The last four clients I’ve spoken with have all asked independent consultants to provide a sanitized sample of work. Consultants without a sample deliverable are definitely at a disadvantage.
Is everything you’ve ever done so confidential that there is no way you can sanitize it? Then take a free day, hire yourself, and create a sample deliverable, outside in, e.g.:
- Is your focus M&A? Then pick a recent publicly announced merger, and prepare the strategy document that you would have shown to one of the CEOs to justify the deal.
- Do you specialize in operational improvement? Observe the Department of Motor Vehicles and create a one-day diagnostic of improvement opportunities (should not be hard to find some.)
- Is your focus digital marketing? Pick a set of consumer brands and do an outside-in assessment
- You’re an expert in PE due diligence? Pick a company that interests you, interview some customers and former employees, and put together some pages
