Local v. the Best

“I need a local presentation coach. Do you have a recommendation?” Yes, I do, but “Why does local matter? Shouldn’t you want ‘the best’?”

This client’s mistake was failing to acknowledge and properly use technology to find the best consultant, instead of the closest. The best one I knew (in my opinion) was in California. The fact that the client was on the other side of the U.S. in an engineering company shouldn’t have mattered at all. Too often, we think that all of our consultants have to serve us locally. Much of that is the nature of our business—we need a local civil engineer or local person to do community outreach. But the truth is, this is a global community.

In the age of technology, marketing consultants in Texas are writing proposals for firms in the West, accounting firms in Georgia are providing services to firms in the mid-West, and that is how it should be. Our quest shouldn’t be for the local firm unless local is the best. This is especially true of back-of-house functions that are largely managed via e-mail, video conference, Go To Meeting® or other platforms.

Accountants, marketing professionals, information technology specialists and even many human resources functions are managed effectively every day and at a lower cost via a virtual or distance provider. Ask yourself:

1. Is local necessary or preferred? If it is preferred, then what’s the trade off? If you’re in Canada and you need someone with expertise in Canadian law, then this might not apply. But, ask the question.

2. Is there a cost saving or benefit? Too often we assume distance costs more. Today, distance often costs less. There is no travel time and there is efficiency to be gained when an individual can focus on the task for which they are the best qualified.

In the end, the client hired the presentation coach from the West, and scored higher than they ever had. A winning choice!

Karen Compton, CPSM, principal of A3K Consulting (Glendale, CA), a business development and strategic planning firm specializing in the architecture, engineering and construction industries. Ms. Compton is also the founder of Industry Speaks™, a web-based business-to-business portal that connects AEC firms with experienced consultants, provides peer reviews of consultants, reports on key industry trends, and publishes expert reviews of professional courses and books. Contact her at kcompton@a3kconsulting.com.