The best time to look for a consultant is before you need a consultant.
An observation I’ve made in the past few years is that nonprofits and organizations look for a consultant when they come across an opportunity to fund a project, and that’s not the most effective way to find someone.
It’s not effective because now you have to either 1) create a request for proposals, sit back, and receive responses from a lot of people who may not be a good fit (which may prompt you to continue to look for someone); o r2) ask around for someone who can do the tasks, contact them, and see whether the people you’ve contacted are even available to work with you.
The best time to look for a consultant is before you need a consultant, and here’s why:
Several months ago, a philanthropic foundation contacted me to discuss submitting a proposal for a project they were in the process of seeking funding for.
The project didn’t complete excite me, but it was something I knew I could do, so I scheduled a date to speak to the staff person.
24 hours later, I received an email at 6 o’clock in the morning, requesting to cancel the meeting as they’ve decided to go with another person but they would be open to still holding the meeting to hear about my work. I turned it down.
I had a related situation happen recently where an organization invited me to submit a proposal for a project that sounds interesting but has a quick turnaround as they will be selecting the consultant by week’s end.
While the project’s purpose and intended outcomes sound very interested, I’ve decided to turn down the offer to submit a proposal as I’m in the middle of completing deadlines with two current projects and don’t feel I can create a quality proposal in time. I did leave the door open for me to connect with this organization in the future to learn more about their work.
For both examples, I didn’t have a prior relationship with either organization yet I was familiar with one. I’ve submitted proposals in the past for organizations I wasn’t familiar with, but the timing and process worked better for my schedule at those times.
Plus, I had to consider my current clients and their needs. Should I stop working on their projects knowing I have to complete these deadlines and submit a proposal for something that I had no clue if it’ll work in my favor? These are the types of things consultants have to consider, but I’m sure most would feel the decision would be easier if there was an already established connection.
Relationship building is extremely important for consultants. Some people refer to this as “networking”, but I like to use “relationship building”.
For me, relationship building is about getting to know and understanding someone’s interests, perspectives, and expertise, while also storing in your back pocket how their interests, perspectives, and expertise can be used to your benefit in the future, and vice versa.
Do it early and often for multiple areas: Strategic planning, research, diversity and inclusion, community organizing, fundraising, conflict resolution, human resources, board of directors recruitment, evaluation, etc.
As you’re building these relationships, an opportunity can arise where you can request to partner with them in order to fully benefit from their perspective and expertise.
That way, you already know what this person is all about because you know where the alignment is.
Plus, knowing that you can reach out to someone you’ve established a relationship with feels better than cold contacting someone.
How can you start building relationships with consultants?
- Sign up for their email newsletter list
- Follow them on social media platforms and engage with their content
- Reply to and share their blog posts, videos, and podcast episodes
- Request informational interviews
- Attend their in-person or virtual webinars and trainings
- …and much more
Key takeaway
Instead of waiting until necessary to find a consultant, start getting to know consultants whose expertise you’re interested in now. This way, they’ll be top of mind when the time comes.
Raise Your Voice: How do you seek out consultants? Share below in the comments section.
