Successful Consulting Engagement

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Consulting

Is the client ready to tackle the project?

  • Readiness checklist
  • Clients who don't understand tech
  • Organizational development needed before work can being

Many organizations don't think of what they do as “business process”

A good approach is to phase the project into steps

Need to assess cultural fit (often happiness during pre-engagement discussion)

How do you know whether you are talking to the right person?

  • What do you do when that person changes?
  • Consultants need to know how to dance when the unexpected happens

Need to have client appoint or hire a power user

People need to know how they may be affected by a system change

What is a good business plan for consulting revenue?

  • Independent?
  • As a consultant?
  • Useful products or a service or a group of services
    • website audit as a package
    • understand & buy into process & consultant before the it begins
    • price attached

Have a few low-level committed clients as a baseline

  • then, make money with valuable projects.
  • But, keep in mind your capacity

Need to respond to funder at end & include recommendations and observations

Hourly vs Value driven pricing models

Understand dynamic of an engagement

  • honeymoon
  • low point
  • recovery

Where to prospect for clients?

  • think about relationship building
  • Teach (for free, usually)
  • Write (blogs, guest blogs, case studies)
  • LinkedIn & Website as validation
  • Pro-Bono work to build referral network, build quality and gather stories