How to Evaluate AI Consultants Without Getting Burned (The 15-Point Checklist)

You've decided you need help with AI automation. Smart move. But how do you choose the right consultant without wasting money on someone who overpromises and underdelivers?

After seeing dozens of businesses come to me after a failed consultant engagement, I've identified the patterns. The warning signs are usually there from the beginning—if you know what to look for.

This checklist gives you a systematic framework for evaluating AI consultants before you write the check.

The 15-Point Evaluation Checklist

Section 1: Portfolio & Track Record (Points 1-5)

1. Do they show actual results, not just deliverables?

Bad consultant: "We built 47 automations for clients." Good consultant: "We saved Client X 15 hours/week by automating their invoice processing—here's the before/after workflow."

Look for specifics. Hours saved. Error rates reduced. Revenue increased. If they can't quantify outcomes, dig deeper.

Red flag: Generic case studies with no metrics or client names (even if anonymized by industry).

2. Can they explain their process in business terms?

Ask: "Walk me through how you'd approach a project like mine."

What you want to hear: Business discovery first, then technical solution. Questions about your goals, pain points, team capacity.

What's concerning: Immediately jumping to tools ("We'll use Make.com and Claude") before understanding your needs.

3. Do their past projects match your complexity level?

A consultant who automated email workflows for solopreneurs may struggle with multi-system enterprise integration. A consultant who works with Fortune 500s may overcomplicate your needs.

Look for clients at similar scale and complexity to your business.

4. Can they provide references you can actually contact?

Not testimonials on their website—actual client contacts willing to have a 10-minute conversation.

Questions to ask references:

"What surprised you about working with them?"
"What would you do differently if you hired them again?"
"Did the solution still work 6 months later?"
"How did they handle problems?"

5. Do they have domain expertise in your industry?

This matters more than you think. A consultant who understands e-commerce logistics will deliver better solutions faster than someone who's brilliant at AI but has never seen your type of workflow.

Industry knowledge = fewer hours billable to your "education."

Section 2: Technical Approach (Points 6-9)

6. Do they ask about your existing systems first?

Before proposing solutions, good consultants want to understand:

What software you currently use
Where data lives
What integrations already exist
What your team already knows

Red flag: Suggesting a complete platform switch without understanding what you've invested in.

7. How do they handle maintenance and updates?

The best automation breaks when:

APIs change
Your business process evolves
Software updates happen
Team members change

Ask explicitly: "What happens when something breaks in 6 months?"

Options to listen for:

Retainer for ongoing support
Training your team to maintain it
Documentation so others can fix it
Monitoring systems to catch issues early

Warning sign: "It won't break" or "AI will handle it automatically."

8. Do they recommend the right complexity level?

Sometimes the answer is a simple Zapier automation, not a custom-coded solution. Sometimes it's hiring a VA, not building automation. Sometimes it's fixing your process before automating it.

Good consultants tell you when you don't need them. Great consultants tell you when you're not ready yet.

9. How do they approach data security and privacy?

If they don't bring this up proactively, that's your red flag.

Essential questions they should ask:

What type of data will flow through this system?
Do you have compliance requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.)?
Where should data be stored?
Who needs access?

Section 3: Business Terms (Points 10-13)

10. How do they structure pricing?

Common models:

Fixed project fee: Best when scope is clear, you want budget certainty
Hourly: Flexible but can balloon if scope isn't controlled
Value-based: Tied to outcomes, aligns incentives but requires trust
Retainer: For ongoing work, good after initial project

Red flags:

Pressure to sign immediately with "special pricing"
Vague scope with fixed pricing (who absorbs overruns?)
No clear deliverables list
Hourly without estimated range or cap

11. What's included in the price and what's extra?

Get specific:

Discovery and planning
Implementation
Testing
Documentation
Training
Initial support period
Revisions

I've seen projects where "implementation" didn't include testing, or "delivery" didn't include documentation. Define everything.

12. How do they handle scope changes?

Your needs will evolve mid-project. It happens.

Good consultants have a process:

Change request documentation
Impact assessment (time/cost)
Approval before proceeding
Updated timeline/budget

Warning sign: "Don't worry, we'll figure it out" or rigid "no changes allowed" policies.

