The Consultant's Handbook

Name: The Consultant's Handbook | Fast-Track Your Career with a Set of Proven Techniques
Brand: Wiley
Price: 26.99 EUR
Availability: OnlineOnly

Fast-Track Your Career with a Set of Proven Techniques

Samir Parikh(Autor*in)

Wiley (Verlag)

2. Auflage

Erschienen am 18. Juli 2025

290 Seiten

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978-1-394-35426-9 (ISBN)

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Inhalt

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Acknowledgments
About the author
Introduction
Chapter One Embracing the Consulting Mindset
Understand the basic consulting proposition
Do you understand your own consulting proposition?
Who typically embarks on a career in consulting?
What are the principal domains in consulting?
Eight principal skills are needed to work in consulting
Who's qualified to be a consultant?
How should you represent your consulting firm?
Keep client expectations front-of-mind
Provide deep expertise and experience
Demonstrate a business-minded approach
Be proactive. Act like a partner
Bring fresh perspectives. An external view
Drive efficiency through well-developed organizational skills
Facilitate the transfer of knowledge
A question of ethics: The good guys vs. the bad guys
How are consulting and selling different?
How should consultants sell their services?
Chapter summary
Next steps
Chapter Two Preparing to Consult
Three types of client preparation
Basic preparation addresses the "must-knows"
Detailed preparation provides an in-depth understanding
Engagement-specific preparation homes in on an upcoming discussion
A wide range of resources can be used
A preparation example
Basic preparation
Detailed preparation
Chapter summary
Next steps
Chapter Three Establishing Credibility
Credibility begins with a well-crafted introduction
A compelling introduction embodies four characteristics
How should early career professionals build credibility?
Corporate credentials play an important role
Using the "hook" technique
Capabilities form your competitive edge
Chapter summary
Next steps
Chapter Four Managing Client Meetings
First things first - Do we need to have a meeting?
Mastering meetings: six essential steps
1. Set your meeting objectives
2. Assemble the team. How many people do you need?
3. Define the team strategy
4. Put the logistics in place
5. Structure your meeting interaction
The setup: Get your meeting off to a good start
The meeting body varies in structure, depending on its purpose
The closure: Final agreements and next steps
6. Conduct a post-meeting debrief
Chapter summary
Next steps
The Consultant's Handbook: Case Studies
Case Study I: Exploring a New Opportunity
Meeting objectives
Composing the team
Defining the team strategy
The setup phase
Planning the meeting body
Exploring an opportunity requires a systematic approach
The systematic approach embodies an important logic
The client dialogue
1. Understand client objectives
2. Agree on the scope
3. Collect specific requirements
4. Identify other stakeholders
The closure phase
Summary
Next steps
The meeting outcome
Chapter summary
Case Study II: Presenting a Solution Approach
Meeting objectives
Composing the team
Defining the team strategy
The setup phase
Planning the meeting body
The client dialogue
The use of navigation is important in any consulting presentation
The meeting outcome
Knowing when to challenge your client
There's a time and a place for giving pushback
Challenge your client when doing so adds value to the relationship, drives better outcomes, or helps to mitigate risks
But make sure that you don't erode the relationship in the process
A good advisor also knows when to back down
Concede when client insights or preferences outweigh your recommendations
Chapter summary
Case Study III: Scoping a Study
Case scenario: A passenger airline
Assembling the team
Meeting objectives
Using a logic tree
What is a logic tree?
Step 1: Building the logic tree
Step 2: Using the logic tree in a client meeting
The setup phase
The meeting body
The closure phase
The meeting outcome
Chapter summary
Chapter Five Preparing a Proposal
An executive summary plays an important role
Set the scene in an introductory chapter
Describe your approach in a way that creates confidence
Proposal mechanics: Time plan, deliverables, and responsibilities
Explain your pricing model and why it's appropriate
Provide a clear indication of the expected business benefits
Credentials and references. Why should your firm be selected?
Be clear on the terms and conditions
Practices to avoid. Where do proposals go wrong?
Over scoping. An apple or a pumpkin?
Unrealistic commitments. Promises, promises!
Define any vague terms in a glossary
Chapter summary
Next steps
Chapter Six Introducing the 50:50 Rule
The 50:50 rule is essential to successful project delivery
Chapter summary
Next steps
Chapter Seven Delivering the Result
Consulting methodologies provide structure and governance
The project organization can be built in different ways
Working remotely increases flexibility
Working on-site fosters greater client collaboration
Your chosen engagement model also impacts the client experience
The internal launch meeting should be a springboard for the project team
Secure the client cooperation you need for a successful delivery
Different issues call for different approaches
Internal issues require facilitation
External issues often require client involvement
Issues that can be anticipated are managed as risks
Unforeseen issues are handled as they occur
Chapter summary
Next steps
Chapter Eight Optimizing the Client Experience
Client relationship management is essential
A transactional relationship requires minimum effort
Characteristics of a transactional relationship
A partner-oriented relationship creates longer-term value
Characteristics of a partner-oriented relationship
Good relationships must be maintained
Respect the boundaries of professional distance
Communication around issues requires particular care
Chapter summary
Next steps
Chapter Nine Handling Client-Related Obstacles
Adaptability enables us to work with a wide range of people
Formal behaviors require a disciplined approach
Informal behaviors call for patience and may require additional time
Unstructured behaviors require directional guidance
Distracted behaviors require re-engagement
Dealing with resistance is an essential human skill
So, what's the problem with change?
Three steps to bring down the wall of resistance
Stakeholder conflicts require either facilitation or escalation
Consultants are often well positioned as facilitators
Define clear escalation paths. You might need them.
Chapter summary
Next steps
Chapter Ten The Skill of Advising
Deductive reasoning embodies horizontal logic
Building the argument
Defending the argument
Inductive reasoning embodies vertical logic
Building the argument
Defending the argument
The two methods deliver subtly different conclusions
When making complex recommendations, the methods can be combined
Documenting a recommendation
When should presentation slides be used?
Five things to consider before presenting a recommendation
Chapter summary
Next steps
The Consultant's Handbook: Completion Checklist
The Consultant's Handbook: Training Resources
The Ultimate Guide to Storytelling in Business: Further Reading
Index
EULA

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