As a business owner, some may not be able to make things work. This is when strategists and consultants help with that. A strategist helps employees, organizations, and businesses get things done. A consultant offers his professional services as an expert in a specific area such as accounting, finance, marketing.
Strategist Vs Consultant
The main difference between a Strategist and a Consultant is that a Strategist work to create a plan for the business to get where it wants to go. Consultants are brought in to help make plans come together, or to help with the implementation of a plan in a firm’s success.
A strategist is an individual who uses their knowledge, skills, and experience to devise a strategy for an organization or business. This strategy is usually used to help an organization achieve its goals. Their knowledge is used in the company’s decision-making, plans, implementation of new services, or product launches too.
A consultant is a person who helps an organization by offering experienced advice in various areas. Their advice may be related to business, management, or Human Resources issues. A consultant may work with a company to get it ready for an upcoming product launch or help them with the plan.
Comparison Table Between Strategist and Consultant
| Parameters of Comparison | Strategist | Consultant |
| Meaning | A Strategist is a person who helps an organization implement a strategy for the companies success. | A consultant is an expert, who provides advice to clients on a project with their knowledge and experience. |
| Responsibilities | Their responsibility is to provide a vision board and forecast to achieve the final goal. | A consultant’s main responsibility is to give recommendations, suggestions, or information. |
| Works With | They work with top management to implement changes in the company’s plan. | A consultant usually works with a lower-level team within a company. |
| Participation | Strategists are often employees of the business itself and deeply invested in its success or failure. | A consultant generally doesn’t have a stake in the company’s doing well. |
| Presence | Strategist presence in directing the decision of a company is usually long term | Consultants presence in guidance in a company is usually short term. |
What is a Strategist?
The strategist are famous professionals for around for decades. Their job focuses on customer needs and wants, and how to reach them in the best possible way.
As a strategist, they utilize many different skills and tools that will help them better achieve customer goals. This can include everything from traditional marketing techniques to more analytical methods of inquiry.
This position allows them to work within various fields, including business, non-profit, government, and education. The strategist will be in charge of developing strategies for organizations as well as monitoring their effectiveness.
They are essentially important in the marketing industry because it works with businesses to explore new ways of reaching customers by introducing new products or services.
This allows them to work flexibly enough to adapt when they are needed. They work with the management level for decision-making.
A strategy consultant will typically work in teams with account handlers from different disciplines (media planning, campaign planning, digital planning, etc.., who are responsible for executing the plan on behalf of their department).
They work in a wide range of areas including business, politics, sports, and the military. Their way of thinking is different that’s why they are experts in the field.
What is a Consultant?
A consultant is a person who gives advice and counsel.
Consultants are often brought in to help with specific projects or tasks and then move on to other endeavors.
Consultants will often prepare proposals for potential clients that detail their experience and qualifications, as well as pricing structures and terms of engagement.
A consultant typically works with multiple clients simultaneously and can therefore be considered a multitasker, who must prioritize his or her tasks effectively and efficiently at all times.
Sometimes consultants are brought in when companies are trying to make major changes but don’t have the internal resources to do.
They typically bill their clients by the hour however, many consultants have contracts that stipulate a flat rate for specific services.
Regardless of the reason for the hiring, consultants are generally paid either by the hour or by the project.
Some firms also offer retainers or monthly retainers for consultants who provide ongoing services.
They work in various specialties including IT consulting firms, management consulting firms, marketing consulting firms, accounting consulting firms, and law firms.
A consultant is qualified to offer outside observations or opinions, not just from personal experience but by also possessing advanced knowledge in their field.
Main Differences Between Strategist and Consultant
- Consultants work with multiple clients at once , but they do not focus on every client closely, wheareas Strategist too work with other firms but they maintain a close relationship with one firm at a time.
- A strategist will take a holistic view of their client’s operations, including their marketing, sales, and finance while, a consultant will look more closely at specific functions such as marketing, production, or management.
- A strategist is usually taking charge in decision-making, while a consultant is usually more of an outside observer.
- A strategist has the power to make decisions, while a consultant makes recommendations.
- Consultants are generally paid by the hour and Strategist by the project or yearly salary.
Conclusion
A strategist forms key relationships with business leaders to understand their vision, mission, and growth plans before formulating a structured plan, whereas a traditional consultant comes up with a plan of action, including cost estimates and implementation timelines, before presenting it to all interested parties to obtain.
A strategist will not go above and beyond to analyze data, look into metrics and make the best out of it. On the other side, a consultant is more like a professional who thinks out of the box they can provide additional help during brainstorming sessions or when a key decision has to be made.
They have an eye for data and can provide valuable insight into this area. Consultants are often one time hired experts while strategists are more long-term team members who collaborate with different teams throughout their projects.
It is important to choose the one that will be most beneficial for your company, rather than relying on a generic description of each role.
However in reality it is not possible to get a good understanding of where strategy and design meet without educating yourself on both.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022440576900571
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490210