BACHELOR’S DEGREE

Regent College London

 BM561
BUSINESS CONSULTING
Week commencing Monday 1st March 2021
Lecturer: Dr. P. R. Datta
Email: Palto.Datta@Rcl.ac.uk
 SESSION LEARNING OUTCOME

1. Why do organisations use consultants?

2. The Consultancy Process – a framework for understanding what
consultants do and the client consulting process
3. Important skills and qualifications of consultants
 WHY DO ORGANISATIONS USE CONSULTANTS?

• “The consultants brought the technical support to make the project possible.”
• “We had expertise in certain areas but didn’t know how to bring all the pieces
together”
• “The Consultants brought a fresh, external perspective”
• “Consultants have the ability to bring resources very quickly”
• “Consultants add additional value by keeping a time scale to develop a project.
They also do things faster – our project could have taken twice as long if the
organisation had done the project itself”.
WHY DO ORGANISATIONS USE CONSULTANTS?
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
SIMPLIFIED OVERVIEW

Sales

Research

Delivery

Exit
 SALES

(e.g. the consultants pitch to get the company’s

business/project )
 HOW DO COMPANIES CHOOSE BETWEEN
CONSULTANTS?
Typical Scenario:
Three different consultancies pitch to a company, for the same
project

• Why might the company choose one consultancy over another?

• Brainstorm three reasons with those around you

 WHAT A CLIENT MIGHT LOOK FOR IN CHOOSING
BETWEEN CONSULTANTS

RELEVANT RESEARCH/
SKILLS/ INSIGHTS,
UNDERSTANDING
EXPERTISE OF MARKET/ UNDERPINNED BY
BRIEF RESEARCH
AND IN THE REAL WORLD, CHEMISTRY

WOULD THE
CLIENT LIKE
WORKING WITH
THEM?

ARE THE
HOW WOULD THEY
CONSULTANTS
FIT INTO THE
APPROACHABLE?
ORGANISATION?
 ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT IT…A GOOD
FIT

The client/business/industry

Team skills and experience

In the ‘real’ world, consultants would prepare a formal written proposal and a fee plan…and
work towards a signed contract, if the pitch is won.
 RESEARCH

(STARTS AT THE SAME TIME AS ‘SALES’ BUT CONTINUES AFTER THE PITCH HAS
BEEN WON )
WHY RESEARCH AT THE ‘SALES’ STAGE?

The consultants have

to show that they have
started to get to grips To win the pitch
with the client’s
problem/
client’s brief

To show they are the

right team for the job
THE CLIENT BRIEF IS THE START POINT

• What does the client believe

the problem to be?
• Why are they focusing on this
problem?
 WHAT ABOUT THE RESEARCH AFTER THE
PITCH?

• In this module, in semester one:

• You will be getting ready to meet the client and so
need to show that you have an in depth
understanding of their problem, industry, customers
and competitors
• (We will cover this when we get to Coursework 1)
 WHAT ABOUT THE RESEARCH AFTER THE PITCH?

• In the ‘real’ world

• The client provides more information to the winning
team
• A discussion with the client helps to;
• explore the problem and clarify the issues
• identify where the gaps in knowledge are and so
• what further research needs to be undertaken
• The consultants then gather and analyse further data

This is the process you will be following in Semester Two

 DELIVERY INVOLVES

• Planning and structuring the project to reach completion on time

and on budget

• Ensuring all agreed objectives and deliverables are then actually

achieved by the deadline

• Handover – debrief, passing responsibility, training, documentation

to the client
 EXIT

The End!

Would normally involve getting paid…but also

reflecting on learning for future projects
SO, DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A
CONSULTANT?
 IMPORTANT SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS AS IDENTIFIED BY
CONSULTANCY UK

• College or University degree

• Logical reasoning and ability to problem solve
• Working under pressure
• Analytical skills
• Intellectual curiosity (thinking outside the box)
• Team players
• Leadership skills
• Entrepreneurial and bold in initiative
• Client oriented and ‘people skills’
• Other activities e.g. extra curricular activities
+44 (0)207 016 8000
info@rcl.ac.uk