You might be wondering why you would want to work with a consultant online, versus someone locally and there are plenty of reasons why. Firstly, if you need a specialist or someone who resonates a lot with your thought process, then it might just make sense to work with someone who isn’t local but meets your needs perfectly. Finding and hiring a consultant online can be a bit of a challenge, so I’ve made a list of a few tips for working with consultants online:
1. Be Clear With Your Expectations
It’s really important to outline what you need from a consultant – whether you’re looking for car injury lawyers to check out to help you with a claim, or a lifestyle coach like RebeccaMountain.ca, the first step is getting on a discovery call or having a free consultation. Working with someone is an investment, so you’re going to make sure that they are on the same page as you while outlining your expectations and your budget. The best way to do this is to get on a call – whether it’s just audio or a video call – to outline what you need. Listen carefully to what the consultant can offer you and be sure to ask about deliverables and timelines. There’s nothing worse than being disappointed as you’re not receiving what you thought you had paid for. Setting clear expectations from the beginning will ensure that the entire process moves much more easily.
2. Shop Around
It’s important to find someone who believes in your cause, or whose energy resonates with you. There’s no harm in setting up a few calls to find someone who best matches your needs. You can think of it like having a position you’re looking to fill and interviewing potential candidates. Most consultants will offer a free or reduced rate initial call or meeting so that you can see if they’re a good fit for your project, so this is a great way to test the waters without investing a lot of money. Don’t feel bad if you talk with someone who you don’t think is a good fit for your project, at the end of the day, a good consultant will be concerned about whether they can meet your needs as well!
3. Figure Out What You Need
Can you verbalise your needs? Write a few sentences out clearly summarizing exactly what you are searching for, so you can easily explain to your candidates what you are looking for. Sometimes we start searching for help or advice before we’re really clear about what we need, which makes it harder for consultants to properly meet our needs. I suggest sitting down with a pen and paper and really getting everything clear before you start interviewing. It will save you time and money in the long run!
Working with a consultant online can be a very rewarding process so long as you’re clear about what you need from the beginning. Spend a bit of time searching around to find the ideal candidate for your project. Let me know in the comments below if you have any other tips for working with consultants online!
