Free consulting service by its nature is disdainful by consultant, for two reasons: first consultant feel that during free consulting service they likely let out core information maybe can earn a lot in future contract business; secondly consultant feel reluctant to waste their time and energy without payment from client which makes them feel devalued. But for the essence of consulting business consultant cannot ran business without free consulting service. Indeed, let alone to initiate meeting and enlarged scope without contract, some time help client to solve specific problem without remuneration.
For client there is no free lunch, and consultant can use free consultant service as powerful weapon to gain information and contract. The tacit is never use free consulting service for commercial enterprises, but uses it for prestigious nonprofit organizations. The secret behind is simple: provides service for prestigious organization can enhance reputation of consultant. Using strategy like this consultant can easily gain admiration and trust in local community and get even more consulting contract. Under certain circumstances consultant is forced to provide free consulting service, but it should be carefully designed in order to enhance ability to penetrate into market segment, get closer relationship with client, deeply intervene into client organization, and your strategy is purposefully to gain something more valuable in exchange of consulting fee. For example, consulting company want into particular industry and without relevant experience and the aimed at gain precious information.
Indeed, consulting firm cannot stand for a minute without free consulting service, but by overestimated capacity and arrogance of consultant ignore about nature of consulting: to explore and pond about client situation before contract is always free. Consultant firm lives with the nature of consultancy can prosper in future only if it can manage the process of free consulting service to serve purpose rightly.