2. Strategic Planning
Strategic planning involves all the elements a company needs to determine its main options and strategies. In what field should the company operate? What is the market to be served? What are the long-term goals and strategies to be developed? How should the resources be deployed among the main activities of the company?
Long-term goals can be to increase productivity, increase sales, introduce new products to the market, eliminate some marginal products, acquire businesses or new products.
Marketing consulting is an independent service. This main characteristic of his role is reflected in the detachment of the consultant. But this independence means at the same time that the consultant enters into a very complex relationship with the organization studied and the people with whom he has to work. It has no direct authority to decide what changes to implement. He has to master the art of being a serious agent of change, without abdicating his independence. It must therefore, in all its tasks, involve the directors as much as possible in its work so that the final result is a common achievement.
Marketing consulting is not a service providing miracle solutions to difficult management problems. It would be a mistake to believe that once the consultant is engaged, life will become easy for the management of the company. Consultation is a difficult, systematic and disciplined job, based on the analysis of real data and the search for practical solutions. A real commitment from the company management to solve problems and close cooperation between the company director and the consultant are as important as the quality of the consultant's advice.
Success Factors in a Marketing Consulting Project
For a successful consultation project, certain conditions must be met:
• The client must recognize that there is a problem, a situation to improve.
• The client must sincerely desire an improvement in his / her situation.
• The client should be willing to collaborate with the consultant by providing all the required information.
• The customer must be willing to pay for services rendered.
It is important to know the conditions that may jeopardize the completion of a consultation project.
• When the customer is not in position to make the changes.
• When the client believes that the consultant will do the work without his assistance.
• When the client expects results over a short period of time.
• When the client restricts the scope of the study.
• When the customer is not willing to pay a realistic price.