Consulting Proposal

Synopsis

Customer base gain and retention is the consultant's number one pain point. Thus, the consultant's ability to write a lucid, concise proposal makes all the difference in the practice. With our customizable Consulting Proposal presentation, you can share your expertise, solutions and terms, and outline your working relationship with the client to ensure that both parties stay aligned and understand each other's expectations and deliverables.

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Slide highlights

Use this slide to walk your team or stakeholders over the four main types of problems businesses encounter. These include profitability, market-entry, product introduction and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) problems.

Communicating a timeline to your client is crucial, so with this slide, go over the phases of the project, major milestones and deadlines. Use our Project Timeline Collection to make sure you're on the right track at all times.

Your consulting proposal is your chance to showcase your previous wins and convince potential clients to hire you. Introduce case studies and problem solutions you offered in the past, accompanied by solid quantitative data.

Overview

A consulting proposal is a document presented to a potential client that acts as a sales pitch. Its main purpose is to outline how the consultant would approach a project. It also serves as a marketing pitch that demonstrates why the experience and skills make you, your team or firm the best fit for the job.

Consulting proposals include the following:

• Cover page
• Executive summary
• Situation (client problem and goals)
• Project proposal outline
• Problem solutions and deliverables
• Pricing and terms and conditions

Application

Here's how to pull together a winning proposal, according to HubSpot:

1. Chat with your client – set up a phone call or an in person meeting. "Email will suffice for getting to know your client and their consulting needs, but letting them see your face and/or hear your voice will help you build trust with them," the HubSpot team says.
2. Understand their challenges and needs – the details in your proposals should not be one-size-fits-all; they should be adapted to each unique client's needs. It is ok to follow up with additional phone calls or meetings to better understand your client's preferences.
3. Find the right case study candidate – creating a case study about your previous wins requires more than choosing a subject and telling a story. You also need permission, quotes and a plan. Here are a few things to look for in potential candidates: product knowledge, remarkable results, recognizable names and switchers (customers that came to you after working with a competitor).
4. Ask about the details – it's important to ask about your client's ideal timeline, budget, expectations and outcomes. This will help you sell a prospective client on your services and give your prospect a clear understanding of how you will work together.
5. Focus on client outcomes, not consultant input – your consulting proposal should focus on what your client will get from working with you. "Be as specific as possible about the value and outcomes your client can expect. Also, avoid buzzwords and generic jargon," the experts say.
6. Keep it short – keep your proposal brief to accurately describe the project scope and expectations (the average length is one to two pages).
7. Ask for feedback – a consulting proposal is a two-way document. The HubSpot team writes: "As you develop your proposal, clarify any questions or concerns you have with your prospective client. When finished, send it to your client for review and feedback."

Case study

PWC and Chipotle

PwC, an audit and assurance, consulting and tax services network helped chain of fast casual restaurants, Chipotle, to launch a new customer loyalty program. Although we are unable to see the original consulting proposal sent by PwC to Chipotle, we can learn a lot from the case study PwC published on its website.

The case study follows the standard structure: Situation, Solution, Results, but also includes the sections that were likely mentioned in the consulting proposal, such as Expertise and Technology used, that made the difference for winning the pitch. To prove its Expertise, PwC unveiled the secret ingredient for loyalty. "Loyalty and customer relationships are built around everything that customers see and everything they don't. A cross-functional design session brought everyone to the table to imagine a new experience, and what it would mean for everyone who interacted with it," PwC shares.

The technology PwC pitched and used to launch Chipotle's customer loyalty program helped the restaurant chain to employ a new approach in the middle of "the taco universe, leveraging the BXT way of working to instill a new type of DNA across all parties involved. That meant titles down, creative minds in, and all ideas on the table." It is obvious that PwC won the consulting pitch and delivered on every aspect of it. As a result, the increase in digital sales was 99%, Chipotle saw 1 million enrollments in Chipotle Rewards within the first week and the restaurant chain made $1.4 billion in revenue (an increase of 13.2%).