Why Most New Consultants Struggle to Explain What They Do

“What problem do I really solve?”

It’s a small question. But for most people trying to launch a consulting business, it’s the wall they slam into again and again.

They have real skills, they’ve done meaningful work, yet when it comes to turning that into a concrete offer, everything gets blurry.

It’s not because they lack talent. It’s because clarity isn’t something you wait for; it’s something you earn by starting. 

In martial arts, I tell my youth students, you don’t learn how to defend yourself by watching YouTube videos; you must step on the mat and practice applying techniques. Consulting is no different. 

You won’t get clarity by thinking about it or endlessly planning. You get it by showing up and trying. Each move teaches you what the next one should be.

In fact, many consulting startups fail not because their founders are bad at what they do, but because they never define two things:

• What they truly sell

• Who they’re selling it to

Startup failure rates vary (typically between 50% and 90%) depending on the time frame, industry, and other factors. But one thing remains consistent: the numbers have stayed high for years, with no sign of slowing down.

And one of the biggest reasons? Lack of product–market fit (or a similar term in the case of a consulting business, “service-market fit”).

Put simply: if you can’t clearly define your offer or who it’s for, your business won’t get off the ground.

That’s why I give every new consultant two maps, the Offer Formula and the Ideal Client Map. Together, they’re your foundation.

Map 1: The Offer Formula

Skill + Problem + Willing Wallet = Your Offer.

It sounds simple, but most people skip straight to “selling” before understanding this equation. They start listing everything they can do without stopping to ask: Which of these things solves a painful problem for someone who will happily pay for it?

Let’s break this down:

• Skill: What are you actually good at (or invest time learning)? Not ‘surface-level’ good—tangible, specific, useful good.

• Problem: What expensive, painful, or time-consuming issue does this skill solve?

• Willing Wallet: Who feels that pain so sharply they’re already paying someone (or desperately looking) for a solution?

Your skills are bricks. But without this formula, you’re stacking them randomly, hoping a house appears.

In my Aikido training, our most senior sensei (with 50+ years of experience) almost always focuses his classes on fundamentals, and says once your fundamentals are solid, you can do flashy techniques more easily. The Offer Formula is your blueprint. Without it, your energy is scattered. With it, every move lands.

Turning “Hiring” into Revenue

A friend of mine wanted to consult on “team culture.” That’s vague. It doesn’t tell anyone what they get.

We drilled down. His past job? Building reliable hiring systems for startups that were bleeding cash from bad hires.

• Skill: Hiring frameworks.

• Problem: Companies are losing thousands on mis-hires and turnover.

• Willing Wallet: Startups with 10–50 employees, already spending money on recruitment.

We turned his offer into: “I help growing startups build reliable hiring systems so they can avoid costly mistakes and scale faster.”

Boom! Suddenly, his service went from an idea to something people understood and paid for.

Map 2: The Ideal Client Blueprint

Once you know what you sell, the next question is: Who deserves it? :)

This is where most consultants waste months chasing “anyone who’ll pay” instead of the people who are already looking for what they offer.

I call this The Ideal Client Map.

It’s not about picking a “perfect” niche from day one. It’s about zooming in on:

• The specific type of person or company you can help most.

• The pain they feel so deeply that your offer becomes the obvious solution.

• The decision-makers have both the budget and the urgency to hire you.

Why This Matters

If you’ve ever tried pitching to “everyone,” you know what happens:

• People smile politely.

• They say, “We’ll think about it.”

• And nothing happens.

But when you talk to the right audience? You feel the shift. They lean in. They ask, “When can we start?

The Ideal Client Map is the same: focus on the right people, and your effort creates maximum impact.

HR Consultant vs. “Anyone”

Imagine this:

• You tell a random business owner, “I do HR consulting.”

• They nod and move on.

Now, share with a founder who’s drowning in 3 bad hires how you’ve cut hiring mistakes by 80% and saved another company similar to theirs $20K in churn, and suddenly, you have their full attention.

That’s the power of the Ideal Client Map; it’s your compass. Without it, you’re rowing in circles.

The Bridge Between the Maps

The Offer Formula gives you a path. The Ideal Client Map gives you a destination.

When you have both maps, it’s like stepping on the mat with perfect balance. Every strike is intentional. Every move is directed toward a win.

Without them, you’ll spend months “planning” but never launching. You’ll keep tweaking your LinkedIn headline while watching others land clients you could’ve helped.

And that’s the heartbreaking truth: Most consulting businesses don’t fail because of competition or lack of skill; they fail because they never define these two maps.

Your Next Step?

Every consulting business starts as a white belt.

The difference between those who quit and those who thrive is stepping onto the mat, even when you’re unsure of your next move.

This isn’t theory. It’s the same system I’ve used to build 7 businesses and generate over $65 million in revenue.

Think of this guide as the foundational moves of consulting. Master these patterns, and you’ll earn the discipline and clarity that define a business black belt.

If you’ve been circling the idea of launching your consulting business or are stuck in planning mode, this is where you START.

(stats source: BLS)