4 Steps to a Brand That Attracts Executives and High-Achieving Professionals (even if you’re just getting started)

Ready for bigger clients and opportunities, particularly consulting to and coaching executives, leaders, and other high-achieving professionals, but not sure how to make it happen?

Something along the lines that this is a question that I get asked all the time, not just because of the work I currently do as a brand positioning and messaging strategist for consultants and coaches (link to my services) but because of my background as an organization development consultant and consulting business owner working with an advising executives at Disney, other fortune 500 companies and leaders in organizations of all sizes, etc.

In this post, I want to help you validate that this is the right direction (or it’s not for everybody), and, if so, give you four steps to position yourself strategically to be seen as a credible, must-have consultant or coach for the leaders you want to work with.

Step 1: Validate Your Vision

The first step is to make sure that focusing your consulting or coaching business on executives, leaders, and high-achieving professionals – either within the context of an organization or working individually - is right for you. If you want to land these clients strictly for the money and prestige you think they represent, it won’t work over the long-term.

If your heart isn’t truly invested in their success, these clients will feel it, or more accurately, not feel it.

You’ll wind up pursuing work you don’t want, struggle with lead generation and landing clients, and you’ll rarely make the kind of money you hoped for.

Even if you do achieve some financial success, you’ll eventually hit an integrity meltdown.

Go through this checklist and for each item that feels true to you, check the box. You don’t need to check every box for this to be the right direction for you, but you should have at least half.

• This direction just makes sense. Before starting my consulting or coaching business, I either held significant leadership positions or worked closely with leaders. Setting up my practice, these professionals is a natural extension of my career to date.
• I care about these clients as people. I get that these are people who carry immense pressure, are responsible for big decisions, and support everyone around them, and rarely get real support. In their work and in their personal life, they are surrounded by people who need something from them. If I can be someone who can give them space to think and real guidance towards achieving their goals, that would be incredibly rewarding to me.
• I am motivated to solve complex challenges. What I appreciate about high-achieving professionals is that their problems and challenges are often complex. In their work and personal life, they deal with big decisions, competing priorities, and difficult people issues. I imagine working with these clients will give me a chance to regularly use one of my favorite strengths – simplifying complexity and turning chaos into clarity.
• I want to play a role in something bigger: Like me, strategic leaders and high-achieving professionals are driven by impact, not just income. They’re not looking to maintain the status quo—they want to build something, lead something, create something meaningful. So, if I can help them, I’m not just consulting or coaching but playing a role in a bigger mission.
• I thrive in high-level, big-picture conversations. I enjoy discussing strategy, vision, and complex challenges rather than just focusing on tactical execution. I know that executives and high-achievers aren’t looking for simple advice—they need someone who can engage with them at their level and help refine their thinking.
• I’m comfortable with strong personalities. High-achieving professionals are decisive, opinionated, and used to being in charge. I don’t get intimidated by authority, and I know how to challenge and guide leaders in ways that earn their trust and respect.
• I can hold my own in fast-moving, high-pressure environments. These clients don’t have time for handholding, fluff, or vague guidance. They need clear, direct insights, and I’m confident in my ability to provide that—even when the stakes are high.
• I don’t need constant validation. Executives and high achievers aren’t the type to shower praise or reassurance. I’m okay with that because I don’t measure my success by compliments—I measure it by the impact I help create.
• I want to work with people who take action. I get energized by clients who don’t just talk about ideas but actually implement them. I know that high achievers are wired for action, and I love being part of that momentum rather than chasing engagement from unmotivated clients.
• I’m ready to operate at a premium level. I recognize that executives and high-achievers value expertise and are willing to invest in real results. I’m comfortable charging premium rates and positioning myself as a highly valued strategic partner, not just another service provider.

Step 2: Clarify Your Brand Positioning & Messaging

Here’s the thing: Your brand is not about finding the perfect words to describe what you do in a way that gets the attention of executives and high-achieving professionals. It's about organizing your brand around them. It’s about starting with who—your client—and then articulating what you do and how you solve their strategic problems. When you know who you help and why they need you, the words to describe what you do will flow naturally.

Your brand isn't just about the service you provide; it's about the impact you make. When you’re clear on who you’re helping and the problems you’re solving, your brand becomes a magnet for high-achieving professionals who need what you offer.

Whether you're working with executives, leaders, or high-performing business owners, remember: your client is a person, not just a title. The real value lies in understanding their unique challenges and aligning your expertise to solve them.

Is your positioning clear?

• I can clearly articulate who my ideal clients are: Whether they’re high-achieving business owners, executives, or senior leaders, I know who they are and what they value.
• I understand where they work and their environment: I can describe the type of organization they lead (e.g., startups, growing businesses, mature enterprises) and the industry they’re in (e.g., retail, tech, healthcare, finance).
• I know the strategic problem I solve: Whether it’s navigating transitions in the organizational lifecycle, leadership changes, career shifts, or personal life transformations, I understand the core problems my clients are facing.
• I know what I bring to the table that they don’t have: I offer a fresh, outside perspective, specialized expertise they don’t have in-house, and the ability to solve complex, messy problems with misaligned stakeholders. I bring credibility and a capacity for growth that they need to move forward.
• I can clearly differentiate myself from others: Whether it’s my ability to handle high-stakes, high-pressure situations or my specialized niche expertise, I know how I stand out from other consultants and coaches.

