In this episode of The Consultant's Way Podcast, hosts Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska speak with Tristan Humbles, Global Head of Professional Services (PS) at Natterbox. Tristan shares insights into the changing landscape of professional services, particularly in the context of SaaS and telecom sectors.

Tristan highlights how macroeconomic pressures have increased the need for risk management and shifted client expectations, leading to longer, more complex engagements. High-level executive involvement has become essential to ensure alignment and continuity from project inception through to completion, placing PS teams at the center of these transitions. Tristan underscores that embedding PS teams early in the sales process or strategically integrating them with sales efforts ensures seamless client experiences and helps mitigate risk.

Building strong relationships is pivotal for PS success. Tristan emphasizes that proactive relationship-building and positioning PS teams as trusted advisors foster smoother project implementations and minimize potential issues. This approach requires strategic planning, clear communication, and balancing billable activities with client support.

The conversation also explores the evolving role of PS in client retention. With a focus on reducing churn and enhancing long-term client value, PS teams have found themselves increasingly involved throughout the customer lifecycle. This involvement aligns with clients’ demands for faster project deployment and iterative implementations to quickly demonstrate ROI and adapt to workforce changes.

Tristan concludes with key takeaways: engaging early to build trust, ensuring consistent client alignment, and proactive risk management. These strategies empower PS teams to effectively manage complex demands, reinforcing their importance as strategic partners for client success. The discussion also points to the need for organizations to reevaluate PS delivery models and profitability, as PS becomes more integral in maintaining client satisfaction and driving long-term revenue.

In this The Consultant’s Way Podcast episode, Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska interview Brent Wesler, VP of Strategic Technology at PIF Technologies. Wesler provides insights into his company’s approach to document-based workflow automation, emphasizing that while he operates in a highly technical role, his focus is on guiding clients through transformational changes, blending technology with consultative advisory.

Wesler addresses a common pitfall in consulting: technical experts being viewed merely as solution providers. Instead, he advocates for a consulting mindset, where understanding a client’s unique challenges comes before offering solutions. This begins with an in-depth discovery phase, where Wesler and his team assess a client’s real needs, ensuring that the solution aligns with business goals. He explains that this approach avoids prematurely jumping into solutions, often saving resources and reducing the chance of misalignment.

Managing client expectations and project risk are key topics in the discussion. Wesler shares his practice of conducting paid discovery phases for complex projects, allowing his team and the client to understand feasibility and ROI before committing to full-scale implementation. He emphasizes that for smaller consultancies, focusing on niche industries helps build credibility and deep expertise, making it easier to meet client needs and manage risks effectively.

A recurring theme in Wesler’s approach is balancing technical execution with a deep understanding of the client’s business. His hands-on experience adds credibility, enabling him to relate to client challenges, but he also highlights the importance of training his team to carry this consultative approach. This way, the organization doesn’t rely solely on a few individuals for client relations.

McMann and Paluska echo Wesler’s focus on specialization, agreeing that successful consulting hinges on combining industry knowledge with technical skills to become true advisors. Wesler’s approach showcases how thoughtful consulting practices can lead to effective, scalable solutions that drive real client value.

In this episode of "The Consultant’s Way Podcast," Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska interview Jason Mele, who shares insights from his extensive experience in event tech and marketing tech, particularly in managing professional services in complex organizations. He highlights the constructive role of friction between departments, such as product development, sales, and professional services. Rather than seeking complete alignment, Mele believes in using the natural tensions to explore innovative solutions that benefit both the customer and the organization.

Mele explains how professional services often mediate between product teams, which focus on long-term roadmaps, and sales teams, which are driven by immediate customer needs. He shares examples of how he has successfully balanced these priorities, positioning professional services as a valuable partner to the product team. By using customer projects as opportunities to test future product features, Mele turns competing priorities into collaborative successes.

A major theme is the trust and collaboration between professional services and sales. Mele emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with sales teams, showing that professional services can add value during the sales process by helping scope and deliver complex projects. He also discusses how professional services teams often have deeper customer knowledge, making them essential in expanding and growing accounts.

