How to create consultation reports for every clients

Businesses across verticals would often seek advice and expert opinions on issues related to their operations and offerings. Now, this is popularly known as consultation. As a consultant, you’re regarded as an expert in a specific field or have experience or knowledge for solving a problem. Hence, consultants give advice or proffer solutions to a problem.

The consultation process typically involves a meeting, investigation, dialogue, and problem survey. In the process, the client feeds the consultant with information on the problem for onward appraisal by the consultant. The outcome or solution is compiled into a document, technically known as a consulting or consultation report. Some people call it a consultancy report. 

So, what is the function of the consultation report? 

The key function of this report is to outline the key findings, solutions/recommendations, and steps to resolve a problem. Thus, a consultation report is vital for individuals, organizations, and government agencies to gather feedback and make informed decisions.

This article will explain a consulting report, why it is essential, and how to write it effectively even if you've never written it before. 

What is a consulting report? 

So, what is a consultation report (aka consulting report), who prepares it, and what does it look like? 

A consultation report is a document that outlines the results of a consultation process between a client and a consultant on a particular topic or issue. These reports are required by people who need expert insight backed by research to help make informed decisions or take necessary action(s).

Consultancy reports are prepared by people with expertise in a particular field and may cover market research, financial analysis, or operational efficiency. 

Structure of a typical consultation report:

The first section provides an overview of the consultation process, including the objectives, scope, and timeline. I may also include a summary of the stakeholders involved in the process and the methods used to gather feedback, such as surveys or focus groups. 

The next section of the report typically presents the key findings from the consultation process. This may include a summary of the most common issues raised by stakeholders, any areas of agreement or disagreement, and any recurring themes or patterns that emerged from the feedback. 

Based on the findings, the report recommends viable solutions or proposes the next steps to solve the problem. This may include specific actions that the organization or government agency will take in response to the feedback or highlight areas where further research or consultation is needed. 

Finally, the report may include appendices that provide additional information, such as detailed survey results or a list of all the stakeholders involved in the consultation process. 

Why do people need consulting reports? 

A Linkedin report points out that over 60% of businesses have hired consultants, and more plan to do so in the future. So why do people hire consultants? Why do they need consultation reports? What is the function of a consultation report, and how do businesses use it?

Helps to Identify key issues

A “use of consultancy survey” revealed that over 40% of businesses employ consultancy services to transform their business and become more efficient. With a well-crafted consulting report, business owners can identify the fundamental challenges they wish to solve. This further helps to prioritize efforts and focus on the most critical areas. 

Offers expert insights

A consulting report is prepared by experienced consultants with in-depth knowledge and expertise in their field. Hence, the report provides the client with expert insights, tips/solutions/recommendations backed by solid research, data, and analysis.

Provides objective analysis

A consultancy report objectively analyzes the client's issue or problem, free from personal biases or interests. This allows the client to make informed decisions based on facts and expert recommendations.

Provides actionable recommendations

A consultation report provides actionable recommendations that people, businesses, and government agencies can implement to solve their problems. These recommendations are practical, realistic, and tailored to the client's needs and circumstances. 

Pro Tip: clients need realistic solutions backed by data, not guesswork or sentiment. One way to achieve this is to use digital tools that have up-to-date data for the problem at hand and can also visualize the solution for easy assimilation by the client. 

Saves resources

A consultancy report can save client time, energy, money, and other resources by providing them with a roadmap to solve their problem. T is helps the client to avoid costly mistakes and wasted efforts. 

Enhances credibility

Consultation reports enhance the client's credibility by providing expert advice and recommendations. This can be particularly useful for clients seeking funding, investment, or partnerships. 

What is the function of a consultation report in government and businesses? Consultation reports give the government and businesses a useful blueprint for effectively executing tasks and projects.

Thus, consultation reports help improve efficiency, reduce waste, help to reduce cases of missing deadlines and timelines and improve the overall profitability of people and businesses.

Now that you know the importance, let’s examine how to write a consulting report.

How to create a highly effective consultation report

Creating a consultancy report requires a systematic approach that involves research, analysis, and recommendations. The following steps can help ensure that your consulting report is comprehensive and effective: 

1. Define the scope and objectives of the report. 

2. Collect and analyze data relevant to the problem. 

3. Identify key issues and opportunities. 

4. Develop recommendations and action plans. 

5. Present findings and recommendations in a clear, concise format. 

However, these are the standard steps to create working or highly effective consultation reports:

Step 1: Give it a good title page

This is the first page of the report. At a glance, it informs the reader of the report's content. 

Step 2: Include a table of contents 

Here, you list the key sections, sub-headings, and sub-topics inside the report and the pages on the report document. 

Step 3: Create an executive summary 

This section briefly summarizes or gives a peek into the content or goal of the report. This is where the reader gets a proper insight into the following:

1. Who the report is for – the client.

2. What the report is about as well as the strategies.

3. The techniques used in the investigation.

4. The operating theory.

5. Research outcome. 

6. The recommended solution. 

7. Other useful information

The content of this section can encourage the reader to go ahead and read the full report or refrain from doing so. Hence, it should be factual and valuable. 

Step 4: Write the introduction 

This captures the background of the problem. This is where you elaborate on the issue your report tries to solve. 

Step 5: Include the sub-sections

This gives more detailed background information on the problem's context and nature. Also, it references past issues and how they were solved – the theories applied, tools used, methodology, outcomes, etc.

Step 6: Report the solution approach (i.e., Suitable Methodology)

The solution analysis is typically the most detailed section of the report, which details the outcome of your problem analysis. This stage is preceded by proper and thorough research wherein you'd have surveyed or studied previous or contemporary similar issues to have viable data to work with. With this data and information, you create an analysis framework or methodology your client can quickly assimilate or use.

Pro tip: A Linkedin survey showed that over 90% of businesses who hire a consultant hope for additional improvements. In essence, when you are writing a consulting report, you must be able to proffer innovative solutions that can improve your client's business. Your report should holistically address your client’s pain points and offer clear and direct answers to their questions.

Step 7: Recommend solutions

97/; Now that you've proffered the solution, you need to recommend a process to solve the problem by listing viable and achievable recommendations. Here, you give a step-by-step framework or approach for dealing with the problem based on your study outcomes. 

Conclusion 

Consultation reports are powerful tools for businesses and individuals seeking to improve their operations and increase profitability. By systematically creating these reports, consultants can provide valuable insights and recommendations to help enterprises and companies make informed decisions. Additionally, using a smart business management tool like Workee, you can streamline your work and enhance your services, ultimately helping your clients succeed tremendously.