Are you struggling to set up ClickUp in a way that supercharges your team's productivity?
Do complex features leave you confused about how to tailor this robust software to your unique business needs?
If so, bringing on an expert ClickUp consultant may be the move your operations need. Indeed, setting up ClickUp requires in-depth configuration to avoid costly errors.
But not all ClickUp experts will provide you with the same quality of delivery.
This ultimate guide will walk you through:
- Why bringing a ClickUp consultant can save you time and money
- When it’s worth investing in custom ClickUp consulting
- Key skills and traits of high-caliber ClickUp consultants
- Must-ask questions when vetting ClickUp specialists
- Finding ClickUp experts with proven track records.
- How services like UpSys can be trusted partners at every step
Follow our advice below to guarantee you select a ClickUp consultant able to maximize efficiency across your organization.
Why Hire a ClickUp Consultant?
Before diving into the vetting process, let’s explore key reasons to hire a ClickUp consultant in the first place.
While ClickUp offers unmatched customizability to power up operations, tackling initial setup and optimization alone can be intimidating and time-consuming.
Setting up ClickUp efficiently and effectively is quicker with a specialized consultant than trying to do it on your own. Your teams will be able to focus on their core business and provide feedback to the consultant to continuously improve the ClickUp structure.
Below, we'll look at common challenges faced by Project Managers and Founders when setting up ClickUp:
Navigating features
The many ClickUp features can quickly overwhelm a newcomer. Between sprints, goals, comments, screen recording, forms, it is hard to utilize all the possibilities of the software.
Expert ClickUp consultants have both a helicopter and microscope view into platform features. They identify must-have elements to incorporate based on your unique needs vs “nice-to-have” extras unlikely to prove their ROI.
Custom implementations start by cutting through the noise to build essential foundations. Then consultants iteratively layer on enhanced apps generating value.
Using ClickUp to its full potential
ClickUp’s rise stems from continually expanding platform possibilities. But with rapid feature launches, even experts struggle at times to stay up to date.
With how it's evolved in 2024, it can be used for countless scenarios across your company. Some use cases include:
- Planning a content calendar
- Managing your sales or relationships with your customers
- Launching an agile IT development project
- Scheduling a marketing campaign
- Organizing your recruitment and human resources
Bringing on consulting partners intimately familiar with the ClickUp product roadmap unlocks major advantages. You gain a personal liaison to translate bleeding-edge app rollouts into tangible business value.
Not having Time for DIY setup
Let’s face it – few successful teams have available bandwidth nowadays. Designing an organizational structure from scratch requires deep analysis of cross-functional systems.
This makes do-it-yourself configurations massively time intensive. Failed solo setup attempts can frustrate your team.
Bringing on ClickUp specialists with proven blueprints liberates in-house resources to focus on core goals. It also enables success faster by applying proven best practices from the start.
Migrating your project data safely
If your Marketing team works in Asana and your developers in Jira, how do you make sure data is all migrated and harmonized safely for ClickUp to become a single source of truth?
Competent consultants should:
- Analyze current data structures and dependencies
- Design aligned ClickUp hierarchies
- Lead technical transfers without disrupting workflows
Also read our article on ClickUp migration here.
The most important aspect is parallel systems can ensure continuity during transition. With the right ClickUp consultant, the transition will run smoothly.
Smoothing Team Adoption
Switching to a new project management software takes time. Some people may have difficulty using ClickUp. A ClickUp expert will train your team by need. Their experience allows them to share ClickUp best practices.
Driving consistent, successful use of ClickUp means training everyone:
- Remote or in-person training
- Executive and admin training needs
- Usage tracking to identify adoption gaps
With complete guidance, teams rapidly become self-sufficient power users.
Summary
The four main challenges a ClickUp consultant addresses:
- Feature overload
- Limited use of ClickUp features
- No unified processes
- Software migration
- Adoption resistance
When is it worth investing in ClickUp consulting?
Ideally, as soon as you have selected ClickUp as your go-to Project Management Software. If you haven't yet, we have compared ClickUp with most of the main Project software on the market on our blog to help you make an informed decision.
