reader, the old ways of building and growing a consulting firm are under pressure. It’s time to move beyond the capability-plus-capacity stance.
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A Bi-Weekly 'Think Piece' For Consulting Firms

EDITION #118

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

The Authority 118

Dear reader, 

Here comes the 118th edition of the newsletter. 

 

Our new article in this edition discusses market shifts that threaten to leave many consulting firms behind.

 

Many consultancies sell capabilities – a business strategy that worked when clients had more need for “advisory services” - and fewer substitute solutions. But today, that model is breaking down. Consulting firms should take notice and shift their approach.

 

As always, we hope to create a bubble of calmness with this bi-weekly ‘think piece’, a place of stillness in the face of everyday stress—a chance to reflect on what really matters in your consulting work..

 

Enjoy reading, 

 

Luk & Florian

OUR NEW ARTICLE

 

Consulting Growth Is Stalling – How Can You Respond?

 

Consulting growth is stalling - how can you respond

 

"2024 wasn’t a great year for consulting." That’s the bottom line from the latest Consulting Market Navigator report by Kennedy Intelligence and the IMF.  

 

As Nathan Simon, partner at Kennedy Intelligence, points out, consulting growth outpaced nominal GDP in the early 2010s. That trend slowed in the late 2010s and briefly rebounded in 2021–2022, but has now faded.

 

His take: "Unfortunately, the double-digit growth rates of 2021–22 were a one-off… as talent-strapped clients grappled with supply and business model disruptions."  

 

I haven’t run the numbers like Kennedy Intelligence, but from our work with mid-sized boutiques and larger consulting firms, I see the same trend: Winning and growing work is getting harder, and the sector rules are shifting.  

 

Most critically, the old ways of building and growing a consulting firm are under pressure. It’s time to move beyond the capability-plus-capacity stance.

 

READ THE NEW ARTICLE

 

RECENT ARTICLES

How Thought Leadership Has Been Driving My Business Development for 15 Years

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

How Thought Leadership Has Been Driving My Business Development for 15+ Years

The Biggest Mistakes Consulting Firms Made in 2024

STRATEGY

The Biggest Mistakes Consulting Firms Made in 2024

Adopting the buyers lens to improve consultancy performance

BUSINESS ASSESSMENT 

Adopting the Buyer’s Lens to Improve Consultancy Performance

How a Boutique Consultancy’s Pitch Beat a Big 4 Consultancy’s Proposal

SIGNATURE METHODOLOGY

The Best Consulting Pitch I’ve Ever Seen

MOST RECENT LINKEDIN POSTS

LUK

MANAGING A CONSULTANCY

I had a conversation today with a stressed-out Big 4 director. 

SERVICE DESIGN

Struggling to grow existing accounts? Stop chasing new services!

STRATEGY

The default consulting mode is the enemy of profitability.

BUSINESS MODEL

There are two ways to run a consulting firm. One drains profitability.

NARROW FOCUS

How one mistake in my early consulting years taught me the value of stability.

DIFFERENTIATION

You’re not different. You just think you are.

STRATEGY

Most consulting firms are doomed to underperform.

VALUE PROPOSITION

Consulting value proposition design is not about creating a new marketing tagline.

FLORIAN

DIFFERENTIATION

The differentiation mistake hurting so many consultancies

MARKET TRENDS

2025: The Year to Fix Consulting Firms' Biggest Mistakes—Before They Become Too Costly to Ignore

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Is growth stalling in consulting? 

STRATEGY

Big Firms Sold Capacity. Smart Firms Will Sell Outcomes.

HERE'S HOW WE HELP CONSULTANCIES

Luk and Florian announcement-1

 

Our newly designed service offering for Consulting Firms and Consulting Firm Buyers/Investors    

 

We help our clients chart a path to superior consulting value. We help them stop chasing revenue through the default capability and capacity selling and build a differentiated, issue-led, and outcome-based consulting proposition that attracts the right clients and scales profitably.


In the long run, our approach to building or redefining the consulting proposition helps them reduce complexity, standardise repeatable success, and move away from headcount-dependent growth. If done well, it will ultimately lead to higher margins, a more predictable pipeline, and a consulting business that runs intentionally—not by default.


Here’s how we chart the path to superior consulting value for our ideal consulting clients.

 

1. Consulting Value Review

 

A structured, 4 to 6-week, value-proposition-anchored rapid assessment of a consulting firm's growth and performance potential. We analyse the strength of the consulting proposition, messaging, client positioning, high-value characteristics, and service-market fit to identify quick wins and long-term improvement opportunities.

 

Best for:

  • Boutique firms (30+ consultants) & large firm practices seeking to deliver superior client value
  • 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. We ensure the firm’s differentiation is clear, compelling, and actionable and provide the foundational elements of a high-impact business development strategy. 

 

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. The goal is to ensure each offering has a strong value proposition, clear differentiation, and logical fit within the broader portfolio.

 

Best for:

  • 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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