Why Am I Qualified to Be A Consultant?

Even though the term consultant is the commonly used title for my services, it comes with some baggage I need to dispel. People often consider consultants to be aloof. I'm not that type of consultant. I just answer your questions with down-to-earth advice. I am someone you can put in your speed dial and just call real quick to pass a question by me. I don't count each second we talk or charge for phone calls. I'm not trying to turn something simple into rocket science. Nor do I try to push my paid services on interested customers who give me a call.

But having said that, what exactly makes me qualified to be a consultant?

There are four reasons I am qualified to be a consultant:

1. Previous and Current Clients Have Always Been Happy. I don't think any piece of evidence can really be more important than what my clients think. For example, would you discuss your problems with a consultant with unhappy clients? Of course not! Fortunately, all of my clients, like the Holiday Group for example, have been very happy with my work. (References are Available Upon Request)
2. I've Built my own Business. After college I built Digital Self, an enterprise software company, to about a quarter million sales as the CTO along with a team of about eight others. For personal reasons we shut the company down, and I went to work for several years at Microsoft Corporation as a Program Manager. It's hard to give business advice of any type without having experienced what it feels like to build a business. To endure the pain of slow sales and the pleasure of closing a large contract helps me understand the challenges you're trying to explain to me.
3. Related Professional Experience. My experience at Microsoft Corporation was in their Internet Division which was called Windows Live when I left. At Microsoft my responsibility was to study the user experience and identify areas of improvement. I had access to millions of pieces of statistical data, which allowed me to observe what customer's loved and what they hated. This experience is valuable in being able to discuss problems with small companies as well as companies looking to one day have millions of customers like a Microsoft.
4. I Enjoy Listening and Talking Through Business Problems. There is a proverb, "When anyone is replying to a matter before he hears [it], that is foolishness on his part." Have you ever tried to have a discussion with someone who doesn't listen? Are those discussions generally successful? Rarely. Thus, when discussing a problem with a client, I always start by listening and asking a dozen questions to draw out key points I need to understand.

So wouldn't you agree; the qualifications I've listed are critical for someone you're going to discuss your problems with? Don't you want someone with happy clients, with experience, and who is a good listener? However, probably the most important qualification, I didn't list, is someone you enjoy working with. A good working relationship is indispensable. Nevertheless, only you can decide whether you enjoy working with me.

What are My Strengths and Weaknesses as a Consultant?

I'm going to focus on strengths and weaknesses that are applicable to my role as a web strategy consultant and website designer. Also, I'm not going to list these in any order, but I'll start with my strengths because those are more fun to talk about.

I would say the following are my relevant strengths:

1. I am an Analytical thinker. When given a business problem to solve, I start by breaking the problem into its smallest parts. For example, if an owner asks me, "Only 2% of my visitors are purchasing, what do you think is the problem?" I rarely start giving answers right away. Typically, I start asking questions to understand all of the variables that could affect the website's success. Then, once I understand the variables and the competitive environment, I start offering ideas. I think this is a strength, because I notice that many consultants start answering questions before they could possibly have enough information to answer intelligently.
2. I have always enjoyed business strategy. When I say "always," I really mean always. Sadly, I think I wrote my first business plan at the age of six. Although this didn't help me win any popularity contests, the fact that I have enjoyed business from such an early age, has been a strength during my professional life. I've found that a successful website has to apply the same lessons executives like Sam Walton, Ray Kroc; investors like Warren Buffet, Peter Lynch; and consultants like Peter Drucker applied. Because I have always enjoyed thinking about business, I have the same joy helping others solve their business problems.
3. I enjoy helping others. It doesn't matter how much I think I know, or how great I think my skills are; if I'm not willing to help others, they're not going to get my best. Fortunately, I really enjoy helping others; so I try to always give my best, and I'm excited to see those I help experience business success as a result of my help. That's also why I give away as much information as I can afford, for free. Of all the strengths I could list, this has to be the most important, because again, someone can be the most knowledgeable, but if they're not willing to give freely, will you get their best?

So having stated some strengths, let me move to the less fun part, and talk about my weaknesses. Like strengths, I could list dozens of weaknesses, but I will pick just a few important points.

I would say the following are my relevant weaknesses:

1. I like to think in the abstract and have a hard time using examples to clearly express a thought. I have noticed that I tend to look at problems and solutions from a very abstract level, but that many of the people I work with need me to provide concrete examples before they fully grasp what I'm trying to say. While abstract thinking can be a strength when discovering a solution (e.g. it allows me to ignore distracting details) at some point ideas need to be sold and this requires that my customers or colleagues completely understand what I have in mind.
   
2. I don't like solving problems where success is hard to measure. If an owner or executive is facing a difficult business problem, but he doesn't really understand his goals or objective in solving that problem, I usually don't want to take the challenge on. I avoid these situations because I worry that: a) Without a clear measurable objective no solution is really going to solve the business problem. b) If it does solve the problem, the inability to measure success will make success impossible to confirm. This leads to me turning down some business, which can be frustrating, but for me it is a precaution worth taking.
3. I don't like complicated solutions, but sometimes they are required. I like problems with simple, elegant solutions. This, for example, is why I'm a fan of the products Apple makes. Steve Jobs and Co. always seem to discover the simplest answer to a problem. I try to do the same with website strategy. Unfortunately, simple solutions are not always possible. Yet, I am very reluctant to adopt a complex solution, even when it is the best solution to a problem. This can be a challenge. Fortunately, simple solutions are the best solutions for most business problems.

I'd say the above list of strengths and weaknesses are the most relevant to my role as a web strategy consultant and website designer. Of course, I have other strengths and weaknesses totally unrelated to my role as a web strategy consultant and thus largely irrelevant.

Overall, while I may not be suited to every type of career, I believe that my strengths are a good match for a person providing consulting services, and that my weaknesses are also compatible with what is expected from a web strategy consultant and website designer.

Why Did I Leave Microsoft?

I left Microsoft because I saw an opportunity to spend more of my time working on the things important to me, namely, volunteer activity. Microsoft provided excellent income and an opportunity to help others in one particular setting. However, for me there is a point beyond which secular work provides diminishing returns.

By leaving Microsoft, I was hoping to work up to the point of satisfaction, and no more. My goal was to use the remaining time in even more rewarding activities.

I did not leave Microsoft feeling that the work was not enjoyable. In fact, I really enjoyed the time I spent there, especially towards the end, and I enjoyed the people that I worked with. In particular my manager was fun, friendly, and cared about the personal well-being of each member of his team. Leaving the people and work atmosphere I had become so comfortable with was probably the hardest part of departing.

However, when I compare what I was trying to accomplish, with what has occurred, so far it is a success. I only pray it continues this way. For example, since leaving, I have had more time to pursue volunteer activity. My freedom to relocate has allowed me to move to help out on a volunteer project thousands of miles from Redmond, Washington. I've also been able to help others through this company. So in many ways the decision to leave Microsoft has provided blessings.