Solving client problems with World-class Consulting Skills
Delighting clients demands outstanding relationship management, problem solving and communication skills.
This programme provides the very best tools, techniques and thinking to give consultants confidence in generating outstanding client value. Using dozens of real-life examples, the Programme develops new, junior and aspiring management consultants to delivering better value for their clients.
- Deliver better client value
- Build confidence in your methods
- A world-class methodology to move from client relationships to delivery
- See best practice reports, slides, presentations and Statements of Work
- Practice influencing, negotiating and conflict resolution
About
We start with Client Relationships and show how developing a richer understanding of the firm and the person can lead to better relationships. We show how different client personalities and projects must lead to different relationship types. In Structuring, we highlight the importance of really understanding the specifics and causes of the client challenge. Different tools are introduced to better clarify and communicate client challenges and we show how to move from this structure to defining hypotheses or research questions. Next, Projects shows how to manage consulting projects to maximise the odds of success.
In Research, we show how to move from hypotheses and research questions to a research strategy in plan. We subsequently outline and illustrate primary and secondary qualitative and quantitative research, and show how we analyse data to generate recommendations. Finally, in Delivery we show how recommendations should be made, how data can be better visualised for maximum effect, and how world-class reports and presentations are crafted and delivered. Here we cover story-telling, narrative, speaking skills, the “million-dollar slide”, show examples of great reports and presentations, and provide insights on speaking with authority.
Who is this for?
Students undertaking ‘live’ projects.
Students undertaking ‘live’ projects. MBA and MSc students are increasingly undertaking real business projects, in groups or individually, at the end of their courses. Often the training for these is more geared to academic research than succeeding in live projects. This course will set the students up for success.
New consultants
New consultants who would benefit from knowing best-practices and seeing examples of client problem solving. Training consultants can be an expensive affair. This resource provides practical tools, examples and methods which will complement your existing training.
Independent consultants
Independent consultants who want to update their knowledge, get a different perspective and check their existing practices. Many independent consultants haven’t done much training since they left industry or big firm consulting. This programme will help them reflect on the gaps in their current approach and fill them with best-practices from the top consulting firms.
Your tutor:
Prof. Joe O’Mahoney
- Prof. Joe O’Mahoney is a Professor of Consulting at Cardiff University and a consultant to the consulting industry with over twenty five years’ experience. Joe has been teaching consulting skills for two decades and has trained thousands of consultants and MBA students to deliver world-class consulting projects.
- Joe’s programme at Cardiff University won a national award for Teaching Excellence from the British Academy of Management and his research has won three international awards. Joe has delivered live versions of this course at several boutique consultancies as well as at Cardiff, Exeter and Warwick Universities.
The Details
- This is a 10 hour on-demand programme
- Access is provided for 12 months
- 8 online exercises, a library of examples, 15 templates for action
- Quarterly live Q&A webinar with Prof. Joe O’Mahoney
- Reduced rates for firm or University cohorts: joe@joeomahoney.com
1. Clients & Client Relationships
- Why a consulting approach?
- Understanding clients (people) and clients (firms)
- Professional & ethical consulting.
- Varieties of consulting projects
- Client interviewing
2. Structuring Client Problems
- Don’t assume the problem
- Breaking down the problem
- Tools for defining problems
- Moving from problems to research
- Proposals
3. Project Initiation and Management
- What “great” delivery looks like
- Working successfully in teams
- Influencing the client
- Project initiation
- Managing the project
- Solving project problems
4. Research & Analysis
- Research strategy
- Qualitative research
- Quantitative research
- Examples
5. World-class Reports & Presentations
- The process
- The structure
- Making recommendations
- Data visualization
- Story-telling & Narrative
- Crafting great slides
- Presentation skills