podcast – Consulting and Professional Services Radio

podcast – Consulting and Professional Services Radio


Leaving a Client

January 19, 2013

One of the great benefits of consulting is the variety of different projects and different clients.  Since much of consulting is project-based, consultants tend to work with a client for some period of time and roll off the project in anticipation of their next client.  In this week’s podcast, we will discuss the etiquette and procedures a consultant should follow when leaving a client at the end of a project.

First of all, is leaving a client a happy or sad occasion?

That really depends on the situation.  I’ve always left my clients on good terms.  But I’ve seen enough consultants leave on bad or at least on tense terms.
For me, it’s usually been bitter-sweet where there is some happiness and sadness combined.  At almost every client I’ve worked at, I’ve developed some strong relationships with the employees at the client.
We all know that as a consultant, I’m there on a temporary basis, but it doesn’t make us enjoy saying goodbye to each other.
We often have some form of outing to go out for a lunch or for drinks after work.
We also promise to stay in touch.  That’s a lot easier with a lot of the social media. We most likely are already linked on LinkedIn.
But sometimes, you just finish your last day and you’re done.  And that’s just the way it is in consulting.  You finish your job and move on.
There have been times when I’ve seen a consultant over-stay their welcome or actually be asked to leave.  This usually happens when they no longer provide value that justifies their rates.
But sometimes an individual consultant doesn’t mesh with the team or the client team just decides they don’t want this consultant around anymore.
If they’re part of a consulting firm, the firm will usually find a replacement.  They’ll bring a new person to replace them and, depending on how complex the situation is, they’ll spend anywhere from a day to several days doing a knowledge transfer.
The outgoing consultant’s last day is usually fairly unceremonious.  They just want to get out of there.
And I’ve seen situations where the client has had it with the entire firm, they’re tired of the high billing rates or don’t think the firm is providing the value they expected.  So they essentially boot the consulting firm.  Sometimes they’re sorry to see the individuals, or at least some of the individuals go.  But if they didn’t like the firm they were working with, the individuals are usually guilty by association.
When an entire firm is asked to leave, there usually isn’t a knowledge transfer period. They just revoke their security access and that’s the end of it.
But the majority of the situations are where you’ve finished a successful project and you or the firm are leaving on good terms.

What should a consultant keep in mind when they leave a client

Regardless of the situation, you want to make sure you’re professional about your departure and ensure a smooth transition.
I often think about, here in the US, and around the world in democracies, we have political races where the incumbent loses to a challenger.  These two people may not like each other, but after a very difficult election, they work together to ensure a smooth transition.
I’ve always figured if they can do that, then I can work with the client employee, or even a competitor that will be assuming my role after I leave.
In my experience, it’s usually been a client employee that’s assuming support of a project that I managed.  And often, they’ve been involved in the project, so they know what’s going on for the most part.
But one thing you want to do is make sure the client identifies at least one contact that you can transfer your knowledge to.  When I roll off of a project, I always make sure they have at least one person designated for me to transfer any specialized knowledge.  I always give them my contact information in case they have questions after I leave.
And as long as it