If you are a business owner considering AI automation, here is how to evaluate consultants.
Red Flags
- They lead with technology. Good consultants lead with business outcomes.
- No ROI projections. If they cannot estimate your savings, they are guessing.
- No case studies. Ask for specific results from similar businesses.
- Hourly billing only. Value-based pricing means they are confident in results.
- No discovery process. They should audit before proposing.
Green Flags
- They quantify everything. Hours saved, dollars recovered, payback period.
- They start small. A $3-5K discovery project before a $20K implementation.
- They guarantee outcomes. "If we do not hit X metric, here is our plan."
- They train your team. The goal is independence, not dependence.
- They show real data. Not projections, actual results from past clients.
What to Expect
- Discovery audit: 2 days, $3-5K
- Implementation: 2-4 weeks, $10-25K
- Monthly retainer: $3-8K for ongoing optimization
- Typical ROI: 2-4x in year one
- Payback period: 3-6 months
Average business saves 15.5 hours per week and sees 2.7x ROI.
Free AI Automation ROI Calculator: wedgemethod.gumroad.com/l/ai-automation-roi-calculator
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