Time

AI-Driven Business Development

Growth has a price tag, and most of it is non-billable.

Every proposal, pitch, and scoping call is overhead you carry before a client says yes, and the faster you grow the more it stacks up. In the AI era that's changing, with cost per proposal dropping by as much as 75% at firms using the right tools and workflows. We'll dig into what those leading firms are running, and how to keep this cost from blowing out as you scale.

Mark Orttung 09

Projectworks CEO Mark Orttung has built his career growing and selling both consulting firms and technology companies.

Dominique Rennell

Projectworks CCO Dominique Rennell advises global consulting firms on how to scale their growth and operations effectively.

What you'll get from this episode:

  • Why winning work gets more expensive the faster you grow
  • The AI tools and workflows leading firms use to cut the cost
  • How to track cost per proposal so it doesn't blow out
  • A read on whether your business development is becoming AI native

Business development is where fast-growing firms quietly bleed money. Join Mark and Dominique live and bring your questions.

Time

AI-Driven Business Development

Growth has a price tag, and most of it is non-billable.

Every proposal, pitch, and scoping call is overhead you carry before a client says yes, and the faster you grow the more it stacks up. In the AI era that's changing, with cost per proposal dropping by as much as 75% at firms using the right tools and workflows. We'll dig into what those leading firms are running, and how to keep this cost from blowing out as you scale.

Your Z-Suite for this session:

Mark Orttung 09

Projectworks CEO Mark Orttung has built his career growing and selling both consulting firms and technology companies.

Dominique Rennell

Projectworks CCO Dominique Rennell advises global consulting firms on how to scale their growth and operations effectively.

What you'll get from this episode:

  • Why winning work gets more expensive the faster you grow
  • The AI tools and workflows leading firms use to cut the cost
  • How to track cost per proposal so it doesn't blow out
  • A read on whether your business development is becoming AI native

Business development is where fast-growing firms quietly bleed money. Join Mark and Dominique live and bring your questions.

Join Mark and Dominique for this live discussion:

resources
podcast

AI-Driven Business Development

AI-driven business development
AI-driven business development
Go deeper
Subscribe to the Projectworks Podcast
Watch Video

.

Share:
Watch the pod live

RSVP to get notified and listen to our podcast, live!

You’ll be invited to our exclusive listening sessions of our live pod recordings

UP next:
Projectworks team
Tue, Feb 3, 2026, 12:30 PM PST

Is Your Firm Worth Buying?

Keep reading

Listen to moments from similar podcasts

What's a healthy CAC?
Podcast

Client acquisition cost is the number no one measures but everyone should. Most firm leaders can quote utilization and margin, then go quiet when you ask what it costs to win a client. We'll work through how to measure it, what healthy looks like, and the leadership question underneath it: who you hire, and what an AI-forward exec team needs to be.

August 6, 2026
Podcast
Building the AI-Era Consulting Firm
Podcast

Every firm is being told AI changes everything. Few can tell you what it's actually worth to them. We benchmark over 700 consulting firms, and our data puts revenue per employee near $175K today. Over the next couple of years, we expect the leading firms to double it, by turning the tools and data they already run on into an intelligent ecosystem that drives action across the firm. Season 3 opens on the question that defines the rest of it: what does healthy growth and profitability actually look like in the AI era?

July 9, 2026
Podcast
Podcast

Most small consulting firms grow fast early on. It's easy to assume you're winning because you're differentiated. Often it's just the market giving you a free run. Then somewhere around 30 or 40 staff growth quietly drops off – either the differentiation wasn't really there, or the market has caught up.

June 11, 2026
Podcast