"Get on the AI Train or Get Left Behind": A Consultant's Guide to Embracing Artificial Intelligence

Are you a consultant still waiting to see if this "AI thing" is just another tech fad? According to AI consultant David Balbi, that's a mistake you can't afford to make.

In my recent Thriving Through podcast interview with David, he delivered a wake-up call that should have every consultant's attention: "If you don't work with AI in 2 years from now, you'll be working FOR AI."

Why Consultants Can't Afford to Wait

The urgency in David's message was clear throughout our conversation. Having spent 40 years as a PGA golf professional before transitioning to AI consulting, David brings a unique perspective on technology adoption and business evolution. He's witnessed firsthand how quickly AI is transforming consulting practices, and the gap is widening between those embracing it and those sitting on the sidelines.

Here's why consultants need to act now:

1. The Time-Saving Is Revolutionary

Perhaps the most compelling example from our conversation was the story of a manufacturing consultant who spent two full days creating an efficiency report. Using AI tools, David's team created a superior version in just 15 minutes. This isn't a slight improvement – it's a fundamental transformation in how work gets done.

Imagine taking tasks that currently consume days of your time and completing them in minutes. What would that mean for your practice? How would it change your capacity to serve clients or your work-life balance?

2. Your Competitors Are Already Using It

While you may be hesitating, many of your competitors aren't. As David explained, consultants who implement AI solutions for their clients are receiving more referrals because clients talk about these innovations with colleagues. When a prospect hears, "My consultant set up this amazing AI system that's transformed our business," they'll naturally wonder why their consultant hasn't done the same.

3. It's Evolving at Breakneck Speed

"It's not something you can walk away from for 2 weeks and come back and expect everything to be just the same," David shared. The pace of AI development means that waiting even a few months puts you further behind the curve. David himself spends three hours daily just keeping up with new developments – a luxury most busy consultants don't have.

4. It Enhances Rather Than Replaces Your Expertise

Perhaps the most reassuring insight from our conversation was David's insistence that AI won't replace the human elements of consulting that matter most. Rather than diminishing a consultant's value, AI enhances it by handling the heavy lifting so you can focus on deep thinking, strategy, and personal connection.

As David put it, "AI is going to turn any good coach into an excellent coach."

How to Get Started with AI as a Consultant

If you're convinced it's time to embrace AI but aren't sure where to begin, David offered practical advice for consultants at any stage of the journey:

1. Start with Your Most Time-Consuming Tasks

Look at where you're spending the most time in your practice, especially on repetitive tasks. As David advised, "If you look at the things that you do on a repetitive basis," those are prime candidates for AI enhancement. Common examples include:

• Creating reports and presentations
• Analyzing client data
• Drafting content for blogs, newsletters, or email communications
• Researching industry trends
• Summarizing meetings or conversations

2. Begin with Foundational AI Tools

Don't dive straight into specialized tools. David recommends starting with mainstream AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to get comfortable with the technology. Ask these tools how they might help with your specific consulting challenges.

The benefit of starting with these platforms is that they can help you understand what's possible before investing in more specialized solutions.

3. Consider Expert Guidance

With "20 new AI tools coming out every day" according to David, the landscape is overwhelming. David has personally tested over 500 different AI tools, which is why clients rely on his expertise to cut through the noise.

For most consultants, trying to evaluate all these tools is impractical. Instead, consider working with someone who understands both AI and your business needs. As David emphasized, it's important to work with someone who can "come up with the optimum tool for them, so that they don't go off... chasing the shiny objects."

4. Show, Don't Tell

When introducing AI solutions to clients, David's approach is instructive: "I'm never going to recommend something that I haven't actually used myself and that I can't show somebody some real-world output from."

Before proposing AI tools to your clients, test them thoroughly and prepare concrete examples of how they'll deliver value. Specific demonstrations are far more convincing than theoretical benefits.

5. Build Your Knowledge Base

One exciting development David mentioned is RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation), which allows AI to access a specific knowledge base rather than drawing on general training data. This dramatically reduces "hallucination" or inaccuracies.

Consider how you might build a knowledge base from your years of consulting expertise that an AI could leverage to create more accurate, personalized outputs for clients.

The Future of Consulting Is AI-Enhanced

When I asked David how he sees the role of human consultants changing in the next decade, his answer was optimistic for those willing to evolve: "I think the good ones will get better."

The consultants who thrive won't be those who resist change, but those who leverage AI to enhance their natural strengths while offloading their limitations to machines. The human elements that clients value most – empathy, strategic thinking, contextual understanding, and relationship building – remain uniquely human domains that AI can support but not replace.

The Choice Is Clear

As our interview concluded, David's message crystallized into a simple choice every consultant now faces: adapt or be left behind. The AI revolution isn't coming – it's already here, transforming how consultants work and the value they can deliver.

Those who embrace this transformation won't just survive; they'll thrive, delivering better results in less time and commanding premium prices for their enhanced capabilities. Those who wait may find themselves struggling to catch up to competitors who seized the advantage early.

In David's words: "Don't think that you can ignore it, and it'll go away. It's gonna get you."

The AI train is leaving the station. Are you on board?

Want to hear more insights from my conversation with David Balbi? Listen to the full episode of the Thriving Through podcast: https://www.ajriedel.com/podcasts/thriving-through/episodes/2149027608