• I speak their language: My messaging speaks directly to their pain points, challenges, and aspirations - using their language, not jargon.
• I’m focused on outcomes: I don’t just talk about what I do; I talk about the outcomes my clients will get by working with me.
• I make it easy for them to see the value: My messaging focuses on how I uniquely solve their problems and why they can’t afford NOT to work with me.
• I am clear on the transformation I offer: Whether it’s helping them scale their organization to the next level faster with greater alignment or accelerate their ability to break into the executive ranks using their unique strengths and perspective, I know exactly how working with me will change their business or life.

Step 3: Align Your Marketing Approach

Marketing to high-level executives and leaders is not the same as applying for a job or doing freelance work. The key difference?

There’s no job description for strategic consulting and coaching - clients don’t always know what they need until a problem arises. At that point, they turn to their trusted network and ask for recommendations.

They’re looking for someone who truly understands their world and can solve their strategic problems. That’s why it’s crucial to align your marketing approach with how these clients engage consultants and coaches: showing up consistently, establishing your credibility, and positioning yourself as a trusted expert.

Is your approach to getting clients in alignment with the caliber of client I want to attract?

• My website: Do I have a website? If not, why not? If yes, does it establish me as the credible expert my clients have been looking for? Are they the star of my website, and does my copy speak directly to them, using jargon-free language? Do my design and professional photos instill confidence in the quality of my work? You can download my website planner here.

• My "What I Do" Script: Does my script focus on the problems I solve rather than vague statements like "I'm a consultant/coach" or buzzwords like "I ignite potential"? (Be specific!) Get my guide on articulating the value of what you do.
• Referral Clarity: When asking for referrals, am I crystal clear on who I help and the problems I solve, so it’s easier for others to recommend me?
• Right Places, Not Just Peers: Am I showing up where my clients are (e.g., industry-specific events or spaces) instead of just networking with my peers?
• Social Media Focus: If I’m using social media, am I focusing on platforms where my ideal clients are, not just the ones that are easiest or most familiar to me?
• Content That Creates Value: Am I creating content that speaks specifically to my ideal client, helps them find me online, and provides meaningful value that makes them want to work with me?
• Industry and Networking Events: When attending industry events, am I positioning myself as a thought leader - like speaking at events or joining panels -rather than just attending as a participant?
• Content Platform: Do I have a content platform (like a podcast or YouTube channel) that lets potential clients experience what I offer and see that I’m the right person to guide them through the important transformations they are facing in their leadership, organization, careers and/or lives? Download my content marketing guide here.
• Marketing Consistency: Am I consistently showing up with my marketing and messaging, knowing that building brand awareness takes time and patience, and that marketing isn’t just about intent but creating lasting visibility?

Step 4: Position Yourself as a Partner and Peer

The true purpose of a consultant or coach isn’t to simply do work for an organization without being on the full-time payroll. That’s a contractor or freelancer.

A consultant is What defines a consultant is how they create value:

They come alongside executives to enhance their leadership, team, and organizational performance. They have no direct power, accountability, or responsibility to set direction or enact changes in any way. That leader has direct accountability for that action.

What they have influence without direct control.

The moment you take responsibility for the work, you have stepped out of the consultant role and are acting as a surrogate leader.

The moment you say “yes” to whatever a client asks for, you have stepped out of the consultant’s role and are now a service provider or an extra pair of hands.

That’s why it’s crucial to replace a contracting approach to landing clients with what I call a partnership set up, where you position yourself as a strategic partner (vs. service provider) with the outside perspective, credibility, and permission to speak truth to power and influence executives on the best way to achieve THEIR goals.

• Discovery Meeting: Do I take charge of the initial intro call with a potential client and pivot the conversation from their solution requests and wants to their strategic goals and needs? You can learn more about. the discovery meeting here and swipe my script here.

• Proposal: Have I given up on statements of work and detailed contracts for a proposal for a strategic partnership, where I establish the value of working with me and frame compelling options that shift the conversation from “if” we’re going to work together to “how?”

• Pricing: Have I moved beyond trading time for money, and am I pricing my offers based on the ROI my clients will get?

• Closing the Deal: Am I adept at handling objections with confidence and navigating the complexities when clients experience resistance (masked expressions of fear of loss of control, vulnerability or self-esteem) and land the deal?

• Contracting Expectations: Do I know how to set the conditions with my client upfront so that I have permission to maintain an independent point of view, access to information, and the ability to raise difficult issues in service of the client’s best interests?

The bottom line:

It’s not enough to want to work with executives, leaders, and high-achieving professionals, especially if your only motivation for that direct is your perception about the greater budgets that they have for consultants and coaches. Even if they had more money, they are not quick to part with it. They need to have confidence that you’re the right person to bring into the organization, that they can stake your reputation on you, and that they can trust you with their organization’s secrets and their own.

This level of credibility doesn’t come by chance. It’s the consequence of choosing this path out of passion (vs. desperation to find an easier way to get clients), alignment with your background and skills, and a strategically aligned and positioned brand foundation, along with elevated approaches to attracting and landing clients. 

1. You may know you want to work with executives in organizations, but you’re not sure exactly who your ideal client is – the most likely person within the organization who will look for and hire someone like you.
2. You may have clarity on who you want to attract, but your brand, website, and approach to getting clients haven’t gotten the memo yet.
3. Despite knowing that you have so much value to offer this client, you’re still somewhat second-guessing yourself, especially because you don’t have the right words to describe that value or how what you do is different than other consultants and coaches who offer similar things.