AI consultancy: using AI where it really pays off

An AI consultant helps you work out where AI actually pays off in your organisation, and makes sure it then works in practice. Not "something with AI", but a concrete task that gets faster, better or cheaper, with agreements on data, privacy and measurement.

Short answer: AI consultancy is advice and guidance on using artificial intelligence: from choosing the right use cases and tools to setting them up, training your people and measuring the results. A good AI consultant starts with your work and your goals, not with the technology.

What does an AI consultant do?

The work roughly falls into four parts:

• Finding opportunities — which tasks take a lot of time, are repetitive or keep getting stuck? That is usually where the first gains are. Think of quotes, customer questions, content, reports or handling leads.
• Choosing — which use case first, with which tool, and what you deliberately leave aside (for now). A standalone tool such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, AI already built into your existing software (such as your CRM), or something custom such as an AI chatbot or AI agents.
• Setting up — integrations, prompts, ways of working, access to the right data and checks on the output.
• Embedding — teaching your people to use it, measuring the results and adjusting. Without this part AI stays an experiment nobody uses after three weeks.

When do you need an AI consultant?

Not always. If you use ChatGPT now and then for a piece of text, you don't need a consultant, at most a good training. An AI consultant becomes useful when:

• everyone in your organisation does "something" with AI, but without agreements on data and quality;
• you want to know where AI saves time or money in your processes, and where it doesn't;
• you want to build an AI application your customers see, such as a chatbot or smart search;
• you worry about falling behind but don't know where to start;
• you've bought tools that hardly get used.

Where AI often pays off most in marketing and sales

AI isn't a marketing channel, it's a way of working. In our field we see the biggest gains here:

• Content and creative — faster first drafts, ad variants, translations, images and video. With a human doing the final edit and checking that it's right and fits your brand.
• Advertising — smarter bidding and audiences in Google Ads and Meta, and faster testing of messages.
• Customer contact — a chatbot that answers questions based on your own content, always with a route to a human.
• Leads and follow-up — automatically enriching and scoring leads and preparing the right follow-up.
• Analysis and reporting — summarising data from several sources and spotting anomalies sooner.
• Findability — not just in Google, but also in AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity. That's also called GEO.

Outside marketing (finance, HR, production) there are many applications too. Where needed, we put you in touch with specialists from our network.

How an AI engagement usually runs

1. First conversation — what do you want to achieve, where's the pain, what's already in place?
2. Scan of tasks and data — which tasks qualify, what data is there, what is and isn't allowed?
3. Choice and plan — a short list of use cases, sorted by value and effort. You start small.
4. Real-world pilot — one use case, real users, success agreed in advance.
5. Roll-out and training — if it works: ways of working, training and documentation.
6. Measure and adjust — time, quality, cost or revenue, on numbers you chose in advance.

What to watch out for

AI is powerful, but not flawless. A good AI consultant is honest about that:

• AI sometimes makes things up. A language model can state something convincingly that isn't true. Always have important output checked, especially when customers see it.
• Data and privacy. Don't put customer data or confidential documents into a free tool without knowing what happens to them. Look at business plans, data processing agreements and where data is stored. For legal questions, bring in a privacy specialist; see compliance and privacy.
• The EU AI Act. Europe sets requirements for AI use, stricter as the risk increases. For most marketing applications it's mainly about transparency (letting people know something is AI) and the AI literacy of your people.
• Tools change fast. Don't become dependent on one tool. Document your way of working and prompts so you can switch.
• People. The biggest hurdle is rarely the technology. It's habit, uncertainty and time. So invest in explanation and training.

AI consultant, AI specialist or AI agency?

• An AI consultant advises and guides: what you'll do and how to set it up.
• An AI specialist or developer builds: integrations, agents, custom work.
• An AI training teaches your people to work with it themselves.

You often need a combination. We do all three within our field (marketing, digital and AI) and work with specialists where needed. Prefer to get started yourself? Fine. Then we share knowledge and tools and point the way.

How we approach AI consultancy

We start with your goals and your work, not with the newest tool. We use AI ourselves every day, in content, analysis, advertising and even this website (with our chatbot Baile). So we know what does and doesn't work, and we say so when something isn't worth it yet.

Want to know more about the basics? Read about artificial intelligence or AI and data. Want to know how consultancy works in general? See consultancy.

Frequently asked questions about AI consultancy

What is AI consultancy?

Advice and guidance on using artificial intelligence in your organisation: from finding opportunities and choosing tools to setting up, training and measuring.

What is the difference between an AI consultant and an AI developer?

An AI consultant decides with you what you'll do and how to set it up. A developer builds the technical solution. On smaller projects one person sometimes does both.

Do I need a lot of data to start with AI?

No. Many applications work with what you already have: your website, documents, emails or your CRM. That information does need to be correct and findable.

Is AI safe for business data?

That depends on the tool and the settings. Business plans usually offer better terms on storage and training on your data. Agree in advance what may and may not go into an AI tool.

How quickly will I see results?

A first application can work quickly, especially for content or customer questions. You only see the real effect once your people use it daily. That's why we measure from the start.

Will AI replace my employees?

Usually not. AI mainly takes over tasks, not whole jobs. Your people get time for work where they really make a difference. That does require clear explanation and training.

Want to know what AI can do for you?

Tell us what's on your mind. We'll honestly say what AI can mean for you, and where you'd better wait a little.

Get in touch or book a strategy session.