PHASES OF CONSULTING

Flawless Consulting by Peter Block suggests that following a prescribed 5 phases

approach to consulting can help you succeed in your endeavors. Here's a summary
of the different phases

1. Entry and Contracting

This first phase deals with the initial contact with the client about the project. If
you're independent, you're meeting directly with a potential client. If you're
working through a recruiter, think of this stage as an interview. Tasks include:
 Setting up the first meeting.
 Exploring what the problem is.
 Determining if you're the right consultant for the work.
 Listing the client's expectations.
 Specifying what expectations you have.
 Figuring out how to get started.
When consultants talk about their disasters, their conclusion is usually that the
project was faulty in the initial contracting stage.

2. Data Collection and Diagnosis

It's important that consultants come up with their own sense of the problem. Some
consider this step to be where the consultant adds the most value. Out of this phase
the consultant needs to know who is going to be involved in defining the problem;
what methods will be used; what kind of data should be collected; and how long
will it take.
If you're consulting through an agency, you've likely already been hired by this
point. If not, you run the risk of working for free so be careful.

3. Feedback and the Decision to Act

As a consultant you'll need to report your findings from phase 2. The key here is to
take the mountain of information that has been collected and reduce it so that it can
be managed and understood.
A consultant must also decide how to involve the client in the process of analyzing
the information. Be prepared to encounter resistance when giving feedback to the
organization. The more high-profile the project, the more resistance you are likely
to encounter. The consultant must handle this resistance before an appropriate
decision can be made about how to proceed. This phases is pretty much what
others call the planning phase and includes setting the goals for the project and
selecting the best action steps.

4. Implementation
As the name implies, this step involves taking everything that has been decided
previously and implementing the solution decided upon. Often, the implementation
falls to the organization, but sometimes the consultant will remain deeply involved
in the efforts.
Some projects start implementation with an educational event. This should be a
series of meetings to introduce some change. It may require a single meeting to get
different parts of the organization together to address a problem. It may be a
training session. In these cases, the consultant is usually involved in rather
complicated design work and in running the meeting or training session.
Generally IT consultants remain involved with the project through to completion.
This is especially true if you are a lead developer or architect.

5. Extension, Recycle, or Termination

This begins with an evaluation of the main event. Following this is the decision
whether to extend the process to a larger segment of the organization. Sometimes it
is not until after some implementation occurs that a clear picture of the real
problem emerges. In this case the process recycles and a new contract needs to be
discussed. If the implementation was either a huge success or a moderate-to-high
failure, termination of further involvement on this project may be in the offing.
There are many options for ending the relationship and termination should be
considered a legitimate and important part of the consultation. If done well, it can
provide an important learning experience for the client and the consultant, and also
keep the door open for future work with the organization.

CONSULTANCY INTERVENTIONS
1. Management Consulting
What is management consulting?
Management consultants help businesses solve problems relating to management,
leadership, operations, and more. It’s a general consulting category. It accounts for
many different types of business expertise.

Why do clients hire management consultants?

Many business leaders are too deeply embedded in their organizations. They
struggle to form an objective viewpoint. By hiring an external expert like a
management consultant, they work with someone who can provide an unobstructed
view.
2. Marketing Consulting
What is marketing consulting?
Marketing consulting is providing expert advice on everything to do with
marketing: how you get in front of and attract the interest of potential customers so
that you can grow your business more effectively.

Why do clients hire marketing consultants?

Like sales, marketing is one of the few activities that directly generate revenue for
a business. However, it is very complicated, and there are many ways to do it.
Clients hire marketing consultants when they want to increase the effectiveness of
their marketing — so that they can attract more leads and more customers.
3. Non-Profit/Governance Consulting
What is non-Profit/Governance consulting?
Non-profit consulting is providing expert advice and guidance specifically to
government or non-profit organizations. It can include fundraising, marketing
strategy development, technology strategy and implementation, and many more
areas.

