Some businesses respond to consultant recommendations by scheduling additional meetings to "explore the options further" or "get more stakeholder input." The analysis phase extends indefinitely while implementation gets perpetually delayed.
More meetings create the illusion of progress while avoiding actual decisions. Complex problems get discussed extensively without concrete action plans or accountability measures.
Tony scheduled follow-up meetings to discuss every recommendation. We met monthly for detailed conversations about changes he never made.
When businesses do attempt consultant recommendations, they often implement partial solutions while ignoring supporting systems necessary for success.
They'll adopt new software without training staff properly. They'll change pricing structures without improving sales processes. They'll implement performance metrics without providing management coaching.
Partial implementation often produces disappointing results that get blamed on the advice rather than the execution.
When consultant recommendations do produce positive results, businesses tend to credit internal leadership rather than external advice. Success gets attributed to management insight, team effort, or favorable market conditions.
This isn't malicious – it reflects natural human tendency to take ownership of positive outcomes. But it also means that valuable lessons about effective change management get lost rather than reinforced.
Businesses sometimes reject consultant advice by claiming outsiders can't understand their industry's unique challenges. "You don't know retail" or "construction is different" or "hospitality has special requirements."
This industry exceptionalism assumes that business fundamentals don't apply across sectors. But cash flow management, customer service, and employee motivation work similarly regardless of industry specifics.
Industry knowledge matters for tactical decisions, but strategic principles translate across most business contexts.
"Great ideas, but this isn't the right time" is consultant code for "we're not going to implement these recommendations." Perfect timing never arrives for difficult changes.
Market conditions are always uncertain, staffing is always challenging, and cash flow always has competing priorities. Waiting for ideal circumstances means waiting forever.
The businesses that succeed with consultant advice are those willing to implement changes during imperfect conditions rather than hoping for better timing.
Consultants face constant tension between telling clients what they need to hear versus what they want to hear. Honest feedback risks losing business relationships, while superficial validation wastes everyone's time.
The most effective consulting relationships require clients who genuinely want improvement more than they want comfort. These relationships are rare but produce transformational results when they occur.
Some of my most successful consulting work has happened with regional businesses where owners have direct operational involvement and immediate feedback from local markets.
These clients can't hide behind corporate bureaucracy or delegate implementation to others. They see consultant recommendations tested against daily reality rather than theoretical business models.
The businesses that actually benefit from consultant advice share common characteristics: they acknowledge specific performance gaps, they're willing to experiment with new approaches, and they commit resources to proper implementation with measurement systems.
Most importantly, they view consultants as thinking partners rather than external validators or miracle workers.
After working with hundreds of Australian businesses, I've concluded that consultant success depends more on client readiness than advice quality. The same recommendations that transform one business get ignored by another facing identical challenges.
This isn't about consultant competence – it's about client commitment to actual change versus the appearance of change.
Before hiring consultants, business owners should honestly assess their willingness to implement uncomfortable recommendations. If the answer isn't enthusiastic "yes," save the money.
Effective consulting requires clients who want genuine problem-solving more than they want professional affirmation of existing methods.
Two years after his restaurants closed, Tony called asking if I'd help with his new café venture. "I'm really ready to listen this time," he said.
I declined. Not because I doubted his sincerity, but because readiness isn't something you declare – it's something you demonstrate through actions.
Most business advice fails because businesses aren't actually seeking advice – they're seeking comfort, validation, or excuses for avoiding difficult changes.
The consultants who succeed learn to identify clients who genuinely want improvement rather than just want to feel like they're improving.
Because in business, as in life, wanting to change isn't the same as being willing to change.
And the difference determines everything.