when you need added expertise to solve problems in your business. Which expert should you hire? When is a consultant a good idea? There are pitfalls to avoid and ways to ensure an efficient consulting process. Following these steps will help: Know why you need a consultant. You can’t always see the forest for the trees. Sometimes problems arise that are complicated or even mysterious. You may need a consultant who can be objective in order to identify the problem and suggest a solution. You may know the problem only too well. For example, you need a marketing plan for a new product or you are upgrading your computer system. Congratulations, you just narrowed your consultant search. No one person can be an expert at everything. No matter how brilliant you are, your management skills can’t cover every problem or think of every possible way to solve them. Sometimes the solution is a big organizational change. Employees may respond better when the change is proposed from outside rather tha...