What are the 5 models of consulting?

You want to choose a consulting company model that is right for you and your consulting company. There are 3 tried and true consulting business models. The productized consulting firm model often stems from one of the above models. With a production model, everything is focused on solving that central problem for a specific type of customer.

You develop systems and processes to solve the problem. You do the same thing over and over again. This repetition makes you very efficient when it comes to solving it. Often, 80% of what you do is the same for each customer, and about 20% is personalized for them.

With the hybrid model, you take elements from more than one of these models to create the perfect consulting business model just for you. Learn more about our Clarity Coaching program and how we've helped more than 370 consultants create their own hybrid models to achieve their desired income and lifestyle goals with a stable, consistent and secure plan. We've helped more than 370 consultants like you create tailor-made business models that help consultants earn their target income and live their ideal lifestyle. Join more than 62,592 consultants and learn strategies to get more clients and grow your business with our FREE consulting plan.

The final model: the 5-step framework. After all our trials and tribulations at Sales for Startups, we decided to opt for the 5-step framework, since it emphasizes a long-term relationship based on evidence and fact-based knowledge and, ultimately, on earning the right to be advisors after a sales transformation. It has its challenges, as it can sometimes seem cumbersome and too long for the revenue-hungry tech CEO. However, there are many ways to grow a company, and when it comes to someone else's livelihood and passion, you always have to act with caution.

The 4 P's (“marketing mix”) are mainly used as a complement to the 3 C's and analyze the main marketing variables under a company's control, including product, price, promotion and location. As an organizational management model, the McKinsey 7-S focuses on the company's internal systems and includes style, strategy, skills, personnel, systems, structure and shared value. There are a number of “hard” elements (strategy, structure, systems) that are more concrete and universal, and “soft elements” (shared values, skills, style, staff) that are more abstract and variable within different companies. The SWOT is an analytical framework that takes advantage of strategic planning techniques and methodologies to help an organization analyze its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT).

When purchasing consulting advice, organization leaders must develop the ability to clearly see the implications of a consultant's core model of help. Nowadays, I see ads all over the web and even at workshops and seminars from people talking about the “best consulting business model”.

Dominic Mccoard
Dominic Mccoard

Avid foodaholic. Infuriatingly humble bacon nerd. Lifelong beer advocate. Total sushi scholar. Passionate pop culture scholar. Typical travel guru.