Working with a consultant with a get go will save you time and money eventually. Here is why:
- You avoid the mistakes of setting up an inefficient workspace and calling a consultant to the rescue later (we already give you some insights about the ClickUp best practices here)
- Your team will be onboarded with proper training, ensuring they adopt the tool more smoothly.
- You can focus on your business success and let an expert focus on operating ClickUp.
Expert ClickUp consultants have seen, setup and improved tens of workspaces before they see yours. That's why they can apply proven methodologies tested across countless implementations.
But if you already have a workspace setup and need to optimize it, don't worry! While it's better to work with a specialist from the start, a good ClickUp consultant will always adapt to your situation. They should have the right approach to adjust and tweak an existing workspace.
In summary – seeking specialized ClickUp consulting is truly worth it for most organizations. It allows you to build a solid foundation for efficiency gains using this powerful software.
Services offered by ClickUp Consultants
Custom Configuration
Whether tackling a completely new rollout or transferring from legacy software, precise customization is essential for ROI.
Expert ClickUp consultants architect solutions including:
- Map processes from workflows into ClickUp
- Design workspaces that are intuitive and focused
- Make views for teams or functions
- Template tasks with triggers enforcing consistency
- Dashboard goals & OKRs for visibility into work
The result is a fully optimized workspace, mirroring your operations.
Workflow Automation
Automating your organization's workflows can save you and your team countless hours. A proficient ClickUp specialist can automate most of your processes. Here are a few examples:
- Automatic task reassignment
- Configuring dependencies
- Triggered template creation
- Quick-add forms to spawn tasks/projects
And with third-party integrations available in Make.com, you can make ClickUp interact with most modern software.
Here are a few examples
- Connecting your HR software to ClickUp to create an onboarding task for each new hire.
- Creating a new project list in ClickUp when a deal is signed in your CRM.
- Sending an invoice to your client when a project is closed in ClickUp.
Training and Adoption
Switching software takes time. Some may resist the change or have issues with ClickUp.
A ClickUp expert will be able to train your team according to their need.
Their experience with many clients will allow them to address common pitfall and provide with the best practices of ClickUp.
A good ClickUp Consultant will provide you with:
- Full training: Remote or in-person
- Role-based training: Lessons tailored to individual contributor vs. executive and admin needs
- One-on-one Q&A: Debunking challenges one of your team members encounters on ClickUp
- Support touchpoints: Follow-up calls reinforcing and refreshing previous learnings
- Usage tracking: Ongoing monitoring of usage patterns to identify adoption gaps
With this complete guidance, teams rapidly become self-sufficient power users.
Ongoing Optimization
The work doesn’t end after starting. Good consultants build ongoing support as business evolves.
Common post-launch support includes:
- New user onboarding: Speeding up adoption productivity for recent hires
- Feature refreshers: Quick reviews on existing or new apps to further use
- Coaching workshops: Structured sessions to improve existing configurations
- Regular audits: Revalidating hierarchies and workflows continue to serve your operations
- New software integration: Making sure your new Invoicing or CRM system can speak with ClickUp
Finding Qualified ClickUp Consultants
With many claiming ClickUp skills, how should you evaluate?
Use these tips:
A. ClickUp Verified Consultants
If your budget is $4,000 and above, ClickUp vetted consultants are the way to go. ClickUp themselves highlight select experts within their consultant network meeting demanding capability standards.
The ClickUp Verified Consultant badge highlights:
- Deep working knowledge of setting up ClickUp
- Repeated customer success fulfilling complex business needs
- Exceptional client satisfaction levels
The verified status acts as a reliable indicator of setting up ClickUp. Keeping that badge is important for ClickUp consultants. So they will make sure to provide you with the best service level possible. This is the first place you should look for if you are looking for top-notch third-party implementation leaders.
Benefits: Pre-vetted consultant by ClickUp, fitting with certain standards of quality
Downsides: Very often their rates are on the high-end
B. Online Freelance Marketplaces
If your budget is around $3,000 to $4,000, you can find good ClickUp consultants on websites like Malt or Contra. These websites target the American and European Markets and will ensure you get a consultant on these timezones as well.
