Consultants get paid more than salespeople because they lead with diagnosis, not prescription.
Consulting Positioning
Core Principle
Sam Ovens' Consulting Positioning teaches you to position yourself as an expert advisor, not a vendor. Vendors pitch products. Advisors diagnose problems. The shift in positioning changes everything -- how the prospect treats you, how much they pay, and how much they trust your recommendation. When you lead with frameworks and diagnosis instead of features and pricing, you elevate from someone selling a thing to someone prescribing a solution. Consultants never chase; they attract.
Step-by-Step Execution
Example in Action
Prospect: So what do you sell? You: Great question, but I actually don't know yet. I need to understand your situation first because I might not be the right fit. Would you mind if I asked a few questions? Prospect: Sure, go ahead. You: [Runs full situation audit] So based on everything you've shared -- the $3M revenue, the leaky pipeline, and the two failed agency attempts -- here's how I'd approach this. [Draws framework on whiteboard] Your funnel has three fracture points. Fix point one, and you recover about $400K annually. Fix point two, and you add another $600K. Point three is a longer play but worth $1M+. My recommendation is we start with points one and two -- that's a $1M impact for a $75K engagement. Prospect: You're the first person who's actually diagnosed the problem before pitching a solution. You: That's because I'm not a vendor. I'm an advisor. And I'd rather tell you I can't help than sell you something that won't work.
Practice this technique with an AI-powered roleplay scenario.