mind.
However, consulting work is not restricted to large companies with million-dollar budgets. It can also be essential to boost the growth of small and medium-sized companies.
What exactly does a Consultancy do?
Have you ever stopped to wonder exactly how this work is done? How does the process work, what are the advantages and benefits, and what results can you expect? To clarify this question, I have created a list of 12 ways in which a Consulting service can help your business.
Of these 12 topics, how many do you believe your company needs at this time?
Note: here I will not talk about more technical and specialized consultancies (Financial, Environmental, Tax, etc.), I will restrict myself to Business Consulting, addressing the areas in which I work and have more authority to speak.
1) Analysis and Diagnosis
Do you regularly check your company’s problems and growth opportunities? A consultant can help with this assessment by bringing a different perspective that recognizes the positive aspects, areas for improvement, and potential risks that may go unnoticed by those involved in the company’s daily demands. It’s as if someone were “seeing the forest from above” and offering a new perspective.
Furthermore, the absence of emotional ties with the company and its employees allows the consultant to provide an impartial diagnosis, free from any biases or predispositions.
2) Business Strategy
A Consulting process requires everyone to step out of the autopilot mode of everyday life and examine your company’s current challenges from a strategic perspective. It is an opportunity to stop procrastinating on certain actions and decisions and to truly address the structural problems that limit your growth.
With the help of a consultant, after defining the strategy together, you will have full support to execute an action plan, implementing the structural changes necessary to take your company to the next level.
3) Internal Communication
I often say that 99% of a company’s problems are caused by communication failures. Likewise, well-aligned communication acts as a lubricant on all the gears of an organization.
How do employees communicate via email? How are meetings scheduled and conducted? How are results monitored and measured? Is there a clear alignment of goals and priorities between leaders and employees? What are the evaluation and feedback criteria? It is impressive how there is usually room for improvement in these aspects in companies.
4) Staff Development
A quality consultancy also offers a set of Lectures and Training to improve your team, helping to improve the specific skills of its members.
I specialize in behavioral aspects and soft skills development. The topics of my lectures and trainings include: Motivation, Leadership, Productivity, Communication, Sales, Mental Health, Excellence, Purpose and others.
I even have a specific Consultancy for Forming High Performance Teams ( Download PDF ).
5) Mentoring for Key Leaders
Every company has some key leaders who are essential to the smooth running of the whole. However, from time to time, these people may face challenging situations, difficult times or periods of stagnation.
On these occasions, mentoring work can be a valuable aid and help to extract the true potential of these professionals, preparing them to take on new responsibilities or even move up to a new position.
6) Marketing and Sales
Consulting plays a key role in developing more efficient marketing and sales strategies. This involves several aspects, such as: raising the level of your brand, improving the presentation of your company as a whole (website, sales presentations, brochures, etc.), increasing the value perceived by the customer, prospecting new customers, training the sales team, among other actions.
In my specific case, I sought to differentiate myself from other consultancies by performing these services myself, without the company needing to hire an agency. Thus, without intermediaries, I deal directly with clients to offer personalized service, always seeking excellence.
7) Process Optimization
In his “toolbox”, a competent consultant has a set of techniques, processes and practices frequently used by the best companies in the world, which can be adapted to your reality, generating immediate results, increasing efficiency, reducing costs and standardizing procedures.
In this respect, the potential for process improvement that is revealed from a new perspective brought from outside is impressive.
8) Technology and Innovation
In a world of constant innovation and disruption, it is essential that companies (including small and medium-sized ones) are up to date with the latest technologies.
Consultants can help modernize your company, guiding you in the choice and implementation of new technologies and innovative practices to boost your growth and competitiveness.
9) Crisis Management and Specific Problem Resolution
Consulting is a way to help your company overcome the difficulties that arise in crisis situations or in the search for improvements in specific areas.
This is a partnership that brings external and qualified knowledge to find innovative and appropriate solutions for each problem. Consultants can offer efficient and customized alternatives to meet your needs.
10) Improvement of the Organizational Climate
Pulling the hook above, one of the problems I see most in companies is linked to issues of interpersonal relationships.
As this is a behavioral issue, the consultant can act as a facilitator to resolve conflicts, increase team motivation, and mediate negotiations so that there is a healthy and collaborative environment for everyone in your company.
11) Change Management
Structural changes in a company often have a major impact on people and processes. If these changes are not implemented properly, they can cause serious harm to the organization.
In this context, the consultant’s role is again to be a facilitator, offering guidance and support to ensure a smooth and efficient transition.
12) International Expansion
In an increasingly connected world, a Consultancy can be a valuable resource to expand your business internationally.
Consulting can be the bridge that allows your company to reach new markets, facilitating connections and processes.
In my case, I also offer specific consulting services for foreign companies that want to operate in Brazil. This consulting service includes services such as: support for foreign managers, formation of high-performance teams, monitoring of results, adaptation of the company’s culture for Brazilians, among other things. ( Learn more about this consulting service )
Is the work of a Consultancy clearer?
The most interesting thing is that a Consulting proposal can be extremely customized to meet your specific needs. You may need just one of the items above or even all 12, it doesn’t matter. Each project is unique and tailored to the company’s needs.
Now that you have seen these 12 items on how a Consultancy can also leverage the results of small and medium-sized companies, answer:
- How many of these 12 items do you think your company needs to improve?
- Which of the 12 do you believe is the most urgent for your company at this time?
If you wish, write to [email protected] and schedule a no-obligation meeting so that we can evaluate together possible ways to solve the problems you face and boost your company’s results.