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The advantage of using a consultant in driving your business

Q: I’ve been thinking about using a consultant to help me with my business. How do I know if one is qualified, and what are some advantages of using a consultant?

A: The field of consultancy is a wide open field without regulation. One day it will be regulated, but until then, there are certain qualifications to look for that will help you find a qualified, legitimate consultant who can help with your business. These criteria include certifications, a high level of education, prior experience in a professional services firm, a solid client base, a specialist not a generalist, a thirst for knowledge, a gift for teaching, a decade or more of industry experience in the consulting area, a systematic approach and a high hourly rate.

The following are some advantages of using a trained professional consultant:

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Refresh your business to stay on trend

Q: My concept seems to be getting a little stale and sales are stagnant. It’s time to reinvigorate and reinvest in our restaurant. Where do I start?

A: In 2012 one of the great restaurant brands of the Pacific Northwest failed to make significant change and was sold to a large corporate “brand vacuum.” Regardless of whether you were a fan this restaurant, they were respected for what they did in their heyday. The irony of their demise is that the company was an early adopter and often credited as the originator of happy hour, an innovation that has changed the industry. Yet, in their later years, change was out of reach for the regional giant. You can learn to create meaningful change by following the steps below:

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Focus your training on understanding

Q: It seems like our training is not as effective as it should be. How do I make my training investment pay off?

A: There is a clear industry slide downward in service over the last few years. there is likely on culprit – understanding the “why” of hospitality. Effective training needs to focus on understanding – not imparting knowledge. Employees can know a lot about something but not really understand the important reason behind it. Why do you want them to offer appetizers, beverages, special entrees, dessert, a legitimate greeting and a thank you? Why do you want excellent product quality, prepared quickly? Why do you want a sparkling clean facility? People can forget what they know but they never forget what they understand. When was the last time you needed a refresher on tying your shoes or brushing you hair? Obviously, you understand how to do these things and will never have to be taught again. When was the last time you recited a few of the elements from the Periodic Table in chemistry? Likely, you would need to brush up on it. What’s the difference? Tying your shoes and brushing your hair have real meaning and application to you life and are more important to you and have a high level of understanding. At one point you may have known the Periodic sign for Iron, yet today you may not be able to recall it at all. The most successful companies continually train their people to a level of understanding and where there is understanding there is breakthrough and paradigm shift. Take the time with each training techniques to move your training to a culture of understanding:

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