Why do clients hire non-Profit/Governance consultants?

Nonprofits and government organizations function differently than businesses.
They value consultants who specialize in serving them — who know the ins and
outs of their organizations and can provide expertise specific to them.
4. Software/IT Consulting
What is software/IT consulting?
Software/IT consulting is providing expertise specific to software, software
engineering, and/or information technology.

Why do clients hire software/IT consultants?

Software and IT projects are notoriously risky and a large percentage of them fail.
There are many specific types of software and technology where deep expertise is
valued. Companies bring in software/IT consultants when they need help in a
specific area to help them successfully complete their projects. When a company
needs help starting, completing, or improving their software or IT infrastructure,
they’ll bring in a software/IT consultant.
5. Human Resources (HR) Consulting
What is HR consulting?
HR consulting is providing expertise to help businesses and organizations hire,
manage, train, and/or retain their employees. It often also includes providing
guidance on how to implement HR plans.
Why do clients hire HR consultants?
HR plans, processes, and policies, and practices are difficult for companies to
create all on their own — and it’s challenging to keep people happy and
productive. HR consultants come in and solve these problems — helping the
organization manage one of their most important (yet difficult) resources: their
people.
6. Strategy Consulting
What is strategy consulting?
Strategy consulting is providing guidance and advice on high-level decisions and
planning for businesses.
Why do clients hire strategy consultants?
Experienced consultants with deep industry knowledge can provide an invaluable
objective viewpoint. For making high-level decisions, their input can be very
helpful. If a company is struggling to come up with a plan to achieve its goals, a
strategy consultant can help.

7. eCommerce Consulting
What is eCommerce consulting?
eCommerce consulting is providing expertise to companies that sell their products
online, including anything from marketing and sales to operations and supply.

Why do clients hire eCommerce consultants?

eCommerce businesses are complex with many moving parts. From marketing to
logistics, clients hire eCommerce consultants when they want to increase the value
of their business, make things run smoothly, create and implement a go-to-market
strategy, and more.
8. Construction Consulting
What is construction consulting?
Construction consulting is providing expertise and guidance specifically to
construction companies in the area of management, marketing, sales, operations,
and more.

Why do clients hire construction consultants?

Construction companies deal with complex, high-risk projects in construction
management, surveying, contracts, architecture, analysis, and more. By hiring a
consultant with particular expertise in one of these areas, they’ll make the project
run smoother and increase the chance the project succeeds.
9. Retail Consulting
What is retail consulting?
Retail consulting is providing expertise specifically to businesses in the retail
world: grocery, luxury and apparel, restaurants, travel, leisure, and more.

Why do clients hire retail consultants?

Retail businesses are notoriously difficult to run, with razor-thin margins and the
constant threat of digital disruption. Retailers bring in consultants who have the
expertise and experience to give them the advantage they need to cut costs and
drive growth.
10. Science/Medical Research Consulting
What is science/medical research consulting?
Science/medical research consulting is providing expertise to science or medical
research organizations. It can include consulting in the areas that aid science or
medical research labs: like helping with the business or management side.
Why do clients hire science/medical research consultants?
Some clients hire science/medical research consultants to help perform scientific
analysis and research to improve their organization and overall efficiency. Other
clients are science/medical research clinics that hire consultants to help with
managing a lab. All of these clients are looking for someone with in-depth
knowledge they don’t have in-house.
11. Sales Consulting
What is sales consulting?
Sales consulting is providing expertise in the area of sales: sales management, sales
leadership, sales training, sales performance, and more.

Why do clients hire sales consultants?

Sales is one of the most important functions of a business. Without sales, you don’t
have revenue. Clients hire sales consultants when they are struggling to bring in
sales, design sales teams, train salespeople, track performance — or anything else
related to challenges around selling their products or service.
12. Digital Transformation Consulting
What is digital transformation consulting?
Digital transformation consulting is helping companies implement or improve
technology, improving employee performance with the help of technological
innovation.

