Industry 08 · Engineering, Consulting & Professional Services
Growth for engineering, consulting and professional services.
When the service depends on people, reputation decides. Visibility only helps if it points to professional substance.
In short
In engineering and consulting, clients buy a judgement, not a finished product. That is why nothing works better here than visible expertise: published assessments, named experts, traceable projects. We sharpen the focus, make expertise visible and build an acquisition process that supports referrals and makes new engagements more predictable.
- Engineering firms
- Technical consulting
- Management consulting
- B2B services
- Planning firms
- Specialised consultancies
01 · Starting point
Trust is built before the first meeting.
Consulting and engineering services can hardly be tested before purchase. Buyers therefore look for substitute signals: what has someone published, have they solved comparable situations, how nuanced does their assessment sound?
Classic advertising hardly works in this market. Articles, talks and named experts work well. Whoever answers a question well in public has proven competence before the first conversation.
A common mistake is anonymity. Many firms deliberately present themselves as an institution and give away exactly the signal buyers are looking for.
Typical situations
- Engagements come almost exclusively through referrals
- Growth depends on a few partners
- The website describes services but not projects
- Price pressure from larger firms
- Difficulty attracting young talent
02 · Buying process
Who decides and what matters.
Referrals remain the most important channel. The decision, however, follows the follow-up research, and that happens online.
Typical buying committee
- Management or executive board
- Commissions the work and owns the result.
- Business unit
- Works with the consultant and assesses competence.
- Procurement
- Checks day rates, framework agreements and competing offers.
- Project management
- Looks at availability, methodology and collaboration.
- Public clients
- Award contracts based on suitability, references and economics.
03 · Focus areas
How we work in this market.
The Growth Architecture stays the same. The weighting and order of the disciplines depend on the market.
- Strategy & Positioning
Focus rather than full range
A firm that does everything is recommended for nothing. We sharpen the focus around the engagements that fit best.
- Brand & Authority
Making experts visible
Profiles, executive positioning and regular articles with a clear answer.
- Digital Experience
Showing projects
Anonymised or approved projects with starting point, approach and result.
- Demand Generation
Supporting referrals
LinkedIn, events and ABM for target clients, aligned with the partners.
- Revenue Operations
Engagement pipeline
A lean CRM for opportunities, proposals and referral sources.
The full method is described on the approach page. Typical situations and the strategic response can be found in the playbook.
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions from this market.
Our engagements come through referrals. Do we need marketing?
Do we have to put people in the foreground?
How much time does thought leadership cost our partners?
Further reading
Relevant services and next steps.
Working together
Let's talk about where you stand.
In a 30-minute first conversation we identify where your growth is stuck and whether working together makes sense. You then get an honest view of a realistic scope.