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

EDITION #71

MARCH 29, 2023

Dear reader, 

Here comes the 71st edition of my newsletter. 

In the last couple of weeks, in my posts, I was exploring the links between the business results of consultancies and their internal processes.

I looked over pages of my notes that I've accumulated over the years on what high-performing consulting firms do differently from the ones that are constantly struggling.

As I explain in my posts, it is all connected – those who underperform also tend to have poor internal processes, be it internal alignment, pipeline management, forecasting, recruitment, or employee retention.

The highly profitable firms, on the other hand, own most of their success to a highly optimized and efficient approach to every aspect of running a business, all of which is built on a rock-solid foundation of laser-sharp and market-relevant positioning.

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

High-Performing Consultancies Train Their New Hires on These 5 Things in the First Month

One of the things I see consultancies struggle often with is consultant recruitment, onboarding, development, and retention.

Consulting is a highly competitive industry – and not only in terms of acquiring new clients. Competition for top talent is rough.

Everyone wants the best consulting expert, the best marketer, and the best salesperson. However, many consultancies fail to attract such talent or, if they manage to do so, actually retain it.

That’s the exact opposite of high-performing consultancies that I’ve had the pleasure of auditing, having in-depth conversations with, or meeting consulting leaders from over the years.

These firms tend to operate in a highly synchronized and efficient manner. Everyone is working towards a unified goal. From entry-level consultants and marketers to senior-level leadership and partners – there is this underlying alignment in messaging and actions.

And retention doesn’t seem to be that big a hassle for them. Why? They have a solid employee management system in place that starts off with the induction process of new hires.

READ MORE

MY RECENT ARTICLES

STRATEGY

The Way a Consultancy Manages Its Pipeline Is the Way It Manages the Consultancy

AUDIENCE EDUCATION

Without Thought Leadership, Consultancies Will Fail

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

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

STRATEGY

4 Lessons Learned From A Consultancy Due Diligence

STRATEGY

10 Consulting Trends: 2023 Edition

SUMMARY

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

MY LINKEDIN POSTS

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Too many consultancy owners operate their businesses in an ad hoc way.

STRATEGY

Lots of new projects but struggling to pay the bills and the team salaries?

POSITIONING

What is the link between consultancy positioning and my gravel bike?

STRATEGY

The sales success of a high-performing consultancy is a side effect.

NARROW FOCUS

7 Reasons why focus in a consultancy is paying off big time.

POSITIONING

Here’s how a BPE approach transforms consultancy positioning.

MY SUNDAY SHOUTOUTS ON LINKEDIN

...to Hinge Research Institute for their annual ‘Consulting High Growth Study’ and Kelly Moore for her great summary. Kelly answers the question: What are high growth consultancies doing differently?

...to Robert Cialdini for his slideshow on simple yet powerful techniques on how to get people to say yes (with scientific evidence).

Really worth the reading! Excellent carousel!

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.

My High-Performance Consultancy Review provides a 360-degree evaluation of challenges such as:

- market positioning and target audience;

- visibility and reputation in the market;

- new client acquisition;

- existing client development and retention;

- pipeline predictability;

- expertise differentiation;

- business performance measurement;

- 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. 

BOOK A CALL →

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