How Small Consulting Firms Can Productize Services Through an LMS
- LMSPortals
- Jul 26
- 6 min read
Introduction: From Hands-On to Hands-Off
Small consulting firms run on expertise. Their value lies in the knowledge, frameworks, and insight they deliver to clients. But here’s the problem: most of that value is stuck inside conversations, workshops, or long-form reports that require the consultant to be present. It’s high-value, yes—but it’s also high-effort and low-scale.
The moment a consultant stops working, the business stops earning.
Productizing services through a Learning Management System (LMS) breaks that dependency. It allows firms to deliver core value in a structured, scalable, and repeatable way—without having to be in the room every time.
This isn’t about replacing consulting. It’s about extending it, multiplying its reach, and giving clients more flexible, self-paced ways to engage.
What Does It Mean to Productize?
Productizing means turning your custom, often messy consulting service into a clean, repeatable offering that can be packaged, priced, and sold like a product.
It’s the difference between:
“We run leadership workshops tailored to each company” vs. “We offer a 6-week Leadership Acceleration Program with training, coaching, and certification delivered through our online platform.”
The value is still there. But the format becomes more accessible, standardized, and scalable. For consulting firms, this often means taking your process, framework, or method and packaging it into a structured learning experience—delivered through an LMS.
Why an LMS Is the Key Tool
An LMS (Learning Management System) lets you build and deliver structured educational experiences to clients or teams. It’s not just a content repository—it’s a platform that manages:
Curriculum structure (modules, lessons)
Multimedia delivery (video, audio, slides)
Interactivity (quizzes, reflections, assignments)
Progress tracking
Certification
Community or coaching integration
For a consulting firm, this becomes the digital backbone for delivering productized services.
Benefits:
Scale: Teach 10 or 1,000 people without more work.
Consistency: Every client gets the same, proven process.
Professionalism: A branded, smooth experience builds trust.
Leverage: You can charge for access, not just your time.
Recurring revenue: Create subscription models or tiered licenses.
Step 1: Extract Your Repeatable Process
The first step isn’t tech—it’s clarity. You need to figure out what part of your consulting work can be packaged.
Start by auditing your client work:
What do you find yourself saying or doing repeatedly?
Do you have a signature framework or methodology?
Are there concepts, templates, or tools you use with every client?
Where are the “aha moments” that consistently deliver value?
Example:
A small DEI consulting firm realizes they use the same assessment and onboarding process with every client. That process becomes the foundation for a "DEI Readiness Course" that HR teams can take before deeper engagement.
Even firms with highly custom work can usually extract introductory material, foundational concepts, or frameworks that can be standardized.
Step 2: Define the Transformation
No one buys an LMS course because it “has six modules.” They buy it because it promises a meaningful change.
To productize successfully, you need to define the before-and-after state:
Before: What pain, challenge, or limitation does the client face?
After: What specific improvement or capability will they gain?
Good productized service examples:
“In 30 days, align your executive team around a single strategic vision.”
“Train your mid-level managers to become confident leaders in 6 weeks.”
“Reduce new hire churn by 40% using our Onboarding Optimization Program.”
Anchor the course content in real business outcomes, not just education. This is critical for client buy-in—and for premium pricing.
Step 3: Map Out the Learning Journey
Once the transformation is clear, design the path to get there.
A solid LMS course structure includes:
Modules: The major milestones or stages (e.g., “Diagnose,” “Design,” “Deliver”)
Lessons: Bite-sized chunks within each module
Assets: Tools, checklists, guides, templates
Practice: Real-world assignments or prompts
Interaction: Quizzes, feedback, community, or live coaching
Key Tip:
Each module should answer this: “What will the learner be able to do after this?”
That ensures your course moves the learner toward the promised transformation, not just knowledge accumulation.
Step 4: Choose the Right LMS for Your Model
Not all LMS platforms are right for consulting firms. Choose based on your goals, budget, and technical comfort level.
