Most consulting firms are organized as associations, that is, networks of legally independent entities, led by partners, directors and directors. The consulting company model consists of running a consulting business with a team instead of doing all the customer-facing work yourself (as an individual consultant). The hierarchy in a consulting firm is usually very flat. For example, a company may have the roles of analyst, senior consultant, engagement manager, partner, and managing partner.
All members of the company have one of these six roles, except for staff who perform support functions, such as human resources or finance. Many consulting firms have a promotion or exit policy whereby, if you don't get promoted to the next position after a certain number of years, you will probably never be promoted. Your manager might suggest that you look for a job at another company or could even help you find a job in the private industry with a client. In this role, consultants are transitioning from a typical consultant role and employee status to becoming real owners of the company.
To further complicate matters, some major companies that aren't actually classified as consulting organizations also have consulting divisions. For example, a consultant might start his career at a generalist firm like Booz Allen Hamilton before leaving to found a boutique company or taking up a position in the in-house consulting division of a Fortune 500 company. Most management consulting firms, such as McKinsey, BCG and Bain, share the same basic pyramid structure when it comes to the hierarchies of their consulting staff. He has positioned himself as the most successful consulting case coach and has generated more than 420 offers with MBB, level 2 firms, 4 large consulting divisions, in-house consultancies and boutique firms through direct advice to his clients over the past 3 years.
Consider these best practices when developing your consulting business and expanding it beyond the standalone model. Because of the two different ways of organizing a consulting business, most consulting firms combine both in a matrix structure. Sales and business development staff are responsible for selling consulting projects to new and existing clients. It's not unusual for a consultant to depend on another consultant at the same level, or even for a junior partner in a management position to have more senior partners who depend on him.
In-house consultants tend to work shorter hours and travel less frequently than outside consultants. We'll work hand-in-hand with you to develop a strategic plan and then analyze the clarity of your ideal customer, strategic messages, consulting offerings, rates and pricing, business model optimization, and help you configure your marketing engine and lead generation system to consistently attract ideal customers.
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