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A Bi-Weekly 'Think Piece' For Consulting Firms

EDITION #119

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

The Authority 119

Dear reader, 

Here comes the 119th edition of the newsletter. 

 

Our new article in this edition discusses two ways to run a consulting firm – the improvisation-based, default mode and the high-performing, intentionally designed firm.

 

In our experience, consulting firms often attribute their struggles to external pressures, such as market conditions, competition, changing client expectations, etc. But the reality is different. More often than not, their biggest obstacle is internal: the reactive decision-making that keeps them locked in a cycle of underperformance.

 

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

 

There Are Two Ways to Run a Consulting Firm. One Drains Profitability.

 

There Are Two Ways to Run a Consulting Firm – One Drains Profitability.

 

Most consulting firms don’t fail because of market conditions. They fail because they create their own underperformance – one improvisation at a time.

 

These consulting firms operate in, what we call, the ‘default mode'. And while it is a very common occurrence in consulting firms, it is not growth- and profitability-conducive.  

 

This is what is discussed in this article: the two ways to run a consulting firm. One leads to unpredictable pipelines and revenue-chasing. The other one is used by consultancies as an engine for high performance and profitability.

 

READ THE NEW ARTICLE

 

RECENT ARTICLES

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

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

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BUSINESS ASSESSMENT 

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MOST RECENT LINKEDIN POSTS

LUK

VALUE PROPOSITION

Here’s how 2 consulting firm clients transformed their fluffy propositions. 

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I spent years trying to fix what wasn’t actually broken.

CLIENT DEVELOPMENT

Clients leave when success isn’t by design.

VALUE PROPOSITION

Consulting clients don’t buy expertise. They buy a solution to a problem.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

This double consulting failure is leaving money on the table...

DIFFERENTIATION

Most consulting firms sound the same: vague, broad, and forgettable. 

NARROW FOCUS

Specificity feels risky. The real risk? Vagueness.

VALUE PROPOSITION

2 Fatal errors stemming from a missing value proposition in a consulting firm. 

FLORIAN

STRATEGY

If most consultancies were startups, they’d be failed startups... here's why

VALUE PROPOSITION

Solving proposition design for the multi-service firm

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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