CONSULTING PROPOSAL: Consulting Proposal Problem

Problem: Your group is team of consultants that has received a letter requesting a needs assessment from a local chain of books stores employing 100 people. The letter has gone out to four other local consulting firms. The owner of the business, Mary's Books, is Mary Adams, who has been extremely successful in creating a close-knit, informal organization that has enjoyed financial success—until recently when a large national competitor (Borders) moved into the area and opened on January 1^st. That competitor first tried to buy Mary out, but she has a deep commitment to maintaining independent bookstores that carry a much wider range of reading materials—she strongly opposes the trend toward what she sees as the McDonaldization of reading. Mary has many loyal customers, but she needs to know quickly what her next move should be:

• nothing (a real possibility—she hasn't had lost significant market share yet, but it's 11 months until the Christmas season, her busiest time of year—the real test)

• expand to compete—she has some capital available, not to compete nationally, but to renovate and perhaps expand any or all three of her stores

• change marketing strategies so she is not in direct competition, if it is determined she is in direct competition

• something else

What you know: Your group has scheduled a meeting with Ms. Adams next week to fill in some of the holes in your knowledge of the organization and their decision making process. Because you have contacts in the community, you know a few things about Ms. Adams:

• she prefers to work with local, independent companies like her own—the smaller the better. That's why she's contacted you.

• though she is an astute business person (and therefore can be swayed by issues of cost-effectiveness, etc.) she seems to have a reputation of preferring to work with women or minority-run businesses.

• she has donated large sums of money to a scholarship fund for single mothers at a local liberal arts college, where she teaches a non-credit evening course in starting a business.

• her organization has the reputation for being highly democratic, although you are nearly certain she makes all final decisions—though her accountant, Jessie Smith, is a critical business confidant and advisor.

Your group's job: Respond to Mary Adam's call for a needs assessment with a planning proposal having both written and oral components. Your purpose is to persuade her that your group best understands her situation and can help her company determine its needs for the future. (This means you are not making a recommendation, only convincing Mary that after your group has done the necessary research into her situation, that you are best suited to accurately determine her needs.) Mary's letter asked that your written proposal be no more than twelve single-spaced pages and contain an executive summary and that your oral presentation be between 25-35 minutes. We will discuss criteria for the oral presentation as a class, and you may ask Mary about her criteria for the written document in your meetings with her.

The Proposal: Be aware that in some ways this project will be like creative writing—you can make up facts and figures, etc. to support your argument and your reading of the situation. Your document will need to be carefully designed, use tables and charts, and be a strong argument that Mary should hire your group for her needs assessment. Remember: you are not undertaking a needs assessment. You haven’t been hired yet.

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