Our latest Unpopular Opinion piece looks at the subject of consultancy services and why companies think it is acceptable to ask for advice without paying for it.
Can I pick your brain? What are your thoughts on this? Questions like this are asked of me nearly every day. As a consultant, I sell my knowledge and expertise globally. Whenever I respond to these kinds of question saying, “let’s book a call on my Clarity number” (a charge by the minute advice line) or “let’s make a consultancy appointment” and pay by the hour – I get a negative reaction, particularly from companies who just want to chat through ideas or get advice on a topic or problem. Why is there a low value attached to consultancy in our sector?
In other industries consultancy services are popular and they are paid for. In fact, consultants who can’t answer a client’s questions call in specialist consultants who can. It’s an established practice to charge for consultancy in other industries. I see my American colleagues being brought in on projects as consultants all the time. I have recently completed a consultancy job for a Singapore-based company for an event in the Middle East but why do companies not want to pay for specialist advice or creative problem-solving, particularly in the UK? It may be an unpopular opinion, but if expert advice is needed by companies, they need to consider paying for it.
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James Morgan – Event Tech Lab
James Morgan is the founder of Event Tech Lab; a marketing and communications incubator for Event Tech Start Ups. James is a specialist in creating and implementing B2B brand strategy, content marketing and communication campaigns and business partnerships through digital and traditional mediums.
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If you have an unpopular opinion that you would like to be published, get in touch with me at molly@eventindustrynews.com