There’s a version of your firm that exists in leadership conversations—the firm that’s pursuing bigger projects, breaking into new sectors, and bringing in different kinds of clients. And there’s the version of your firm that prospects meet when they visit your website. The closer those two versions of your firm align, the more likely it is that the right kinds of clients will find you. Most firms focus on getting more visibility. The real leverage is refining your visibility to attract greater opportunities for growth.

Where the Gap Is

Strategic direction lives in leadership conversations. It doesn’t automatically update the website, the boilerplate, the proposal templates, or the way principals describe the firm at conferences.

The market responds to what it sees. And what it often sees is a version of your firm that’s two or three years out of date.

The Alignment Advantage

The disconnect between who you say you are and what you project to the outside world doesn’t just cost you opportunities. It blurs your brand narrative. When you’re not consistent in your words and images, prospects can’t form a clear picture of who you are. And the firm with unclear positioning rarely makes it onto the shortlist.

Your communications need to inform clients about the value you bring to projects in order to win more of the kind of work you want, rather than just what comes in the door.

Your vision leads the way. When your materials reflect the work you want, you attract prospects looking for exactly that. You win projects that advance your positioning and, as a result, your body of work is even stronger evidence for the next pursuit. The cycle builds on itself.

Strategic focus makes the right doors easier to find, and clarity creates an advantage. When prospects can quickly identify what you’re best at, they shortlist you with confidence. When your positioning is specific, the right clients seek out your firm for its ideas and its work.

Three Ways to Close the Gap

1. See Your Future Through Your Client’s Eyes

Your materials already tell a story. Make sure it’s the story that attracts the quality of projects you want, not just a certain quantity of work.

The Strategic Shift Instead of “Does this accurately represent our experience?” ask “Would our ideal future client find this compelling?”

Try This Identify a specific project type or client profile you’re targeting for growth. Review your website as that prospect, evaluating whether or not to shortlist your firm. Curate what you show to highlight the projects that demonstrate where you’re headed, not just where you’ve been.

2. Discover Your Actual Market Position

Your brand isn’t what you say about yourself. It’s what others say when you’re not in the room. And that perception is valuable intelligence.

The Strategic Shift Instead of “Here’s how we describe ourselves” ask “Here’s how the market actually experiences us.”

Try This Ask three clients how they’d describe your firm to a colleague. Don’t prompt them with your language. Just listen. The overlap between their description and your aspirational positioning shows where you’re gaining traction. The gaps reveal your opportunities for improvement and refinement.

3.  Track What’s Coming In

Most firms measure communications by output: posts published, proposals sent, awards submitted. But inbound inquiries reveal how your positioning is actually landing in the market.

The Strategic Shift Instead of “Are we visible?” ask “Are we visible to the right people, about the right thing?”

Try This For the next quarter, note what prospects assume about your firm before reaching out. When the pattern matches your growth strategy, you’ve found what’s working. When it doesn’t, you’ve found where to sharpen the message.

Skyline Summary

• Your communications need to inform clients about the value you bring, positioning you to win the work you want rather than just what comes in the door
• Your vision leads the way. Aligned messaging creates a self-reinforcing cycle that pulls high quality projects towards you
• You need to curate your materials to highlight where you’re headed, not just where you’ve been
• Auditing your client language reveals where your positioning is gaining traction and where it’s not
• Tracking inbound inquiries allows you to determine whether your visibility is attracting the right opportunities

Keep building influence!