David A. Fields Consulting Group How to Know If Your Consulting Firm Is Wasting Time on a Project Opportunity
There are projects you and your consulting firm would love to win, but, if you’re honest, you’re probably not the client’s best choice.
You can change that dynamic.
Billy, the standout voice in my college gospel choir, pined to play the Witch in Steven Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods. He even auditioned for Sondheim.
Sondheim listened to Billy’s audition but, ultimately declined to offer Billy the part.
Perhaps because the cast of characters specifies the Witch is a mezzo-soprano female and Billy is a male.
In Sondheim’s mind, Billy didn’t meet a requirement of the role and, fair or unfair, was not a viable contender for the part.
Many small consulting firms are Billys, expending precious energy auditioning for projects they have no hope of winning.
Yes, there’s definitely a case to be made for acting boldly and confidently seeking projects that will stretch your firm.
However, it’s easier to maintain high morale and subsidize expansion efforts when you’re consistently closing new, lucrative initiatives.
And that means understanding your firm’s right to win.
If you’re diligently thinking Right-Side Up, you’ve already focused your consulting firm on pervasive, urgent, expensive client problems.
Now you need to be perceived as a viable option.
The four questions below will help you identify where you have a right to win:
Four Right to Win Questions
1. Where does our consulting firm bring more experience with the situation or desired outcome than any other alternative our prospects typically consider?
2. Where has our consulting firm delivered demonstrable results captured in a short, hard-hitting case study?
3. Where is our consulting firm well known or perceived as a thought leader?
4. Where does our consulting firm have effective, easily demonstrated tools, processes and/or approaches?
Your charge is to simultaneously focus on prospects where you have a right to win now, and enhance your right to win in the future.
Can you evolve your right to win?
Sure, as my choir-mate Billy demonstrated by going on to win Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards. He can probably land almost any part he wants now.
With hard work, talent and a few good breaks your consulting firm can earn a right to win every engagement that tickles your fancy.
For the moment, though, focus on where you can win right now.
I’m curious: tell me where you have a right to win.
Text and images are © 2026 David A. Fields, all rights reserved.
As always, such excellent, applicable, and right-on-the-mark advice! Truly a winning-approach to obtaining new business! Thank you!
Your endorsement means a lot, Bob! Thank you for chiming in with your reaction to the article today.
I appreciate the article, David. My firm lost five projects at the end of last year, easily four of them we most definitely had the right to win. They are our bread and butter work- literally what we are known for- and two of these losses were with previous clients. One former client was so nonchalant about it and noted they expected to work with us again in some fashion just not on this project. ????????♀️
At this point, I’m no longer clear on what we have the right to win. Almost feels like starting over- after 11 years. Any advice on how to regain clarity here? I’ve been focusing on refining my services, which may be a greater risk because it does not meet the requirements noted above as “right to win” work.
Grrr, losing five projects is no fun at all, Kim! Though, if you won 25 and lost five, you’re probably pricing too low!
There are, of course, huge differences between having a right to win, deserving to win, and actually securing a project. Focusing on engagements you have a right to win ensures you don’t waste resources on low-odds opportunities (or, sometimes worse, win work for which your firm can’t deliver great results); however, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll win every project you vie for.
When you’re not winning available opportunities, it’s time to revisit the Six Pillars of Consulting Success. Which pillar(s) are you not performing well on or being outperformed by other alternatives a prospect could choose? If the answer is consistent across lost projects, your direction on what to fix is clear. If the losses are all for different reasons, then it’s just a run of bad luck.
Refining your services won’t automatically change your right to win. It may help or may harm, depending on how the refinements affect your answers to the four right to win questions.
Thank you for sharing your situation, Kim, and creating an opportunity to explore the topic more.
Thank you David! Really appreciate the additional context! ????
I will use this with my team at our next huddle! Thanks for publishing this.
Outstanding, Alan. Please let me know how the team reacts and where you go with the idea.
New gigs are harder than repeat gigs.
Companies often have a relationship with a consulting firm they’ve done business with before. There’s a comfort there that’s hard to measure.
How do we create a connection that can compete with the existing relationship?
We exhibit at key tradeshows during the year where we can talk to prospects one on one, creating connection, collecting leads, following up, offering value before we request the gig/sale.
You’re absolutely right, Jay. Repeat business is typically easier to win, and you’ve already built Trust. Sometimes you don’t have a right to win a new project at an existing client; however, if you do have that right, you’re well ahead of the game.
Thanks for jumping into the conversation, Jay.
Great article David. Thank you. I’ve asked my team to answer to answer your four “right to win” questions for each of our major practice areas. I’m sure it will be a helpful exercise to re-prioritize our efforts.
Wow, David, that’s a terrific way to get into action. I’ll be very interested in hearing how the exercise turns out across your team.
Thanks for the concrete case study of applying the right to win questions!