In this episode of The Consultant’s Way, Ghazal Moore joins Dean and Anthony to tackle a long-standing and deeply entrenched challenge in SaaS: the identity crisis of professional services. Are they meant to be a revenue-generating business unit? A loss leader? An afterthought bundled into product deals? The answer, for many organizations, is murky—and the consequences of that ambiguity are real.

Ghazal draws from her 20+ years of experience across consulting, SaaS, and operations to explain how misalignment between executive leadership, sales, customer success, and professional services creates ongoing confusion, shifting priorities, and internal friction. That misalignment doesn't just frustrate employees—it impacts retention, weakens customer outcomes, and erodes the perceived value of services.

She contrasts organizations that intentionally operate PS as a loss leader—with aligned KPIs and clear expectations—against those that fall into it by accident, stuck between revenue goals and a culture of “just give it away.” The result? Overworked teams, underperforming financials, and a slow bleed of talent.

But the episode doesn’t stop at diagnosis—it offers a path forward. Ghazal shares a practical three-part framework focused on:

1. Executive alignment and role clarity

2. Offsetting revenue with well-scoped offerings

3. Equipping and incentivizing sales to sell services effectively

She emphasizes the importance of treating sales as a customer, tracking time spent on non-billable but valuable work, and giving professional services teams the tools and autonomy to control their own destiny—even within complex SaaS ecosystems. Whether you’re leading a PS team in a fast-growing tech company, trying to make your case for investment, or just tired of being everyone’s favorite fire drill, this conversation offers grounded, strategic advice you can act on today.