A few weeks ago, I was reviewing a lead-gen funnel with a client. On paper, it should have worked. Solid targeting, clear offer, clean messaging. But something felt off.

Then it hit me. 

It wasn’t him.

In our rush to build the funnel, we had stripped out what made his consultancy distinct. It lacked personality. It didn’t sound like him or feel like his brand, and his ideal clients could feel it.

That’s when we got talking about music.

Taylor Swift vs Metallica (Seriously)

Two of the most successful artists on the planet:

 🎤 Taylor Swift

 🎸 Metallica

They’re wildly different.

Different styles. Different audiences. Different energy.

If Taylor Swift tried to appeal to Metallica fans, or vice versa, they’d risk losing what makes them iconic.

And yet… so many consultants do exactly that. They water down their message to try to appeal to everyone, only to connect with no one.

What this means for your consultancy

The most successful consultancies I work with are crystal clear on three things:

1. Who they’re for

2. How they serve

3. How they show up

That clarity doesn’t just make your marketing more effective - it makes your delivery more aligned, your sales more efficient, and your business more resilient.

Because when you build your consultancy to serve your core client, you stop chasing.

You start attracting.

Does that mean you’ll never work with others?

Not at all. Just like Metallica has plenty of casual fans outside their core, you’ll still attract people outside your “perfect client” definition.

But here’s the key:

You’ll serve them on your terms - not by changing your tune to fit theirs.

A simple test

Whenever something in your marketing or client acquisition isn’t working, check it against these three filters:

1. Is this aligned with our core client?
   
   

2. Is this how we best deliver value?
   
   

3. Is this how we want to show up?

When your answer is “yes” across all three, everything starts to click.

When you lean into the best version of yourself, you’ll attract the clients who are the best fit for you.

The ones you actually want to work with.

The ones who stay longer.

And the ones who refer you more often.

If you’re not seeing that yet, maybe it’s time to turn the volume back up on who you really are.