Barnstable Balderdally, EVP at Ghoti Corporation (a.k.a. FishCo) asks whether your consulting firm can help with his plasma node leadership challenge. Two options:
- “Yes we can!” you confidently pronounce. Although plasma node leadership isn’t your consulting firm’s focus, you feel great about the lucrative project you’re about to capture.
- “No, I’m afraid that’s not in our wheelhouse,” you respectfully reply. Although you’ve declined a tempting opportunity, you’re invigorated by your disciplined adherence to your consulting firm’s strategy.
Which is the right answer when a prospect invites you to work on a project outside your firm’s core focus?
The easy answer is Yes.
That’s a layup. Barney wants you, you want business, you exchange “I dos” and life is good.
The courageous answer is No.
Saying No is much more difficult than agreeing to move forward. However, that courage will reward you and your consulting firm with a number of benefits:
- Creates Room for Good Projects. Turning down off-strategy projects, low margin projects, and projects with undesirable clients reserves capacity for on-strategy, high-margin consulting projects with fabulous clients.
- Drives You to Win Good Business. You’ve made room for the type of engagements your consulting firm wants—and now there’s a hole in your revenue plan that you have to fill!
- Enhances Your Ability to Win Good Business. Clarity and specificity sell consulting projects. Rejecting Barney’s plasma node leadership project makes it easy for Barney and every other prospect to be crystal clear on where your consulting firm adds value.
More work in your core also strengthens your credibility, which enhances your right to win. - Increases Referrals. The clarity and specificity that boosts sales also makes it easy for Barney to remember you and refer you to others.
Should you ever say “Yes we can” to off-strategy projects?
Of course!
It’s unrealistic and pollyannaish to adopt a blindly rigid stance.
Guidelines for Saying “Yes We Can” vs. “No Thank You”
Say Yes to Projects in Your Core Focus
This one is obvious.
If a prospect requests a project that fits your consulting firm’s capabilities and focus like a glove, say Yes and win the project!
Say Yes to Current Clients
If Barney is a current client, say Yes (if you can deliver with quality).
Expanding within current clients is good consulting business and broadens your consulting firm’s capabilities.
Plus, the types of follow-on opportunities existing clients typically offer either fit your consulting firm’s core focus or are natural extensions.
Say Yes to New Clients if You’re Running on Empty
If your consulting firm literally has no clients or you’re at serious risk of not bringing in enough revenue to pay your bills, the market might be sending a signal that your firm needs to shift direction.
In that case, saying “Yes we can” could be the first step in establishing a more profitable, successful consulting firm that focuses on, say, plasma node leadership.
On the other hand, if you’re not running on empty and Barney would be a new client, say No!
An unfamiliar prospect offering you an off-strategy consulting project is a trap.
Accepting these initiatives dilutes your consulting firm’s focus and the deleterious long-term effect on revenue exceeds any short-term influx of cash.
Of course, as your consulting firm continues to grow, the core focus of the firm naturally expands to include related offerings or new industries.
We typically recommend adding closely-related offerings to your firm’s focus area while you’re building the area up to $3 million in revenue.
Then, as a practice area consistently exceeds $3 million in consulting revenue, consider developing another core focus at your firm.
When prospects suggest an off-strategy consulting project to you, do you typically respond, “Yes I can” or “No thank you”?
Text and images are © 2026 David A. Fields, all rights reserved.
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