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About The Consultant's Way Podcast

The Consultant's Way podcast is your go-to resource for navigating the complexities of the consulting and professional services world. We bring you insightful conversations with industry thought leaders and executives from top Professional Services organizations, sharing their expertise on how to:

• Build high-performing consulting and professional services teams

• Differentiate your offerings and increase organizational growth

• Deliver exceptional client value and drive impactful outcomes

Brought to you by:

• McMann & Ransford: A strategy consulting firm with over 30 years of experience helping leading B2B organizations escape commoditization and achieve sustainable growth. Learn more:  https://mcmannransford.com/

• The Consultant's Way: Your one-stop shop for training and enabling consultants and professional services teams to deliver exceptional client value. Learn more:  https://www.consultantsway.com/

Connect with us:

• LinkedIn:

○ Dean McMann - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanmcmann/

○ Anthony Paluska - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-paluska-5081804b

• Email: podcast@consultantsway.com

Interested in being a guest?

We're always looking for insightful guests to share their expertise. Reach out to us via email or LinkedIn if you'd like to be considered for a future episode.

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You’ve heard the horror stories. Consultants parachute in, drop big ideas, cash the check, and leave a strategy that gathers dust on a shelf. So why does this keep happening—and more importantly, how do we stop it?

In this episode, Pete Machtley, Senior Director of Professional Services at BrightEdge, joins Dean and Anthony for a conversation every consulting leader needs to hear. They unpack why even smart recommendations often go unimplemented, what gets in the way, and how great consultants build momentum before, during, and after the sale.

From navigating internal politics and cross-functional bottlenecks to tracking executive relationships like your future depends on it (because it might), Pete shares tactical ways to stay relevant, stay helpful, and ultimately stay hired. Whether you’re selling strategy, delivering implementation, or trying to avoid becoming a ghosted vendor, this one’s packed with real-life insight and advice.

You’ll learn:

• How to set up for implementation success before the deal is even closed
• Why executive sponsorship isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a lever
• What to do when your buyer moves on mid-project
• How to “care out loud” and create long-term value, even after the engagement ends

This episode isn’t about fancy frameworks. It’s about the unglamorous, unskippable work of helping clients get real results—and being the kind of consultant they actually want to call back.