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

EDITION #70

MARCH 15, 2023

Dear reader, 

Here comes the 70th edition of my newsletter. 

As spring and winter are battling, I hope the more frequent rays of sunshine are adding a much-needed dose of optimism and energy to everyone's day.

I haven't heard much optimism from consulting leaders in the last few months. "We are tightening our belts given the economic environment" or "It's getting more and more difficult to recruit clients" – these are the types of statements I encounter a lot.

In today's selection of posts, I want to remind my readers that business growth is possible in times of economic uncertainty. It's simply a matter of picking the right strategy and seeing it through.

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

FEATURED ARTICLE

Without Thought Leadership, Consultancies Will Fail

One of the best thought leadership studies in the world! 

Every year, Grist researches thought leadership trends in the advisory industry. Hands down, this is one of the best thought leadership studies in the world. I got a sneak peek at the 2023 edition of the study.

Without revealing too much information or all of the statistics in my new article, I’d like to comment on a few trends that consultancies MUST be aware of.

READ MORE

MY RECENT ARTICLES

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Your Consultancy’s Slowdown Isn't the Economy's Fault

STRATEGY

4 Lessons Learned From A Consultancy Due Diligence

NARROW FOCUS

Why Variation in Consulting Does Not Sell

SUMMARY

My Biggest Learnings in 10+ Years of Consulting Work

STRATEGY

10 Consulting Trends: 2023 Edition

SUMMARY

140+ Pieces of Advice I Shared with Consultancies on LinkedIn in 2022

MY LINKEDIN POSTS

STRATEGY

Consulting Firm Due Diligence: The 10 Metrics You Can't Ignore

EXPERTISE

Experts don’t sell. They reduce the fear of failure.

STRATEGY

Is the expertise of your consultancy perceived as an essential spend?

AUDIENCE EDUCATION

“Our older C-level prospects don’t read our thought leadership content”.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

For years, I struggled with managing and forecasting my consulting pipeline.

POSITIONING

The positioning book ‘Obviously Awesome’ had a significant impact on me. The author: April Dunford.

MY SUNDAY SHOUTOUTS ON LINKEDIN

...to Jeroen Kraaijenbrink for his V-shaped theory (with >5.000 reposts!). I really love the concept of the vertical expertise with adjacent knowledge (instead of broad knowledge in the T-shaped) in the context of narrow focus in consulting.

...to Ben Potter - agency expert - for his tips how to uncover a prospect’s budget during the initial discussion(s).

Great learnings for the consulting industry.

HERE'S HOW I HELP CONSULTANCIES

If you knew a way to become a high-performance boutique consultancy, would you adopt it?

Stupid question, I guess.

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- pipeline predictability;

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- key player retention.

You'll receive a detailed report of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and areas for improvement, along with actionable insights to help unlock your consultancy's full potential.

Don't settle for mediocrity. Book your High-Performance Consultancy Review today and take the first step towards a brighter future for your boutique consultancy.

PS. My ideal clients: founder-led boutique consultancies with revenue between 2M and +/- 20M and/or between 15 and +/- 100 consultants. 

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