Key features to look for:
White labeling and branding
CRM and email integrations
Multiple pricing models (one-time, recurring, license)
Certification capability
Group analytics (for enterprise clients)
Step 5: Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Don’t try to build a perfect, 20-hour mega-course upfront. Start lean.
Create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) version with:
Basic but valuable video lessons
One or two worksheets or tools
Clear structure and outcome
Feedback loop (surveys, email follow-ups)
Test it with a pilot group of current or past clients. Offer early access in exchange for testimonials or feedback.
You’ll discover what’s unclear, what resonates, and what you can improve before scaling.
Step 6: Package and Price Strategically
Once your LMS product is tested and refined, decide how to package it for the market.
Common models:
Self-paced course: Great for small businesses or solo users. ($197–$997)
Blended program: Combine self-paced content with live coaching or Q&A. ($1,000–$5,000)
Team or corporate license: Sell seats or access by department or headcount. ($5,000+ per engagement)
Subscription library: Offer access to a vault of training or resources. ($49–$299/month)
Don’t underprice because it’s digital. Clients pay for transformation, not just delivery method. If your LMS course saves an executive team weeks of misalignment, it’s worth thousands—not hundreds.
Step 7: Market It Like a Solution, Not a Course
Selling your LMS offering requires a shift in positioning. You're no longer just a service provider—you’re offering a productized solution to a painful business problem.
Keys to effective marketing:
Use landing pages focused on outcomes, not features.
Highlight client success stories and testimonials.
Run free webinars or workshops as entry points.
Create a lead magnet or diagnostic tool tied to the course.
Use LinkedIn and email to target decision-makers in your niche.
Your marketing should say:
“You’re here. You want to be there. We have a proven path to get you there—and it starts today.”
Step 8: Scale With Systems
Once you’ve validated your LMS course and packaged it well, scale strategically.
Growth strategies:
Upsell existing clients: Include LMS access in your consulting retainers.
Create a tiered offering: Entry-level clients start with the course, then move up to advisory or coaching.
Build a certification program: Allow learners to get certified and promote your method.
License to partners: Let other consultants or resellers deliver your course under your brand.
Build a learning community: Offer ongoing support, group coaching, or a membership model.
Done right, this creates a flywheel: more learners → more impact → more reach → more clients → less reliance on hourly work.
Real-World Success Story
An operations consulting firm that specialized in manufacturing process audits was hitting a ceiling: 10 clients/month max, all tied to travel and in-person sessions.
They turned their IP into a 4-week LMS-based program that taught plant managers how to run self-audits using the same process. Included checklists, templates, and weekly group calls.
Within 6 months:
80+ companies had enrolled
Revenue tripled with minimal increase in time investment
They began licensing the course to regional manufacturing associations
They didn’t stop consulting. But they no longer needed to be onsite to deliver value.
Summary: Build Equity in Your Expertise
For small consulting firms, productizing services through an LMS isn’t just a smart business move—it’s a shift from trading time to building assets.
It turns your unique insights into intellectual property. It creates leverage. It opens doors to new markets. And it future-proofs your business in a world where clients increasingly prefer digital-first solutions.
If you’ve ever thought “I’m saying the same thing over and over,” that’s your signal. Start packaging. Start testing. Start building the version of your business that works—whether or not you’re in the room.
About LMS Portals
At LMS Portals, we provide our clients and partners with a mobile-responsive, SaaS-based, multi-tenant learning management system that allows you to launch a dedicated training environment (a portal) for each of your unique audiences.
The system includes built-in, SCORM-compliant rapid course development software that provides a drag and drop engine to enable most anyone to build engaging courses quickly and easily.
We also offer a complete library of ready-made courses, covering most every aspect of corporate training and employee development.
If you choose to, you can create Learning Paths to deliver courses in a logical progression and add structure to your training program. The system also supports Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) and provides tools for social learning.
Together, these features make LMS Portals the ideal SaaS-based eLearning platform for our clients and our Reseller partners.
Contact us today to get started or visit our Partner Program pages
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