Consulting

When I was a first-year lawyer, my partner explained that sometimes clients will come to you with a problem but without a clear scope or task. In those situations, we'd prepare a "reverse brief" to help them define the scope of work, desired outcomes, and next steps. If you need to prepare a “reverse brief” and aren’t sure where to start, here’s an example (and things to include): 1️⃣ Restate the Issues Summarize your understanding of the client’s issues. This shows you’ve listened and ensures you’re on the same page. 2️⃣ Clarify the Task Describe the work you believe you’ve been engaged to do. Be clear on the actions and deliverables (e.g. a formal report, an email advice etc). 3️⃣ Confirm the Outcomes Specify what the client’s goals are / what results you will achieve for the client. 4️⃣ Information / documents to be reviewed Set out the information / documents that you have been provided and will review. When there is a high volume of documents, it may be helpful to list them out, categorize them, and align with the client on what needs to be reviewed in detail. 5️⃣ Outline Next Steps Set out what will happen next and any required actions from the client. Where possible, set out the proposed timelines. 6️⃣ Seek confirmation Ask the client to confirm the brief, or otherwise provide comments on what needs to be changed in the brief. Anything else you would add / change when you’re preparing a reverse brief? ------ If you’re a junior lawyer looking for practical career advice - check out the free how-to guides on my website. You can also stay updated by sending a connection / follow. #lawyers #lawyer #lawstudents #legalprofession

I interviewed 20 sustainability managers 🎙️ That's their #1 pain point 🤕 ➡️ "Reporting is 1st. Impact is 2nd". Challenges that I can see with sustainability in companies: ❌ Competing frameworks confuse. ❌ Data collection becomes more important than actual impact ❌ Disconnect between reporting teams and operational teams ❌ Excessive time spent on documentation. ❌ Risk of greenwashing through selective reporting (I am sure you have your observations to add🙄) 5 secrets to turn this into the biggest opportunity for change: ✅ Use reporting to clarify sustainability vision 100%. ✅ Identify in-company 'spoilers' - and engage them! ✅ Change sustainability reporting from 'a burden' for all, to an 'invitation to do good' for each individual. ✅ Turn deadlines into celebration moments for internal change. ✅ Use data requirements as opportunities to understand the entire value chain (and opportunities for change). You know the pain ?🧐 📲 Ping me to re-write the script on your sustainability reporting ♻️ #circulareconomy #zerowaste #sustainability

Big consulting firms rushing to AI...do better. In the rapidly evolving world of AI, far too many enterprises are trusting the advice of large consulting firms, only to find themselves lagging behind or failing outright. As someone who has worked closely with organizations navigating the AI landscape, I see these pitfalls repeatedly—and they’re well documented by recent research. Here is the data: 1. High Failure Rates From Consultant-Led AI Initiatives A combination of Gartner and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) data demonstrates that over 70% of AI projects underperform or fail. The finger often points to poor-fit recommendations from consulting giants who may not understand the client’s unique context, pushing generic strategies that don’t translate into real business value. 2. One-Size-Fits-All Solutions Limit True Value Boston Consulting Group (BCG) found that 74% of companies using large consulting firms for AI encounter trouble when trying to scale beyond the pilot phase. These struggles are often linked to consulting approaches that rely on industry “best practices” or templated frameworks, rather than deeply integrating into an enterprise’s specific workflows and data realities. 3. Lost ROI and Siloed Progress Research from BCG shows that organizations leaning too heavily on consultant-driven AI roadmaps are less likely to see genuine returns on their investment. Many never move beyond flashy proof-of-concepts to meaningful, organization-wide transformation. 4. Inadequate Focus on Data Integration and Governance Surveys like Deloitte’s State of AI consistently highlight data integration and governance as major stumbling blocks. Despite sizable investments and consulting-led efforts, enterprises frequently face the same roadblocks because critical foundational work gets overshadowed by a rush to achieve headline results. 5. The Minority Enjoy the Major Gains MIT Sloan School of Management reported that just 10% of heavy AI spenders actually achieve significant business benefits—and most of these are not blindly following external advisors. Instead, their success stems from strong internal expertise and a tailored approach that fits their specific challenges and goals.

