Why Tech Consultants Have Management's Ear (And You Don't)

Thriving Technologist

Ever seen management bring in a technology consultant, and suddenly they're open to ideas you've been telling them all along? When this first happened to me, I figured technology consultants were probably just better at selling snake oil.

But halfway into my career I became a software development technology consultant, and I learned they were masters of one thing I sucked at - communication. Here's the good news: you don't have to become a technology consultant to be a master of communication. It's simply a decision you make to focus on it.

In this episode, I share 9 ways you can communicate like a consultant, that will get people to stop and listen to what you have to say with more authority and urgency on your software projects. Whether you're a software engineer, in QA or DevOps, or a product or product manager - we all respond to persuasive and informed communication the same way.

I hope this helps you get unstuck in your career in technology, and achieve things you never thought were possible on your software development project!

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You can also watch this episode on YouTube.

Chapter markers / timelinks:

(0:00) Introduction (3:10) 9 Ways to Communicate Like a Consultant (3:17) 1. Be Business-Focused (5:11) 2. Presentation Skills (8:20) 3. Adapt To Your Audiences (12:25) 4. Frequent Feedback Loops (15:26) 5. Negotiation Skills (18:02) 6. Healthy Resistance to Rushing (20:34) 7. Project Documentation (23:38) 8. Client Relationship Management (26:34) 9. Continuous Learning (30:20) Episode Groove

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