Sometimes Paying Isn't Enough: Why You Shouldn't Hire Me

Thursday, May 21, 2015

As a perennial night owl, I've watched my share of late night TV. Most of the programming is terrible, but there's something that makes it all worthwhile - infomercials.

For decades, customers have been buying solutions advertised on infomercials. Some make purchases to become more attractive. Others whip out their credit cards to become healthier. Though purchased with the best of intentions, I suspect that few of the advertised products are ever used.

The unpleasant truth is that achieving most goals requires hard work and plenty of pain. The exercise equipment will deliver results, but only if their owners put forth the effort to use them. The juicers will help cleanse their owners' bodies, but only if they stop eating junk food on the side.

I bet you know where this is going.

A local entrepreneur assembled a literal dream team of consultants. Between us, we had all of the skills relevant to his line of business. We formed a coherent strategy that we were sure would propel him to financial success.

Unfortunately, our advice was repeatedly rejected out of hand. It wasn't fun. It involved hard, unpleasant work. Sure, it would lead to profits, but there's more to business than that, right?

As a result, we threw in the towel and went back to our normal lives. The business owner wouldn't listen, no matter how hard we pushed. Had this been a professional engagement, I would have cashed my check in good conscience and moved on with my life. Like the others, I had done my best to help the business owner.

Honest consultants are not there to make you feel good or to validate your decisions. They are there to provide evidence-based advice for your benefit. If you're not willing to consider what they say, you might as well avoid calling them in the first place. You'll simply waste two of your most precious resources - time and money. You'll wind up like all of those folks who love to buy products advertised on infomercials, yet never seem to improve in any measurable way.

If you'd like honest advice in the field of pricing and business strategy, make sure to contact me (or grab a copy of my book on how to price software). If you're looking for guaranteed validation of your ideas, my expert advice is to save your money and avoid consultants entirely.