Before signing anything, it is worth being clear about which of the three you are buying, because the deliverable and the incentive are not the same.
The three roles
- Consultant. Sells analysis and recommendation. The deliverable is a decision you are then able to make. The risk stays with you.
- Agent. Sells access and transactions, usually on commission. Aligned with volume — which is excellent when volume is what you want and a problem when selectivity is.
- Representative. Acts in your name on the ground: visits, follows up, reports. Closest to having an employee there, without the entity.
The question that clarifies it
« If this project fails, what does it cost you? » A consultant loses a reference. An agent loses a commission. A representative loses an ongoing engagement. None of these is wrong — but knowing the answer tells you how to read the advice you are being given.
Some of the work needs all three at different moments. The mistake is buying one and expecting the behaviour of another.