You’re undoubtedly familiar with the classic triangle of trade-offs: “There’s Faster, Better, and Cheaper. Choose any two out of the three.”
For consulting firms, one point on the triangle of trade-offs can drive enormous business gains.
Which one may surprise you.
Most consultants crow proudly about their exemplary work.
The combination of their unique, breakthrough processes, genius IQs, and millennia of experience guarantees unparalleled results for their clients.
And virtually every consultant responsible for landing new business will eagerly grab the megaphone and blare the myriad reasons their consulting firm is better than competitors.
Unfortunately, Better is not the most important point on the triangle of trade-offs.
Contrary to what you might expect (or want), clients typically aren’t looking for the “best” consulting firm!
Of course, there are cases when slight differences in performance are magnified in the final result.
However, more clients view your consulting firm’s superiority claims as:
- Irrelevant – Many clients perceive their project value as binary. You either solve the problem or you don’t. More solved carries little benefit.
- Indeterminate – Unless your project directly affects the client’s revenue or costs, the value of your project is a bit fuzzy, and the incremental value of your exceptional wonderfulness is even fuzzier.
- Suspect – Clients heavily discount the gap between you and competitors. When they factor in the likelihood of anyone succeeding, your performance advantage shrinks further.
If clients aren’t fixated on buying Better, then what bangs their gongs?
Faster.
In particular, one manifestation of Faster:
Responsiveness.
Sure, promising a superior solution is terrific, and offering a fee advantage vs. other firms may sway some prospects.
However, responding promptly and empathetically, from the very first moment of inquiry through closing the project (and beyond), outshines the other two points on the triangle.
Why?
Because, while Better might possibly happen in the future and Cheaper could serve the organization, Faster, in the form of responsiveness, definitely benefits your prospect now!
Example
Take as a case study the consulting firm we worked with whose revenue per consultant is sky high.
Sky high in this example is six-to-eight times the national average for consulting firms.
(For the record, that means this firm’s revenue is near $2 million per consultant.)
The CEO’s inbox fills every week with inquiries from prospective clients.
They reach out, in large part, because of the firm’s reputation for extraordinary responsiveness.
This particular firm wins on other fronts too: by being easy-to-do-business-with (they always say, “yes”) and leveraging an unusual pricing strategy.
However, their core advantage is responsiveness.
Responsiveness Best Practices
Keep in mind responsiveness is far, far more than responding quickly to an inquiry or client phone call.
Responsiveness also encompasses how you deal with perceived changes in scope, changes in circumstances, project delays, market events, personnel shifts, and more.
I could trot out my firm’s list of responsiveness best practices, but where’s the fun in that?
Let’s work together as a community to build a responsiveness protocol for your consulting firm.
How are you making your consulting firm responsive to prospects and clients?
Post your thoughts below.
Text and images are © 2026 David A. Fields, all rights reserved.
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