Who is suitable for consultation?

Before talking about the advantages of "local consulting", let me first talk to you about who is suitable for consulting. This is also in response to the request of netizens. If a consultant has not become a project manager and has not been responsible for projects, in my opinion, he is not truly "in the Tao". PM (Project Manager) needs to directly face the requirements from customers and bear internal and external pressures during project operation. PM must be able to understand and grasp the needs of customers, that is, to satisfy customers and help them solve practical problems in company operations. We must also be able to reasonably target customer needs and control project boundaries. The core of project management is the art of compromise and reconciliation between time (schedule), cost and quality. The results and goals of consulting projects are relatively flexible, and there are often differences in understanding between clients and consulting companies, which puts forward higher requirements for the management capabilities of project managers. To become a qualified practitioner and a successful PM in the consulting industry, you should meet the following conditions: First, you must have the ability and willingness to learn quickly. Whether you work for a multinational consulting company or a local consulting company, whether you specialize in one industry or functional area, or provide consulting for multiple related industries and business fields, every client has its own uniqueness and the operational challenges they encounter. The problems in management will be different, the development stage of the company will be different, and the development environment and owner requirements faced by each will be different... These differences mean that each project must be carefully considered. Treating it as a brand new project requires consultants to quickly learn and grasp the characteristics of each customer and the basic rules behind the differences, and the project and the customer will not wait for you to understand all of this before starting. For local consulting companies, since they do not have the powerful "knowledge base" assistance of multinational companies, consultants need to accumulate and learn more things independently. I once worked as a project manager for three projects at the same time, and these three projects belonged to three different fields: IT, home appliance production and sales, and large-scale manufacturing. Looking back on that stage, it was indeed a bit painful, but the smooth completion of the project was very important. relies on super learning ability. Therefore, the ability to learn quickly is very important and can be regarded as the most basic ability requirement for entering the consulting industry. Why do we need a “willingness” to learn quickly? When I was working in a consulting company, I often said to my subordinates and employees, “Choosing consulting is not just choosing a career, but also choosing a way of life.” When recruiting consultants, I do not recruit women in principle. This is not gender discrimination against women, but to do a good job in consulting, you will inevitably sacrifice a lot of personal life space and time. In my opinion, this does not mean much for women. A little too cruel. It is quite difficult for a person to maintain a strong thirst for knowledge and a proactive attitude towards learning all year round. Therefore, the "willingness" to learn quickly is very necessary. It must not be someone else asking you to learn, but you must take the initiative to charge and learn, and anytime and anywhere. For example, in addition to professional materials, the company also subscribes to some popular newspapers and periodicals. I ask the consultant to read them when he has time, not to see the excitement, but to see what is popular and new in the market. Marketing methods, potential needs of users, whether there are any problems with the editor’s point of view... this process is learning. The learning process will run through every aspect of life. When receiving various information, it must be analyzed and refined. Effective information and inspiration must be discovered and captured at any time. There is always a hunger for knowledge and experience. This can be regarded as an "occupational disease" that a good consultant should have. Second, you must have a very strong psychological endurance. When doing consulting, you must face customers, especially PMs. Customers pay you to solve problems. These problems are difficult for them to solve by themselves. Customers will directly pass on their own pressure to the consultant. Because there is no completely copyable model, every project will be a challenge for the PM. The project must be successful, otherwise there will be problems with project collection, thus bringing related internal and external risks. Therefore, if you don’t have strong nerves and a mentality of enjoying the challenges, don’t do consulting. Third, you must have considerable management wisdom and good communication skills. The problems of various customers are all kinds of strange, and they are entangled with factors such as the understanding of the project, corporate culture, boss's wishes, development status, competitive environment and other factors. To successfully complete the project, you must grasp the key links, thoroughly understand the customer's needs and deliver consulting suggestions and solutions clearly and effectively. These are guarantees for project success. The next article will talk about the advantages of "soil consulting".