Not sure what The Outside Look is, whether it is for you, or where to start?

That is completely fine.

You do not need to know what kind of support you need before you arrive here. In fact, you do not even need to be sure what the problem is.

Here are some of the questions people are most likely to ask us.

What does The Outside Look actually do?

We help businesses and organisations work out what is really getting in the way.

That might be customers asking for prices and then disappearing. People buying once and not coming back. Good staff leaving. Recruitment that never seems to work. Volunteers joining and then drifting away.

We start with what people can actually see and experience, then look at what is happening inside the organisation.

The useful part is comparing the two and finding where the problem really begins.

Is The Outside Look a business consultancy?

Yes, but we work differently from a lot of traditional consultancy.

We do not arrive with a favourite system, service or solution that we need your problem to fit.

We investigate what is happening first.

If the evidence says the issue is marketing, recruitment, communication, systems, pricing or something else, that is what we tell you.

We do not need the answer to create more work for ourselves.

Do you sell marketing, HR, software or other solutions afterwards?

No.

We find the problem. We do not sell the fix.

That independence matters because we have no reason to steer you towards a new website, advertising campaign, HR package, piece of software or any other solution.

You decide what happens next.

What kinds of problems can you help with?

We look at problems across two sides of an organisation.

Customers covers how people find you, choose you, buy from you, experience you and decide whether to come back.

People covers how people find you, choose to join, experience being part of the organisation and decide whether to stay, contribute or leave.

Within both, we look at Attract, Engage and Retain.

The starting point is usually something you are already seeing, noticing or worrying about.

What if I know something is wrong but I do not know what the problem is?

That is a perfectly good place to start.

You might only know that sales have slowed, customers are disappearing, good people keep leaving or something simply does not feel right.

You do not need to diagnose the problem before speaking to a business whose job is to help investigate it.

What if I already think I know what the problem is?

Bring the theory with you.

Your gut might be completely right.

Our job is not to disagree with you for the sake of it. It is to test whether the evidence supports that explanation before you spend serious money, time or effort acting on it.

Sometimes we confirm what you suspected.

Sometimes we find something else.

Is The Outside Look suitable for a very small business?

Yes.

You do not need a large team, a boardroom or a corporate structure to work with us.

A salon, café, shop, trades business or small local organisation can have exactly the same underlying questions as a much larger business.

The important thing is whether there is a real problem worth exploring and enough information to investigate it properly.

Do you work with charities and volunteer organisations too?

Yes.

Customer problems still exist in charities and community organisations, and People can include employees, volunteers, members and others who help make the organisation work.

The language may change, but the basic question does not.

What is happening, and what is actually getting in the way?

Do you only work with organisations in Scotland?

The Outside Look is based in Scotland.

Some of our work is virtual, so location does not always matter.

Work that needs us to be there in person will depend on the organisation, the product and practical travel arrangements.

Just get in touch and lets discuss your needs!

What are the five ways to work with The Outside Look?

There are five different ways to work with us. They are not steps you have to complete in order.

Masterclass helps you learn about a common problem.

Clinic lets you explore a shared problem with other people facing something similar.

Private Lab gives one organisation private time to work through one defined problem.

Quick MOT formally investigates one focused part of either Customers or People.

Full MOT looks across the whole Customers or People picture from Attract through Engage to Retain.

Do I have to start with a Masterclass?

No.

There is no ladder and no compulsory journey.

If a Private Lab is what you need, book a Private Lab.

If you already have a clear, important problem that needs proper investigation, a Quick MOT might be the right place to start.

Choose the level of help that fits the problem you have now.

What is the difference between a Private Lab and a Quick MOT?

A Private Lab is a three hour private session for your organisation.

You choose one of the problems we explore through our Masterclasses and Clinics and bring it inside your own organisation.

We question assumptions, explore what might be happening and help you see the problem more clearly.

A Quick MOT goes further.

It is a formal investigation of one focused part of Customers or People. We examine evidence, test explanations and give you a written diagnostic output showing what the evidence supports.

What is the difference between a Quick MOT and a Full MOT?

A Quick MOT investigates one focused part of Customers or People.

A Full MOT looks across one whole side, either Customers or People, through Attract, Engage and Retain.

That means a Full MOT can look at how different parts of the experience connect and where a problem that appears in one place may actually begin somewhere else.

How much does it cost?

Our current launch prices are straightforward.

Masterclass is £15 per person.

Clinic is £35 per person.

Private Lab is £345 per organisation.

Quick MOT is £565.

Full MOT is £895.

You see the price before you book and standard bookings are paid upfront.

Why would I pay for this when there is so much free business advice?

Sometimes free advice is exactly what you need.

The problem is that advice usually starts with an answer.

Advertise more. Change your website. Recruit differently. Raise your prices. Introduce a new system.

Those might all be good answers.

But only if they are fixing the right problem.

The Outside Look exists for the point before that decision, when it is worth understanding what is really happening before you commit money and effort to fixing it.

What happens after I book?

For a Masterclass or Clinic, your booking confirmation and session information are sent automatically.

For Private Lab, Quick MOT and Full MOT, we also get in touch personally by email.

That is where the relationship begins.

We will explain what happens next and start with what you are seeing, noticing or worrying about.

You do not need to arrive with a polished brief or a diagnosis.

Do I need to prepare loads of documents before a MOT?

No.

We do not begin by asking you to upload everything your organisation has ever produced.

We agree what we need to investigate, look at the evidence that is useful and make any important limitations clear.

What do I actually get from a Quick MOT or Full MOT?

You get an evidence led view of what we found, what it means, what deserves attention first and what sensible next moves are available.

A Quick MOT report is normally completed within 5 working days of the end of the investigation.

A Full MOT report is normally completed within 10 working days.

Both include an optional 30 minute follow up within 30 days of the report being sent.

Will you tell me what I want to hear?

Not deliberately.

If the evidence supports your original explanation, we will say so.

If it points somewhere else, we will say that too.

If there is not enough evidence to reach a confident conclusion, we will tell you that rather than manufacture certainty.

Do you guarantee that sales will increase or people will stay?

No.

We can investigate carefully, show you what the evidence supports and help you decide what deserves attention.

We cannot responsibly guarantee sales, recruitment, retention, profit or any other business result.

You remain in control of what you do with what we find.

What happens if you find I need something The Outside Look does not provide?

We tell you.

The investigation does not need to turn into another TOL product.

If the sensible next move is a marketing specialist, HR adviser, accountant, software provider, designer, recruiter or somebody else entirely, you are free to take what we found and decide who you want to work with.

That clean ending is deliberate.

I am still not sure which option I need. What should I do?

Start with what you are noticing.

You do not need to choose based on what sounds most impressive or most expensive.

Look at the five ways to work with us and choose the one that matches what you want to understand.

If you are still unsure, get in touch and tell us what is going on.

Find what matters. Know your next move.