David A Fields

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

Phil Erful, CEO of Zeppelinnovation needs your consulting firm’s expertise. His company’s results have bobbed along uncertainly; however, with your advice, Zeppelinnovation’s fortunes would rise steadily. There’s only one problem: Phil doesn’t realize he’s tethered to a poor approach and that your consulting firm could release the restraints on success.

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David A Fields

OCTOBER 17, 2023

There are better (and worse) ways for your consulting firm to react when you find yourself facing competition for an important project. Sometimes your prospective clients make inexplicable decisions. For example, promoting Jimmy “Straight Line” Jameson to head of innovation, holding inter-departmental competitions on team unity day, and considering consulting firms other than yours for … Continued The post Competing for Projects: Consulting Firm Dos and Don’ts appeared fi

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David A Fields

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

Based on data collected from lead generation firms and shared with us by hundreds of consulting firms, one sales benchmark, in particular, warrants your attention: the likelihood of cold, outbound lead generation (or, similarly, advertising) to result in a project for your consulting firm. Let’s say you reach out to Clara Coldington, CEO of Dunnoyu, … Continued The post Important Sales Benchmark for Your Consulting Firm appeared first on David A.

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David A Fields

AUGUST 29, 2023

Your consulting firm faces many difficult decisions—times when you need to metaphorically draw a line in the sand and vow, “If we reach this line, we change directions” or “If we cross this line, we go all-in” or “Even if we draw the line in a circle, we will not smirk and call it a … Continued The post Your Consulting Firm Needs to Find This Line appeared first on David A.

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David A Fields

AUGUST 8, 2023

Dagnabit, there’s someone slowing down your consulting firm! More than one someone, in fact—multiple someones conspiring to suppress growth, pillage productivity and wipe out your hidden chocolate stash. And, worst of all, you know the rascals. They’re you. You’re the leader of your consulting firm and you may also be the biggest obstacle to its … Continued The post 3 People Reducing Productivity at Your Consulting Firm appeared first on David A.

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Productivity Consulting Groups 195

David A Fields

JULY 11, 2023

Your consulting firm submitted a proposal to Chlorissa (“Chlo”) Zing, COO at Fantasma, S.A. However, Ms. Zing canceled your scheduled appointment to talk about the proposal, and hasn’t responded to your request to reschedule. Frustratingly, another hot prospect, Luke van Nesht, with whom your consulting firm held a number of promising conversations, has also stopped … Continued The post Prospects Ghosting Your Consulting Firm?

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Consulting Groups 195

David A Fields

JULY 4, 2023

Clients hire your consulting firm because they trust you to help them solve their problems or achieve their aspirations; because they accept your authority in your area of expertise. Conversely, any chink in your perceived authority will weaken trust with prospects and with clients. That can trigger a precipitous drop in perceived value (and fees), … Continued The post How to Sound Authoritative (and Why it Matters for Your Consulting Firm) appeared first on David A.

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David A Fields

MAY 2, 2023

Most of the time, you and your colleagues at your consulting firm are hard-working, nose-to-the-grindstone types. But today… well, today it’s gorgeous outside. Today you’d rather play golf, or watch golf videos on YouTube, or shop for golf gear. Hey… that time-lapse video on growing fescue looks sorta interesting! In fact, anything other than work … Continued The post How to Beat the Procrastination Bug at Your Consulting Firm appeared first on David A.

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David A Fields

APRIL 18, 2023

Consultants frequently (and unknowingly) mishandle proposal discussions with prospective clients. As a result, they take on projects that were improperly scoped. Or they set their consulting firm up to disappoint the client, leave opportunities on the table or, in some cases, lose promising engagements. Imagine you submitted a proposal to Sara Noé, CEO of Bean-Free … Continued The post Are Your Clients Resistant or Just Confused?

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David A Fields

APRIL 11, 2023

A senior colleague at your consulting firm keynotes Cacao Jam, the cacao dessert industry’s annual conference. As she wraps up her inspiring tale of the modern workplace melting pot, the audience rises to its feet. She basks in the thunderous applause and the glow of the spotlight framing her against the chocolatey brown backdrop. You … Continued The post Your Brand vs.

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David A Fields

MARCH 21, 2023

When your consulting firm’s sales are down and your pipeline resembles Mother Hubbard’s cupboard, it’s easy to become paralyzed or confused by next steps. First, determine which variety of sales slump you’re facing. The three types are outlined in this article. Your consulting firm’s path out of the downturn depend upon which variety of sales … Continued The post 10 Dos and Don’ts When Your Consulting Firm’s Sales Are Slumping appeared first on David A.

