Consulting Firms Face Increasing Pressure

Winning new clients is becoming more challenging. Traditional acquisition channels are less effective, while expectations for consultants to contribute to sales efforts are rising. Yet, most existing processes are neither designed nor suited for this shift.

We’ll walk you through the most common challenges in business development—and why the solution doesn’t lie in more cold calls, but in a supported sales approach that starts with the consultant.

1. Lack of Structure in Sales Activities

Many consulting firms rely on individual contacts, chance opportunities, or personal networks for business development. A systematic approach is often missing—especially when it comes to existing clients.

Typical signs include:
• Untapped potential within the current client base
• No consistent documentation of sales activities
• High effort for generating projects, low predictability

✅ Solution: A smart, structured approach to client information helps consultants enter sales conversations prepared—without adding extra workload.

2. Consultants Are Not Salespeople - and they shouldn't be

Consultants enjoy a high level of trust with clients. But they’re rarely trained in traditional sales techniques—and often feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed when it comes to selling.

What happens then?
• Opportunities are missed or never addresses
• Cross- and upselling are neglected
• Sales is delegated to a few individuals—who often lack deep project insight

✅ Solution: Instead of turning consultants into full-time salespeople, support them where they already interact with clients—during conversations that are built on trust and context.

3. No Unified View of Clients and Opportunities

Sales, project teams, and management often work with different sets of information. In consulting, where client relationships are complex, this leads to friction and inefficiency.

Consequences:
• Duplicate or delayed outreach
• Poor coordination in proposal processes
• Lack of visibility into ongoing and past projects

✅ Solution: A shared system creates transparency: Who is talking to whom? What topics are on the table? Where do new needs arise?

4. Reactive Instead of Proactive Sales

Many consulting firms are deeply involved in project delivery. New business often results from reactions—not strategic development.

Typical outcomes:
• Revenue fluctuations and idle periods
• Dependence on a few major clients
• Limited scalability

✅ Solution: A tool that highlights where potential lies—through smart prompts, reminders, or analytics—can help teams act proactively instead of reactively.

Conclusion: Business Development Doesn’t Start with “Sales”—It Starts with the Consultant

The traditional divide between consulting and sales no longer applies. The best sales conversations often happen where they weren’t planned—within the project itself. That’s where consultants truly understand what drives their clients.

The challenge is to capture those moments and use them strategically.

Customermates addresses this exact need:

• We turn consultants into active, authentic sales contributors
• We support them with easy-to-integrate, intelligent tools
• We provide the structure needed to approach sales efficiently and systematically—without overwhelming the consultant

✅ The result: More project opportunities. Less effort. And a sales approach that seamlessly fits into everyday consulting work.