Stop inviting clients to shop your offer around. Big branding client. Discovery call. They're excited. Then I show them 3 options. Not one. Three. "Why would you give us choices?" they ask. "Doesn't that complicate things?" Actually, it simplifies everything. Here's what 30 years of running two 7-figure businesses taught me about options: • Option 1: DIY (10% price) Digital course. Templates. Self-paced. For those who aren't ready to invest yet. Infinitely scalable. Zero touch from you. They get value. You get a customer. • Option 2: DWY - Done With You (x price) Finite deliverables. Some customization. You do the work together. Sweet spot for most buyers. • Option 3: DFY - Done For You (10x price) White glove. Bespoke. Custom everything. Training, coaching, custom software if needed. You handle it all. They write the check. The magic isn't in the options. It's in what happens next. When you present one option, they think: "Should I buy this or not?" Binary decision. Easy to say no. When you present three options, they think: "Which one should I buy?" The conversation shifts from IF to WHICH. Psychology 101: People hate missing out more than they love getting a deal. Give them one option? They'll shop around. Give them three? They'll shop your menu. Your 10% option captures future buyers. Your 10x option makes your middle option look reasonable. Your middle option? That's where 80% of sales happen. Price anchoring and why it works. But here's what most people miss: Each option must solve the same problem. Just at different levels of involvement. Not different services. Different depths of the same service. What three options could you offer today? Have you tried options in your offer? What happened? Drop a comment below and share your story. Small Business Builders #pricingstrategy #salesstrategy #businessgrowth

Consulting sells AI, but bills like 1990. Reality caught up to the narrative. Booz Allen's latest results beat expectations: → Revenue: up 12.4% to $12 billion → Adjusted EPS: up 15.5% to $6.35 → GenAI revenue: nearly $800 million, up 30% → Record backlog: $37 billion, book-to-bill of 1.39 Yet the stock crashed 20% in the last 10 days, erasing $3.5 billion in market value. Why? Because beneath strong headline numbers, Goldman Sachs' May 28 downgrade exposed a critical vulnerability: Despite claiming to be an "advanced tech company" with $800M in AI revenue, Booz Allen still derives 98% of its business as a government contractor billing by the hour. The company recently announced 2,500 job cuts (7% of their workforce) due to the Trump administration’s crackdown on federal contracting. I dug into their yearly report to learn more. How Booz Allen Actually Makes Money: The Revenue Reality: → 98% from U.S. government ($10.5B of $10.7B total) → Defense (47%), Civil (34%), Intelligence (17%) → Only 2% commercial revenue 79% of revenue ($8.4B) comes from billing hours: → 55% cost-reimbursable contracts → 24% time-and-materials → Only 21% fixed-price CFO Matt Calderone confirmed their historical growth formula on their earning call: "headcount growth plus 3%". Despite AI claims and the CEO pushing outcome-based contracts for years, only 21% of revenue is fixed-price. Government procurement keeps them billing hours. The Labor Reality: → 36,000 employees driving revenue → 2,500 layoffs (7%) announced after DOGE reviews → Revenue explicitly tied to headcount → When contracts shrink, people get fired The math doesn't lie. You can't justify tech multiples when: → Your entire business depends on one entity → Growth requires hiring more people → Government owns rights to most developed IP  → Margins collapse when contracts face pressure Every firm claiming AI transformation faces this reality: → They pitch cutting-edge technology → They showcase AI capabilities → They demand premium valuations → But their economics remain tied to billable hours When CEO Rozanski said they're "restructuring to match anticipated demand," he revealed the core problem: Revenue directly tracks headcount. Tech companies scale through IP. Traditional consulting scales through hiring - and shrinks through firing. The 20% crash wasn’t about a single quarter. It was Wall Street repricing Booz Allen’s reality - a government contractor at the mercy of federal budgets, not a tech innovator building scalable IP. First, the narrative cracks. Then, the analysts notice. Finally, the market reprices. Booz Allen completed the cycle in 10 days. For consulting firms still betting their "AI story" covers their hourly reality: You're not different. You're just next.

