Content positioning & storytelling for consultants who do great work but struggle to explain it

For the longest time, I couldn’t explain what I do for a living: My day job, my consulting work - every time someone asked, I’d slip into a two-minute monologue.

Sounds familiar? 

Probably! Because most consultants have this problem. 

They can do the work. But explaining it clearly? That's where they get stuck.

And here's what happens: if you can't explain what you do, your content can't either.

You post consistently. Get engagement. But from the wrong people. Other consultants. LinkedIn enthusiasts. Not your actual target clients.

The problem isn't your content tactics. It's unclear positioning.

When you're trying to serve everyone, you attract no one specific.

I learned this the hard way. Now I help early-stage consultants and people starting their own solo business venture fix the same problem.

Here's how I work:

- We start with positioning clarity - who you actually serve and what makes you different
- Then we break down your expertise into 3-4 content pillars that express that positioning
- From there, we build a content strategy that attracts your target market
- And finally, I show you engagement strategies to build relationships with the right people

I don't write content for you. I don't teach LinkedIn growth hacks. I help you get strategically clear so your content can actually work.

Results clients see:

- Content that attracts their actual target market, not just generic engagement
- Client conversations from LinkedIn instead of just comments and likes
- Clearer differentiation in their space - people understand what they do
- Positioning clarity that makes content creation easier and more effective

If your content attracts engagement but not clients, your positioning probably needs work.

Book a Positioning Reality Check. 

30 minutes & we'll figure out what's actually broken.

Let's chat 🤘

I'm turning 33 today (holy macaroni!)

One year ago, I was just starting to gain real traction on LinkedIn. 

Here's what nobody tells you about your first year building a consulting business.

You'll undervalue your work.

I started my offers way too low because I was lacking the confidence in my abilities. 

Figured I needed to "build a track record first."

Wrong. Underpricing doesn't build credibility. It completely undermines it.

I spent months creating content and networking because it felt productive. 

And what I was really doing? Hiding from direct sales conversations.

As a result, you'll attract the wrong audience first.

I spent months chasing the wrong ICPs and pretended to be someone I just wasn't.

The people who actually need my help? 
Consultants like me, figuring out their positioning in real time.

Here are the most important lessons I learned last year:

- Underpricing your work doesn't build credibility, it destroys it.
- You're credible enough for people one step behind you, and that's exactly who needs your help.
-In most cases, consultants don't need generic content tactics - they need positioning clarity that makes content work.
- Your first real paying client teaches you more than any course ever will.

What I got wrong:

I thought year one would be about proving I'm credible enough.

Really, it was about accepting that being one step ahead is exactly what the right people need.

One year in. Still figuring it out. 

But a lot clearer on who I'm figuring it out for.

Cheers to that.

Simon Schmitz

Content positioning strategist helping consultants attract the right clients through their content, not just engagement

If your posts get engagement but no clients, you're skipping one critical step:

A consultant asked me last week why his content wasn't converting.

I looked at his last 10 posts. On first glance, they look pretty good with solid engagement.

To see what was really going on, I asked him three questions I asked him three questions:

- What's your positioning in one sentence?
- What makes your methodology different?
- Who's your ideal client?

He couldn't answer any of them clearly.

That's the exact problem I'm helping consultants fix. If this sounds familiar, join the waitlist: https://lnkd.in/e4GC7niM

And that's usually a sign for the following

His content was getting engagement because it was helpful.

But it wasn't converting because nothing about it was specific to who he serves or how he's different.

Yes, helpful content can be great to showcase your expertise, but if you only post that kind of stuff, you will never attract enough clients. 

No reason to hire you specifically.

Trust me, I've been there myself.

Spent months creating content that people loved but didn't convert.

Because I was skipping the hard work of getting clear on who I serve and what makes me different.

In broad terms, here's what we need to do right now:

1. Get clear on your positioning first
2. Then create content that expresses it

That's what I'm helping consultants work on in the community I'm building.

We're focusing on the positioning work before the content work.

Because once you're clear on who you serve and how you're different, the content writes itself.

