Post-Consultation Alignment Form

Please remove this form template insight sections before publishing.

Form Insight: Post-Consultation Alignment Form

1. The "Big Picture" Re-Cap

• Top 3 Priorities: Based on our discussion, I have identified [X, Y, and Z] as your urgent priorities. Does this order reflect your current internal focus?
• Definition of Success: We defined a successful outcome as [Specific Result]. Is there any other "win" that needs to happen for you to feel this was a 10/10 engagement?
• The "Non-Negotiables": Are there any specific constraints (budget, software, or personnel) we discussed that must remain unchanged?

2. Decision & Authority

• Stakeholder Circle: Beyond yourself, who else needs to review the final proposal to ensure we have total buy-in?
• Approval Timeline: What is your ideal "Start Date," and what internal hurdles (board meetings, fiscal quarters) do we need to clear before then?
• Communication Rhythm: We agreed on [Weekly/Bi-weekly] syncs. Who should be included in these technical updates?

3. Gap Analysis

• Missing Information: Is there any data or document we discussed today that you haven't had a chance to send over yet?
• New Concerns: Now that we’ve had a chance to talk, has a new question or concern surfaced that we didn't address during the call?

4. Mutual Commitment

• Consultant’s Next Steps: I am committed to delivering the [Proposal/Roadmap] by [Date]. Does this align with your schedule?
• Client’s Next Steps: To keep us on track, are you able to provide the [Resource/Access] by [Date]?

Strategic Insight: The "Clarity Contract"

1. Eliminating "Selective Hearing"

During a high-energy consultation, clients often hear what they want to hear. This form puts the verbal agreement into writing. If the client sees the Definition of Success and realizes they actually want something else, they can correct it now—before you spend 10 hours writing a proposal for the wrong goal.

2. Identifying the "Secret" Decision Maker

The Stakeholder Circle question is a tactical move. Often, a consultant speaks to a manager who loves the idea, but a "hidden" Director later vetoes it. This form identifies that person early so the consultant can tailor the proposal to address the Director's specific needs.

3. Creating "Micro-Commitments"

By asking the client to commit to a Next Step (like sending a document), the consultant is testing the client’s "buy-in." If a client won't fill out a 2-minute alignment form, they likely aren't ready for a 6-month consulting project.

Please remove this mandatory questions recommendation before publishing.

Mandatory questions & core rationale:

While every consultation is unique, there are four mandatory pillars that must be included in an Alignment Form. If these are left as optional, you risk a "polite" client skipping them, only to have the project fall apart later due to unspoken disagreements.

Here are the mandatory questions and the strategic "why" behind them:

1. The Priority Hierarchy

Question: "Of the items we discussed, which are the top 3 priorities that must be addressed first?"

• Why it’s mandatory: Clients often list 10 problems during a call. If you try to fix all 10 at once, you’ll appear expensive and slow. By forcing them to pick three, you gain permission to ignore the "noise" and focus on the high-impact wins.
• The "Why" elaborated: This protects your Profitability. It prevents the client from asking for a "quick favor" on priority #7 while you are still working on #1. It establishes a clear boundary for the initial phase of work.

2. The Success Metric (The "Win")

Question: "What is the single most important result that will make this project a 10/10 success for you?"

• Why it’s mandatory: You cannot satisfy a client if you don't know how they are measuring you. One CEO might value "saved time," while another only cares about "increased revenue."
• The "Why" elaborated: This is your Insurance Policy. If you deliver exactly what they asked for in this form, they cannot claim the project was a failure. It anchors their expectations to a specific, achievable outcome rather than a vague feeling of "improvement."

3. The Stakeholder Audit

Question: "Who else in the organization needs to review or approve the final proposal before we can move forward?"

• Why it’s mandatory: In B2B consulting, the person you talk to is rarely the person who signs the check. If you don't know who the "Silent Veto" is (e.g., the CFO, a Co-Founder, or a Legal Head), your proposal will sit in an inbox for weeks.
• The "Why" elaborated: This is your Sales Strategy. It tells you exactly whose "language" you need to speak in your proposal. If the CFO is involved, you include an ROI table; if the Creative Director is involved, you include a mood board.

4. The Bottleneck Identification

Question: "Are there any internal hurdles or upcoming dates (e.g., board meetings, fiscal year-end) that could delay our start?"

• Why it’s mandatory: Nothing kills a consultant’s momentum like a project that "stalls" for two months. You need to know if they are about to go on a two-week vacation or if they are waiting for a budget cycle to reset.
• The "Why" elaborated: This manages your Cash Flow. Knowing their timeline allows you to plan your own workload. If they can't start for 60 days, you know you need to fill that gap with another client immediately.