The Basic Step You Should Be Undertaking On Most Consulting Projects
How to consult on almost any problem, provide value ChatGPT can't match, and deliver better solutions to more complicated problems.
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How To Consult On Any Problem Any Time
A couple of years into my consulting career, I stumbled upon a clever trick that significantly enhanced my ability to help clients solve problems. The hack was as simple as it could get, and I’ve used it hundreds of times since.
“Ask for help.”
That’s it. Ask for help.
Or, more specifically:
Find others who have encountered the problem and ask them what they did. Discover what they would do differently, and learn directly from their experience and expertise.
I’ve found that the vast majority of consultants prefer to rely on their singular past experience vs. the wisdom of the crowd.
And it’s a big mistake.
The Basic Step You Should Be Undertaking On Most Consulting Projects
Think of almost any problem you’ve encountered. If you had a do-over, you would probably do things differently. Now, what if you could benefit from the expertise and wisdom of others who have tackled that challenge in the past?
Imagine how much better the results would be the second time around.
This is such a basic thing to do, I’m often surprised how few consultants do it. And I think one reason for that is a lack of initiative or just plain fear.
For example, a year ago, a friend asked me for help. A client had tasked them to solve a problem, and they weren’t sure what the solution was. This was our conversation; you can probably imagine my escalating levels of frustration.
Me - “Why don’t you find out what solutions are out there?”
Him - “How?”
Me - “I’d just set up calls with 10 people who have encountered the same problem and ask them what they did and learn”
Him - “But how will I find these people?”
[sigh]
Me - “LinkedIn, references, ask around on Slack channels and other industry groups, post on Reddit.”
Him - “What will I say to them?”
[….It’s at this point that my frustration level begins to rise]
Me - “Say you’re stuck on a client problem and need some help”
Him - “What if they say no?”
It was at this point that I essentially said, ‘So what if they do? Either way, you need to figure it out.’
There’s only so much you can help people.
This isn’t the first time I’ve had a conversation like this.
Many consultants seem incredibly reluctant to connect with others and find out how they solved the problem. Even though the knowledge would be so valuable.
I’ve found that people, like my friend, often put up pretend barriers about why they can’t do it, or they assume people will ignore them or respond negatively. And that can happen, but it’s rare and fleeting.
Yet, I think in the 10+ years I’ve been doing this and the hundreds of times I’ve approached people, I’ve only had 2 to 3 negative responses along the lines of “How dare you ask me for my expertise?”
It’s more common for them to say, ‘No thanks, I don’t have time.’
Which is perfectly fine.
But, surprisingly, the majority of the time, even total strangers are happy to give me 30 minutes to share how they solved an issue.
Ask The Questions ChatGPT Can’t Answer
It’s become a default for me now that whenever I’m trying to solve a client problem, I ask around and contact people who have encountered it, learning whatever I can from them.
I ask questions that will uncover valuable answers not in the public domain. This is usually a combination of:
What specifically was the problem? What caused it? Any root causes discovered?
What did you go?
What worked for them? What was the outcome (i.e., what can we realistically expect?)
What didn’t work for them? What would they avoid?
Who did they work with (if relevant), and would they recommend them?
How long did it take?
How much did it cost (people are often less keen to answer this)?
What advice would they give to someone looking to do it again?
I promise you that the answers to these questions will provide you with incredible value.
Compare the two options below, from a coaching client, both before and after the research. This is regarding a client considering a move from Shopify to WooCommerce.
Statement 1 - based solely on expertise
Based on our experience, moving from Shopify to WooCommerce typically gives retailers more control over customization and lowers long-term platform fees.
The migration usually takes 3–4 months, requires careful planning around product catalog imports, and may involve additional costs for plugins and development. Overall, it’s a good option if you want more flexibility and are willing to manage a slightly more complex system.
Statement 2 - based on expertise + research
Switching from Shopify to WooCommerce isn’t just about lower platform costs; the transition can radically change how you manage your store.
Retailers that navigated the move well did three things: first, they standardized their product data and removed duplicate SKUs before migration; second, they built a custom theme that replicated Shopify’s checkout speed; and third, they lined up support for post-migration SEO to avoid a traffic crash. Those who skipped any of these steps struggled for months.
