Helping to Build High-Performing Consulting Firms

🔴 EDITION #156 | August 26, 2026

Dear reader, 

Welcome to the 156th summer edition of our newsletter. 

In this edition, the featured article breaks down the problems with generic types of outcome statements and provides examples of how each could be redesigned to communicate concrete value to prospective clients..

We were very productive again with our LinkedIn activities. Below are the topics we wrote about over the past two weeks. Check it out! 

Enjoy reading,
Luk & Florian

Our New Article

The Problem with Consulting Firms’ Outcome Claims

Most consulting firms claim outcomes, but unfortunately, most of it is consulting fluff.

This is a common occurrence that we see on the websites of consulting firms daily – statements that sound impressive until someone asks a basic question: what will materially change for the client? No answer. Because of the fluff.

“We leverage the power of analytics and artificial intelligence to generate the insights that catalyse growth and efficiency.” This is capability language wrapped in outcome language. What do words "insights,” “growth,” and “efficiency” even mean?

Read Our New Article

Our Recent Articles

CONSULTING REVENUE

Why Cold Outbound in Consulting Doesn't Work. And What Actually Delivers Prospects.

GO-TO-MARKET

The Internal Org Chart Shouldn’t Dictate the Consultancy’s Go-to-Market Strategy, but in Most Firms, It Does

STRATEGY

Why Many Consultancies Fail to Reap the Benefits of Specialisation

OUR BOOK IS COMING IN 2026:

Consulting Proposition Design Book

Mastering Value Proposition Design for Consulting Performance

Join the waitlist to receive early access, get invited to a few pre-launch activities, and receive the book at the special launch price.

Join the Waitlist

Our Recent LinkedIn Posts

🔴 LUK SMEYERS

EVIDENCE-BASED MESSAGING

Many consulting firms are better than their market presentation suggests.

CONSULTING GROWTH

A growing consulting firm can still be economically fragile.

STRATEGY

How consulting firms can improve their go-to-market: with an issue-led consulting proposition.

VALUE DESIGN

Many consulting firms are trying to grow on foundations that cannot support growth.

COMMERCIAL STRATEGY

Why project customisation quietly destroys the case for value-based pricing in consulting.

TVA VISUALS

Our biggest learnings. Visualised.

FUTURE OF CONSULTING

AI has increased the sameness in consulting like hell.

🔴 FLORIAN HEINRICHS

STRATEGY

Some thoughts on protecting consulting propositions.

DIFFERENTIATION

Some (rarely) specific consulting industry commentary, if I may.

PROPOSITION DESIGN

Consulting proposition design is a process... and a difficult one you can't outsource, at that (at least not if you expect it to work).

VALUE-LED

I think consulting firms increasingly have a choice.

STRATEGY

More consulting leaders are reaching out, asking how they might shift toward more value-led work, "ideally before Q4" ... to which: ooof 

PRICING MODEL

In consulting, value-based pricing doesn't fail because firms don't have the right engagement model... but because they try to price outcomes they cannot control.

CLIENT JOURNEY

A LOT of consulting services were designed "inside-out" ... and it's a real issue.

Here's How We Help Consultancies

1. Consulting Value Review

A structured, 4 to 6-week, value-proposition-anchored rapid assessment of a consulting firm's growth and performance potential.

Best for:

• Buyers or Investors evaluating the proposition and performance of a consulting firm pre- or post-acquisition/investment

2. Value Maximisation Program

A 10 to 12-week intensive program designed to define, sharpen, and operationalise a firm’s consulting proposition. 

Best for:  

• Boutiques struggling with differentiation & business development
• Practices in large consultancies needing a clearer positioning
• Consulting firms launching new service lines
• Enterprise SaaS companies starting a consulting/service function or needing to improve their current consulting proposition

3. Service Portfolio Optimisation Program

A deep dive into the cohesion, efficiency, and superior client value of a consulting firm’s service portfolio.

Best for:  

• Large consulting firms with too many overlapping or unclear service offerings
• Consulting firm practices seeking to scale profitably by optimising service-market fit

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Connect with us on LinkedIn: Luk | Florian