AI + consulting: Why your experts must take centre stage - especially now

In a nutshell:

• Now that AI content is becoming the norm, your experts should take the stage

  You create fans with real people, not with chatbots.

• Clients don't just hire you for what you know

  But also for a critical eye, hands-on experience and support with major decisions — roles that AI cannot take over.

• Involve your experts in your marketing efforts

  Frequently heard reasons are: "no time", "too cringe", "I'm no expert". But investing in the assignments of the future is part of the job.

• Choose the topics that match your audience and experts' needs

  Internal job titles like "senior consultant" don't interest the outside world.

• Make it easy and fun

  Develop a recurring series and recycle internal presentations and guest lectures: content with a real person consistently generates more responses.

Why your experts must take centre stage in your marketing strategy

Yes, of course the AI revolution is affecting knowledge-intensive organisations. Naturally, professionals use it in their work: taking minutes, making project information accessible, translating, brainstorming, structuring, creating nice images. Sure. Many firms are also helping clients to apply this new technology successfully: from guiding this change to building their own AI agents — you name it.

A threat?

But AI can also be a threat. It can offer knowledge, provide structure, track laws and regulations, give advice. Back in 2022, I shared my conclusions about this with colleagues: "We might as well pack it in," was the reaction. Yet that hasn't happened.

Why? Clients don't ask professionals only for their knowledge, but precisely for:

• A critical eye — not a fawning chatbot

• Real-world experience

• A supporting role in major decisions

These are roles you can't leave to AI.

It's all about your experts

That's why I believe experts should play an increasingly important role in the marketing of consultancy firms. Right now.

Because anyone can produce blogs, articles and reports with a chatbot, but you create 'fans' with real people. People who speak at an event, answer questions in an online session, explain something in a video.

How do you deploy your experts smartly?

What does that ask of your firm? How do you activate your experts and let them take the spotlight?

Step 1

Involve your experts

Step 1

And that's not so easy, in my experience. Many consultants are too modest, too busy, or indeed too proud to step into the spotlight with their expertise. Often you need to help them over a threshold:

• "Me, an expert? Surely not." Yes, you are! Don't forget that consultants see many organisations from the inside and work with a range of techniques. Consultants usually develop faster than the average organisation — they genuinely have a head start.

• "I don't have time, I'm busy working for the client." Of course, the client comes first. But looking ahead and investing in the assignments of the future is also part of the job.

• "I find it cringe." So do I. But there are bound to be formats that suit you. And if not: get over it, because this too is part of your job.

Step 2

Choose the right topics to step into the spotlight

Stap 2

Of course, this needs to match what your audience is looking for and your firm's goals. But make sure you also listen to your experts' own ambitions. What do they want to be (re)cognised for? What you should definitely not do is focus on internal hierarchy. Whether you're a "senior consultant", an "associate" or a "partner" doesn't interest the outside world in the slightest. What you know inside out, all the more.

Step 3

Develop a series

Step 3

Something your experts can repeatedly use to step into the spotlight.

Examples:

• Monthly online Q&A session

• Podcast series

• Monthly newsletter (for example, each one curated by a different expert)

• Explainer videos

• Stories in which professionals team up with clients to talk about their success (for example through an interview with a nice photo alongside).

Using a recurring series means you don't have to sit down with your experts time and again (saving everyone time!) and your marketing team can quickly and smartly produce content.

Step 4

Make it easy and fun

Step 4

Make it easy by recycling:

• Recycle pieces used within your organisation: Many firms run internal sessions where they share knowledge. What if we turned such a presentation into a blog or the script for an explainer video?

• Recycle external pieces: Has your expert ever given a guest lecture? Recycle it! Turn it into a blog or put it in a 'carousel' for LinkedIn.

• Use paid channels: Take on a regular partner such as a consultancy or sustainability platform that happily publishes your pieces. Or use LinkedIn ads, for example, to reach your audience in a highly targeted way.

That way you get the most out of your experts' time investment.

Make it fun by connecting with whatever your expert gets enthusiastic about.

One person loves being on stage and is a brilliant speaker at an event. Another prefers to dive deep into a topic and run an online session about it. Yet another enjoys connecting with others through a podcast series with clients. Really, there's a format for everyone.

The recognition will follow naturally

I've worked for many knowledge-intensive organisations. Every expert comes with their own instruction manual, but everyone enjoys being seen — and appreciated — for their expertise.

In my experience, (potential new) clients appreciate this enormously too:

• Photos and videos featuring a real person consistently generate more responses on social media

• Personal emails receive more replies

• Web pages featuring people are the most viewed.

The appreciation for your experts and for your firm thus go hand in hand.

Conclusion: start building fans now

Your firm can also develop fans among (potential) clients, together with your experts. I'd love to think it through with you!