If you're a buyer of consulting services, think about the steps you take most often. First, you identify the kind of support you think you need, i.e. what's the problem to be solved? Second, if you know or have direct experience with a consultant in that space you will contact that individual or firm. Or, if you cannot identify such a resource, you take a third step: Get some recommendations or do some research to (a) identify individuals with the required expertise or specialization or (b) contact a large "name brand" consulting firm in which you assume the required expertise or specialization exists. I suggest you also consider another (c) option - collaborative consulting.

     I have operated Trilogy Associates as a collaborative consultancy for several decades. This business model works remarkably well for our clients, and it works equally well for individual consultants with whom I collaborate. So, what is this model?

     Collaborative consulting means, as a buyer of services, you make contact with an individual consultant known to collaborate with others offering complementary services to his/her own. Collaborative consultants are strongly networked with others with whom they have worked successfully, and developed mutual trust, for many years. The buyer (the client) gains the benefits of an ad hoc fit-for-purpose collaborative team of experienced consultants assembled in direct response to buyer needs. At least in my experience, clients get precisely the expertise they need in a cost- and time-efficient manner. They are generally happy with the outcome.