The Consultant's Handbook A Practical Guide to Delivering High-value and Differentiated Services in a Competitive Marketplace

This comprehensive handbook covers the fundamental skills and attitudes required by successful consultants from novice to practitioner level, irrespective of their specialist area. It untangles the key variables present in any consulting service and introduces practical ways to improve their effectiveness based upon the author's experience of helping consulting organisations to develop and excel in the marketplace. The book explores consulting ‘from the ground up' steering away from theory and focusing instead on practical application, providing a solid platform upon which to build further domain-specific competence.

The Consultant's Handbook provides:

• An understanding of the key variables that can be addressed in order to improve one's own consulting performance
• A set of simple practices that can be implemented with immediate benefit to the reader
• Practical insight into day-to-day real life consulting interactions
• Confidence to implement the new ideas and approaches

SAMIR PARIKH is a principal business consultant, practice manager, and consultancy CEO with over 20 years of industry experience. In 2000, Samir founded SPConsulting, a global management consulting firm specializing in organizational strategy and change management. With a track record of projects conducted in more than 50 countries the firm works closely with companies that are transforming into consulting-based organizations, delivering solutions and professional services in highly competitive environments. Samir is also a regular speaker on the topic of consulting towards senior audiences across industries, as well as to ambitious undergraduate students at leading universities.

About the author vii

INTRODUCTION 1

PART I – CONSULTING FUNDAMENTALS 3

Chapter 1: What is Consulting? 5

Chapter 2: Preparing to Consult 25

Chapter 3: Establishing Credibility 37

Chapter 4: Managing Client Meetings 47

PART II – CASE STUDIES 61

Case Study 1: Exploring a New Consulting Opportunity 63

Case Study 2: Presenting a Solution Approach 85

Case Study 3: Scoping a Study 101

PART III – Additional Topics 117

Chapter 5: Proposing a Consulting Service 119

Chapter 6: Delivering a Consulting Service 133

Chapter 7: Client Interactions and Related Obstacles 173

Chapter 8: The Skill of Advising 193

Index 215

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