Mele also discusses his approach to fostering collaboration within his team, encouraging cross-functional brainstorming to elevate everyone’s skills. By creating a collaborative environment, he has been able to turn specialists into more well-rounded generalists while maintaining their subject matter expertise.

In closing, Mele underscores the importance of viewing friction and tension as opportunities for growth. By embracing these dynamics, professional services teams can not only deliver better customer outcomes but also contribute to the broader success of the organization.

In this episode of The Consultant's Way Podcast, Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska interview Caitlin Ferguson, founder of Co-Pilots.io, which helps founders of professional services and SaaS companies streamline their operations and grow sustainably. Caitlin discusses her journey, starting in her parents’ accounting firm, through founding her own business, and ultimately establishing Co-Pilots.io after years of consulting and supporting entrepreneurs.

Caitlin highlights the common challenges faced by founders of professional services firms. Often, they experience operational chaos, struggle with cash flow, and lack clarity around financial data. These issues are compounded by founders wearing too many hats, leading to burnout and inefficiency. Caitlin emphasizes the importance of financial visibility and structured processes to eliminate bottlenecks and scale the business. She advocates for founders to step out of day-to-day operations by creating clear workflows, tracking key metrics, and building accountability structures.

The hosts discuss the different types of founders: sales-focused rainmakers, operations-focused operators, and delivery-focused gurus. Caitlin notes that regardless of their role, many founders face similar challenges, particularly in transitioning to a more strategic leadership role. She stresses the importance of getting the founders’ vision on paper and aligning operations with their long-term goals for sustainable growth.

Caitlin shares her process for aligning founders and partners through values-based decision-making, using tools like card sorting to identify core values that inform strategy. She gives an example of a client whose profits increased tenfold after optimizing operations and delivery processes.

Caitlin concludes by emphasizing the importance of external perspectives in consulting, as founders often struggle to see their own operational blind spots. She also talks about her new VIP workshops, which offer founders a one-day intensive session to diagnose issues and create an actionable 90-day plan for improvement.

In this episode of "The Consultant's Way Podcast," hosts Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska interview Pat Michael LaChappelle, an experienced management consultant who transitioned from working at General Electric (GE) to running his own firm, Lean Management Consulting. Michael discusses the significant benefits of working within a large firm, including comprehensive training, strong support systems, and established brand recognition, which facilitate the growth of consultants.

He contrasts this with the independent consulting landscape, where he enjoys greater freedom and flexibility but faces challenges in client acquisition and navigating the business's inherent ups and downs. Michael emphasizes the crucial role of personal branding and reputation in consulting, revealing that most of his business stems from referrals and long-term relationships built throughout his career.

The conversation also delves into the integration of AI tools like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini in enhancing productivity for independent consultants. Michael views these tools as valuable assets, likening them to "junior consultants" that can assist with administrative tasks, allowing him to focus on problem-solving.

Michael shares specific project experiences, such as assessing a client's investment in a UK partner remotely, which required navigating communication challenges without on-site visits. He reflects on the limitations of working in larger firms, where his broader expertise was often underutilized due to the firms' narrow focus.

Additionally, he addresses the delicate balance of providing constructive feedback to clients, especially in sensitive situations, such as addressing issues with a CEO's leadership style.

Ultimately, Michael's vision for Lean Management Consulting is to tackle operational inefficiencies across various industries, leveraging Lean Six Sigma methodologies to drive client success. The episode provides valuable insights into the consulting profession, highlighting the experiences of a seasoned consultant navigating both corporate and independent paths.

In the latest episode of "The Consultant's Way Podcast," hosts Dean McMahon and Anthony Paluska engage with Pat Muirragui, an executive in professional services with a wealth of experience in engineering and customer relations. The conversation focuses on the integral role of professional services in consulting, particularly in technology and software sectors. Pat stresses that professional services should not be an afterthought but rather a core component of every deal, crucial for delivering value and building strong customer relationships.