13. What are the payment terms and protection?

Reasonable structures:

Deposit (25-50%) to start
Milestone payments tied to deliverables
Final payment on completion
Retainage period (hold 10% for 30 days post-delivery)

Red flags:

100% upfront
Payment before you see anything
No refund clause for non-delivery

Section 4: Working Relationship (Points 14-15)

14. How do they communicate and set expectations?

Ask about:

Response time expectations
How often you'll sync
How they report progress
What you'll review at each stage
How decisions get made

Mismatched communication styles kill projects. If you want weekly check-ins and they offer "updates as needed," discuss it now.

15. Do they demonstrate curiosity about your business?

The best consultants ask "why" repeatedly:

Why does this process exist?
Why is this taking so long?
Why haven't you automated this already?
Why is this important to solve now?

They're not just taking orders—they're understanding context to deliver better solutions.

Red flag: Treating you like a ticket to close rather than a problem to solve.

The Decision Framework

After evaluating a consultant against these 15 points, categorize your findings:

Green flags (4+ points): Strong candidate, proceed to detailed discussions Yellow flags (1-3 points): Proceed cautiously, get clarification, trust but verify Red flags (1+ points): Walk away, regardless of how many green flags exist

One major red flag (like demanding 100% upfront or having zero relevant experience) should disqualify a candidate.

Warning Signs From Real Scenarios

I've cleaned up after these consultant failures:

Scenario 1: Consultant built everything in a tool they got commission on, not what fit the client's needs. Solution: Rebuild from scratch. Cost: 2x the original budget.

Scenario 2: Beautiful automation that broke when the client's CRM updated. No documentation, consultant ghosted. Solution: Reverse-engineer and rebuild. Cost: Original fee + emergency fixes.

Scenario 3: Consultant automated a broken process. Garbage in, garbage at scale. Solution: Fix process first, then re-automate. Cost: Time + frustration.

Scenario 4: Over-engineered solution requiring a full-time admin. Client went back to manual processes. Solution: Simplify. Cost: Sunk investment.

All preventable with proper evaluation.

Questions to Ask in the First Conversation

Use these to quickly assess fit:

"Describe a project that didn't go as planned. What happened and how did you handle it?"
"What questions do you need answered before you could give me an accurate proposal?"
"What's a project you turned down and why?"
"How do you stay current with AI and automation tools?"
"What happens if I'm not satisfied with the delivered solution?"

Their answers reveal character, experience, and whether they're a good fit for your risk tolerance.

The Cost of Getting This Wrong

Hiring the wrong consultant costs more than the fee:

Direct costs: Money paid for unusable solutions
Opportunity costs: Time spent managing the project instead of running your business
Recovery costs: Paying someone else to fix it
Morale costs: Team skepticism about future automation initiatives
Strategic costs: Falling behind while you sort out the mess

A thorough evaluation takes a few hours. A failed engagement costs months.

When You're Ready to Hire

Once you've found a consultant who passes this checklist:

Start small: Pilot project before full engagement
Document everything: Scope, deliverables, timeline, costs
Set success criteria: Define "done" and "working" clearly
Plan for transition: How will your team own this long-term?

My Approach to Evaluation

When businesses reach out to me, I volunteer to be evaluated on this exact checklist. I want clients who make confident, informed decisions.

I'll show you:

Specific projects with measured outcomes
My process from discovery to delivery
How I handle maintenance and changes
What happens when things don't go perfectly (because they sometimes don't)

I'll also tell you if I'm not the right fit—whether it's because the project isn't in my wheelhouse, your budget doesn't match the scope, or you'd be better served by a different solution entirely.

If you're evaluating consultants for an AI or automation project, I'm happy to have a no-pressure conversation where you can use this checklist to evaluate whether I'm the right partner for your needs.

Schedule a consultation call and bring your toughest questions. The evaluation process should give you confidence, not just sales pressure.

Remember: The best consultant for you is not the one with the fanciest website or the lowest price. It's the one who understands your business, communicates clearly, delivers measurable results, and sets you up for long-term success.

Take your time with this decision. Use this checklist. Ask hard questions. Trust your instincts.

Your business deserves a partner, not just a vendor.