Medidas legislativas

The final step in the selling process is the project proposal, which is discussed in more detail in the sections below. A good proposal will be the result of a consultant really understanding the client’s needs and having gone through the selling pro- cess properly. A poor proposal can be the result of the selling process going wrong, particularly the last stage when the consultant meets with the potential client.

3.6

The function of the project proposal

The project proposal is a short, straightforward document. It has two simple aims. These are to state what the consulting exercise aims to achieve and to get the client to commit to it. Despite its brevity the project proposal is very important. It is the pivot about which the whole project revolves. A good proposal gets the project off to a good start. A weak one will hinder the project from the outset. The proposal is a statement to the client of what the project is about and what it will do for the business. The proposal is what the client is buying from the consultant. It needs to present what the consultant has to offer in a positive light. It has to make the consultant’s offering appear as an attractive investment given all the other things the business has an opportunity to invest in. If the consultant’s pitch is a competitive one, the proposal has to present the consultant as the best available.

A further and equally important function of the proposal is to manage the client’s expectations. An individual’s satisfaction with a product or service is not usually based on the absolute utility of what he or she receives. More often it is based on outcomes relative to expectations. If expectations are met or exceeded, then satisfaction will occur. If expectations are not met, disappointment will inevit- ably result. If the client recognises the proposal as what he or she is buying then it is against this that the final project delivery will be compared. Some managers have an unrealistic idea of what a consultant is capable of, or at least capable of given the resources the manager is able to invest in the consulting project, both in terms of the money the client is putting forward and the time and capabilities of the consultant. If this is so then the manager is likely to be dissatisfied with the results of a consulting exercise even if, in absolute terms, that project is a good one. However, a manager who has doubts about the ability of a consultant to offer anything of value may well be pleasantly satisfied with the results of a quite mediocre project. (Though, of course, such a manager may resist using a consultant in the first place!)

..

.. 70 Part 1 / Management consulting in context and how it adds value

The proposal must serve a twofold function. On the one hand, it must ‘sell’ what the consultant has to offer. On the other, it must manage the expectations of the client manager so that he or she does not make an unreasonable demand on the consultant given the resources that are available. The project proposal demands a balanced approach from the consultant. The temptation to ‘get a sale’ by offering a lot must be tempered by a care not to raise the client’s expectations so high that they cannot be met. There are a few simple rules that will allow this balance to be struck. First, understand what the client would really like for his or her business. Do not fall into the trap of assuming that he or she will want what the ‘textbooks’ suggest they should have, or that they must take what you think is best for them. Managers often reject the obvious answers for very good reasons. Second, enquire into, and gain a thorough understanding of, the extent to which the client expects the consulting exercise to contribute to the overall goal for the business. It is particularly important to ensure that the client makes the dis- tinction between the consulting project offering a means to achieve the business’s goals and its actually implementing them: between the consultant pointing out a direction for the business and actually taking it there. This is an issue about which the consultant and client can easily develop different expectations.

Developing this understanding of the client’s needs and expectations must take place at the preliminary analysis stage of the project. It is best done through a personal meeting between the manager and the consulting team or a representative of it. At this stage the objective of the meeting should be to gather information about the business and what might be done for it. It is not a time to start negotiat- ing on outcomes. It is better to wait until the written proposal has been presented before starting negotiating on precisely what can and cannot be achieved. The proposal helps here. It provides something tangible around which discussions can centre. The initial proposal can always be modified in light of further discussion. How to approach these negotiations will be dealt with fully in Chapter 5. If the proposal is modified, however, do produce a written version so that finalised aims, objectives and outcomes are clear to all and can be referred back to.

3.7

What to include in the proposal and an example

The proposal needs to be succinct and must make an impact. It must speak for itself; you cannot rely on having an opportunity to explain it in person. Typically it will be one to two pages long. If it is longer than this it will risk losing its impact. If the proper groundwork has been done, then it will really be the confirmation of a project. As with any business communication, the proposal should always be approached with a fresh mind. There are always new ways of doing things to be discovered. However, there are some key elements which, when included in the proposal, do add to its impact and help it communicate effectively within the constraints described above. These will now be described in detail.

A title

All that is necessary is a short title for the project, perhaps the client company’s name and a brief descriptive phrase. This provides a reference for the project in the future and helps locate it in the minds of all involved.

Chapter 3 / The skills of the consultant and the project proposal 71