Historically, professional services have been viewed as merely operational, often limited to implementing solutions. However, Pat argues that today’s consulting landscape demands a more strategic approach. He highlights the importance of empathy and understanding across technical and customer-facing roles, emphasizing that effective consulting involves engaging with various stakeholders, from developers to executives. This multifaceted engagement allows professional services to not only facilitate implementation but also ensure that clients effectively utilize the solutions provided.

Pat also discusses the pitfalls of offering professional services for free, warning that this can diminish their perceived value. When clients do not pay for these services, they may deprioritize them, undermining the potential for successful project outcomes. He emphasizes the importance of embedding professional services into deals to create accountability and ensure that projects receive the necessary attention.

The conversation encourages a proactive approach to client engagement. Pat advocates for equipping professional services teams with both technical knowledge and business acumen, enabling them to understand client challenges more deeply and propose effective solutions. By fostering intimate relationships with clients and focusing on their long-term success, consultants can drive not only immediate results but also sustained growth.

Overall, the episode offers a compelling perspective on rethinking the role of professional services within consulting practices, particularly in technology, where complex products and evolving client needs demand a more relational approach.

In this episode of "The Consultant’s Way Podcast," hosts Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska interview Brad Levin, a veteran of the professional services and SaaS industries with over 30 years of experience. The discussion centers on the evolving landscape of consulting, particularly the divergence between traditional system integrators and SaaS-based consulting models.

Brad begins by outlining his background, from his early days in South Africa as an engineer to his roles in product management and leadership across various global markets. He reflects on his extensive experience in building professional services practices, particularly around SaaS platforms, and emphasizes how technological evolution and changing market dynamics are reshaping the industry.

The conversation highlights three critical trends driving this shift: cloud adoption, agile and DevOps practices, and customer-centric engagement models. Cloud technologies have enabled SaaS companies to offer scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions, while agile and DevOps methodologies promote rapid, iterative development. Additionally, customer-centric models elevate the role of customer success in driving long-term value and recurring revenue.

Brad explains how these trends are pushing SaaS and traditional SI models further apart. SaaS consulting is evolving towards a professional services-as-a-service model, where OpEx-based engagements offer predictable costs and a focus on continuous improvement. This approach contrasts with traditional SIs, which often rely on customized, high-touch implementations. However, Brad notes that both models face unique challenges and opportunities in adapting to market demands.

The episode explores the implications of this shift, particularly the growing importance of consulting professionals developing multifaceted skills that blend technical expertise with business communication and advisory capabilities. Brad emphasizes that SaaS consultants must engage with business leaders, not just IT departments, to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Brad also discusses the potential of modular service catalogues that allow SaaS providers to offer flexible, customizable solutions without sacrificing scalability. He highlights the need for continual value measurement to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty in a subscription-driven world.

The discussion wraps up with Brad encouraging consulting professionals to embrace these evolving models, continuously adapt, and leverage the opportunities presented by digital transformation. By doing so, they can better meet client needs, drive value, and navigate the rapidly changing consulting landscape.

In this episode of "The Consultant's Way Podcast," Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska interview Michael Turner, Vice President of Professional Services at Upland Software. Turner discusses the challenges of managing in a matrix environment, where influencing without direct authority is key. He emphasizes the importance of using data proactively, specifically focusing on metrics like margin and utilization, to drive alignment between different organizational units, referred to as "columns" and "rows."

Turner explains his role as a "row" leader, responsible for maintaining consistent quality across various business units and navigating conflicts that arise between sales and service objectives. He highlights the need to preemptively share data, such as weekly utilization dashboards, to keep all stakeholders informed and aligned. This approach not only improves decision-making but also enhances organizational cohesion.

Turner also discusses the complexities of professional services work that isn't directly billable, such as internal consulting and product expertise tasks, and how he is implementing a process to seek approval for these activities upfront. This helps ensure that resources are used effectively and aligns the professional services team’s efforts with broader company goals.

The conversation closes with Turner stressing the value of presenting data visually and consistently to drive better engagement and decision-making among senior leaders. His insights underscore the power of proactive communication and strategic alignment in professional services management.