Do winter sales apply in consulting too?

 

So what’s going on? I think there are two factors at work here. The first is that an industry is only as strong as its weakest link. That means that in any segment of the consulting industry, if one firm starts to discount, the others find it hard not to follow suit. They’re concerned that they’ll lose market share and open the doors to new competitors just at a time when they want to hunker down with their long-term clients. The second is uncertainty: the consulting industry is just as much in the dark as the rest of the economy as to how the recession will affect it and for how long. Discounting has the advantage of making you feel you’re doing something, even while you try to work out what the long-term game plan is.

 

But is discounting good for clients? We’ve all made snap decisions to buy something in a sale that we’ve regretted later (but can’t take back) and consulting isn’t any different. Price should never just be the only deciding factor and what looks like a great deal on paper may result in your buying a service your organisation doesn’t really want or need.