Ten Ways to Spot a Fake (when hiring a consultant)

You've probably been there yourself. You're in a situation where someone you meet or come into contact with pretends to be different than what they are.

Market corrections and due diligence will take care of that. Meanwhile, since you need to get a project done and need to enroll help with it, what do you do?

Well, it's easier than ever to spot a fake. Here's what you do.

(1.) Their references lack sufficient authority to be credible - most people can find a few professional allies willing to say good things about them. Vet these. Are they in a relevant field? Do they have any particular accomplishment or expertise? Have they ever paid your expert for services, and were they satisfied with the results? Sort the qualified endorsements from the puffery, and see what is left over.

(2.) Limited accomplishments in their stated field - there are professionals who provide their services on a confidential basis, but most self-professed experts should be able to point to personal achievement in their specialty. If your SEO expert has an unranked website, ask why.

(3.) No evidence of a long-term commitment to their discipline - there are prodigies, but these are the exception. Most experts learned their trade with concentrated effort and practice over a period of time. If you see evidence of unrelated professional activities is the recent past, dig deeper.

(4.) Unwilling to explain positions when challenged - this indicates arrogance, impatience, or a lack of deeper knowledge.

(5.) They think what you're doing is crap - there are crisis managers and people who attempt to demonstrate their worth by manufacturing crisis. If you knew enough to consult an expert, you're probably not a total idiot. If the guru immediately pronounces your past work to be a complete disaster - thank goodness they've arrived - your expert isn't a good listener.

(6.) They won't work on-site, or in front of you - possibly evidence that they're subcontracting exactly what they're selling you - at a markup. Find the real gurus, and hire them.

(7.) Failure to acknowledge the contributions of others - perhaps the most annoying characteristic of all (particularly from the viewpoint of Creatives). Your guru should feel confident enough in their own worth to freely acknowledge the contributions of other individuals. Taking talented people to the next level is precisely the sort of expert service worth buying.

(8.) Magic bullets - real experts know that success is gritty - the result of singular dedication to a goal, superior work ethic, and doing the basics right on a consistent basis. There are very few magicians out there. Beware those who claim to have a single technique, product, or service that will radically change the nature of your business. 

(9.) No means to quantify your expert's performance - when hiring a guru, firmly agree upon what constitutes success. This needn't mean the end of their engagement with you. No real expert will object to establishing reasonable benchmarks and goals.

(10.) Leading questions are the only kind of leading they're familiar with - these are especially interesting when the subject professes to be conducting research.

While any true expert might fall short on one or two of these, you might consider them warning signs and dig deeper if something doesn't sit well with you. Do your due diligence and find out if there is a fit with your desired objectives and business outcomes.

Asking questions is the best way to start a conversation and in no way it's an indication of lack of trust. Trust is the new transparency and credibility is built through work and proof. Your best ROI starts with selecting the right team for the job. Remember that this also applies to you.

© 2006-2009 Valeria Maltoni. All rights reserved.

Comments

[Stuart Foster]

Fakes suck.

I tend to have fun at their expense whenever I meet them. Usually they have no idea what I am doing, but I enjoy it regardless.

Confusing them with what an RSS feed is tends to be particularly fun.

[Jon Buscall]

This is an excellent post and anyone who subscribes to your blog will no doubt appreciate it enormously. My favourite is point 4!

I would suggest giving it a different title though because the "fake" of the title won't necessarily be evident in google.

What about adding "...When Hiring a Web Consultant" or such like. I'd have to explain the title or thrust of the post if sending someone the url.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Stuart - I admit I didn't get the reference to RSS, or maybe I need another espresso to wake up.

@Jon - interesting suggestion. Thank you. Let's see if the change helps others with their questions.

[Ev Nucci]

Great post! Rarely have I seen one written so succinctly! Thanks.

[Rich Becker]

Valeria,

Near perfect. I might suggest an additional point: they claim to have influence over people. Anyone who makes the claim, usually doesn't.

Best,
Rich

[bullseye]

You forgot - Education. This establishes credibility.

PhD from CMU or MIT Media Lab? I know you'll have some semblance of credibility. No education whatsoever? No thanks.

[Andrew @ WeBuildYourBlog.com]

I agree that there should be a hard evidence presented regarding their achievements. Achievements are somewhat a crowning glory.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Ev - thank you for stopping by.

@Rich - I sense inspiration building in this comment.

@bullseye - yeas and no. I've met extremely schooled people who couldn't implement because they didn't have enough real world scenario experience. I'm one of those who did go the long distance. Without my on the job accountability I would not be as capable.

@Andrew - yes, awards and certifications are a nice touch, but not a substitute for results.

[Ricardo Bueno]

Valeria: great list and things to think about! When hiring someone, you should always do your due diligence. Walking through a list like this is very helpful.

[Stuart Foster]

@Valeria You didn't get the reference because one doesn't exist...people legit get confused by what an RSS feed IS.

[Kellye Crane]

This is a very important post. A tip I give people is to check out a consultant on LinkedIn -- because it's public, people tend to embellish less there than they might in a proposal (lest they be called on the carpet for half-truths). How many actual jobs/projects has your potential consultant completed, and what do respected people say about them in recommendations?

Bad consultants make it difficult for the rest of us, and it's in everyone's interest to understand what you've laid out here - thanks.

[Aaron Templer]

Valeria, can I just say that you're a damn fine writer? Nice stuff. Your simple post has given me a boost.

[bridgette]

re (6.) They won't work on-site, or in front of you

This isn't always evidence 0f a fake surely? Sometimes it's just not convenient to work on site or the workspace isn't conducive - or it's another state or country!

[Alexandra Spirer]

Great post. I agree, fakes stink. We have hired way too many who have over promised or stated they had done things they hadn't.

Our company is much more diligent now with checking out what clients they have and what they have done before we hire them. We also rely on recommendations from vendors we work with.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Stuart - got it, thank you.

@Kellye - sometimes the LinkedIn profile is but an ad.

@Aaron - glad you were inspired.

@Bridgette - as I wrote at the end, they don't all apply literally. In that case, if a consultant cannot articulate themselves how they're going about delivering a project, you might investigate further.

@Alexandra - the other consideration is that often an outsider will be someone a company listens to. But going from listening to results takes implementation. And many companies are not really keen on doing the actual work. So it works both ways in the end. Glad you found ways to vet your relationships better.