This document provides an introduction to consulting and tips for client relationship management. It outlines that consulting involves providing expert advice to solve problems for clients. Five tips are provided: 1) Make a great first impression by arriving early and being prepared; 2) Manage client expectations by providing regular updates and quick responses; 3) Use euphemistic language to soften messages; 4) Ask open-ended questions to probe deeper and gain buy-in; 5) Justify all recommendations with data. The goal is to effectively communicate at all stages of the problem-solving process.

1. Skills Sharing
Introduction to consulting – Client relationship management
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2. Outline
 Brief introduction to what consulting is about.
 How would this benefit you?
 5 tips on client relationship management
 Q&A
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3. Before we begin
 The word client in this presentation refers to:
 Your Manager
 External parties
 Anyone whom you are delivering value to
 It could also be anyone who is involve in your project
in more general sense
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4. What is consulting?
 The business of giving specialist advice to other
professionals.
 Consulting guru, Peter Block, defines a consultant
as "someone who has influence over an individual,
group, or organization, but who has no direct
authority to implement changes.
 "Consultants are thus also professionals who
provides expert advice in their own area of
expertise to solve real world problems.
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5. Why engage a consultant?
 Clients wants an objective third party view
 No prior knowledge of the organization
 Present new ideas and a fresh approach
 Reframing the problems at hand
 Clients lack expertise on an issue and do not have
the people resources or expertise to conduct
necessary research and analysis
 Clients do not have the time to take a step back
from operational activities to reflect on the bigger
picture at hand
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6. Outline
 Brief introduction to what consulting is about.
 How would this benefit you?
 5 tips on client relationship management
 Q&A
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7. Main agenda
 Today’s focus is on client management.
 I would be sharing a few tips which I found to be
really helpful in communicating and delivering
value to your client.
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8. Skillset of a consultant
Just to list a few…
Data Presentation
Gathering Skills
Client Project
Frameworks
Management Management
Thought Data
Process Visualization
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9. How does this relates to
you?
 As graduates, we would be tasked to solve
problems in our future careers.
 Consider the following scenarios:
 You wish to please your manager
 You wish to excel and to seek out new opportunities
in your future career progression.
 Highly applicable to just about any situation in life
 You wish to pursue consulting as a career
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10. Outline
 Brief introduction to what consulting is about.
 How would this benefit you?
 5 tips on client relationship management
 Q&A
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11. Tip #1 – First impression
 You are late if you arrive on time. Be 15mins early.
 Professionalism.
 Adequate preparation.
 Be smart.
 Take notes immediately.
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12. Tip #2 –
Manage Expectations
 Reliable - Weekly updates
 Responsive – Reply within 24 hours.
 Be: Cordial, Sincere, Polite, Professional, Competent
 Establish rapport
 Have a chat over lunch
 Be well prepared.
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13. Tip #3 – Euphemism
 As it turns out...
 Certainly instead of Yes
 Verify instead of check
 Assists instead of help
 Have a magical day
 Challenges instead of problems
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14. Tip #4 – Asking the right
question
 How about… Have you thought of?
 What’s your vision VS How do you see yourself in 2
years. Describe your ideal state.
 Asking questions as a tool to:
 Probe deeper
 Direct the conversation
 Client buy in
 Give people credits openly.
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15. Tip #5 –
Justify Justify Justify
 Never ever make recommendations or give
suggestions without having any form of data to
back you up.
 2 Levels of back up.
 Actionable and executable strategies
 Data visualisation
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16. Problem solving
process
Communication
Conclude
Scoping
Problem Consult with
down
Solution
Project Management
Communication is the key to any successful project outcomes
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