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Sales Consulting Groups 221

David A Fields

MARCH 14, 2023

Sales slumps are disheartening, frustrating, and border on panic-inducing for consulting firm leaders. If you have proven you can win consulting engagements steadily in the past, and now you’re facing a revenue lull, your first step is to determine which of the three varieties of sales decline you’re confronting. Natural Trough – Your consulting firm … Continued The post The 3 Causes of Consulting Sales Dips (and the Response to Each) appeared first on David A.

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Sales Consulting Groups 221

David A Fields

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

Jeff Boyardi, CSO (Chief Sauce Officer) at a Stuphinacan Co. contacts your consulting firm to explore a potential project. You engage in a friendly discovery conversation (a.k.a. Context Discussion) and agree to a follow-up date to discuss next steps. Alas, Jeff isn’t alone at the next call. He’s joined by his colleague Cam Bell, the … Continued The post The CORRECT Response to “How is Your Firm Better?

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Consulting Groups 221

David A Fields

JANUARY 24, 2023

There are a couple of little steps in your consulting firm’s normal routine that are dampening your performance. If you tweaked them just a smidge, you’d attract more prospects, encounter more opportunities, win more valuable projects, delight more of your clients, deliver higher quality in less time, endure less stress, and get along better with … Continued The post Three People Who Can Spot Little Things Holding Your Consulting Firm Back appeared first on David A.

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David A Fields

DECEMBER 6, 2022

Should your consulting firm be rewarded for your hard work on behalf a client? The simple answer is: No. The more nuanced answer is, “Mostly not.” We’ll get to that in a minute. The confusion between effort and money-owed runs rampant on both sides of the consulting table. Clients often believe they are paying for … Continued. The post What Your Consulting Effort is Worth to Clients.

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Analysis Consulting Groups 221

David A Fields

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

Good news: your consulting firm has been asked to submit a proposal by Phil Yerwiech, CEO of herb eradication giant, Thyme Begone. Bad news: developing that proposal will consume time, and you’re already busy. What’s the most effort your consulting firm should invest in developing the proposal and/or proposal presentation? It depends. Before we establish … Continued.

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David A Fields

OCTOBER 25, 2022

“I just want to do the work. I don’t like marketing myself or selling.” That’s a common sentiment among the leaders of very small consulting firms. It also pervades the “next generation” at almost every consulting firm trying to expand its leadership ranks. Since leading a consulting firm generally requires you to excel in business … Continued.

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David A Fields

OCTOBER 11, 2022

Consulting firms ranging from solo practitioners to $20m+ boutiques regularly secure engagements on Catalant, Umbrex, BTG and similar talent platforms. Those platforms can be an excellent source of projects for your consulting firm too… if you know how to win on them. Otherwise they can be a distraction and source of frustration. Fortunately, we recently … Continued.

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David A Fields

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

I’m on vacationMy readers deserve some funLet’s play with haiku! (Author’s admission:Most of these haiku are fromtwo thousand nineteen) (For those who don’t know…Haiku: three lines; syllables:five, seven then five.) One more week gone, andthe proposal isn’t signedShould I call again? Hooray, they said yes!Let’s review the task timeline.Uh oh.

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David A Fields

AUGUST 23, 2022

Your consulting firm delivers creative solutions and excellent execution; thinking and implementation; fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Which of those should take priority (i.e., your time and resources) in order to win more clients? Let’s say that you, my dear chickadee, want to move from the southwest corner of Main and Broad to the northeast … Continued.

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David A Fields

AUGUST 2, 2022

Some clients want the bare minimum of support from your consulting firm, which can be frustrating for you since big revenue follows big projects. By introducing more DFY/DIY combinations into your suite of offerings, you may open up lucrative new revenue streams for your consulting firm. Let’s say that you’re lining up a celebratory dinner. … Continued.

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Consulting Groups 195

David A Fields

JULY 19, 2022

You can explain your consulting firm’s work to prospects in language that is far more fascinating, exciting and, ultimately, more compelling than your standard, dull descriptions. Before we dive in, I invite you to glance at the clock and give yourself permission to focus on this for 15 minutes. Reading the article will take only … Continued. The post If a Pro Advertiser Described Your Consulting Firm, Here’s What She’d Say appeared first on David A.

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Advertising Consulting Groups 243

David A Fields

JUNE 28, 2022

Over time, your consulting firm’s network can dwindle as you lose touch with ex-clients and fail to maintain other contacts. Fortunately, there’s an easy method to reawaken dormant relationships and enrich your pool of potential consulting clients. Remember Yuri? Sure you do. He was a client of yours, and even though you haven’t chatted in … Continued.

