Why Your Expertise Isn't Reaching the CEOs Who Need It

The uncomfortable truth about ineffective consulting strategies

I made a decision that still makes me cringe.

It was not long after I started. Desperate for clients and clueless about marketing, I put a notice up in my health club. Every time I went for a workout, I'd glance nervously at that notice, hoping someone—anyone—would call.

Then one day, seemingly by miracle, I got a call from a CEO's PA. His wife had seen my notice at the gym. He became a client. A success story, correct? No—one-off luck.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: serendipity is not a strategy. And for professionals like you, it's far too risky to rely on luck.

Why brilliant consultants struggle to reach decision-makers

I'm sharing this because I meet brilliant consultants and coaches every month—people with deep expertise and genuine value to offer—who are being held back by outdated or ineffective approaches.

If you’re struggling to get in front of CEOs and senior decision-makers, you’re not alone. Here are five common traps that even seasoned professionals fall into—often unknowingly:

1. Constant networking

Spending 12+ hours a week becoming just another face in the crowd of eager service providers, while your unique value gets lost in the noise.

2. Social media posting

Crafting thoughtful LinkedIn posts that your ideal clients never see—because many CEOs have their social media managed by others.

3. Cold calling and emailing

Watching your carefully crafted messages get filtered out by gatekeepers—your expertise never reaching the decision-maker who needs it most.

4. Relying purely on referrals

Riding the feast-or-famine rollercoaster, with income swinging 20–60% month to month because your growth depends on chance introductions.

5. Traditional sales approaches

Damaging your professional reputation by trying to “sell” to C-suite executives who want peer-level conversations—not sales pitches.

The real cost of ineffective strategies

Years back, when I had my former advisory business, I tried every one of these.

The result?

• Income swinging from £30,000 one month to £3,000 the next

• Taking on lower-rate, misaligned work just to cover cash flow

• Watching less experienced consultants land six-figure projects I could have delivered better

• Constant stress from an empty pipeline, affecting my confidence and even the quality of my delivery

A different reality

That all changed when I had a trusted pipeline—a repeatable system to generate conversations with the right people.

I could choose projects that energised me. I no longer chased leads. I knew where the next opportunity was coming from.

Here’s what I want you to consider:

You've invested years developing expertise that could transform organisations.

You know the value you offer.

But here’s the question that keeps many consultants awake at night:

How many opportunities are you missing because you don’t have a reliable way to reach decision-makers?

Just a thought.

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