4 ms·
This. I have done lots and lots and lots of enterprise sales and consulting, and a big part of bringing in outsiders is to provide the illusion of social proof
by braythwayt 7y ago
This.
I have done lots and lots and lots of enterprise sales and consulting, and a big part of bringing in outsiders is to provide the illusion of social proof.
"Well, we had the experts in, and they found..."
That sounds really, really terrible when put so cynically, but the flip side of that is to view it as insurance. If you bring the consultants in, hoping that they will recommend Plan A, and Plan A is truly terrible, a reputable consultant will find a way to sell you on Plan B, by couching it as "A few adjustments to Plan A."
So in effect, yes, it is about making changes management wanted all along, but in addition to providing the illusion of social proof, you can also get an extra set of eyes to make sure that you don't completely footgun yourself.
Sometimes. Maybe. If the consultants are good at both analysis and selling management on adjusting their plans...
- bonestamp2 7y agoAgreed, and even if the consultants aren't more credible than the intern people, they at least have less bias than internal people, which can sometimes give their opinion a little more weight.
- taneq 7y agoAnother big part of it is liability management. If you're a high level exec and you make the wrong call, it's on your own head. If you hire a reputable expert and they make the wrong call, you're in the clear, even if it's what you would have done anyway.