AI Consultant: selling, scoping and delivering engagements

Questions about this course

What you will be able to do

• AI consulting: diagnostics, roadmaps and use case prioritization
• Selling consulting engagements: prospecting, sales proposals, negotiation and contracts
• AI governance: acceptable use policy, data security, ethics, compliance with Law 2008-12
• Managing AI deployments: pilot, acceptance testing, change management and handover
• Designing and delivering AI training for corporate teams
• Measuring return on investment and reporting to senior management

About this course

Who it is for: Freelancers and consultants, professionals changing careers, transformation leads, trainers, digital project managers and agency owners in Dakar, Abidjan, Bamako, Cotonou or the diaspora who already master AI tools and no-code automation and want to turn them into a consulting practice billed to companies and organizations.

Curriculum

A module-by-module path: lessons, exercises, quizzes and projects to submit.

1. 1

   Module 1· 16 exercises

   The AI consultant's role and market in 2026

   Understand what clients really expect, choose your positioning and set a rate card in FCFA.

   • What business leaders in French-speaking Africa really expect from AI in 2026Free preview3 exercises20 min
   • The five types of engagement: diagnostic, rollout, training, governance, monthly supportFree preview3 exercises20 min
   • Choosing your target and positioning: sector, size, problem, proofFree preview3 exercises20 min
   • Setting your pricing: day rate, fixed price, value, and the floor price you must never go belowFree preview3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the offer sheet and the price grid in FCFA, step by step (fictional worked case)Free preview4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)Free preview5 min
   • Quiz: the job and the marketModule quiz
   • Your AI consulting offer and your rate cardProject to submit
2. 2

   Module 2· 16 exercises

   Finding your first consulting clients

   Build a prospect pipeline, publish credible expertise and turn a first meeting into a paid diagnostic.

   • Your network first: the list of 50 and the message that opens a meeting3 exercises20 min
   • LinkedIn and expertise content: prove without promising, with cases and figures3 exercises20 min
   • Discovery workshops, chambers of commerce, professional associations and donors3 exercises20 min
   • The first meeting: questions, listening, and proposing a paid diagnostic3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the 90-day prospecting plan and the 50-prospect tracker (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: finding your first clientsModule quiz
   • Your 90-day prospecting plan and your 50 qualified prospectsProject to submit
3. 3

   Module 3· 16 exercises

   The AI diagnostic: understand the organization before you recommend

   Run interviews and observations, map processes, assess maturity and prioritize use cases by value and risk.

   • Preparing the diagnostic: scope, interviewees, requested documents, schedule3 exercises20 min
   • Operational interviews: the question guide, a day of observation and the figures to collect3 exercises20 min
   • Mapping processes and measuring maturity: tools, data, skills, culture3 exercises20 min
   • Prioritizing use cases: the value, feasibility and risk matrix, and quick wins3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the complete AI diagnostic report, from interviews to the prioritization matrix (fictional worked case)4 exercises40 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: the AI diagnosticModule quiz
   • Your AI diagnostic reportProject to submit
4. 4

   Module 4· 16 exercises

   Sales proposal, pricing and engagement contract

   Turn the diagnostic into a clear proposal, price it right, negotiate without underselling and sign a contract that protects both parties.

   • The five-minute proposal: stakes, approach, deliverables, timeline, price3 exercises20 min
   • Pricing an engagement: days, licenses, subcontracting, margin and risk3 exercises20 min
   • Negotiating without cutting your price first: add value, split into phases, hold your floor3 exercises20 min
   • The engagement contract: scope, deliverables, ownership, confidentiality, data and payment3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the commercial proposal, the costing file and the engagement contract (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: proposal, pricing and contractModule quiz
   • Your sales proposal and your engagement contractProject to submit
5. 5

   Module 5· 16 exercises

   Security, ethics and compliance in AI deployments

   Set the framework that makes a deployment acceptable: acceptable use policy, data security, compliance with Law 2008-12, ethics and transparency.

