If you're a regular reader of our articles (or anything we publish), you'll have read us write this before:
Many consulting firms lead with their capabilities – and it simply doesn’t land.
Sure, it tells people what a consulting firm does. But it doesn’t give them a reason to care. It puts the category of expertise at the centre, rather than the problem being solved or the outcomes that can be achieved. And it leaves the prospect doing the heavy lifting to figure out if ‘the category’ can help them.
Outcome-selling flips that.
It reframes the pitch around what clients actually want: business results.
However, let’s be clear, this doesn’t mean making guarantees that consulting firms can’t control. Consultancies are not running their clients’ business, after all.
Rather, consultancies should be in a position to link the work they do to the impact they create... and to the outcomes this impact typically drives.
So let's explore this step by step.
Let’s clarify one thing before we dive in: Outcome-selling might not be what you think it is (we find it to be widely understood in this industry). Some appear to believe that it’s about guaranteeing highly specific outcomes – e.g., “20% lower costs in 6 months.” Others assume it’s about taking full accountability for client-side results.
But that’s not quite it. In fact, how could it be? Consulting firms don't control the decision-making, resourcing, or execution context within the clients' organisations. They are not running clients’ teams. They are not in the driver's seat. And clients are very well aware of it, by the way.
So if outcome-selling isn't about ironclad promises and money-back guarantees, what is it?
It's about focus, not control.
Outcome-selling means making a strategic choice about which outcome a consulting firm exists to serve. It's about putting its expertise in the service of a business result that its clients care about. And the more specific a consultancy can be about it, the more powerful its proposition becomes.
Instead of vague statements like:
"We help with AI and automation."
Outcome-selling is the pursuit of translating expertise and capabilities into tangible business impact:
“We use AI to reduce IT's time-to-ticket resolution without adding headcount."
The former is generic. It prompts clients to connect the dots and understand how a consulting firm’s expertise can potentially benefit them. The latter is actionable and tied to measurable value. That's a direction buyers care about. It's grounded in business value. And it makes consulting work relatable and relevant.
Recommended reading: How a Consulting Point of View Turns Expertise Into Influence
Too often, consulting firms put all their time and energy into highlighting their activities and services. They are selling inputs: time, capacity, or capability:
The real issue with this stance?
It puts the burden on the prospective client to figure out how your expertise fits their world. They're left thinking, “OK... but what do I do with this?”
That dynamic – where the consulting firm shows up with tools but no clear application – has fuelled decades of cynicism (remember the old line about consultants borrowing your watch to tell you the time?).
Today, many clients simply don’t have the patience – or the budget – for that kind of guesswork. It makes engagements feel transactional, commoditises the value of the work, and ultimately eats into pricing power.
Selling outcomes is different. It means making a promise that resonates with the consulting firm’s target market. It makes for a more reliable foundation for creating a sustainable business with strong growth potential:
These are the real payoffs of focusing on a consulting proposition and refining the delivery model.
Here’s the truth: you can’t declare an outcome strategy. You have to earn it.
That means repetition – not reinvention. You build credibility through doing similar work, for similar clients, solving similar problems. Over time, you spot patterns, sharpen your method, and get clearer on the results you can speak to with confidence.
Outcomes aren’t invented in a workshop. They’re uncovered and proven in the field – through patterns, refinements, and client success over time. This hands-on experience is what allows a consulting firm to move beyond theory and speak authoritatively about results.
It enables firms to build client success journeys that show how each milestone brings clients closer to the high-value endpoint. It allows consultancies to see the bigger picture, which means that instead of engaging in a one-off project or service delivery, they establish true partnerships with clients.
That’s why consulting firms that continually expand their services struggle to build outcome credibility. Each new service resets the learning curve. It delays the clarity and proof that outcome-selling requires.
So where do you start?
Once this is clear, everything else gets easier. Project scoping, messaging, and team alignment – it all starts to reinforce the same direction.
Recommended reading: The Ultimate Guide to Consulting Value Proposition Design
Please, remember: "Outcome-selling" isn't about promising the moon. It's about focusing efforts and showing what's possible, and then delivering it again and again.
By shifting to this approach, consulting firms create both internal and external clarity and build trust with clients. Focus and repetition enable consultancies to transform their portfolio of services into a roadmap that delivers meaningful business impact.
This, in turn, changes the perception of a consulting firm from a vendor to a real business partner.
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