Luk’s Bi-Weekly 'Think Piece' For Consultants

Edition #58 - September 7, 2022 

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Here comes the 58th edition of my newsletter. This time, I'm writing it as I sit on a train, going back to Antwerp from Ghent, where I held a series of training sessions for a consulting firm. I have to say, having launched The Visible Authority right as the pandemic hit, it's amazing to now be able to travel and split my time between virtual trainings and in-person sessions.  

I hope you can find a moment to disengage from your emails and calls, and read my newest experiences and short stories. 

As always, I hope I can create a bubble of calmness with my 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

Client Discussions

Client questions and case studies from the consulting frontline.

You need to shape your consultancy's thought leadership to achieve desired business results.

“My team has been putting in a lot of effort into creating premium content that showcases our consultancy’s expertise. But not much is happening.”

This is a copy-paste from one of the email chains with a prospective client early on in our communication.

This subject comes up often. In fact, the lack of ROI is one of the most common frustrations and objections that I encounter with consultancies.

There are a number of reasons why your firm’s thought leadership content is not driving its business development.

One big reason is the lack of a clear goal or strategy that consulting firms use when crafting every piece of content.

Here’s the problem. If you don’t have a goal, how can you measure success? How do you even begin to define “success” and “success metrics”?

If you don’t have an overarching strategy, how do you decide on what the right topic for your content is? How do you determine when to make adjustments? How do you tie it all together?

My strong belief – and a tried-and-tested method – is that consultancies must frame all their expertise-driven content efforts with the goal of generating demand.

Read in detail what demand generation in thought leadership is and what you can start doing today.

Would you like to send a question for one of the following newsletter editions? Please send it to me here. 

The Irresistible Content

I write a lot. Here's the update from the past 2 weeks.

The latest blog article: Consulting Leaders, Stop Outsourcing Your Thought Leadership Responsibility to Marketing!

As your consultancy grows or you get promoted to a leadership position or expand your practice, you can’t diminish your commitment to sharing your expertise as a thought leader. That’s when you exponentially increase your leading thought output.

Because here’s a simple truth: your prospects will not be convinced simply by your title. Whether you are a practice lead, a consultancy owner, or a senior consultant, you are not above the need to build trust with your audience.

Consulting growth is determined by the level of domain expertise and trust you can build. Marketers can’t achieve this without significant contributions from senior consultants.

My other content from the past 2 weeks

TVA blog: Why Do So Many Consultancies Neglect Former and Existing Clients? That’s Where the Money Is!

LinkedIn post: “Luk, I am exhausted”, a consulting partner told me recently after a meeting.

LinkedIn post: Success in consulting is a side effect.

LinkedIn post: Keeping all options open in consulting is toxic.

LinkedIn post: A niche in consulting might not be what you think it is.

LinkedIn post: We live in the era of the ‘leveraged individual’.

LinkedIn post: Luk, what should we answer to the question ‘Why should we hire your consultancy?’

LinkedIn post: The #1 secret to success in consulting?

LinkedIn post: Is your consultancy educating its target audience?

The Authority, previous edition: Edition #57

 The Inconvenient Number

Evidence-based learning for consultants.

Here's How I Can Help

Better consultancy firms, better consultants.

🅾️ Assessing the Consulting Firm's Market Positioning

Many consulting firms make the same mistake – rushing to pitch their services without putting enough effort into their positioning.

It always seems so counter-intuitive to me. It makes growing a consulting business so much harder, such a poor positioning. 

Without a strong market positioning, you do not have a proper framework to organize your priorities, client work, and business development. Moreover, your target market has no clear idea of what you do, how you do it, and why what you do is of value. 

I can help you assess the consulting firm's strengths and the areas for improvement. So take a piece of paper and a pen and return to the drawing board. Get the foundation right, and the rest will follow. 

My assessment takes you through a rigorous process of diagnosing, researching, assessing, and comparing the touchpoints that connect your consultancy with your ideal audience for the years to come.

If you don't assess your positioning every 2 to 3 years, you might have missed a few things on the market. 

Interested? Here's a detailed info page. 

🅾️ In-company business development workshops for consultancies

Are you seeking help to build and grow the foundations for a solid business development footprint in consulting?

I can help with short virtual interventions, 2-hour virtual workshops, half-day or full-day classes (virtual or live in West Europe), or 2-day boot camps in a retreat format. 

Everything is possible. 

Interested? Here is further information.

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Previous 'The Authority' edition: Edition #57

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