Why many senior executives struggle when they star consulting?
Over the years I clearly saw that most senior executives do not struggle in consulting because they lack expertise.
It is also not about missing effort or energy they put in to start their next professional chapter.
They usually struggle because they bring too much expertise to the market.
That may sound strange at first.
After all, a long corporate career gives you exactly what should be valuable: experience, judgment, credibility, and the ability to solve complex problems.
But that is where the misunderstanding begins.
In corporate life, breadth is a strength.
In consulting, breadth often becomes a positioning problem.
Over the years, I learned this from both sides.
As a customer, I was never looking for someone who could do a bit of everything. I wanted the person who clearly understood my situation, knew the problem, and gave me confidence that the result would be reliable.
And as a service provider, I saw the same pattern again and again:
The more specific the problem, the client, and the offer, the easier it became to create trust.
That is why I believe this is one of the most important principles in consulting: Predictable outcomes are the result of reduced variance.
Brenda, bitte die Reihenfolge rechts ändern: 1. Specific Problem, 2. Ideal Client, 3. Predictable Outcome.
Box mit Sharp Consulting Positioning: bitte ändern in Sharp Positioning & Offer
Yet many executives do the opposite when they start.
They take what comes up.
A strategy project here.
A workshop there.
A bit of coaching.
An interim assignment.
An introduction through an old colleague.
At first, this feels like momentum.
But in reality, it creates variance.
Too many topics.
Too many client types.
Too many ways to explain what you actually do.
And the more variance you create, the harder it becomes for the market to understand you, remember you, and recommend you.
This is the real trap.
-----------------------
In corporate life, you were rewarded for being versatile.
For taking on complexity.
For solving problems across functions and business units.
That made you successful inside an organization.
But outside that organization, the market is looking for something else:
Clarity.
The consultants who gain traction fastest are rarely the ones with the broadest story.
They are the ones who can say, very clearly:
This is who I help.
This is the problem I solve.
And this is the outcome I help create.
That clarity reduces perceived risk.
Reduced risk creates trust.
And higher trust attracts better clients.
This was one of my biggest own learnings.
Real freedom in consulting does not come from staying open to everything.
It comes from being known for something that matters.
So here is a simple question worth asking yourself:
What specific problem do I solve for a specific client — in a way that creates a predictable outcome?
If the answer is still too broad, that is often the first thing to fix.
Because the market does not pay a premium for general capability.
It pays for relevance, confidence, and clarity to an expert.
Whether you need clarity, structure, or the right network — there is a next step for you.
Book a Mentoring Session if you want to discuss your current situation and define your next best move.
Join the Expert Shift OS Program if you want structured guidance, proven tactics and tools, and the chance to exchange ideas and questions with other participants and with me.
And if you want to build your business within an international network of experienced industry experts, becoming part of Brandt & Partners may be the right move.
Because independence becomes much easier when clarity, structure, and the right environment come together.
Responses