Proposal group managers are forever in the position of needing to maximize all possible resources.  In this article I provide 9 ways to get the best possible return on your investment (ROI) in consultants:

  1. Especially when you need difficult-to-find talent such as an SME, call far in advance.
  2. Carefully think out your spec before you call. Get input from stakeholders.  Even large businesses often fail to provide sufficient detail as to program and assignment.  If you don’t want to reveal the program, at least give the technology.
  3. Interview the consultants in person to avoid problems not apparent in a phone interview – such as consultant personality.
  4. If possible, test the candidates. For example, a 15-minute test for how well an editor can fix a rough passage provides instant proof.
  5. Hire consultants with the experience to work with light supervision.
  6. Prepare a consultant “welcome package” including templates and processes that will help you rapidly get the consultant productive.
  7. Make sure the consultant understands your expectations as to schedule and performance from the start.
  8. Have your point of contact (POC) quickly assess the work of new consultants. If you wait until too late to review, it may be impossible to fix a problem.
  9. Never fail to establish a standard feedback loop to provide frequency of guidance appropriate to the assignment.

These items are what I have seen during 33 years in the industry.