By adapting to shifting expectations, embracing innovation, and acting with integrity, firms can become indispensable partners in their clients’ growth and success.
In consulting, client relationships are more than contracts – they are bridges connecting client needs with a consultant’s expertise. These bridges are built on trust, communication, and mutual understanding. In my personal experience, I’ve found that nurturing these connections requires both strategic thinking and practical solutions that resonate with the consultant and client. My two decades of environmental consultancy experience led me to develop proven techniques to maintain and build lasting client relationships.
Reframing cost-value focused perspectives
Client satisfaction often comes down to perception. For instance, a problem may arise, but its root cause might be external factors beyond the consultant’s control, such as changes in regulatory requirements or unforeseen site conditions. That’s why it’s important for consultants to regularly clarify the reasons behind operational or infrastructure-related costs, contextualize them within the broader project goals, and reassure clients a continued commitment to quality and value is a fundamental priority. By helping a client shift their view to a broader perspective, you move from being seen as a simple provider to a trusted advisor.
The reality is some clients will always focus on costs, seeing consulting as a disruption rather than a necessity. The tension between cost-based pricing (tied to expenses) and value-based pricing (driven by client perception) can lead clients to treat consulting as a commodity, prioritizing price over expertise. While cost-based models may work for some, value-based approaches push firms to innovate. Clear, proactive communication about cost versus value, coupled with regular project updates, helps shift the client’s narrative that consultants are interchangeable.
Balancing a client’s priorities
A framework created by Barry Johnson in 1975 called “Polarity Mapping” can help illuminate trade-offs between competing priorities, such as short-term cost savings versus long-term reliability. Polarity mapping helps organizations (clients and/or owners) manage complex, ongoing challenges that require balancing two interdependent sets of values or goals, rather than solving a single problem.
For example, cutting operational expenses saves money in the short term but can lead to bigger expenses later. Investing in preventative maintenance may cost more upfront but protects assets and can save money over time. Polarity mapping helps clarify trade-offs, enabling open client discussions and adaptable strategies that match operating costs to budgets.
Leveraging regulatory relationships for client advantage
As a consultant, establishing connections with regulators isn’t just useful, it is essential and a potential differentiator. Strong regulatory relationships expedite approvals, inform strategic advice, and help firms strike the delicate balance between compliance, client needs, and profitability. In many cases, “who you know” enhances the “what you know.” Clients often see the value in these relationships’ advantages, and it helps set firms apart in competitive markets, especially where the consultant role is threatened with becoming commoditized.
Aligning client goals with profitability
Trust grows when subject matter experts demonstrate goodwill beyond the contractual. A quick call to check in or to provide reassurance builds loyalty, even if it isn’t always acknowledged.
At the same time, profitability can’t be sacrificed for goodwill. Therefore, next time you are preparing a budget for one of your projects, start your estimation with the "lowest credible scope of work." This approach involves identifying the minimum set of tasks and deliverables necessary to achieve the project's objectives. By focusing on this baseline, consultants can create a budget that is both realistic and conservative, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently and avoiding unnecessary expenses. This method sets a clear starting point for the project, supporting better financial planning and risk management, and providing a framework for scaling the project if additional resources become available or if the project's scope increases.
Trust through engagement and small gestures
Few things build trust like presence. Site visits show clients that we care enough to be on the ground, not only at the negotiation table. I once observed a colleague clean up fallen property signs rather than logging the issue to be addressed later. The client noticed and appreciated the initiative.
Similarly, I gave a client and their stakeholders a guided tour of a new environmental monitoring system my organization had launched. It educated, reassured, and underscored our role as trusted advisers. Gaining confidence early through transparency is huge. Small, proactive efforts compound into long-term credibility. Further, even small gestures work to create familiarly, like taking your client calls with the video feature turned on. A client once recognized me in person solely from video calls – proof that building relationships often starts with real-person connections.
Warren Buffett captured the essence of trust when he said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you will do things differently.” In consulting, where reputation is currency, those words ring particularly true. Buffett also reminds us that, “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” When consulting is perceived as a commodity, clients rarely stay loyal for savings alone. They stay because they receive more than they expected, whether in service, expertise, or trust.
From commodity service providers to strategic partners
Developing strong client relationships is a gradual but rewarding journey. By aligning pricing strategies with transparency, leveraging subcontracting effectively, navigating polarities, and prioritizing both client outcomes and sustainable profitability, consulting can evolve from a transactional service into a true partnership.
The firms that thrive will be those that transform every transaction into a step toward trust, and every engagement into a long-term relationship. By adapting to shifting expectations, embracing innovation, and acting with integrity, consultants can ensure they are not just service providers, but indispensable partners in their clients’ growth and success.
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Aaron Quesada is a senior project manager at SCS Engineers in Miami. Connect with him on LinkedIn. |