SAMIR PARIKH is a British-born management consultant with over 25 years of industry experience. He began his career with a large international consulting firm where he participated in global projects in the information technology, financial services and telecommunications industries.

In early 2000 Samir founded SPConsulting, a global management consulting firm based in Stockholm, Sweden. The firm partners with multinational Fortune 500 clients, helping them to excel in their own areas of specialization in highly competitive environments.

Samir and his team also deliver high-impact training workshops for organizations with high people development ambitions. Focused on the topics of consulting skills and the tactical use of storytelling they have provided a platform for accelerated learning across the globe.

For more information visit [...]

Acknowledgments xi

About the author xiii

Introduction xv

Chapter One EMBRACING THE CONSULTING MINDSET 1

Understand the basic consulting proposition 2

Do you understand your own consulting proposition? 3

Who typically embarks on a career in consulting? 4

What are the principal domains in consulting? 5

Eight principal skills are needed to work in consulting 5

Who's qualified to be a consultant? 7

How should you represent your consulting firm? 11

Keep client expectations front-of-mind 14

Provide deep expertise and experience 15

Demonstrate a business-minded approach 16

Be proactive. Act like a partner 16

Bring fresh perspectives. An external view 17

Drive efficiency through well-developed organizational skills 17

Facilitate the transfer of knowledge 18

A question of ethics: The good guys vs. the bad guys 18

How are consulting and selling different? 23

Chapter summary 27

Next steps 28

Chapter Two Preparing to Consult 29

Three types of client preparation 31

Basic preparation 31

Detailed preparation 34

Engagement-specific preparation 38

A wide range of resources can be used 40

A preparation example 41

Basic preparation 41

Detailed preparation 43

Chapter summary 44

Next steps 44

Chapter Three ESTABLISHING CREDIBILITY 45

Credibility begins with a well-crafted introduction 47

A compelling introduction embodies four characteristics 48

How should early career professionals build credibility? 52

Corporate credentials play an important role 53

Using the "hook" technique 53

Capabilities form your competitive edge 54

Chapter summary 56

Next steps 57

Chapter Four Managing Client Meetings 59

First things first - Do we need to have a meeting? 61

Mastering meetings: six essential steps 62

1. Set your meeting objectives 63

2. Assemble the team. How many people do you need? 64

3. Define the team strategy 66

4. Put the logistics in place 68

5. Structure your meeting interaction 70

6. Conduct a post-meeting debrief 75

Chapter summary 78

Next steps 78

Case Studies Case I Exploring a New Opportunity 81

Case II Presenting a Solution Approach 103

Case III Scoping a Study 119

Chapter Five PREPARING A PROPOSAL 135

An executive summary plays an important role 137

Set the scene in an introductory chapter 137

Describe your approach 138

Time plan, deliverables, and responsibilities 139

Explain your pricing model 140

Provide a clear indication of business benefits 141

Credentials and references 143

Be clear on terms and conditions 144

Practices to avoid. Where do proposals go wrong? 144

Over scoping. An apple or a pumpkin? 144

Unrealistic commitments. Promises, promises! 145

Define any vague terms in a glossary 146

Chapter summary 147

Next steps 148

Chapter Six INTRODUCING THE 50:50 RULE 149

The 50:50 rule in project delivery 150

Chapter summary 156

Next steps 156

Chapter Seven DELIVERING THE RESULT 157

Consulting methodologies provide structure and governance 158

The project organization can be built in different ways 161

Working remotely increases flexibility 163

Working on-site fosters greater client collaboration 164

Your chosen engagement model also impacts the client experience 166

The internal launch meeting should be a springboard for the project team 167

Secure the client cooperation you need for a successful delivery 171

Different issues call for different approaches 174

Internal issues require facilitation 176

External issues often require client involvement 178

Issues that can be anticipated are managed as risks 179

Unforeseen issues are handled as they occur 181

Chapter summary 183

Next steps 183

Chapter Eight OPTIMIZING THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE 185

Client relationship management is essential 185

A transactional relationship requires minimum effort 186

Characteristics of a transactional relationship 187

A partner-oriented relationship creates longer-term value 188

Characteristics of a partner-oriented relationship 189

Good relationships must be maintained 190

Respect the boundaries of professional distance 193

Communication around issues requires particular care 194

Chapter summary 197

Next steps 197

Chapter Nine Handling Client-related Obstacles 199

Adaptability enables us to work with a wide range of people 200

Formal behaviors require a disciplined approach 201

Informal behaviors call for patience and may require additional time 202

Unstructured behaviors require directional guidance 203

Distracted behaviors require re-engagement 204

Dealing with resistance is an essential human skill 205

So, what's the problem with change? 205

Three steps to bring down the wall of resistance 210

Stakeholder conflicts require either facilitation or escalation 214

Consultants are often well positioned as facilitators 214

Define clear escalation paths. You might need them 216

Chapter summary 218

Next steps 219

Chapter Ten THE SKILL OF ADVISING 221

Deductive reasoning embodies horizontal logic 222

Building the argument 222

Defending the argument 225

Inductive reasoning embodies vertical logic 226

Building the argument 226

Defending the argument 228

The two methods deliver subtly different conclusions 229

When making complex recommendations, the methods can be combined 231

Documenting a recommendation 235

When should presentation slides be used? 235

Five things to consider before presenting a recommendation 239

Chapter summary 242

Next steps 243

Completion checklist 245

Training resources 251

Further reading 257

Index 259