Secret for Tax Person to Influencing the CFO: Speak in Cash Impact, Not Regulations! As tax professionals, we often get caught up in quoting sections, clauses, and legal jargon. But when you're talking to the CFO, remember - cash flow speaks louder than compliance. CFOs think in numbers that impact business decisions. Instead of presenting tax issues as a regulatory challenge, frame them as a financial impact. Instead of “Non-compliance with TDS can lead to disallowance under Section 40(a)(ia).” Say “Missing TDS can hit our P&L by ₹X crore in disallowed expenses, increasing our effective tax rate.” Instead of “GST input credit restrictions under Rule 36(4).” Say “We risk losing ₹Y lakh in ITC, directly increasing operational costs and impacting margins.” Instead of “Customs duty changes under the new FTP.” Say “The increased duty rate will raise our import costs by ₹Z crore, affecting pricing strategy.” When tax teams align their messaging with business objectives, they shift from being compliance enforcers to strategic advisors. A CFO wants to know: a. How does this affect cash flow? b. Will it impact profitability? c. Can we optimize our tax position? What’s your approach to engaging finance leaders? Share your thoughts below! #TaxStrategy #CFOInsights #BusinessImpact #TaxandFinance

Lawyers love words like "ipso facto". Clients don’t. ⛔ Newsflash: Most of them don't know Latin. 🤣 They want clarity, not complexity. Connection, not cold professionalism. Want to be the lawyer they trust and rave about? Here’s what they wish YOU knew: 1/ Speak Human, Not Legalese ↳ “If they leave confused, they leave frustrated.” ↳ Simplify. Use analogies. Add visuals. 2/ Ask Better Questions ↳ “What’s keeping you up at night?” gets you closer to the real issue than “What’s the matter?” 3/ Learn Their World ↳ Tailored advice > textbook advice. ↳ Know their business. Speak their language. 4/ Set Expectations Early ↳ No one likes surprise bills or radio silence. ↳ Map the process. Flag risks upfront. 5/ Be Accessible (Without Burnout) ↳ Boundaries matter. But so does communication. ↳ Tools like case dashboards help. 6/ Acknowledge Their Emotions ↳ A little empathy goes a long way. Legal issues are personal—even in business. 7/ Celebrate Wins ↳ A simple “Congrats! So happy for you!” builds trust faster than a 30-page opinion. 👉 Final Thought: Clients may never say it out loud, but they notice the small things. Show you get them, and you’ll be the one they recommend. What’s one lesson you’ve learnt from your clients? Drop it below. 👇 ♻️ Repost to help lawyers. 🔔 And follow Shulin Lee for more.

I've worked with a dozen law firms. The most forward-looking are using AI to explore the shift from billable-hour to value-based pricing. But that requires everyone - from leadership down - to shift their working behavior to using LLMs multiple times daily across diverse tasks. A recent Reuters analysis by Karen Kwok details why this shift away from billable hours is so urgent. ++++++++++ THE MATH PROBLEM THREATENING BIG LAW 82% of U.S. law firm partners' work is charged by the hour, with senior partners billing up to $3,000 per hour. But Goldman Sachs estimates that 44% of legal tasks could be automated by AI. Being productive can end up generating less revenue. The American Bar Association says lawyers can only charge for actual time spent on tasks, even if AI allows them to perform them faster. When an AI agent drafts an NDA in minutes instead of hours, firms face a revenue cliff. ++++++++++ TWO PATHS FORWARD 1. Replace junior staff with AI Let AI handle routine tasks while keeping high-value human work. But this creates a pipeline problem (which exists in a lot of organizations) - who replaces retiring partners? Associates are already shrinking from 45% of headcount in 2005-2009 to 40% today. Plus, AI still needs human oversight because of hallucinations. 2. Move to value-based pricing Productivity gains boost margins instead of hurting revenue. McKinsey, Bain, and BCG already do this with flat project fees. ++++++++++ THE DEEPER CHALLENGE Under the classic law firm model, revenue splits three ways: overhead, salaries, and partner profit. This means charging juniors out at minimum 3x their pay. But clients will balk at applying this markup to AI agents. Why should a firm add 300% markup to software they bought? Clients could argue they should just buy their own AI tools instead. ++++++++++ WHAT FORWARD-THINKING FIRMS ARE DOING 1. Building AI fluency at every level Requiring daily AI use across diverse tasks - contract review, research, client communication. AI fluency (actual daily usage, not just ‘understanding’) must be as fundamental as legal research skills. 2. Restructuring pricing proactively Experimenting with value-based pricing on routine work where outcomes are predictable, then expanding to complex matters. 3. Redefining roles, not eliminating them. Using AI to elevate junior associates into strategic work rather than replacing them. This maintains the pipeline while improving outcomes. Each firm will choose their path forward. But it has to start with a firm-wide behavioral shift. +++++++++ UPSKILL YOUR ORGANIZATION: When your organization is ready to create an AI-powered culture—not just add tools—AI Mindset can help. We drive behavioral transformation at scale through a powerful new digital course and enterprise partnership. DM me, or check out our website.

