Rate is Only One Aspect of Cost

When you are selecting a consultant, the consultant’s rate is one aspect of the cost but don’t underestimate the time it takes to get the job done as well as their experience that ensures risks and issues are effectively managed.

Less experienced consultants charge less because they have less experience, less range, and fewer cycles delivering for clients.

I had a call with a leading health insurer who marveled that they couldn’t find anyone with my experience in organizational transformation to take their assignment and I nicely let them know that it was because of the rate. 

If you choose a less experienced consultant, you may end up paying as much as you would an experienced consultant but with longer timelines or review cycles to ensure that the content is correct.

Beyond saving time, an experienced consultant can also often play multiple roles that many consulting companies will sell you through multiple consultants. This means hiring an experienced consultant is more affordable and less stressful.

For my clients, I support the organization design, manage the change program and project manage the initiative. That could be three separate roles and costs on a transformation and a much more complicated resource pool to manage.