Let’s talk about what separates successful consultants from everyone else.
- It’s not talent.
- It’s not connections.
- It’s not even luck.
It’s knowing exactly who you serve and what specific problem you solve for them.
Most consultants i meet sound like this:
“I help businesses with their marketing challenges”
Or
“I do strategy consulting for b2b companies.”
That’s not positioning. That’s… vague hand-waving that avoids the question.
Here’s what actual positioning looks like:
”I help quilting stores increase their revenue from organic traffic by 30% through SEO”
or
”I help manufacturing companies cut warehouse costs by 15% using lean inventory systems”
or
“I help law firms double their referrals without spending a dime on marketing”
See the difference?
- Specific market ✅
- Specific outcome ✅
- Specific problem solved ✅
When these elements start to come together, three things start to happen:
- Prospects you speak with immediately know if you’re for them
- You can charge more (because you’re not competing on price anymore)
- Referrals happen easier (“Oh, you need help with converting trials into paying customers? I know exactly who to call: Kareem at TrialToPaid.com” — Read his testimonial about our coaching work together here)
The formula is super specific — you’ve probably seen it before.
I help <specific market> <achieve specific outcome> by <solving this specific problem>
Here’s where people screw this up:
- They go too broad because they’re afraid of missing opportunities.
- They focus on finding a perfect positioning statement instead of finding a slightly better positioning statement and end up doing nothing
Wrong moves, both of them.
The riches are in the niches, but you can’t go from vague hand-waving to pitch-perfect positioning overnight.
It takes:
- Talking with your customers, prospects, and audience
- Learning about their needs and problems
- Reflecting those needs and your solutions in your messaging.
Your turn: I want to hear from you
Email me tell me your answers as best as you can:
- What market do you serve?
- What problem are your clients in that market looking to solve?
- What specific outcome do you help your clients achieve by solving that problem?
I’ll share feedback on how to sharpen whatever you share 👀
Excelsior!
Kai
PS: If you’re thinking “but Kai, I work with a lotta different types of clients…” that’s exactly why you need this exercise!