If your budget is below $3,000 websites like Upwork or Fiverr are where you should go. They will provide you with a pool of good ClickUp consultants. However, make sure you read reviews and test working with them, as the quality of delivery can be very different from one service provider to another.
Compared to Verified consultants, the benefits of exploring these talent platforms include:
- View detailed consultant profiles summarizing qualifications
- Screen candidates based on niche, reviews and hourly rates
- Post projects for interested experts to pitch custom solutions
- Manage payment and milestone payouts within integrated systems
Benefits: Wide range of profiles and criteria: timzeone, budget, language.
Downsides: Inconsistent quality of profiles. Can sometimes be a wild guess to work with someone from a platform.
C. LinkedIn Outreach
With over 720 million members, LinkedIn offers extensive lead generation potential.
Look for ClickUp specialists using tactics like:
- People who post regularly with the keyword “ClickUp”
- Companies appearing on the keyword ClickUp
Then soft pitch messages to ClickUp certified consultants in your geography. The platform’s focus on professional credentials allows great screening.
Benefits: Social Media presence is a sign of dedication and professional knowledge
Downsides: Search features of LinkedIn are not as advanced as other platforms
Choosing The Right ClickUp Expert
With no shortage of consultants claiming to master ClickUp, how exactly should you evaluate the best fit?
Apply these tips for filtering to trusted consultants:
1. Check Platform Experience
Naturally, your ClickUp consultant should have exceptional proficiency within the platform itself.
Look for verified ClickUp experts with:
- Experience building, tweaking and supporting enterprise ClickUp systems
- Track record setting up ClickUp workspaces. Make sure they are helping teams of your caliber and/or industry on ClickUp.
- Intimate knowledge of configuration best practices
- A proven methodology for workflow analysis and translations into ClickUp systems
- Familiarity will all apps and releases to ensure you capitalize on the latest features
Don’t take expertise at face value. Review portfolio work and client testimonials to verify extensive applied experience. Real experts should showcase long track records of clients across different use cases.
2. Request Client Testimonials
Next, go straight to the source looking for reviews from past clients. Consultants who easily showcase past clients testimonials is a good sign.
Seek:
- Video testimonials detailing precise optimization steps and impact
- Spotlight stories showcasing tactics and transformations achieved
- Client references that were interviewed regarding satisfaction
- Case studies demonstrating real-world results
If they regularly showcase their clients, that's a good sign.
3. Schedule Initial Calls
Before signing commitments, meet 2-3 ClickUp consultants to evaluate the fit.
Use conversations to assess:
- Methodology: Does their approach make sense?
- Platform expertise: Can they walk through advanced configuration questions?
- Industry familiarity: Do they demonstrate an understanding of what you do?
- Service alignment: Will their support and availability match your needs?
4. Verify Skills
Finally, ensure your service provider has skills beyond ClickUp:
Consulting mindset
To deeply diagnose then translate challenges into solutions. If they did general management consulting before, that's even better. They will probably know how to act as an external provider and offer you advisory on top of a regular setup.
Project Management abilities
If they were a Project manager before becoming a ClickUp consultant, that's a good sign they had a hands-on company experience. They need to help your team steer complex implementations on track.
Communication talents
Make sure they have enough empathy and listening skills. They need to simplify technology and show sceptical adopters how ClickUp can save them hours.
Well-rounded experts drive more holistic, successful and sustainable transformations.
So how do you find the best ClickUp consultant?
Here are 4 steps to get going:
- Best have expertise, great reviews, proven methods, and communication skills.
- Search verified consultants, freelance site profiles, and LinkedIn.
- Check experience setting up ClickUp and knowledge. Review testimonials and cases.
- Call to assess methodologies and fit. The right partner makes implementation smooth.
Now that we’ve covered finding specialists, I'm going to introduce myself. I'm Ramzi, the founder of UpSys.
As a ClickUp certified consultant with over 900 hours of platform experience and 20+ clients advised, I have a deep expertise in setting up ClickUp.
Whenever I walk a client through the UpSys approach, I know we're set for quick, standout results. We bring more efficiency, better clarity and joy into daily project management.
You might wonder what exactly can UpSys offer?