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How to structure an exploration offer?

Market analysis
New answer on Sep 19, 2021
2 Answers
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John asked on Sep 18, 2021

Dear fellows,

For the past 6 years I have been running a digital marketing agency, but now I'm moving into consulting. I find that my specialized skills add a lot more value to my clients this way and the trials have been going well.

I read somewhere that it's good to create a discovery offer, which also makes sense from a new business development perspective. For my exploration offer I want to analyze their current marketing infrastructure, and I'm sure I could always find some small improvements that could make an immediate impact. After that, I will also have a good idea of would it would take to take their results to the next level long-term.

Now my main challenge is that I have no idea how to structure the analysis. Both in delivery as in the proposal. I would like it to be something fixed and standard for a few thousand dollar that I can easily sell to new potential customers. Does anyone have an example, an informational resource, or perhaps some ideas?

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Hagen
Expert
Content Creator
updated an answer on Sep 19, 2021
#1 Bain coach | >95% success rate | interviewer for 8+ years | mentor and coach for 7+ years

Hi John,

First of all, it's great to hear that you found an even more fulfilling profession for yourself!

This is indeed an interesting, very specific question, so I'm happy to give you my perspective on it:

  • For the proposal, if you do not yet know how to structure the analysis, you eventually have three options:
    • Make yourself knowledgeable about how to structure the analysis. I would be more than happy to work with and help you building up a structure and approach that will be valid for all of your clients but will still leave room for customization.
    • Limit the information on the content side, i.e. the analysis you will perform. You might even focus on specific state-of-the-art analyses of which you know they will impress the clients.
    • Limit the information on past case studies to show what you have done with other clients.
  • For the delivery, however, you need to make yourself knowledgeable about how to structure and approach the analysis. Again, I would be more than happy to work with and help you.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on how to proceed with your new endeavor, please feel free to contact me directly.

I hope this helps,

Hagen

(edited)

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Cristian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Sep 18, 2021
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

Hi John!

If I understand your context correctly, you basically are talking about a diagnostic at a client, where you could analyze they digital marketing infrastructure, like martech, extent to which they are in-house vs outsourced and so on and suggest improvements. 

That's actually quite a classic way in to approaching a client. I've done a few of these while in the Firm. Happy to discuss at more length and we can think thorough it together. But one way if to think of it in terms of marketing a marketing pipeline, from how the leads are created, then distributed and then finally converted. Another way would be to separate the tech part from the non-tech part (i.e., what sort of specialists they have in-house).

Overall, I wouldn't even propose a structure upfront in my offer. I would rather give either examples of how it worked for other clients or rather focus on what are the deliverables rather than the actions that you're going to take. 

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