Luk’s Bi-Weekly 'Think Piece' For Consultancy Owners

EDITION #114

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Dear reader, 

Here comes the 114th edition of my newsletter. 

In my new article in this edition, I discuss why utilisation is a metric boutique consultancies should approach cautiously.

I've always considered utilisation as a metric of how busy a consultancy is, not how successful it is. 

Many treat utilisation as the ultimate metric—the defining measure of efficiency, health, and performance. But here’s the thing: utilisation may matter, but it’s not the end game. An obsessive focus on utilisation can do more harm than good for boutique consultancies.

In my new article, I’ll explain why.

As always, I hope to 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

MY NEW ARTICLE

Why Boutique Consultancies Should Rethink Utilisation

"At the big firms, you get moved around like a chess piece on a board." This quote from a Financial Times article stuck with me as I reflected on some of the larger boutique consultancies I’ve worked with.  

For many, utilisation is treated as the ultimate metric—the defining measure of efficiency, health, and performance. But here’s the thing: utilisation may matter, but it’s not the end game. An obsessive focus on utilisation can do more harm than good for boutique consultancies.

In this article, I explain why.

READ MY NEW ARTICLE

MY RECENT ARTICLES

KPIs

The One Boutique Consultancy Metric That Tells It All

STRATEGY

Hiring a Business Development Leader Will Not Fix Boutique Consultancies’ Growth Problems

BUSINESS GROWTH

Do You Need New Consulting Services to Grow Revenue?

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

How Thought Leadership Has Been Driving My Business Development for 15+ Years

MY MOST RECENT LINKEDIN POSTS

SERVICE DESIGN

How adding new consulting services might undermine a consultancy's profit.

STRATEGY

Clients you chase today will be your problems tomorrow.

CLIENT MANAGEMENT

Without a playbook, consulting client retention and development is wishful thinking.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

If boutique consultancy owners are invisible in the market, their business runs on borrowed time.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Every failed consultancy has one thing in common: they couldn’t attract new clients.

STRATEGY

Stop selling what every other consultancy is already doing.

MY WEEKLY BITE-SIZED ADVICE

In this section, I recap the pieces of advice and inspiration I share with my followers on LinkedIn every Monday – all learned or observed throughout my personal journey as a consultant.

Follow #consultingmonday on LinkedIn to never miss a dose of inspiration at the start of the week.

CONSULTING MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25

Desperate client hunting is the root of consultancy regret.  

I’ve seen it countless times: boutique consultancies scrambling to fill their pipeline saying yes to almost everything. The result? Projects that drain resources and fragile client relationships rarely leading to long-term partnerships. Attracting clients who align with the consultancy's value proposition isn’t just a 'nice to have'. It’s the foundation of a high-performing consultancy. Instead of exhausting energy on the chase, focus on intentional attraction by building the trust that draws the right clients to the consultancy.

CONSULTING MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18

Wrong clients calling? Check your value proposition!  

Boutique consultancies that regularly receive diverse requests for non-fit projects from non-ideal clients most likely have a value proposition problem. If these requests are frequent—or growing—it’s a sign of a significant challenge: the consultancy’s value proposition isn’t clearly articulated or specific enough. While this is a major hurdle, it also presents an opportunity to revisit and refine it, ensuring a sharper focus and more substantial differentiation to attract the right clients. Non-ideal requests are the perfect mirror—time to refine!

HERE'S HOW I HELP CONSULTANCIES

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

Stupid question, I guess.

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

- market positioning and target audience definition;

- visibility and reputation in the market;

- new client acquisition;

- existing client development and retention;

- pipeline management and revenue predictability;

- expertise differentiation;

- non-linear scaling/growing;

- business performance measurement (financial & consulting KPI's);

- key player attraction and retention.

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

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

Here's a detailed article explaining the Consultancy Performance Review. 

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

BOOK A CALL →

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