What Consultants Deliver

As consultant, you'll want to make sure you deliver something of value in exchange for the fee you charge. This deliverable can be one or more of the following.

• New information, knowledge, or skills.
• Changes in client organization, policy procedures, or practices.
• Helping the client feel a sense of urgency by helping them "feel the pain" of not changing or to "see the gain" of taking action. This type of deliverable can come in the form of impact studies, vision planning, opportunity analysis, compliance reviews, persuasive reports, or presentations.
• Assessing the level of readiness to act. Methods to achieve this include benchmark studies, strategic planning, staffing reviews, skills assessment, capacity planning, and change management.
• Educate clients on how to perform new processes, providing coaching, and installing systems.

The type of deliverable is determined before the consulting engagement begins. Even purely exploratory projects have a deliverable in mind. And of course, the client's satisfaction with your work will depend largely on how close you hit the mark with what you produce as well as how valuable the deliverable is in relation to the fee paid.