Look, if you’re a consultant or a professional service provider here in Brisbane, you’ve probably spent a fair chunk of your life chasing work.
It’s exhausting. You’re on LinkedIn, you’re at networking breakfasts eating soggy bacon, and you’re sending out proposals that feel like you’re shouting into a void.
Most consultants think the way to get more work is to just 'do more marketing.' But usually, that just means more noise.
The real secret? It’s about being the person people actually want to listen to. We call it thought leadership in the industry, but let’s just call it 'not being a generic suit.'
If people think you’re just another pair of hands, they’ll shop you on price. If they think you’re the only person who can solve their specific problem, price doesn’t matter nearly as much.
But honestly? Most people do this completely wrong. They spend thousands on fancy videos or ghostwritten articles that sound like a robot wrote them.
Here is my honest take on why being an expert matters, and the massive mistakes that are burning your cash and wasting your time.
The 'I Know Everything' Trap
The biggest mistake I see is consultants trying to sound like a walking encyclopaedia. They use big words, talk about 'synergy' and 'holistic frameworks,' and end up saying absolutely nothing.
Your clients don't care how smart you are. They care if you can fix their headache.
If you’re an HR consultant, don’t write a 2,000-word essay on the history of industrial relations. Write about how to fire a toxic employee without getting sued. That’s what people actually want to know.
When you share practical, useful advice, you start winning better clients because they already trust you before they’ve even picked up the phone. You’ve proven you can do the job before they’ve paid you a cent.
Stop Being So Bloody Polite
Most professional services marketing is incredibly boring. It’s safe. It’s beige. It’s designed not to offend anyone.
And that’s why it fails.
If you want to be seen as a leader in your field, you have to have an opinion. You have to be willing to say, 'This common way of doing things is actually rubbish, and here’s why.'
You don’t need to be a jerk about it, but you do need to take a stance.
When we work with architects, for example, the ones who get the best projects are the ones who aren't afraid to tell a client that their initial idea won't work. By being honest—even when it's uncomfortable—you get better architecture clients who value your brain, not just your drafting skills.
The 'Post and Ghost' Mistake
I see this all the time. A business owner gets a burst of energy, writes three LinkedIn posts in a week, doesn't get a phone call immediately, and gives up.
This isn't a vending machine. You don't put in one 'expert' post and have a $20k contract fall out the bottom.
It’s about building a reputation over time. It’s about being the person who is consistently showing up in your potential clients' feeds with helpful stuff.
Eventually, when they have a problem, you’re the only person they think of. But if you stop after two weeks because you didn't go 'viral,' you’ve just wasted your time.
"Most consultants fail because they're trying to reach everyone, when they should be trying to be the 'only' choice for a very specific group of people with a very specific problem."
— Lisa Nguyen, Digital Strategy Consultant
Talking About Yourself Too Much
Nobody likes the person at the pub who only talks about their own achievements. It’s the same with your marketing.
If every post is 'We’re delighted to announce we won this award' or 'Look at this project we finished,' people will tune out.
You need to make the client the hero of the story, not you.
Instead of saying 'We are great at tax planning,' tell a story about a client who was stressed out of their mind and how a simple change saved them fifty grand.
This is why we always tell people to use case studies properly. A good case study isn't a brag sheet; it's a map for your next client to see how you’re going to get them from point A to point B.
Using Jargon to Sound 'Professional'
If I hear the word 'bespoke' one more time, I might scream.
Jargon is a shield. People use it when they aren't quite sure what they’re talking about, or when they’re trying to justify a high price tag.
Real experts can explain complex things simply. If you can’t explain what you do to a bloke at a BBQ without him getting glassy-eyed, you’ve got a problem.
Write how you talk. Use 'don't' instead of 'do not.' Be human. People buy from people they like and trust, not from a corporate brochure with a stock photo of people shaking hands.
Thinking You Need a Massive Audience
You don’t need 50,000 followers on LinkedIn. You really don't.
If you’re a consultant in Brisbane, you probably only need five to ten really good new clients a year to have a cracking business.
I’d rather have 100 people who are exactly my target audience reading my stuff than 100,000 randoms from halfway across the world.
Focus on being 'locally famous' in your niche. Be the person that every lawyer in town thinks of when they need a specific type of IT support. That’s where the money is.
The Cost of Staying Silent
So, what does it cost to actually do this?
If you’re doing it yourself, it costs time. Probably 2-4 hours a week to sit down and actually think about what your clients are struggling with and write something helpful.
If you’re hiring someone to help, be careful. Don't hire a 'content agency' that just churns out generic AI-written rubbish. It’ll do more harm than good because it makes you look like everyone else.
You need someone who can sit down with you, extract the smart stuff out of your brain, and put it into words that sound like you.
It’s not an overnight fix. You’re looking at 3 to 6 months before the phone starts ringing consistently because of your 'thought leadership.' But once it starts, it’s like a flywheel. It just keeps going.
What Should You Do First?
If you’re ready to stop being a 'hidden gem' and start being the go-to expert, here’s what I’d do:
1. Pick one problem. What’s the one thing your clients ask you about the most? Write down the answer as if you were emailing a mate. 2. Post it. Put it on LinkedIn. Put it on your website. Send it to your email list. 3. Don’t overthink it. It doesn't need to be perfect. It just needs to be helpful. 4. Repeat. Do it again next week.
Look, the world is full of average consultants. If you can show people that you actually know your stuff and you’re a decent human to work with, you’re already ahead of 90% of your competition.
If you want a hand figuring out how to get your expertise out of your head and into a format that actually makes you money, give us a shout at Local Marketing Group. We’re over at https://lmgroup.au/contact and we’re always up for a chat about how to make your business the obvious choice in Brisbane.