As the co-founder of a consulting firm that has spent years inside boardrooms, C-suites, and crisis war rooms, I’ve learned that the quickest way to lose credibility with an enterprise client is to show up selling services. The quickest way to earn lasting trust? Start with their strategic plan.
How to shift internal mindsets and client expectations to transition from
hourly billing to outcome pricing.
For decades, professional services firms have relied on the familiar (but flawed) currency of time. Billable hours remain the default across much of the professional services world, yet they are increasingly out of sync with the value clients actually seek. Clients rarely care how many hours something takes; they care about the outcomes achieved.
Achieve Efficiency. Drive Performance. Empower People.
Operational excellence isn’t just about technology—it’s about aligning people, processes, and purpose. For banks and credit unions, maintaining discipline and agility is essential to succeed in today’s fast-changing environment.
In the world of professional services, consulting, legal, creative, and advisory, delivering real value has never been more critical. Clients today are under pressure to deliver results, not just rack up invoices or slide decks. They’re demanding faster outcomes, deeper insights, and partnerships that help them move forward, not just stand still with a binder full of strategy.
In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven financial landscape, banks face an unrelenting demand to operate more efficiently while delivering exceptional customer experiences. Digital expectations have soared, competition has intensified, and regulatory requirements continue to evolve. Amid these pressures lies a significant opportunity: using system evaluations and assessments as a strategic lever for process improvement, operational efficiency, and enhanced customer satisfaction.
For consulting and professional services firms, the first 100 days of a client engagement are make-or-break. This early phase sets the foundation for everything that follows—building connection and credibility, aligning expectations, surfacing hidden risks, and accelerating results. At Empactful Advisors, we approach this critical window not as “ramp-up time,” but as a deliberate opportunity to deliver value, build trust, and shape long-term success.
In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, banks and credit unions are under more pressure than ever to modernize their technology stacks and streamline operations. Whether upgrading core systems, migrating digital platforms, or integrating newly acquired entities, one constant remains: the need for disciplined, precise execution of conversion activities. At Smith Consulting Group, we’ve guided dozens of institutions through these mission-critical transformations, and we’ve seen firsthand that operational excellence is the cornerstone of successful change.
A proven blueprint for professional services leaders who want to turn delivery into differentiation .“You’re the first consultant that made my team feel like I knew what was actually going on day to day. Compared to (competitor), I’m glad you asked questions early, and gave me updates often. ”That’s what a client told me after just two weeks of working together. They weren’t praising a breakthrough insight or a brilliant feature. They were talking about our disciplined process — and the relief it gave them.
Here is a throwback from Maister, Green, and Galford from ~25 years ago: The Trust Equation T = C + R + I / S