Why do clients hire digital transformation consultants?

Many companies are lagging behind their competitors in terms of their technology.
They hire digital transformation to help them shift their companies, processes, and
people to using the technology that will make the business run more effectively.
13. Compliance Consulting
What is compliance consulting?
Compliance consulting is providing expertise on compliance laws, regulations, and
benefits for organizations and companies.

Why do clients hire compliance consultants?

Companies have various laws and regulations they must follow in order to avoid
fines. By hiring a consultant with deep expertise on these often complex laws and
regulations, they can avoid risk and save hundreds of thousands of dollars.
14. SEO Consulting
What is SEO consulting?
SEO consulting is providing expert advice on Search Engine Optimization to help
clients rank higher on search engines and generate more organic traffic.

Why do clients hire SEO consultants?

Many businesses rely heavily on organic search traffic to get more customers. By
hiring an SEO consultant, companies can improve their visibility in search engines
— leading to more effective marketing, more leads, and more sales.
15. Leadership Consulting
What is leadership consulting?
Leadership consulting is providing expertise in the areas of leadership, decision
making, and talent management to help executives improve their performance, and
thus, the performance of their teams and organizations.

Why do clients hire leadership consultants?

Leading a company comes with many challenges and responsibilities, and requires
fortitude, courage, and resilience. Good leaders know that they don’t have all of the
answers, so they bring in leadership consultants and executive coaches to help
them be more effective leaders.
16. Environmental Consulting
What is environmental consulting?
Environmental consulting is providing expertise on environmental projects or
issues. They work on projects relating to solar, air quality, waste management, soil
quality, and more.

Why do clients hire environmental consultants?

Both public and private sector clients hire environmental consultants when they
want to ensure their projects succeed. They want to avoid legal action, fines, and
misguided transactions — and an environmental consultant’s expertise helps them
do that.
17. Innovation Consulting
What is innovation consulting?
Innovation consulting is providing advice to help companies adapt and change in a
strategic way to create growth and new value for customers.

Why do clients hire innovation consultants?

If a company is struggling to keep up with technology, they might bring on an
innovation consultant to suggest the way forward — whether that means new
products/services, using new technology/IT infrastructure, or a plan for growth.
18. Business Process Consulting
What is business process consulting?
Business process consulting is providing expertise and guidance on the
implementation and improvement of business processes — the systems that run a
business.

Why do clients hire business process consultants?

Businesses hire process consultants when they want to grow and scale — and their
current systems and processes are messy, inefficient, unorganized, or non-existent.
The business process consultant comes in and brings order to the chaos of messy
processes and systems.
19. Public Relations (PR) Consulting
What is PR consulting?
PR consultants help companies with their public image. Their job is to make the
public aware of news relating to a company, product, or government department in
a way that creates interest and acceptance.

Why do clients hire PR consultants?

When an organization does something new — releases a new product, hosts a press
conference, puts on a big event — they need to garner attention for this activity and
present it in a specific way. PR consultants help them create this attention through
various channels like press releases, media, promotion, and more.
20. Procurement Consulting
What is procurement consulting?
Procurement consulting is providing advice on procurement: helping companies
find and purchase goods from an external source.

Why do clients hire procurement consultants?

Finding and buying goods from an external source is a complex process, and is full
of risk and expenses. Companies might hire a procurement consultant to help
improve their procurement programs and strategies so that they can improve
productivity and reduce costs.
21. UI/UX Consulting
What is UI/UX consulting?
UI/UX consulting is providing expert advice on the user interface and user
experience of products, digital media, software, applications, websites, and more.

Why do clients hire UI/UX consultants?

In an age where every company is a technology company, it’s critical that their
websites and applications are functional, easy to use, and help both the user and the
company achieve its goals. Clients hire UI/UX consultants to provide guidance and
hands-on help to create beautiful, easy to use user interfaces and experiences.