Startup Patterns Consulting Skills

How We Use This Framework

The following skills framework is used by Startup Patterns consultants to provide ourselves and each other with valuable feedback in our ongoing efforts to become the best consultants we can be. Feel free to use this framework to evaluate your own consulting skills. To learn more about consulting partnership program, reach out and set up a call with us.

General Consultant Skills

Needs Assessment

Able to assess and articulate strategic needs of the project, balancing client needs with those of Startup Patterns to ensure mutual benefit of working together.

Communication

Able to communicate with clients effectively and strategically, in verbal, written, and presentation formats. In addition, possesses excellent written communication skills, and can craft clear, concise, and compelling emails, presentation copy, website copy, or blog articles.

Decision-making

Able to help guide the client to good decisions. Is capable of explaining technical concepts to non-technical clients. Able to clearly explain Startup Patterns decisions to the client. Can work with team and client to lead creation of rationale for decision-making. Makes decisions for sound reasons and can articulate them. Has the ability to clarify rationale for decision-making when it's not clear.

Diplomacy

Able to take contradictory or confusing feedback from clients and solve / escalate as appropriate. Is always diplomatic when talking to clients and addressing their questions/suggestions. Doesn't lose their cool when working with a difficult client. Holds their ground when challenged and seeks an outcome that does not override the client.

Agility

Comfortable in an agile cycle. Works quickly and collaboratively. Can work with design, engineering, and PM partners to evolve an agile approach to fit team and project needs.

Collaboration

Can make an excellent first pass at solutions independently. Able to improve solutions with collaboration and direction/feedback. Can provide effective direction/feedback for others.

Product

Has open product discussions with clients and teammates, and is comfortable sketching or white-boarding concepts to communicate ideas. Can research domain space, industry, & products in the competitive landscape. Uses analytics to inform their product decisions, and is familiar with popular analytics platforms. Seeks evidence to support decision-making, and understands the strengths & limits of various types of evidence (qualitative & quantitative). Can translate user/product/business goals into actionable product design/development tasks. Can participate effectively in qualitative user research and usability testing.

Senior Consultant Skills

Account Ownership

Owns the client relationship, checking in with key client stakeholders to ensure that goals are being met and issues are being resolved.

Professionalism

Effectively steers the client to create a working agreement and work according to Startup Patterns principles; effectively mentors and manages the members of the client’s team across all functions; keeping morale and quality high, and ensuring accountability and professionalism.

Presentation

Defines, edits, improves and approves Startup Patterns materials that go to the client: analytics reports, financial analyses, roadmap plans, etc; ensures that all materials are of high quality, easily understood, and of high value to client.

Intervention

Restructures troubled projects, effectively communicates the tactics and goals of a restructuring to the client, even if it runs counter to the client's mindset, and can wind down an engagement while preserving the client relationship.

Drive

Does whatever it takes to make a project successful, whether that entails rolling up their sleeves and doing hands-on work, reshaping the project, or requesting additional support.

Project P&L

A consultant should keep the financial success of a project top-of-mind, including noticing if a client project is taking more or less effort than fits the current billing structure, that target gross margins are being met, that invoices are being sent and paid (though not necessarily by the consultant), and seeking opportunities for expansion of the engagement overall.

Business Development Skills

Pitching

Can effectively communicate Startup Patterns’ value proposition and capabilities, customizing it to the audience; actively gets out into the community to promote Startup Patterns in strategic regions/industries/technologies.

Inbound

Effectively handle inbound opportunities, and can drive to a close, knowing when to pull in additional support.

Discernment

Able to diagnose whether a client is an appropriate fit for Startup Patterns; works with peers to determine if a risky client is worth signing/extending.

Proposals

Able to craft articulate, attractive, compelling sales proposals in a timely manner; always gets feedback from a Startup Patterns colleague on a proposal before sending. Able to uncover and understand the client's buying process and budget levels.

Closing

Can personally close deals <$100K and close extensions/upsells. Can work with Startup Patterns leaders to close major accounts and deals >$100K.

Relationships

Can effectively build a relationship with a client champion to extend projects (as long as we are delivering value); includes being able to work within MSA and craft new SOWs. In addition, where applicable, can expand reach to other parts of the client and spot and win new opportunities not necessarily directly tied to the original client champion.

Leadership Skills

Strategy

Can identify, build internal consensus around, and build an external program around new types of projects that would be strategic to Startup Patterns.

Role-modeling

Demonstrates exceptional work ethic and professionalism with clients and colleagues; lifts the team through challenges by maintaining perspective and a spirit of optimism; demonstrates a "get it done" mentality.

Recruiting

Able to serve as the hiring lead for a new consultant, ensuring a smooth and efficient process, effective vetting, and working closely with the MD to make decisions on the process.

Branding

Can effectively build a personal brand in a strategic area for Startup Patterns via writing, speaking or community building; is generous about building Startup Patterns's brand as they build their own; knows that brand building takes constant effort, yet can effectively balance this with other responsibilities.

Managing Director Skills

Quality

Ultimately responsible for the quality of work delivered by SP Consultants, and empowered to make changes to deliver extremely high quality, as evidenced by referenceable clients and work Startup Patterns is proud of.

Fiduciary

Responsible for the overall P&L for Startup Patterns, capable of working closely with CPA to ensure that needs are met across expense management, financial reporting and modeling, invoicing and A/R collections, etc.

Utilization

Responsible for the successful utilization of the Consultant pool, and able to craft strategic and tactical plans to ensure strong utilization and profitability.

People Management

Capable of building a team to execute against Startup Patterns's goals. Exceptional at inspiring consultants to join Startup Patterns and help build our practice. Runs an excellent talent management process, effectively helping people (including Senior Consultants) grow, ensuring accountability, and decisively taking action on offers, feedback, warnings, and terminations.

Infrastructure

Ultimately responsible for ensuring that Startup Patterns systems (CRM, Website, etc.) are accurate and up-to-date on at minimum a weekly basis.