Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  February 26, 2026

How to Position Strategy Services When Buyers See Strategy as Expendable

If you market yourself as a strategist, buckle up. A recent MarketingProfs article on the future of strategy outlines major headwinds ahead, and it forces a bigger question: How do you position strategy services when buyers see strategy as expendable?

Heads up: This is not a fun read.

Move past the marketing focus. These assumptions apply to all buyers. Key findings:

• A whopping 40% report that buyers treat strategy as cuttable or expendable when time or budgets are tight. An equal percentage say the impact of strategy rarely lives up to its potential. The culprit: fear of risk.

• The biggest opportunity? “Navigating disruption to find growth opportunities” leads (52%), with “challenging status quo thinking” and “developing cohesion” tying for second place at 45%.

Bottom line: Buyers know they have needs and that they must use outsiders. But their expectations are centered on growth and making “it” work. Anything else gets pushed aside until that mythical time when things settle down.

If you’re wondering how to position strategy services in this environment, stop selling the benefits of a strategic approach. Instead, position your expertise around navigating disruption and unlocking growth—because that’s what buyers are prioritizing now.

Now Read This:

• How Substack’s Shift Impacts Your Thought Leadership Strategy
• Outsmart Your Competition. Attract More Opportunities

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.