reader, the client‑centricity lie is backfiring in consulting, and here’s what to do instead. ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­    ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  
View in browser
The Authority - 2025 logo

Helping to Build High-Performing Consulting Firms

🔴 EDITION #145 | March 11, 2026

Dear reader, 

Here comes the 145th edition of our newsletter. In our featured article, we discuss client-centricity: what some consulting firms mean by it and what, in our opinion, constitutes true client-centricity.

 

We explain how a consulting firm can stop sounding like everyone else and become client-centric – in a meaningful way, not in a chest-pounding “we care more than anyone else” soundbite way.

 

Enjoy reading, 

 

Luk & Florian

Our New Article

The Client-Centricity Lie in Consulting

The Client-Centricity Lie in Consulting (1)

 

“We are client-centric” – oh, if we had a penny for every time we’ve heard or read this line from a consulting firm.  

 

What a meaningless statement! Is there a single consultancy that’s not “client-centric”? Isn’t that the entire purpose of the consulting industry – to centre knowledge and resources around a client issue?  

 

When we dig deeper into what each consulting leader meant by that, we usually discover that, more often than not, this statement is a symptom of a set of foundational cracks, and “client-centricity” is the outcome, not an actual business framework.  

 

So we dive into what client-centricity is, what approach to it makes it dangerous, and what, in our opinion, makes for true client-centricity.

 

Read the New Article

 

Our Recent Articles

SERVICE DESIGN

The Impact of a Clear Consulting Proposition on Service Design

STRATEGY

The Toxic Effect of Improvisation on a Consulting Firm’s Performance

SERVICE DESIGN

Every Consulting Firm Needs a Discovery Service

Consulting Proposition Design - 2026 Book

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

DIFFERENTIATION

Stop saying: “We are passionate about helping clients deliver meaningful change.”

BUSINESS MODEL

Size no longer protects a consulting firm.

MESSAGING

The single biggest mistake consulting firms make: talking about themselves!

DIFFERENTIATION

Most consulting firms believe they are different. But they just think they are. They are not.

STRATEGY

When cross-selling needs pushing, the consulting firm has built a commercial system that fights itself.

FOCUS

This video had a huge impact on me.

CASE STUDY

A consulting firm deliberately cut 30% of its services. Revenue dropped first, profit improved later.

🔴 FLORIAN HEINRICHS

CONSULTING SPECIFICITY

If Your Consulting Pipeline Feels Random, It's Probably Not an Effort Problem. It's a Relevance Problem.

STRATEGY

Consultancies Should Segment by Issue First — Industry Second

ALIGNMENT

The Fastest Way to Find Out Whether Your Consulting Firm Has a Proposition Issue?

DIFFERENTIATION

The Key Truth About Consultancy Differentiation / Proposition Design.

Here's How We Help Consultancies

Luk and Florian announcement-1

 

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

 

Want to work with us?
SEND US YOUR SUPPORT REQUEST →

Not yet subscribed to 'The Authority'? Subscribe here.

Previous 'The Authority' edition: Edition #144

Wanna send The Authority to friends or colleagues? It lives here

Connect with us on LinkedIn: Luk | Florian

logo-in-front-white_mobile

TheVisibleAuthority.com, Jan Verbertlei 37, 2650, Edegem, Belgium 2650, Belgium

Unsubscribe Manage preferences