Like all pros, consultants put a premium on communication. Eighty-nine percent say it's very important. Given the technical work that is often outsourced to consultants, it's not surprising that 80 percent say technical knowledge is very important. The biggest difference of opinion regarding skills between consultants and other professionals has to do with business-related abilities. Suffice to say you can't survive as a consultant if you can't sell.
Financial impact is one way consultants market their services.
Marketing considerations also are evident in another area. Forty-six percent of consultants say professional certification is very important to their career growth, compared to 36 percent of all respondents. Seventy-two percent of consultants will pursue or maintain professional certification in 1998, compared to 62 percent across the board. By far, most consultants point to regulatory compliance. Seventy percent say OSHA and EPA regs will be a driver.