MODELO DE RESISTENCIA

This shows that the client is willing to spend some time with you in ensuring that you understand the problem and that the proposal will be useful to them. If there are not willing to do this, at the very least, then it’s unlikely they are serious about your contribution.

What are the success criteria for the proposal? To what extent is the selection based on cost?

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This question seeks to understand if there is a level playing fi eld between you and the competitors or whether they already have a favourite in mind. More importantly, it gives you an idea whether the selection of the project will be on price alone—if so, you are usually best leaving these clients alone.

Where is the money coming from to fund the project?

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Whilst your contact may well bluff on this question, their response should give you an idea whether or not there is a designated budget for this and, if so, why it has been generated.

What are the timelines for responses, feedback, and project kick-off?

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This is aimed at getting reassurance that the proposal forms a part of a planned proj-ect and is not simply being demanded on the whim of a manager who has no plans to implement any of the proposals.

A good consultant will be able to see if the client is hesitant, unsure, or confused in their responses and will seek to understand why. Alternatively, an interesting alternative by VeraSage, a think-tank for the professional services industry, is to charge for a proposal.

After all, they reason, a good proposal is a lot of work and has signifi cant value.

What is in a Proposal?

The proposal format suggested below can be expanded or contracted to fi t the client:

Executive Summary (a summary of the report)

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Keep this section simple—a few key points. Do not include costs here as they will distract the client.

Background to the Project (why the project is on the table)

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This section should reiterate the key information that the client has already provided you with. It is sense-checking that what you understand to be the problem, is actually the problem. Don’t state the obvious by telling them how big they are and what their turnover is. Focus on the problem.

Objectives/Deliverables (what the project will do and when)

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Exactly what is the project attempting to do? Ensure that if what the client wants is unrealistic (and they know this) then you do not sign up to it. If your client wants to decrease supplier costs by 20 per cent, state that you will introduce a tendering process with the aim of reducing costs by 20 per cent. In other words, never commit to some-thing that you may not be able to do.

In Scope/Out of Scope (don’t leave yourself open!)

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One of the most important skills a consultant can learn is how to properly define the scope of the project (i.e. what the consultant will actually be responsible for).

Clients often approach consultancies believing that they can simply offload their problems and return in six months when the solutions are up and running. In reality the consultancy has large dependencies on the client for information, resources, and skills. Defining these dependencies is essential, not simply for the successful completion of the project but also because, if the relationship breaks down and ends up in court, the failure of the client to provide these deliverables can result in them losing the case.

Outline Approach (high-level overview)

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A quick summary of the work. What you will be doing and why. If you are using any key methodologies or tools, this is the time to mention it.

Success measures (quantifying business results)

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How will your success be measured? Ensure that these measures are realistic. You may well not be paid if the client can show you didn’t fulfi l these—even if, in every other respect, you did a good piece of work. Ensure you differentiate those which are central to the project and those which are aspirational.

Work breakdown/plan (how the consultancy will achieve success)

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What are the key activities which will be taking place? When will they take place?

Who will do the work? This should be a simple plan. Include key dates and re view points. You may give the client different options which should be costed out separately.

Resources and Responsibilities (who will do what)

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What roles are working on the project? What are they responsible for? Put CVs in an appendix. The consultancy should also include brief biographies of each consultant that will be involved with the project. It is common, though ethically dubious, practice for consultancies to focus on the highly experienced consultants, even if they only turn up once.

You should ensure that the client is very clear that they need to support the project in various ways—ideally getting some of their staff to do some of the work.

Costs (cost breakdown: person and activity)

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Costing a project is a complex business and there is no substitute for experience. Each deliverable in the project should be broken out separately and the input of different roles identifi ed and costed.

For example, a software implementation might have four stages: analysis, design, development, testing and implementation. One stage of this will be the testing which might involve a business analyst, two testers, a project manager, and a PA. An approximate breakdown might be as follows:

When costing the project it is also important to be clear on who pays for expenses as, the costs of housing, feeding, and transporting consultants can sometimes average out at over £500 a day each.

For clarity, it is also worth breaking down costs by separate activities. For example:

Cost per day Workload Total

Business Analyst £750 3 days £2250

Project Manager £650 3 days £1950

Testers ×2) £650 10 days £6500

PA £250 3 days £750

£11,450

Item Time Cost

Project management 0.5 days £300.00

Ongoing consultancy with client 1.5 days £900.00 Workshop

Preparation for workshop 1 day £600.00

Workshop 2 days £1,200.00

Market entry plan

Defi ne and develop market strategy 3 days £1,800.00 Develop market entry plan 4 days £2,400.00

Total 12 days £7,200.00

Expenses (who will pay them and when)

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Processes (control, escalation, reviews)

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What are the key processes and responsibility for dealing with problems? What happens if your client asks you to change the project somehow? Consultancies should build in review points into the plan and ensure there are clear routes for the escalation of issues. Addition-ally, a perceptive client will ensure that there is a clear exit strategy for the work defi ning how specifi c knowledge is passed, deliverables handed over, and reviews undertaken.

Dependencies and Risks (cover yourself!)

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Ensure that you are very, very clear about your dependencies on the clients workforce (information, labour, documents, communication).

Legal disclaimer (confi dentiality )

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This is a common feature of many engagements, especially with large fi rms. However, with smaller engagements, especially when you are unsure whether you will be getting the job, leave this out for the time being. It will only mean your proposal will be sent down to the legal monkeys, who will make hats out of it.