More and more, 10–20-person consultancies are winning million-pound contracts against global giants like McKinsey.  The reason? Clients are saying: “We don’t want juniors and templates. We want senior partners who understand our business.”

This isn’t hype. It’s the reality of today’s market: when every contract matters, clients are choosing depth, agility, and senior expertise over brand recognition. Large firms still dominate in scale, but their delivery model is under pressure. Clients are tired of:

  • Paying premium rates for senior expertise but getting junior execution
  • Expecting tailored solutions but receiving recycled frameworks
  • Needing agility but facing delays caused by internal hierarchies

The result? Frustrated clients and opportunities for firms like yours that can deliver what clients value. Recent client feedback shows that brand recognition alone no longer wins contracts; what does win:

  1. Demonstrated results: A case study showing a measurable outcome (“efficiency up 23% in 90 days”) beats a big logo every time
  2. Direct access to decision-makers: In boutiques, the client calls the partner doing the work. In global firms, they wait for layers of approval
  3. Senior expertise in delivery: Clients want the person they met in the sales meeting to be the same person leading the project
  4. They have skin in the game: For a smaller firm, one client could be 15% of their annual income, and clients sense that urgency and commitment
  5. Industry-specific knowledge: Deep expertise in their exact problem often outweighs broad but shallow brand credibility
  6. Responsiveness and value: Deliver early insights, share weekly updates, and adjust based on results. Clients pay for outcomes, not overhead.

One of my recent clients, a 12-person consultancy, successfully applied this reframing approach and secured a £1.2M contract over a Big Four competitor. Why? They didn’t compete on price. They competed on clarity, confidence, and the difference they made, and the client noticed.

This is the work I do. For over two decades, I’ve helped consultants, coaches, and founders stop underselling themselves, articulate their value, and win contracts their larger competitors assumed were theirs.

Right now, the market is shifting in your favour if you know how to position yourself and take advantage of it.

If you’re ready to become the firm clients choose when it matters most, join my upcoming Know Your Value Framework Programme. In six weeks, I’ll show you how to reframe your business model, package your offers, and build the confidence to charge and win at the level and the way you want.  DM to join the waitlist