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Consulting Groups 195

David A Fields

JUNE 7, 2022

Consulting firm clients occasionally (or frequently) don’t live up to their obligations on a project—mid-project approvals come late, or not at all, critical information is missing, etc. Sometimes, clients ask your consulting firm to take on extra work that was outside of scope. Both of these client behaviors present a challenge for your consulting firm. … Continued.

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David A Fields

MAY 24, 2022

After your consulting firm wins a project, you deliver the project to your client. However, there’s a different type of delivery that dramatically affects your success in business development. If you can stomach just a tiny bit of discomfort, you’ll enjoy dramatic results. If you’ve perused many of the articles on this site and/or my … Continued.

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David A Fields

MAY 10, 2022

Your consulting firm could be working on larger, juicier, more profitable projects. We’ve often seen firms double or triple their average project size. Achieving that goal may not be as distant or difficult as you’d think. Author’s note: The following article was originally published in 2015. Occasionally I update old articles; however, this one seemed … Continued.

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David A Fields

APRIL 26, 2022

If you travel any major highway (a.k.a. motorway) you have passed numerous tractor-trailers hauling freight from one destination to another. Tractor-trailers provide a helpful metaphor that you can employ to improve your consulting firm’s business development process. The tractor is where the power resides, and the trailer holds the valuable goods. (Cookies in the cab … Continued.

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David A Fields

MARCH 22, 2022

Consider reality talent show contestants for a moment. Many have modest talent (at best) and are, nevertheless, shocked when they fail out of the competition. They exhibit what appears to be an inexplicable overestimation of their own talents. You and your consulting firm occasionally suffer from the same lack of awareness in a particular area … Continued.

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David A Fields

MARCH 8, 2022

You may be focusing on the wrong “level” of your consulting firm’s problems to create rapid progress in your firm’s results. Today’s exercise in questionable metaphor usage features The Beatles’ hit single, “Baby You Can Drive My Car,” which was decidedly not about cars. And even more decidedly not about how you’re leading your consulting … Continued.

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David A Fields

FEBRUARY 22, 2022

Remember all those little lessons and morals one of your parents or instructors would tell you? Clever maxims such as, “Honesty is the best policy,” and “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” and “No, an empty shoebox is not an acceptable diorama of The Invisible Man.” One of the classic structures for a pithy … Continued. The post 10 Simple Lessons for Your Consulting Firm appeared first on David A.

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David A Fields

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

When your consulting firm’s offering is constructed correctly, it resonates with prospects and projects are easy to close. You can build such an offering in five, easy steps. Let’s say you have a conversation scheduled with a new prospect for your consulting firm: Vera Surtan, Chief Assuredness Officer at Technacious. Will you easily lock in … Continued.

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David A Fields

JANUARY 18, 2022

You may have considered announcing an increase in your consulting firm’s fees—or announcing a potential increase in fees—as a method for inducing prospects to engage your consulting firm now, while your fees are at their current rates. Let’s discuss whether that technique works or not. Your consulting firm is better at what it does than … Continued.

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Sales Consulting Groups 195

David A Fields

JANUARY 5, 2022

People are most likely to act when what they want is within reach. You can leverage that bias to win more clients for your consulting firm. Motivation’s a funny thing. You think to yourself, “Self, this is the year my consulting firm is going to put millions of dollars into my pocket. Also, I’m going … Continued. The post How the “Small Gap” Creates More Clients for Your Consulting Firm appeared first on David A.

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Consulting Groups 221

David A Fields

DECEMBER 21, 2021

Prospects who are talking with your consulting firm about your services will commonly ask to speak to your past clients. You could simply hand over a few names with contact information, or you could take a more nuanced approach. There’s nothing untoward about a prospect asking for references. Prospective clients need information and reassurance before … Continued.

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How To Consulting Groups 221

David A Fields

NOVEMBER 30, 2021

Pricing your consulting firm’s projects is tricky. You’re not alone if your heartbeat elevates or your stomach clenches when it comes to talking about your consulting firm’s fees with a prospective client, or when you’re developing the “investment level” for a specific consulting engagement. A few rules and a handful of cookies will soothe your … Continued.

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Consulting Groups Development 370

David A Fields

NOVEMBER 16, 2021

As you think about how to grow your consulting firm, you may want to explore new offerings or new markets for your services. For instance, the opportunity to win doorway advisory projects looks wide open, or you could turn your attention to the booming fireworks market. Whether you’re expanding on a successful service line or … Continued. The post 5 Easy Questions to Detect Huge Opportunities for Your Consulting Firm appeared first on David A.

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David A Fields

OCTOBER 26, 2021

The route from your consulting firm’s current state to your desired future is absolutely crystal clear and straightforward. You could call it Easy Street. Well, except for the obstacles in the way. Those could slow you down. You know…the little speed bumps, the other consulting firms that swerve in your way, the police barricade. But … Continued.

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