And it actually converts.

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9 out of 10 LinkedIn profiles overlook this - and it’s quietly sabotaging their pipeline.

Most solo consultants treat their LinkedIn profile like a boring a$$ resume.

I see this every day.

And it drives me nuts.

A resume is passive (unless it's one of those crazy Canva templates).

But your LinkedIn profile needs to instill action.

Remember, your profile has ONE job:

Getting the right person to take the right next step.

If your visitors can't answer these 3 questions in seconds, you've lost them:

- What expensive, urgent problem do you solve for your clients?
- What makes your approach unique?
- What's the next step visitors should take to learn more?

Want to turn your profile into a lead generation tool?

Then shoot me a DM for more info.

Starting something new with high expectations? 

That's how most people set themselves up to quit.

I usually start with the opposite thought.

I'm probably gonna suck at this.

New job. New hobby. New sport. Doesn't matter.

It sounds negative, but it's weirdly helpful.

It lowers the pressure and makes quitting harder.

Jiu-Jitsu was a good example: 

Some people walk in thinking they'll dominate .I walked in hoping I wouldn't embarrass myself.

Same with work: Every new role, I assume I might bomb in the first month.

And then… I don't.

Things click slower sometimes, but I don't panic because that was part of the deal in my head from day one.

Here's what I've learned:

Low expectations don't kill motivation, but unrealistic ones sure do!

So if you're just starting to post on LinkedIn, or starting anything where results feel public, take the pressure off.

Let it take longer than you want.

Most people don't quit because they're bad but because they expected to be good too fast.

You don't need to be great on day one.

Instead, just show up and not expect perfection.

What's something you've been putting off because you're worried you'll suck at it?

Content positioning & storytelling for consultants who want warm leads

If you’re a consultant who decided to use LinkedIn to get clients, here’s a metric most people ignore:

Everyone talks about follower goals.
And I’ve done that too.

But follower count isn't the shiny tool it's made out to be. 

What actually matters is engagement in the right places.

Posting consistently helps, yes.
Sharing useful insights helps, yes.

But if all you’re doing is publishing and waiting, you’re playing the slowest version of the game.

Early traction doesn’t come from reach.
It comes from proximity.

So instead of obsessing over:

- follower count
- impressions
- likes on your own posts

I’d track different things in your first months:

- How many ideal clients you’ve added and followed
- How many thoughtful comments you leave under their posts
- How often your name shows up where they already pay attention
- How many DMs start because someone recognizes you

That’s the real warming phase.

People don’t hire you because of your viral posts, but because you’ve been “around” long enough to feel trustworthy.

Follower growth looks good on a dashboard.
But relationships are what move pipelines.

If you’re starting out, I’d rather see 30 right people notice you than 3,000 random ones scroll past.

I’m currently putting together a small community for consultants and solopreneurs who want to work on this kind of stuff together. 

Positioning, content, and actually getting clients without turning LinkedIn into a cringe fest.

You can join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/eddcNCzZ

Craving real engagement? Ditch the flawless wins. Use these 5 storytelling shifts instead.

Most entrepreneurs turn their wins and fails into boring case studies not even their mom reads.

- Listing metrics
- Mentioning fancy strategies
- Including out of context screenshots

The result? 12 likes and zero comments.

People don't connect with data points.

They connect with the human parts of your journey.

Here are 5 ways to turn client experiences into stories:

1. Start with the mistake
2. End with the lesson
3. Show awkward moments
4. Include your thoughts
5. Admit what you didn't know

Your biggest client win means nothing without context.

People scroll past perfect case studies.

But they stop for honest moments that remind them of their struggles.

Real stories build trust faster than any testimonial.

No bs. 
Just your experiences doing the heavy lifting.

Save this for your next story worth telling.

I'm a 32-year-old German who moved to the US 8 years ago.

No plan besides getting my masters degree. 
Not a lot of research. But ready for a cool adventure.

Most people think moving to a new country means endless plot twists (and trust me, there were some).

But the real twist is I moved here and built a nice simple life.

