Kevin McKenzie helps clients work through complex business problems.

He has spent the last three years talking to more than 80 chief executive officers about what they need from their vendors, and is sharing what he learned in his new book, Mastering the Value Creator Paradox.

Over a 30-year career in professional and financial services, McKenzie identified a shocking disconnect between what clients want and expect, and the way firms go to market. As a senior partner at one of Canada’s leading professional services firms, McKenzie led a team providing services including audit, tax and advisory to blue chip clients. His firm competed with other big four firms for assignments, and he says the focus was on hustling to get work and keep people busy.

“In a big firm, there is an obligation to grow the business but the more you chase transactions, the more replaceable you become.”

“The feedback that I got is that consultants show up in one of three ways. Roughly 60 per cent fit into the service provider category. These are reliable vendors. The big firms like to bill their people as being really good at what they do - the best lawyers, the best tax people, the best engineers - but clients say being expert at what you do is just table stakes.”

“The next group, about 30 per cent are problem solvers,” according to McKenzie. “They don’t lead with what they offer, but come with solutions. Clients tend to see them as helpful, but may not fully trust them.”

Only about 10 per cent rise to become value creators.

“They start by learning what is the best outcome for the client. What is the right problem to solve? It takes time to invest in relationships and earn the trust needed to become a value creator,” but, says McKenzie “If you give a client three similar options, they will typically choose based on price. The challenge is, how do you differentiate yourself? It’s about asking better questions rather than pitching better answers.”

McKenzie spent his career consulting to large corporations and entrepreneurial ventures across more than 20 countries. The lessons he shares in his book apply equally well to smaller companies and internal clients.

“If you’re the chief financial officer or the head of human resources, you are providing a service within the company. You become invaluable by helping them think about better solutions. Smaller companies can be much more nimble and work faster to implement change, creating greater opportunities to make a difference.”

“As head of my own consultancy, I can choose to work with clients where we are aligned with a sense of mission and purpose,” said McKenzie, of Whatif? “I have the luxury of taking time to really develop relationships and shift the conversation from ‘This is what I do’ to ‘This is what I can do for you’.”

McKenzie, a Clearview Township resident, writes weekly on leadership at Whatif.ca, where there is a link to the self-published book, available in various formats.