For example, one retailer migrated 20,000 SKUs without cleaning their catalog. The result was broken variants, confused customers, and a 15% drop in sales during the first quarter. Another underestimated checkout optimization; their WooCommerce site technically worked, but loaded 2 seconds slower, which halved conversion rates. By contrast, retailers who piloted their new store with a small customer segment before going live avoided these pitfalls entirely.
The financial picture also has nuance. While WooCommerce eliminates Shopify’s transaction fees, the true cost of ownership varies. Several retailers underestimated plugin licensing and security support, ending up with higher-than-expected monthly costs. The better strategy is to budget 20–30% over initial estimates for ongoing maintenance.
I’d recommend beginning with a catalog clean-up, running a closed beta with loyal customers to test checkout speed and SEO redirects, and dedicating a maintenance budget from the outset. This not only minimizes revenue risk but also ensures your store feels like an upgrade, not a downgrade, to your customers.
You can instantly see the difference and the value of undertaking a small research project first. It’s clear that the second statement, based on a week-long research project, offers significantly more depth. And you’re highlighting the downsides in advance so the client won’t be surprised later.
Executing Your Mini-Research Project
A few tips I’ve learned over the years about executing this.
Finding people. If you post a message in relevant industry groups and online communities asking if anyone knows someone who has ‘done x’, you will usually get good referrals. Otherwise, ask around, research people on LinkedIn, find relevant speakers, and so on.
Compensation. I often also compensate people for their time. Offering $50 to $100 for a 30-minute call is nearly always a great value compared to the quality of recommendations I can offer a client. However, I always offer this if they say they don’t have time.
Prod and probe. Don’t just go through a fixed list of questions; probe for additional details. Really try to explore the depths of knowledge.
Invite clients to join the call. I’ve found that clients often love speaking with others who have participated in this before. It’s an added-value asset that helps them understand you’re not just bringing expertise but also your connections.
Ask before recording. A minor note I’ve found is that it’s best not to automatically have Otter record these calls, but ask in advance. People might be sharing sensitive information.
Get back to people. This can often be the beginning of a new relationship. So, get back to people with updates on how it helped, and offer to connect them with others you’re speaking with, etc.
Once you’ve undertaken a handful of calls, you should be able to identify common themes, interesting edge cases, and have a wealth of expertise that no one else has.
Not only that, you’re well on your way to becoming the top expert on a big, expensive, problem. This is expertise that will be valuable to future clients.
Stop Pretending You Know The Best Solution To Every Problem
I’ve found that consultants, especially newer ones, seem to think they should create solutions to client problems almost solely based on their past experience and expertise.
This stems from a place of insecurity. They have to tell themselves, or their clients, that they know everything they need to do.
The idea that you’re simply going to know the answer to every question a client has based on your experience is silly. But your ability to source and vet the solutions created by others is
The vast majority of the time, you won’t (and you venture the answer even if they did). Instead, use your expertise to set up a mini research project to find the answer.
You achieve far better results if you adopt the mindset of:
“Yes, my past expertise gives me a starting point to explore the problem, existing connections to connect with, and some initial ideas, but I need to do a lot more research to ensure I deliver the best results”
So whenever you encounter a client problem, I want you to begin immediately:
Finding people who have encountered that problem in the past.
Contacting them to see if they can spend 30 minutes speaking about it.
Asking them the questions featured above and then creating much better responses.
Communicating the best practices and discoveries back to the people you spoke with.
The side benefit of this is it often leads to exciting new recommendations. In the past, a single client project led to the formation of a working group that we established to continue discussing and exploring the problem. This, in turn, allows us to attract more clients with that problem.
The upside is so high and the downside is so low that it’s incredible not to do it.
p.s. See Stop Sharing Your Opinion, and Start Sharing Great Research
Good luck!
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I believe initially exploring the problem with an LLM can help you reframe it at the very minimum, and will still give you some nuances which you can then use to ask better questions to your collaborators.
It's definitely a step I recommend.
So if you approach a stranger via LinkedIn or an industry Slack for a call, you just offer to pay them via Venmo, crypto, bank transfer whatever? I'm just wondering about the trust factor here.