There are many kinds of intelligence and successful consultants need to dominate quite a few of them. In my career I have seen exceptionally qualified people who couldn’t get ahead, and I have seen consultants who dropped out of college who had to turn away clients.
Why? Because academic or subject matter smarts are essential, but only part of the success equation. If you want to be truly successful you need “street smarts”.
What are they? Street smarts generally refer to intelligence that is learned not taught. For example, interpersonal skills can be taught, but people only truly develop them by using them.
Street smart consultants are those who can develop relationships; hold them for the long term, read the underlying issues in a room or in a conversation, think on their feet, navigate the complexities of service sales processes, develop depth in accounts, and many more areas.
Clients recognize experience, they recognize talent that can offer more than just doing a specific task, and they are willing to pay for that wisdom.
Get street smart! And how do you do that? Get experience – Now!!
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