Working as a Summit Consultant

Summit is committed to providing unique value to our employees as well as our clients. We recognized from the beginning that no investment in resources or marketing could ever replace a strong team of experienced consultants, and so we have created a structure that we feel offers a singular opportunity for qualified professionals to realize both their financial and personal goals through building a consulting book of business with Summit. This opportunity can be seen in our Employee Value Proposition:

Summit offers a unique model that allows team members a high degree of independence and flexibility to pursue their long-term goals, while still offering the structure and resources to be as effective as possible.

Below, we will try to share more information about how we are executing that Value Proposition in our employment relationships with our consulting team.

Benefits of Being a Summit Consultant

While it is tough to truly put the experience and value of being part of the Summit consulting team into words, here are just a few of the different ways that Summit is committed to giving its consultants a great experience as part of our team.

1. The flexibility to completely control and retain ownership in your book of business. Each of our consultants determines the type of services that they will provide, the clients with whom they will work, and what their fees for those services will be. In addition, we do not ask our consultants to sign non-compete or non-piracy agreements on their book of business. We want our consultants to be able to build a book of business with the peace of mind that they will have the opportunity to realize the financial benefits of that book of business.
2. The opportunity to realize more financial benefit from your book of business than being on your own. Our consultants are paid based on the revenues that they generate for Summit, similar to the risk and opportunity that consultants experience while working independently. The key difference is that because of the infrastructure and resources that Summit has in place, those same consulting fees can generate more profit as part of Summit than they could as a standalone book of business. Summit then passes those extra profits on to the consultants, providing a unique financial opportunity.
3. A guaranteed buy out option. Because of the financial opportunities that exist at Summit, our consultants usually intend to finish their careers at Summit. It is our commitment to them that Summit will provide for the opportunity for the books of business that they build to provide as much financial benefit as possible for them and their families. Because it can be difficult today for an independent consultant to realize market value for their business, very few are able to sell their client book for an amount anywhere near what it could be worth. Summit consultants have the peace of mind to know that they have a guaranteed buy out available at any time of their choosing.
4. Premier resources and support. Building a managing a successful book of consulting clients takes a lot of time and resources. Investing in the necessary software, marketing, and administrative resources can be challenging and expensive for independent consultants. Summit offers its team access to an administrative support team, a full sales and marketing department, and to some of the most powerful software and resources available on the market today.
5. Working with a great team. Although much consulting work is done individually, it is always nice to have a strong team at your back and to know that you can tap into a wealth of experience and knowledge at any time. Our consultants are distinguished not only by their expertise, but also by their commitment to helping each other out.

Qualifications to be a Summit Consultant

Summit can only maintain that value to our team by being selective about who we bring on board. That process is as much for the benefit of potential consultants as it is for Summit and our existing team. Over the years, we have learned who tends to best thrive under our model and who does not, and we are committed to only bringing on team members who we feel that we can help meet their professional goals. These are a few of the qualifications for which we are looking:

1. Significant expertise and education. While the qualifications for consultants will vary depending on their specific professional focus, most of our consultants possess advanced degrees and/or professional designations. In addition, we typically look for consultants with at least ten years of experience in their field, and our average consultant has at least twenty-five years of experience.
2. The ability to build a book of business. We have a pretty standard rule of thumb that we follow: If a consultant thinks that they could be successful in building a solo consulting practice and is considering doing so, then we can probably help them be even more successful. If a consultant doesn’t think that they have the skills, experience, personality, or desire to attempt it on their own, then we are probably not a fit for them. While we are committed to providing as much support as possible, much of a consultant’s level of success will still be determined by them. In addition, it is essential to us that everyone on the team is as committed to supporting other team members as the rest of the team is to them. In order to maintain that balance, we are look for consultants that can contribute everyone’s success.
3. A shared commitment to Summit’s values and culture. Summit’s mission, vision, and values go far beyond numbers and financial measures. We are looking for people who understand, share, and are eager to commit to our vision for the impact that we are striving to have. For those who are, we feel that a career at Summit will be one of the most fulfilling experiences of their lives.