Compare relevant experience
Ask for examples involving a similar buying process, business stage or implementation challenge. Distinguish a person's direct contribution from a company's overall results. A recognizable employer or an impressive metric should lead to a more specific conversation about responsibility, context and relevance.
Inspect the proposed work
A useful proposal states the decision, outputs, assumptions, client responsibilities and acceptance criteria. Ask how research becomes a recommendation and how recommendations become action. Compare the same scope across proposals; different levels of execution and team access can make headline prices misleading.
Check the working relationship
Discuss communication, availability, local meeting needs and who resolves disagreements. Ask what will remain with your team when the engagement ends. NCMC's approach combines senior judgment with hands-on execution. Use the first conversation to establish where that combination fits your situation.
Put the decision into practice
- Bring a written business question.
- Ask about direct contributions.
- Compare equivalent scopes.
- Confirm the collaboration model.
- Agree handover and acceptance criteria.
Experience and context
Read Nancy’s experience and results for the published business context. Contact Nancy to discuss which experience and working arrangements fit your situation.
Bring the business question, the evidence already available and the constraints that matter. Discuss your next step with Nancy Chou.
Compare the proposed contributor, not just the company
Request the person responsible for diagnosis, recommendations and execution, their availability and the work that remains with your team. Ask for a relevant example with a clear account of that contributor’s role. Employer names and logos can establish background but cannot demonstrate that the person will be available or that the scope fits your problem. Compare proposals using the same customer context and implementation assumptions.
Resolve scope uncertainty before scoring price
Record investigation, deliverables, client inputs, third-party work and handover separately. A fixed strategy output and ongoing operational support are different purchases. Clarify how new findings affect scope, how decisions are approved and how disagreements are escalated. This regional consultant guide covers the general procurement process; the B2B and B2C location guides add problem-specific evaluation exercises. Marketing proposal evaluation scorecard.