Strategy work is at least 3x more profitable than implementation services because it provides long-term value. Marketing strategy consultants make more money in less time because they focus on providing what is most valuable to their clients: a plan.

Less pitching, more planning. Larger client budgets require more trust and confidence to close. That trust and confidence comes naturally when you are offered a proven, repeatable process for generating new business, not smoke and mirrors. Start every client with a strategy and you will accelerate new business: guaranteed.

Your clients’ perception of you is based on what you do for them, not what you say about yourself. When your clients refer to you as their “website person” or “content person” or “email folks” it is because they are paying for these services. If you want to be an indispensable, strategic partner: it won’t happen until they start paying you for strategy.

Very simple: they can increase their income and contribution elsewhere. The smartest people leave services companies because the business model sucks compared to the fast growing software companies you compete with for talent. These companies offer growth (financially and personally) for the employee while working for a services agency feels like a dead end. If you want to retain top talent – change your business model to something more profitable and scalable!

Because you haven’t shown someone else how to do it! You haven’t shown someone else how because you do it differently every time. To make matters worse, clients rarely “get it” so they buy from you based on your own personal credibility and the promise that you will “figure it out”. If you can standardize what you sell and how you sell it – you have a chance at scaling your business.

The lack of a standardized, documented business process. You end up babysitting because you have not properly set and met expectations with your clients or your employees. The more complex your services are, the more babysitting you will do.