Business Consulting Services
Agenda
 Discussion: Initial Client Meeting
 Discussion: Statement of Work
 Upcoming Events Review
 Questions
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Project Issues
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Progress Reports
Time Sheets
Non-Disclosure Agreement
Initial Entry/Contracting Meeting
Client Survey
Engagement Proposal
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Progress Reports
 Must be submitted each week at a time TBD.
 Progress Report
 Purpose: Helps me address the needs of you
and your client.
 Client Weekly Update
 Purpose: Helps keep your client in the loop.
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Time Sheets
 Kept daily
 Purpose: Teaches you to monitor your time
(attorneys, consultants, accountants do it).
 Submitted Weekly via email.
 Weekly Time Sheet
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Non-Disclosure Agreement
Purpose: Gives the client some assurance of
Confidentiality and gives you better information
• Present to Client at First Meeting
• Return to me after signing
• Non-Disclosure Agreement
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Entry/Contracting Meeting
Objectives:
1. Establish Rapport
2. Get your Client’s Commitment
3. Set the Tone of your Relationship
4. Understand your Client’s Business
5. Establish Preliminary Problem Definition
6. Establish Preliminary Objectives
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What Will it be Like for your Client?
YOUR CLIENT WILL:
• Be nervous
• Feel uncomfortable
• Feel uncertain
COMPENSATE BY:
• Talking a lot
• Not talking enough
 You should take
control of the
conversation by asking
open-ended questions.
 Probing the client’s
answers.
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What Will it be Like for You?
YOU WILL:
 be nervous
 feel uncomfortable
 feel uncertain
COMPENSATE BY:
 Dress professionally
 Know your objectives
 Develop a discussion
outline
 Practice
 Do industry &
environment research
 Remember-your client
wants you to succeed
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Client Survey/Fact Finding
• Take the time to explain what the purpose of
the survey is.
• Edit the survey to eliminate unnecessary items.
• Probe…listen…probe…listen
• If you don’t understand, say so. Don’t assume!
• Initial Client Survey
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Fact Finding Report
Purpose:
• Part of the Engagement Letter
• Confirms your knowledge of the Client and the
Client’s Industry
• Ultimately, forms the initial part of the Final
Report
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Statement of Work
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Preliminary Problem Definition
Stating of Objectives
Data & Resources you will need
Your Role
Client’s Role
Define your Deliverable
Time Schedule
Bio or resume for all team members
Engagement Proposal Synopsis
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Statement of Work
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Objectives
• Scope
• Assumptions and Constraints
• Work Products and Final Deliverables
• Deadlines and Milestones
• Status Report Cycle
• Reviews and Sign-offs
• Fees and Expenses
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Statement of Work
Scope:
• Define exactly what aspects are included.
• Define exactly what aspects are NOT included.
This avoids unmet expectations of the client and
protects you from “Scope Creep”
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Engagement Letter
Assumptions and Constraints
• “We assume XYZ will be able to scale up
production.”
• “To stay within budget constraints we will not
conduct interviews.”
Do the assumptions and constraints prevent you
from achieving the objectives? What then?
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Statement of Work
Work Products & Final Deliverables:
• Tell your client exactly what they will receive
as a result of your work.
• For example: “Oral and written reports that
discuss the feasibility of your new product by
analyzing the target market size, the price
points and your production capabilities.”
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Engagement Letter
Deadlines and Milestones:
The final report will be delivered on “X, 2007”
Project milestones include:
• Initial market report on “X + 15, 2007”
• Results of survey on price points “X + 22, 2007”
•
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Engagement Letter
Status Report Cycle:
• An agreed upon period for updates to your
client
• An agreed upon format for those updates
• This depends to a large degree on your
client’s wishes
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Statement of Work
Fees and Expenses:
• Detail what the client will pay for.
 Mileage, printing, research, etc.
• Detail how the client will be billed.
 Expense list presented prior to final report.
• Detail when the client pays you.
 At the oral presentation or before
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Upcoming Events Review
• Client Presentations to class next Tuesday.
• Arrange first client meeting ASAP after client selection.
• Fact Finding Report due: February 19th
• Executed Non-Disclosure Agreement due immediately after
1st Client meeting.
• Statement of Work due: February 24th
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Questions?
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