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Grow Your Independent Consulting Business

Fixing the Wrong Problem in Your Consulting Business | Ep. 217

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Key takeaways

  • Focus on solving the right problems in your consulting business to avoid wasted time and energy.
  • Recognizing and updating your mindset is crucial for overcoming perceived challenges in your consultancy.
  • Shift your focus from quantity (more leads) to quality (selective engagements) for sustainable growth.
  • Utilize reflective questions to uncover outdated problems you're still trying to solve and pivot towards new opportunities.

Summary

Understanding the Wrong Problem

In this episode, Melissa Lieberman emphasizes the common trap many independent consultants fall into: focusing on fixing the wrong problems in their business. She notes that many consultants repeatedly tackle issues they've outgrown, wasting time and energy without realizing it. By sticking to familiar problems, consultants might miss out on opportunities for genuine growth. The goal, she states, is to identify the true core of current issues rather than continuously addressing familiar, yet solved, challenges.

The Importance of Mindset Shifts

Melissa shares an in-depth example of a consulting client who struggled with feelings of overwhelm, mistakenly believing his issues lay in time management and lead generation. As they dug deeper, it became clear that his mindset was outdated. By failing to recognize his capability in lead generation, he inadvertently created problems for himself. The key takeaway is that mindset shifts—recognizing one’s own expertise and reframing one's business position—are essential for moving forward and addressing the problems that truly matter.

Moving from Quantity to Quality

A pivotal lesson discussed is the transition from seeking more leads to being selective with the leads generated. Melissa points out that once the actual problems are identified (like outdated mindsets), consultants can focus on refining their approaches instead of simply adding more tasks. By being selective and honing in on quality engagements, consultants can experience sustainable growth and alleviate feelings of overwhelm.

Guiding Questions for Self-Assessment

The episode concludes with Melissa offering listeners three guiding questions to evaluate whether they are solving the right problems in their business. These questions encourage introspection, urging consultants to consider which problems they’re clinging to, how those problems might already be resolved, and what new focus could emerge if they trusted that old problems were, in fact, solved. This framework aims to facilitate clarity and actionable steps for consultants aiming for growth.

Sponsors

  • Consultant's Business Health Assessment · An online assessment to evaluate the health of your consulting business with 14 areas to focus on your priorities.
  • Coaching Exploratory Call · Schedule a coaching exploratory call with Melissa to identify necessary shifts for faster business growth.

Show notes

You solve problems. That’s what you do best as a consultant.

But what if you’re focused on solving the wrong problem in your own consulting business?

In this episode, Melisa breaks down a counterintuitive truth: many consultants plateau or underearn not because they don’t have solutions, but because they’re solving problems they’ve already outgrown.

Melisa shares a real client case study that illustrates how thought errors can keep you solving yesterday’s problems and sabotaging your current and future growth. 

You’ll walk away with a new lens for assessing what really needs your attention — and how to stop spinning your wheels on challenges you’ve already outgrown.

Timestamps for Key Moments

  • [04:22] What it looks like to fix the wrong problem and why it’s such a common trap for ICs
  • [07:30] A real-world example of a consultant who outgrew his lead gen problem but didn’t update his mindset
  • [13:50] The identity and positioning shifts that opened up capacity and growth
  • [18:36] How to shift from more to better — refining your focus instead of adding more to your plate
  • [23:45] Three questions to uncover if you’re solving the wrong problem

Tune in to Episode 217 to shift your perspective and refocus your energy on what actually moves the needle in your business.

Related Resources

Want More?

Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

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