You're probably positioning your consultancy around what you think clients value.

Here's what that costs you:

• You attract price shoppers instead of premium buyers

• You undercharge because you can't articulate your real value

• You lose deals to consultants who aren't better than you, they’re just better at speaking the client’s language

The gap between what you think clients want and what they'll actually pay for? That's where six figures disappear.

The words that win deals

Rob runs a communications consultancy. He thought clients hired him "to improve their messaging and stakeholder engagement."

Reasonable assumption, but totally wrong.

When he asked his best clients three specific questions, here's what one of them actually said:

"Every time we launch something, I'm terrified the story will get away from us. I need someone who can control the narrative before the board starts asking questions I can't answer."

Not better messaging. Control.

Not stakeholder engagement. Protection.

Not communication strategy. Career insurance.

Rob changed his positioning to: "Strategic Narrative Control: So you shape the story before it shapes you."

He went from charging £8K for communication strategies to £25K for the same work: different words, same delivery, triple the fee.

Why most client research fails

Most consultants ask surface-level questions:

• "What's your biggest challenge?"

• "What do you need from a consultant?"

The trouble is, everyone asks these. So clients give you the same generic answers they give everyone else: "Better strategy." "More efficiency." "Stronger leadership."

These are price-of-entry answers, the basics every consultant promises. They don't help you stand out because they don't reveal what premium buyers actually care about.

The three questions that reveal premium positioning

Instead, ask questions that uncover what I call '3am language' - the frustrated, emotional, unfiltered words clients use when they can't sleep because something really matters:

1. WHAT: What's your single most important question about [your problem area]?

2. WHY: Why would it make a difference in your business or life to solve it?

3. HOW DIFFICULT: How hard has it been to find a good solution so far?

Run quick interviews with 10-15 good-fit prospects. Here's what happens:

• The tire-kickers give you one-sentence answers

• The premium buyers give you chapter and verse

• You discover the 5-10% who are truly hyper-responsive - your ideal clients

Their long, emotional responses are pure gold. They show you:

• The exact phrases to use in your positioning

• The real outcomes they'll pay for (not the ones you assumed)

• The language that makes them say "this person gets me"

Can't do interviews? Send them a short email with the same questions instead.

What this looks like in practice

A strategy consultant thought clients wanted "better decision-making frameworks."

After running the three questions, his best client said:

"I'm drowning in options, and my team expects me to have answers. I need someone who can cut through the noise and tell me the one thing to focus on next, not give me another 40-page report to read."

His new positioning: "The one-page strategy: So you lead with confidence, not confusion."

He doubled his project fees and began attracting CEOs who were exhausted by overly complicated consultants.

Your action this week

Don't guess what clients value. Build your positioning from their actual words.

Do this:

1. List your 10 best-fit clients or prospects

2. Book in your interviews, or send them the three questions above

3. Read the longest, most emotional responses

4. Pull out the phrases that surprise you, the ones you'd never have guessed

By Friday, you'll have the language for your new positioning. The kind that makes premium buyers say "finally, someone who understands."

Want the complete system?

This is one piece of the client acquisition puzzle. My Ready-To-Buy Playbook shows you the full system: how to identify premium buyers, position for their real needs, and build predictable revenue without chasing leads.

👉 Get the Playbook here →