reader, most consulting firms don’t struggle because of external pressures or poor financials. Here is the real reason they struggle.
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A Bi-Weekly 'Think Piece' For Consulting Firms

EDITION #122

APRIL 9, 2025

The Authority 122

Dear reader, 

Here comes the 122nd edition of the newsletter. 

 

Our new article in this edition introduces a value proposition quadrant – a visual tool we've developed over time to help consultancies understand how they stack up.

 

You can use it to determine where your consultancy’s value proposition sits and what you should do to move to the ideal quadrant.

 

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

 

Enjoy reading, 

 

Luk & Florian

OUR NEW ARTICLE

 

The Consulting Value Proposition Quadrant

 

The Consulting Value Proposition Quadrant

 

In our experience, most consulting firms don’t struggle because of external pressures or poor financials. They don’t have a sales problem. They don’t have an expertise deficit.  

 

They struggle because their consulting value proposition is weak, vague, or indistinguishable from others. Clients don’t feel urgency or see no reason to hire these consultancies.  

 

This foundational problem then rears its ugly head in every aspect of running a consulting business – e.g., marketing efforts seem inconsequential, competitors constantly win bids for ideal clients, the pipeline of work is unpredictable, and so on.

 

While initial requests for help come to us from consultancies for a whole bunch of reasons, it is amazing how many come down to the problem of poor consulting value propositions.  

 

Over time, it allowed us to map these consulting firms onto a quadrant – the consulting value proposition quadrant.

 

READ THE NEW ARTICLE

 

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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:

  • 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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