The Practice of Professional Consulting

Conclusion

The preceding chapter examined how to make a good first impression to start the process of building a relationship; this chapter has focused on the steps and techniques for conducting a needs assessment, writing a proposal based on those needs, and the importance of managing expectations.

We discussed gap analysis and how to frame problems by preparing and using a SPIN question strategy. The SPIN technique is an effective way to conduct needs assessment, during which we can use active listening techniques (ACRES). If used faithfully, active listening will improve our comprehension and understanding of the client’s problems and our relationship with the client, not only in stage one to write a proposal, but also throughout the consulting ...