Stop overcomplicating Legal Operations. Had a conversation yesterday with a Head of Legal at a 200-person company. She was convinced she needed enterprise-grade contract management software, AI-powered analytics, and a dedicated Legal Ops hire. Her annual legal spend? £150k. Her team? Two lawyers and a paralegal. This is what I call the sophistication fallacy. We've been sold this myth that effective Legal Operations requires complex technology and dedicated specialists. Nonsense. The most impactful Legal Ops transformations I've seen in smaller teams started with a notepad and some brutal honesty. One sole counsel increased her strategic impact by simply mapping where her time actually went. Turned out 25% was spent on work that didn't require her to be involved. Another small team revolutionised their stakeholder relationships with a one-page guide explaining when to involve legal and when not to. No software. No consultants. Just clear thinking and the courage to say no to low-value work. Legal Operations isn't about having the fanciest tools. It's about having the clearest priorities. Save the enterprise solutions for when you've mastered the fundamentals. What's one simple change your legal team could make tomorrow that would free up capacity for strategic work? #legaloperations #inhouselegal #legalleadership #generalcounsel #smallteams

It takes 7 seconds to lose a client's trust. (Sometimes with words that seemed perfectly reasonable.) I've watched smart professionals lose deals they deserved to win. Strong relationships. Perfect fit solutions. Gone in seconds. Because here's what nobody tells you about client conversations: Your words can either open doors or close them. After training 50,000+ client-facing professionals… I've heard every phrase that makes clients pull back. The pushy questions. The tone-deaf assumptions. The pressure that breaks trust instantly. 10 phrases that push clients away: ❌ "Do you have a price range in mind?" ❌ "When can we close this deal?" ❌ "Let me tell you why we're the best." ❌ "Are you ready to buy today?" ❌ "Who else are you talking to?" ❌ "I just wanted to check in.” ❌ "You really need what we offer." ❌ "Let me know if you have any questions." ❌ "This is a limited-time offer." ❌ "Can you introduce me to your boss?" Each one risks sounding like: "I care more about my quota than your success." Now 10 that build partnerships instead: ✅ "What outcomes are most important to you?" ✅ "What would success look like for you?" ✅ "Would it help if I shared how we've helped others?" ✅ "What's your timeline for making progress?" ✅ "What's most important when choosing a partner?" ✅ "I had an idea about your goals. Want to hear it?" ✅ "What challenges are you facing that we might help with?" ✅ "Would it help if we scheduled time to dive deeper?" ✅ "What priorities are driving your timeline?" ✅ "Who else should be part of this conversation?" Notice the pattern? Every better phrase puts the client's agenda first. Not yours. Because when you stop selling and start solving, everything shifts. Clients lean in instead of pulling back. Conversations flow instead of stalling. Trust builds instead of breaking. You don't need a personality transplant. You don't need to become "salesy." You just need to change your questions. Because the truth is: Your next client conversation is either strengthening a partnership or weakening one. Your words decide which. ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full cheat sheet? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf