David A. Fields Consulting Group Imagine you’re a defendant in court. As the prosecution states their case, you nervously whisper to your defense attorney, “Should I just tell them…”
“No,” your counsel quickly interrupts you. “Don’t say anything!”
Your advocate’s advice is exactly right for the courtroom.
It’s absolutely wrong for the boardroom.
In legal matters, a good rule of thumb is: don’t admit anything. Never confess your wrongdoing, and never willingly divulge a weakness.
The law is adversarial.
Winners and losers.
It’s a battle of wits in which the ultimate aim is to force a “You’re g***amn right I did!” admission of guilt.
Heck, here in the U.S. we have a constitutional amendment protecting our right to not admit we’re wrong. (And to reference 30-year-old movies.)
Many people view life as a constant battle of us vs. them.
Never lose. Never admit you’re wrong.
Consulting, however, isn’t adversarial. It’s collaborative.
It’s we together.
That changes the entire dynamic and means that admitting your flaws, weaknesses and errors, while not easy, can benefit your consulting practice.
(Many readers who are attorneys may be itching to correct me with instances where admission is a good legal strategy. You’re right, I’m wrong, that’s not the point and, ironically, that helps me make the point.)
As a consultant, admitting your shortcomings builds an essential pillar of consulting success: Trust.
When you concede your imperfections, you strengthen trust that you’re honest and reliable; that your claims aren’t manufactured from bluster.
A few admissions that may improve your consulting firm’s success:
“I don’t know the answer to that.”
“That’s not our forte. Another firm could probably help you better.”
“You’re right. I made an error there.”
“Oops, I left something important out.”
Revealing your weakness may also afford you an opportunity to demonstrate your flexibility, responsiveness and resourcefulness.
For instance, consider how impressive the following response is, if you can deliver on it:
“I’m sorry, you’re right. I captured that assumption incorrectly. Let’s quickly run through my recommendations framework again, and I’ll show you what changes and what doesn’t with the assumption corrected.”
Have you ever gained a client’s Trust by admitting you were wrong?
Text and images are © 2026 David A. Fields, all rights reserved.
Hi David,
I’ve helped clients make millions of dollars, but I’ve never acquired deep financial expertise (despite some valiant attempts). I don’t find talking about money particularly interesting in itself, because it’s just a lagging indicator to measure whether we’re being successful. I am, however, world class when it comes to the leading indicators of how to make a lot of money–I find that VERY interesting. At some point in the discovery process I will share this with clients and encourage them to have a person with solid strategic financial expertise in the room when we’re doing our strategic planning. All the best.
Amazing, Doc. You’re freely offering an honest assessment to clients of where you don’t have strengths and, by comparison, where your capabilities are particularly strong. That’s a great example and an effective formulation.
Thank you for sharing, Doc!
“You’re right. I made an error there.”
“Oops, I left something important out.”
Better to get it right the first time. These impressions stick
It’s absolutely best to not make errors in your work, that’s for sure, Kevin. On the upside, correcting an inadvertent or unavoidable mistake can sometimes leave you in a stronger position with the client. And you’re certainly better off admitting an error than trying to cover it up, bluff, or bluster your way through.
Thanks for weighing in, Kevin!
Truth builds trust. Even if it’s about the company’s weakness.
QI Macros doesn’t do everything our much more expensive competitor does.
We admit it, right on the website.
We are, however, faster to learn, easier to use and easier to teach.
(But everyone says that don’t they?)
Well said, Jay. “They’re better than us in that way, and we’re better than them in this way” signals honest, forthright partnership. That’s the right approach.
I’m glad you gave your example, Jay. Super helpful!
Also, apologies are magic. I once worked for an agency where we had made a mistake and I got into a huge argument with the CEO and President, who advised me to tell them about the mistake factually and without an apology. I didn’t follow their orders – I added a sincere apology and it make the whole thing go much more smoothly.