   • The real risks of an AI deployment: data leaks, errors, bias, vendor lock-in3 exercises20 min
   • Law 2008-12, the CDP and client clauses: what a Senegalese company must check before deploying3 exercises20 min
   • Choosing enterprise plans: confidentiality, data hosting, accounts and access3 exercises20 min
   • Writing the company AI policy: permitted uses, prohibited uses, human review, transparency3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the company AI charter and the compliance sheet, filled in step by step (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: security, ethics and complianceModule quiz
   • The company AI policy and its compliance sheetProject to submit
6. 6

   Module 6· 16 exercises

   Designing the solution: roadmap, budget and pilot

   Turn priorities into a six-month roadmap, choose the tools, budget the client's costs and design a pilot that proves the value.

   • The six-month roadmap: quick wins, structural projects, and what we are not doing3 exercises20 min
   • Choosing tools: office suites with AI, assistants, automation, and the cost per user in FCFA3 exercises20 min
   • Designing the pilot: one department, one process, metrics, four to six weeks3 exercises20 min
   • Getting leadership sign-off: the launch committee and the decisions you need3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the six-month roadmap, its budget and the pilot sheet (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: designing the solutionModule quiz
   • Your six-month roadmap and your pilot planProject to submit
7. 7

   Module 7· 16 exercises

   Delivering: deployment, acceptance testing and handover

   Deploy assistants, automations and rules at the client, run acceptance tests with the users and organize a clean handover.

   • Organizing the deployment: schedule, client-side owners, access and environments3 exercises20 min
   • Building at the client's site: team assistants, prompt libraries, automations3 exercises20 min
   • Acceptance testing with users: test cases, acceptance criteria, sign-off report3 exercises20 min
   • Handover: documentation, internal lead, post-delivery support and engagement close3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the deployment plan, the acceptance test book and the handover file (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: delivery, deployment and acceptance testingModule quiz
   • Your deployment plan, acceptance testing and handover fileProject to submit
8. 8

   Module 8· 16 exercises

   Training teams and leading change

   Design and deliver training that changes how people work, handle resistance and put internal champions in place.

   • Why tools go unused: fear, overload, lack of time, and what to do about it3 exercises20 min
   • Designing team training: objectives, job cases, exercises, evaluation3 exercises20 min
   • Facilitating in person and remotely: mixed-level groups, tough questions, Day 30 follow-up3 exercises20 min
   • Internal champions: choosing them, training them and keeping them going after you leave3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the team training program, its materials and its evaluation (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: training teams and leading the changeModule quiz
   • Your team training program and its assessmentProject to submit
9. 9

   Module 9· 16 exercises

   Measuring return on investment and reporting

   Define the metrics before you start, measure honestly, calculate return on investment and present the results to senior management.

   • Choosing indicators: time, quality, lead times, volumes, satisfaction, and the baseline3 exercises20 min
   • Calculating return on investment in FCFA: full costs, gains, and what cannot be quantified3 exercises20 min
   • The report to management: one page, three figures, one decision requested3 exercises20 min
   • When results disappoint: explaining, fixing, and keeping the client's trust3 exercises20 min
   • Workshop: the return on investment calculation and the one-page report to management (fictional worked case)4 exercises35 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: measuring return on investmentModule quiz
   • Your return on investment report to managementProject to submit
10. 10

    Module 10· 16 exercises

    Growing your AI consulting practice

    Turn engagements into recurring revenue, build a network of partners, supervise junior consultants and stay current in a field that changes every quarter.

    • From one-off engagement to recurring contract: monthly support, ongoing training, maintenance3 exercises20 min
    • Building a network: technical partners, subcontractors, and the rules for keeping quality3 exercises20 min
    • Supervising juniors: delegating, reviewing, training and protecting the client relationship3 exercises20 min
    • Staying current: useful monitoring, the outlook for AI and updating your offers3 exercises20 min
    • Workshop: a complete engagement end to end, from prospecting to renewal (fictional worked case)4 exercises45 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: growing your businessModule quiz
    • Final project: a complete AI consulting engagement, from prospecting to renewalCapstone

11. Certificate included

After the course

What you get once the course is complete

Optional services, free for learners. This is not a promise of employment.