How Do Independent Consultants Help Clients Solve Problems? (The 101 Guide)
The mechanics of solving a problem are relatively easy to learn. The ability to implement the solutions is the real challenge.
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The Problem Solving Process
This process works not just for clients - but for any problem you want to solve.
When a client approaches you, it’s typically because there’s a problem they want to solve. It’s often a problem they don’t have the skills, knowledge, or resources to solve themselves - thus they want your help.
Define the Problem. The first step is to already invest considerable time to define the problem. Most of the time client’s have a broad idea that something is wrong but you need to translate that into very specific pain points. This is often undertaken as part of the sales process but can be part of the project as well. You should be able to:
Articulate the problem in simple language. Get past all the verbose discussion of the problem and ensure you can summarise it in clean, simple, language.
Explain the impact of that problem in the most specific way po…
