Something’s off in the consulting world. Companies spend fortunes on expert advice, only to receive polished slide decks and strategy documents that gather dust. The deliverables arrive on time, but the transformation never happens.
Tim Beattie, CEO of Stella and former Global Head of Product at Red Hat Open Innovation Labs, has seen this pattern play out countless times. In a candid conversation on the Sales POP! podcast, he shared why the consulting industry needs to rethink everything—from pricing models to how we define success.
The Real Problem: We’re Measuring the Wrong Things
Traditional consulting operates on a simple premise: deliver the output, get paid, move on. Whether it’s a market analysis, a redesigned process, or a technology implementation plan, consultants get rewarded for what they produce, not what actually changes.
“Clients don’t buy consulting for a stack of documents,” Beattie explains. “They want meaningful, measurable change.” Yet most contracts are structured around hours billed and deliverables shipped—creating a system where everyone’s incentives are misaligned.
The Outcome-Focused Alternative
The shift Beattie advocates is straightforward but profound: anchor every engagement to real business results. Instead of promising a strategy document, promise the capability to execute that strategy. Rather than delivering a training program, commit to measurable skill development.
This means getting specific upfront. What metrics will move? What capabilities need to exist? How will we know if this worked six months from now?
At Red Hat, Beattie’s team evolved from building systems for clients to enabling client teams to build systems themselves. The distinction matters. One approach creates dependency; the other builds lasting capability.
Rethinking the Business Model
Beattie points to subscription-based consulting as one promising alternative. Instead of project-based fees, clients pay monthly for ongoing access to expertise. Renewals happen based on results, not just relationship momentum.
The model works because it aligns incentives naturally. Consultants succeed by making clients successful, not by extending timelines or upselling unnecessary work.
He’s also enthusiastic about asynchronous coaching—recording detailed video feedback that clients can watch, rewatch, and share with their teams. One Loom video reviewing a strategy document reached more stakeholders and had a greater impact than any single meeting could.
The AI Question
Where does AI fit in this new consulting landscape? Beattie sees it as an amplifier, not a replacement. AI helps consultants recall deep expertise, brainstorm approaches, and validate ideas. It’s a thought partner that never sleeps.
The human skills that matter most—communication, collaboration, experimentation—become even more critical when AI handles routine analysis. The consultants who thrive will be those who treat AI as a team member while doubling down on the irreplaceable human elements.
What This Means for Your Practice
Start by auditing your current engagements. Are you promising deliverables or outcomes? When you meet with clients, are you discussing what you’ll build or what will change?
The future belongs to consultants who enable rather than deliver, who build partnerships rather than complete projects, and who measure success by client capability, not by documents produced.
As Beattie puts it: “The best consultants become trusted partners, not just vendors.” That transformation starts with one question: “What outcome are we here to achieve?”
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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