Experts and Consultants, you must have come across these two words in real life much too often. They have similar meanings and are really confusing. People find it difficult to appreciate the fine difference between a consultant and an expert and remain confused. This article will highlight these differences so that you go to the right person that suits your requirements the next time you need the services of either one.
A consultant sells advice, whereas an expert sells his expertise. Do not be confused by this distinction as it is what the difference between a consultant and an expert is. You go to a consultant physician when you have no idea of the ailment you are suffering from and are worried with the symptoms. As this fellow has all the theoretical knowledge of ailments and their symptoms, he will diagnose the problem after conducting tests and also observing symptoms, and then refer you to an expert doctor in the field. So you pay for consultation with the consultant physician and then you pay to the expert doctor for providing you with correct treatment using his expertise.
The designation consultant does not require expertise which is what an expert needs. In fact most consultants are not experts. There are so many consultancy firms having consultants on board that discuss the problem and provide solutions based upon their knowledge. Even the healthcare provider charges you his consultation fee and a treatment fee is always separate. One major difference between a consultant and an expert is that a consultant will tell you how to do things, whereas an expert will actually do those things. For example, if you are planning to change the flooring of your kitchen by getting tiles installed, you go to a sanitary store where the sales person will act as a consultant but the actual laying of tiles will be done by a person who is an expert at doing it.
An expert has deep vertical knowledge in a field whereas a consultant has horizontal knowledge spread across many domains.
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Summary • Experts and consultants are learned people in a field with a vast amount of knowledge but consultants provide advice only whereas experts actually carry out things. • An expert has deep vertical knowledge in a field whereas a consultant has horizontal knowledge across many fields.
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