Successful Consulting Engagement

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