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Ask Slashdot: How Do You To Tell Your Client That His "Expert" Is an Idiot?

Esther Schindler writes "It's a danger for any consultant, and for most inter-departmental internal project staff: To get the work done, you need to work with someone else who supplies expertise you lack. But when the 'expert' turns out to be the wrong person how do you tell the client (or boss) that you just can't work with that individual?"

2 of 384 comments (clear)

  1. Most experts are Idiots. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Most experts are idiots at what they claim, but an expert at earning trust regardless of their knowledge. So be careful of these people, as they are quite aware of their lack of expertise and their fragility. Gain trust of the client first before taking on people your client trusts.

  2. Re:Its Easy by mjwx · · Score: 4, Informative

    Terrible advice. There is always money in confusion as long as you write the contract properly, which should always be the case.

    Because contract have never been torn up in court.

    I used to know a consultant like this. Would write incredibly one sided contracts, still 100% legal but very one sided, which only idiots would sign. It worked for a while but when one project fell through this idiot client hired a non-idiot lawyer and he lost more than he earned in his career. House, investments, car, even furniture. The guy went from driving a Porsche 911 (not cheap in Oz) to a old Huyandai Getz in a matter of days and hand to declare bankruptcy just to keep the Getz.

    Writing unfair contracts is an easy way to get sued. Even fair contracts can land you in a lot of shit.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.