How to Position Consulting Services as an Investment (and Not a Cost)

Early in my consulting career, I had the opportunity to pitch my services to academic researchers at public universities.

My initial pitch was this:

“I provide business planning and go-to-market strategy for academic researchers”

All I heard was crickets.

So I learned as much as I could about my audience. I found that academics:

✅ Loved their side business projects/inventions

✅ Were super busy with academic responsibilities to focus on business

✅ Had no experience with marketing or finance

✅ Would lose grants if they didn’t launch the business fast, which would end their dream

I then changed my message to this:

“I help busy investors at universities go to market in 90 days using lean business planning.”

…which got me meetings with my audience.

During meetings, I touched on all of those pain points above.

The outcome was clear, the time horizon was clear.

When I presented my fee, it was a no brainer. The benefits outweighed the costs.

And I never had to “convince” prospects that my service was an investment. They worked it out on their own.

That’s the power of positioning and enrolment.

Ready to Land $100k+ clients consistently without burning out? Schedule a call and let me show you how.

Image credit: Art Ranked Discovery Engine