WHY OBTAIN BUSINESS ADVICE WHEN WE CAN JUST INSOURCE THE ROLE INTO OUR COMPANY?

A business advisor is appointed to solve problems and achieve outcomes for his client. The business advice presented will be independent and the business advisor will bring a new focus to the business. The role of the business advisor will be to learn and understand the operations of the client.

The business advisor will use influence to gain buy-in and to build dialogue while the internal resources will use structural authority. Using structural authority may appear to be faster but normally it does not achieve the desired outcomes. Furthermore, internal resources are seen as police ensuring compliance and not as active participants to enhance and grow the business through quality business advice.

Business advisors tend to have better rapport as clients want to believe and support the business advice they receive. However, this rapport is not just given and needs to be build through extending influence and presenting comprehensive information. These are achieved by finding common interests, taking an interest in the business, asking open questions and listening.

Working with the client, the business advisor needs to ensure that expectations are carefully managed and the business advice given should always relate to the initial problems discussed with the client. Expectations are managed through a set of agreed objectives and an agreed action plan. This action plan should contain opening statements, key questions, potential objectives and possible counters.

In addition, business advisors do not become part of permanent operational costs and do not need human resource management. The company will also have the ability to recruit the most suitable business advisor specialising in the business advice needed at the time. The company will have the benefit that if the business advice becomes obsolete it can terminate the business advisor without expensive legal battles.