SURVIVINg THE cONSULTANcY RELEVANcE RESET: WHY AI WoN'T KILL cONSULTINg, BUT IT WILL KILL THE IRRELEVANT

“Consulting is dead.”

You’ve probably heard it. Maybe even whispered it yourself during a tough quarter or after losing out to a chatbot that costs less than your morning coffee. The rise of AI has sparked a frenzy of hot takes, hand-wringing and LinkedIn eulogies for the consultancy model.

Here’s the truth: consulting isn’t dying - but it is being disrupted. What we’re living through isn’t a funeral. It’s a relevance reset.

No, AI WoN'T REpLAcE YoU (BUT IT WILL REpLAcE YoUR ‘MEH’ oFFERINg)

Let’s kill the myth before it spreads any further.

AI can process data faster, summarise reports quicker and handle repetitive tasks without breaking a sweat (or demanding a pay rise). But what it can’t do is what consultancies do best: apply judgement. Navigate complexity. Broker trust. Handle nuance. Influence decision-makers with a well-timed raised eyebrow.

Consultancy has always been about high-context problem solving. Clients don’t pay you to Google stuff faster - they pay you to get to the heart of the problem, help them make smart decisions, and deliver change that sticks.

AI isn’t the death of consulting. It’s the death of consulting that can’t answer the “why you?” question.

WHAT IS THE CoNSULTANcY RELEVANcE RESET?

The Relevance Reset is the shift shaking our sector at its core.

Client expectations are evolving. Engagement models are under scrutiny. Budgets are being cut, and procurement teams are under pressure to justify every pound spent. Meanwhile, your competitors are experimenting with productised services, IP-led models and yes - AI-powered delivery.

The old playbook of broad messaging, vague promises and hoping referrals keep rolling in? Not good enough.

To survive this reset, consultancies must become laser-focused on relevance - not just in what they do, but how they show up, who they show up for, and how quickly they can prove value.

THE CoNSULTANcIES THAT WIN WILL HAVE THIS IN CoMMoN

The winners of the Relevance Reset won’t be the ones shouting the loudest - they’ll be the ones speaking directly to their buyers’ real-world frustrations.

Here’s what sets them apart:

• Purpose that packs a punch
  Not fluffy values, but real clarity about who you serve and why it matters - rooted in outcomes, not outputs.
• Situational niching
  Think less “we do strategy” and more “we solve [insert gnarly, expensive, board-level problem]”. Niching by problem, not just industry.
• Sharper positioning
  No more ‘meh’ messaging. These firms have clear, compelling points of view - and sound nothing like their competitors.
• AI-augmented, not AI-replaced
  They’re not pretending AI doesn’t exist - they’re integrating it to deliver faster insights, scale advisory capacity and deliver more for less (without diluting quality).

WHY AgILE BoUTIqUES HAVE THE AdVANTAgE

Big 4 and Tier 1s may have the brand recognition, but they’re clunky, slow to move, and allergic to genuine personalisation.

Boutique consultancies? This is your moment.

You’re nimble. You can pivot your offer, refresh your positioning, and launch a new value proposition without 12 months of internal politics and a million-slide deck. Your proximity to the client means you feel the change - and can respond before the big boys even notice it.

Speed, specialism and sincerity win in this market. And boutiques can deliver all three.

WHAT HAppENS IF YoU STANd STILL?

One word: obsolescence.

If you don’t evolve your offer and how you communicate it, here’s what you can expect:

• You’ll be overlooked in favour of louder, sharper, more relevant competitors
• You’ll become price-sensitive, chasing every RFP with lower margins
• You’ll haemorrhage talent to firms that feel more “on the front foot”
• You’ll rely on referrals - and we all know that’s not a strategy, it’s a gamble

Standing still is a risk. Relevance is a choice.

IT's NoT THE ENd, IT'S THE REFRAME.

The firms who thrive post-reset will be those who treat this moment for what it is: a massive opportunity to reframe their market presence, reposition with clarity, and finally stop sounding like everyone else.

This isn’t about panic. It’s about precision.

WANT To BE oN THE RIgHT SIdE oF THE RELEVANcE RESET?

Join us for the Insider Briefing: Survive the Consultancy Relevance Reset — the must-attend webinar for ambitious boutique leaders.

🗓 Tuesday 14th October
🕑 2pm BST / 9am ET

We’ll unpack the real shifts happening in buying behaviour, share practical tactics to sharpen your positioning, and give you the tools to outmanoeuvre the bigger players.

Spaces are limited. Sign up now for what promises to be the most important event you attend this month.

👉 Register Now