HEHurst
Civil/Environmental
- Oct 1, 2008
- 24
Consulting engineers talk about how, as professional service providers, we should be selected and evaluated on our unique qualifications and the value we bring to clients, as opposed to being viewed as a commodity and chosen on price.
However, I think consultants/consulting firms need to get much better at actually differentiating ourselves and demonstrating how we can add value that other consultants can’t. I’m guilty of not doing this well, and recently I’ve been thinking about how to improve on this in our proposals and our marketing and sales efforts. And I’m fishing for additional ideas here…
Several times, after submitting a proposal for a consulting civil engineering project to a public client, I’ve asked to review all the proposals submitted for the project (once the selection of the consultant has been made, the proposals are usually considered as public record). The client hands me the stack of proposals and I lock myself in their spare conference room for an hour or two and read through them, just like clients do in their selection process.
You know what? We all sound the same! Our proposals look the same. We say the same things. We differentiate ourselves by “unparalleled service…exceptional client focus…a commitment to quality…innovation to meet your needs.” That’s lame! Not those concepts, which are great if actually achieved and lived day-to-day…but I recently reviewed a stack of seven proposals and everyone claimed to differentiate themselves by client focus and excellent service. No differentiation there. Now I’m starting to understand why clients tell me all consultants offer the same services, and therefore choose the lowest cost provider.
So I’ve started this thread in hopes of generating some discussion on how consultants can actually differentiate themselves and show “value-added,” rather than just give lip service to it. Since I’m in civil engineering, that’s the type of work I’m best able to discuss, but I certainly welcome input from all fields.
When I’ll have some more time today, I’ll add a post with some specific examples I’ve seen.
One more thought – perhaps the best way to demonstrate your quality and added value is by building a trusting relationship with a client, so they’ve seen your capabilities on their projects. But I’m thinking about business situations where the client doesn’t know you all that well, but you still have to try to convince them you’re the best person or firm for the job…
However, I think consultants/consulting firms need to get much better at actually differentiating ourselves and demonstrating how we can add value that other consultants can’t. I’m guilty of not doing this well, and recently I’ve been thinking about how to improve on this in our proposals and our marketing and sales efforts. And I’m fishing for additional ideas here…
Several times, after submitting a proposal for a consulting civil engineering project to a public client, I’ve asked to review all the proposals submitted for the project (once the selection of the consultant has been made, the proposals are usually considered as public record). The client hands me the stack of proposals and I lock myself in their spare conference room for an hour or two and read through them, just like clients do in their selection process.
You know what? We all sound the same! Our proposals look the same. We say the same things. We differentiate ourselves by “unparalleled service…exceptional client focus…a commitment to quality…innovation to meet your needs.” That’s lame! Not those concepts, which are great if actually achieved and lived day-to-day…but I recently reviewed a stack of seven proposals and everyone claimed to differentiate themselves by client focus and excellent service. No differentiation there. Now I’m starting to understand why clients tell me all consultants offer the same services, and therefore choose the lowest cost provider.
So I’ve started this thread in hopes of generating some discussion on how consultants can actually differentiate themselves and show “value-added,” rather than just give lip service to it. Since I’m in civil engineering, that’s the type of work I’m best able to discuss, but I certainly welcome input from all fields.
When I’ll have some more time today, I’ll add a post with some specific examples I’ve seen.
One more thought – perhaps the best way to demonstrate your quality and added value is by building a trusting relationship with a client, so they’ve seen your capabilities on their projects. But I’m thinking about business situations where the client doesn’t know you all that well, but you still have to try to convince them you’re the best person or firm for the job…
