Tips, tricks and techniques in practicing OR - a different twist!

Abstract

This paper is a personal account of marketing and selling Operations Research (OR) in South Africa. The author reflects on this activity that has occupied him over the past ten to fifteen years. The traditional marketing mix is possibly not ideal for selling a consulting service such as OR. The author shows how he used ingredients such as able people, physical evidence and process in selling the services of the group he represented. The main elements of being successful are: one or more success stories, credibility, a network of people (potential clients), quality staff, a sense of urgency within the group and a recognition that the client is always king.