What to ask before hiring a consulting firm.
Seven questions that separate a serious proposal from a well-designed presentation.
Who executes the project is the first question. Many proposals are sold with partners and executed with junior consultants. Ask for names, résumés and the percentage of dedication of each profile.
The second is what exactly you receive. A deliverable described as "strategic support" is not verifiable. There must be documents, formats, matrices or models with a name of their own.
The third is how the result is measured. If the proposal does not define indicators, there will be no way to assess whether the project worked.
The remaining four: how much of the internal team's time is required, what happens if the scope changes midway, how confidentiality of information is handled, and what support exists after closing.
A serious firm answers these seven precisely and in writing before signing.