Eric P. Butts

THE Career Site for Accountants and Consultants.

  • Home
  • About
  • Useful Resources
  • Articles
  • Work With Me
    • Breakthrough Resume Writing
    • How to Get Smart in Excel…Fast!
    • Corporate Ladder University (Book)
  • Login
You are here: Home / Corporate Ladder University / Why Consultants Hate Their Clients But Keep Coming Back For More

March 10, 2014 by Eric Butts Leave a Comment

Why Consultants Hate Their Clients But Keep Coming Back For More

Unrealistic client expectations
 

The truth is people in client service hate their clients. This is especially true for us management  consultants. 

So why do we keep coming back?


Consultants feel bad for their clients.

We know good people can sometimes make bad decisions in difficult circumstances. After seeing it so many times, we go into a client situation fully expecting the client to be too in the weeds of their corporate crisis to think about the big picture. It’s almost like when you have a child panic because they think a monster is in the room. You coming in and saying it’s just a shadow before turning the lights on isn’t going to be so persuasive. That’s assuming they even hear you over the shrieks of horror… Same thing with clients.
 

Consultants like to play the super hero.

We come back because of the gratification of helping rescue someone from such a disaster. While not quite as risky physically, I imagine firefighters feel the same about running into burning buildings. 
 
The truth is the outcome of a high-visibility consulting project can make or break a career, so some hesitation by the client is understandable. A client thinking they can achieve different business results without a change in behavior? Not so much. That’s where the consultant adds the most value, by guiding the client on the change journey and highlighting what might not be obvious to the client because they’re so close to the problem. Being the bearer of bad news is never fun but somebody has to lay down the reality check.
 
You ever have a client/customer that made you wonder why they hired you in the first place? Share your story in the comments!

If the cartoon caught your eye, let +Michael Voogd know his work is appreciated!


Like what you read? Sign up here to receive updates from Never Less Than Success directly to your inbox and get the first three chapter of Corporate Ladder University FREE!

Filed Under: Corporate Ladder University, Management Consulting Tagged With: client management, clients, consultants

About Eric Butts

I’m a management consultant, MBA and CPA who has a passion for helping others in their career pursuits. Grab my FREE cheatsheet on 12 simple habits of highly successful consultants.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Featured Posts

3 Reasons Your Management Consulting Resume Didn’t Get a Call Back For An Interview

Stop Taking Crap Majors in College

What I Learned From the Promotion That Got Away [Case Study]

What’s So Bad About Applying to a Job More Than Once?

How to Get Into Business School – Part 3 (Interviews)

Popular Posts

  • 5 Reasons You Should Be Proud to Ask Dumb Questions at Work
  • What Does It Mean to Have a Sense of Urgency
  • Always Stay Close to the Gatekeepers
  • Why Are There Still So Few Black CPAs?
  • What's the Difference Between FP&A and Accounting?
  • 3 Reasons Average Students Become Good Accountants
  • One Thing You Should Never Do on Linkedin
  • How to Handle Double Standards in the Workplace
  • How to Pass the CPA Exam Without Breaking the Bank
  • Masters in Accounting Isn't The Sweet Treat Some Students Think

Recent Posts

  • The 3 word Facebook post that has me feeling all kinds of motivated right now
  • I think I discovered the last fax machine this weekend (and a related lesson you should be immediately applying)
  • How to create your own luck in your career
  • Here’s why you may want to rethink that skills section on your resume
  • Internet troll triggered by a pair of tweets
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclaimer

© 2012–2021 Eric P. Butts