In Need of a Digital Strategy Consultant? 7 Traits to Look For

A digital strategy consultant is a leader that brings expertise in navigating digital transformation — helping organizations prioritize, sequence, and execute their technology investments in service of business goals. The best ones create enormous leverage. The worst ones generate expensive reports that sit in a Google Drive.

Here's how to tell the difference.

1. Treats Digital as a Tool, Not a Goal

The most dangerous digital strategy consultants are those who are in love with technology for its own sake. They recommend AI because AI is exciting, not because it solves your specific problem. They push headless commerce because it's architecturally interesting, not because your business needs it.

The best consultants ask: what business outcome are we trying to achieve? What does success look like in 12 months? Technology is one of several tools available — the question is whether it's the right one for this problem.

2. Asks the Right Questions

A strong digital strategy consultant spends the first engagement listening, not presenting. They want to understand:

• What is your current position in your industry?
• Where do you want to go in 3-5 years?
• What's actually slowing you down today?
• What resources — technical team, budget, leadership bandwidth — do you genuinely have?

The consulting that follows is only as good as the answers to these questions.

3. Has the Proper Skillset for the Current Era

In 2025, the relevant technical domains include AI/ML systems, large language models, distributed architectures, data infrastructure, and agentic systems. A consultant whose expertise was formed in 2015 may lack the depth to guide AI transformation correctly.

Check for familiarity with:

• AI readiness assessment and data infrastructure requirements
• Agentic AI architecture patterns
• Modern ML deployment and monitoring
• The specific platforms relevant to your vertical

4. Backs Up Expertise with Past Results

Good consultants have a track record. They've advised businesses through transformations that succeeded — and they can tell you specifically what worked, what didn't, and what they'd do differently.

Ask for references from clients in similar situations. Ask for specific results (revenue impact, cost reduction, time-to-market improvement). Vague success stories are a yellow flag.

5. Has a Clear Vision of Present and Future Trends

The technology landscape is moving fast enough that a consultant who isn't actively tracking developments becomes obsolete within 12-18 months. The best consultants are on the bleeding edge — they know what's coming before it's mainstream, which lets you invest ahead of your competitors.

Specifically for AI strategy: the landscape of foundational models, infrastructure tooling, and agentic frameworks is evolving rapidly. A consultant who isn't current on this landscape is not equipped to advise on AI transformation.

6. Strives to Stay on the Cutting Edge

Beyond passive awareness, the best digital strategy consultants actively experiment. They build systems, run tests, prototype solutions. Their recommendations come from hands-on experience — not synthesized reading.

Ask: "What have you built recently? What did you learn from it?"

7. Has Powerful Data Analysis Skills

Digital strategy is ultimately about interpreting signals from data and making better decisions faster. A consultant who can't work with your analytics, model ROI scenarios, and validate hypotheses with data is operating on opinion, not evidence.

This doesn't mean every consultant needs to be a data scientist. But comfort with SQL, spreadsheet modeling, and analytical frameworks is a baseline requirement for anyone claiming to guide data-driven strategy.

The right digital strategy consultant is a force multiplier for your organization. The wrong one is a distraction. Apply these criteria rigorously — the gap between great and mediocre advice at the strategic level is enormous.