Tightrope: Let a pro handle your communication needs?
— -- Hello, Gladys: I took heed to your column about not abandoning my marketing and public relations budget. Last week I attended a business conference and met a communications consultant. It was my first experience meeting someone who consults in communication. He spent a lot of time telling me how important his services are to business professionals. Please speak to this as it relates to entrepreneurs. — J.D.
There are many professionals out there who can be helpful to us in developing and expanding our businesses. For more perspective on this issue, I called on my longtime friend Tim Hayes, who has a communications consulting firm.
"Good communication," Tim says, "is the cornerstone of a successful business, no matter how large or small the business is."
Tim gives an example of how to make good use of a communications consultant. He told me about a business start-up in need of funding. They contracted him for guidance in written and spoken presentations to potential venture capitalists, and the start-up ultimately won approval for the neded funds.
In what specific instances should you look to a consultant? Anytime you find yourself facing a major situation, Tim says, such as: Seeking funding, bidding on a major contract or making any kind of presentation that the success or advancement of your business depends on.
I asked him for guidelines an entrepreneur can use in deciding when to hire a communications consultant and what criteria should be used in getting the right hire. He said that anytime you find yourself facing a major situation, such as, seeking funding, bidding on a major contract or making any kind of presentation that the success or advancement of your business depends on.
As for how to find the right consultant, Tim suggests you start by getting recommendations from other people. Then you can Google the person's name to learn more about him or her and the company itself. It's perfectly fine, of course, to go to the person's website to read about their company, Tim indicated, but that in itself may not present a full picture. For example, a wide search could lead you to articles both by and about the person. Perhaps his or her name pops up on other websites of companies that used the consultant. It's easy to find out where a person has been and what they are doing. Says Tim, "The Internet allows us to get a more complete picture of any potential hire."
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