I spend a great deal of my time coaching and training technical professionals to become stronger business people. That includes leadership, communication, client engagement, and business development. And I will tell you this plainly: one of the most frustrating topics I deal with is still business development, a.k.a. sales. Why? Because too many conversations about winning work eventually slide into the same trap: cutting fees, reducing scope, not billing hours worked, and trying to secure projects by being cheaper than the next firm. That is a dangerous game.
Some day-to-day work is commodity in nature. Small projects. Narrow scopes. Limited complexity. In many cases, there may be dozens, or even hundreds, of competitors chasing the same opportunities from large firms to small independents working from a home office.
But let me be equally clear: building your business around low-fee, highly competitive work is not the same thing as using routine work strategically.
Smaller, more fee-sensitive assignments can sometimes be useful. If you do quality work, build trust, and strengthen relationships, those projects can become a gateway to larger, more interesting, more profitable opportunities. They can open doors, but they should not define your market position unless that is a deliberate choice.
I’ve witnessed many companies drift into fee-based competition by default. They let the client and the market set the agenda. They respond to pressure instead of leading the conversation. And before long, they are negotiating against themselves. That’s the race to the bottom. You must stop letting the client set the terms of your value!
Define Your Value Clearly
If you want to move beyond selling on low fees, the first step is to define your value clearly.
- Know what you are worth.
- Know where you fit in the market.
- Know when to say no and walk away.
If you can’t do that, the discussion will return to price. When that happens, you are no longer leading the sales process. You are reacting to it. And sometimes the best move is to pack up and walk away.
That may sound radical, but it is not reckless. It is disciplined. If you are trapped in a no-win conversation where the only variable is fee, you are not in a value-based discussion. You are being pulled into someone else’s game.
That kind of pursuit can weaken your margins, your confidence, your positioning, and even your reputation and brand. YOU must determine where you reside in the market. This may require a mindset shift on your part.
Not all work should be priced, pursued, or positioned the same way.
Broadly speaking, there are three ways to think about market position: competitive, distinct, and unique. This framework shapes how clients perceive your firm, the opportunities you attract, and the fees you can command.
Competitive work is where many firms offer similar services. It is often fee-sensitive, margin-tight, and treated like a commodity. There is nothing wrong with this type of work. It can generate revenue, support utilization, and maintain cash flow. But it is not the same as high-value advisory work. In this category, the goal is to deliver efficiently, meet expectations, protect margins, and avoid giving away value you are not being paid for.
Distinct work is more specialized. It reflects stronger expertise, better problem-solving, innovation, or a clearer point of view. Fewer providers can do it well, and clients begin to see a meaningful difference. That difference often leads to better fees, stronger margins, and deeper client relationships. This is where firms begin moving from interchangeable to preferred.
Unique work sits at the highest end of value. It is rare, highly specialized, and grounded in deep trust. Clients are not simply buying hours. They are buying judgment, insight, confidence, and outcomes. This is where trusted advisor status lives — and trusted advisors do not compete primarily on price.
The Real Question: What Are You Trying to Be?
There is nothing wrong with competing on price if that is truly your strategy. If you want to be the low-cost, limited-service provider in your market, own it. Build your systems around it. Deliver consistently. Protect your margins. Do not overpromise.
That is a legitimate strategy.
What does not work is trying to be the cheapest option while also claiming premium service, strategic insight, innovation, and exceptional client experience. You cannot be all things to all people.
It is not logical. It is not sustainable. And it confuses the market.
Unless you want to be the Costco of consulting, stop pricing yourself like a commodity while trying to position yourself like a premium advisor. Choose the position you can genuinely occupy — and potentially own. Then communicate it with clarity and consistency.
Questions Worth Asking Yourself
- What kind of work are you attracting right now? (Is it what you want?)
- How do clients currently perceive your value? (Ask them if you don’t know.)
- Where are you too broad, too reactive, or too easy to compare? (Cut back and refine your offering.)
- What capabilities, experience, or outcomes make you more distinct than you are currently communicating? (Listen to what your clients say they love about you.)
- What would need to change for you to move from competitive work toward more distinct or unique opportunities?
- Where are you too modest about stating your point of differentiation and unique value? (Stop it!)
These are not academic questions. They are strategic ones. And the answers affect everything — your pipeline, your pricing, your confidence, your brand, and your long-term profitability.
Check out my vlog on this topic called “Joining the Race to the Top.” In it, I speak more directly about the mindset shift required to stop competing on low fees and start positioning yourself around value, contribution, and business maturity.
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