The management consultancy playbook

For narrow questions, yes. The big firms dominate broad questions because so much is written about them. Most buyers ask about a specific problem in a specific sector, and there a boutique that documents that combination clearly can be the better match. The assistant is looking for the closest match, not the biggest name.

We do not quote market rates here, because they vary widely by seniority, sector and how the work is scoped. Buyers do ask assistants what consultants cost, so explain how you price: fixed fee or time-based, how you scope the work and what pushes the cost up or down. Some firms give indicative ranges for typical projects.

It depends on who you sell to. Membership means passing the MCA's entry criteria and periodic audit and committing to its Consulting Excellence standards, and there is an SME Group for smaller firms. For a boutique selling to large companies or the public sector, that independent check is evidence an assistant can find. For a sector specialist, the sector's own trade body may matter more.

Rarely in any way that matters. Competitors cannot copy your partners' experience, your client relationships or your judgement in the room. A clear explanation reassures buyers that there is a method, and it gives assistants something specific to quote when they answer the 'how should we' questions buyers ask.