As an example, here is my day yesterday

 1. wake at 7, brush teeth, pet Maggi, coffee
 2. open computer, clear notifications
 3. 30 minutes of DMs, post, reply
 4. onboarding call with an amazing new client
 5. log into work, knock to-do's out
 6. head to jiu jitsu, train for an hour
 7. same lunch as always at 13:00
 8. meetings till 17:00
 9. log out of Slack
 10. draft next week's content
 11. a few more DMs
 12. dinner at 19:00
 13. hang with my wife
 14. Battlefield 6 at 22:00
 15. read a book and sleep at 23:30
 16. do it all again the next day

Working from home is strange because the cool moments hide inside small routines.

But that's also where everything compounding lives.

If you're waiting for a move, a rebrand, or a viral moment to make life interesting, try this first:

- Make one day work so well it's worth doing it again the next day.
- Then repeat it until it pays you back (literally and figuratively).

That's been the real cool upgrade.

What's one boring thing you'll keep doing because it compounds in the long run?

Right now I'm building a community for consultants and solopreneurs. The pricing question is doing my head in.

Do I price it high because I know the value?

Or price it low to get more people in?

Here's what I've decided:

Start low. Get the ball rolling. Then increase incrementally over time.

Early members get rewarded for:

- Trusting me from day one
- Helping grow the community with me

Could I make it free?

Sure. But that would:

1. Signal to people there's nothing worth getting
2. Create a dead group in weeks
3. Undersell my value

Not my plan.

I also don't want one of those groups where people just shamelessly self-plug their stuff.

You know the ones.

Someone posts "Hey everyone. Check out my new course on Instagram growth."

Then crickets.

Or worse, 10 other people reply with their own links.

What I want instead:

- Real collaboration
- Actual networking
- Bouncing content ideas off each other

A place where you can say "I'm stuck on this hook" and get genuine feedback.

Not just "great post. btw here's my thing."

The pricing strategy does two things:

1. Attracts people who are serious
2. Rewards early believers

Because if you're willing to pay something (even if it's low), you're showing up differently.

You're invested.

You'll actually participate.

And that's the whole point.

Building something valuable together.

Not just another dead LinkedIn group collecting digital dust.

Do you think low-priced communities work better than free ones?

Yes or No?

3 myths I believed before signing my first consulting client.

When I started consulting work, I had it all figured out.

Plot twist: I didnt

Here's what I believed vs. what actually happened:

I believed: I need a website before I can take clients
Reality: First client came from a conversation, not a website

I believed: I should lower my prices until I have 10 testimonials
Reality: Underpricing made me annoyed, not booked

I believed: If I post 5x/week, the clients will come
Reality: 3 good posts beat 5 crappy ones

I believed: "Consultant" means having all the answers
Reality: "Consultant" means knowing how to find the answers

The gap between what we think we need and what actually works is where most consultants get it twisted.

I'm putting together a community for consultants and solopreneurs working through exactly this kind of stuff. 

Positioning, content, actually getting clients without turning LinkedIn into a cringe fest.

You can join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/e3iW-4QH

What's something you believed when you started that turned out completely wrong?

How I went from nearly zero to nearly 10,000 LinkedIn followers in under a year:

The biggest change was systemizing how I work so I don’t rely on motivation or daily willpower to show up.

There were a number of tools that helped me turn content into a repeatable process instead of a creative guessing game.

Here is the stack I actually use:

- Gemini: Strategy, emails, editing. It helps me organize thoughts, not replace them.
- Canva: All visuals live here. No design decisions, just execution.
- Stan Store: Freebies and booking links. Set it once and move on.
- Stripe: Simple, reliable, and out of the way.
- QuickGen AI: Turns ideas into lead magnets without dragging the process out.
- Miro: I use it when things get messy and I need to see the whole picture.
- MagicPost.in : Drafts, hooks, trimming. The final judgment stays with me.

Every tool has one job: reduce friction and remove decisions so I can focus on thinking and writing.

Essentially, I automate the low-judgment work but I keep the thinking manual.

That’s the system.

Anything obvious I forgot to add?

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