The Six-Figure Divide: What Separates High-Earning Consultants from the Rest
A.J. Riedel
I help Underpaid Solo Consultants become Highly Paid Authorities ??♀? 35+ years as a solo consultant ?? 40+ years of marketing experience ?? MBA in marketing ?? Coach & Mentor ?? Distinguished Toastmaster ??
Here's a startling statistic: The average self-employed consultant in the US earns around $86,430 per year, and half of solo consultants make less than $150,000 annually. As someone who has spent years studying successful consultants, this income gap fascinated me. What exactly separates the top earners from those stuck in the under-earning trap?
After extensive research and observation, I've identified four key differentiators that consistently separate high-earning consultants from their peers. These aren't just minor variations – they're fundamental differences in approach, mindset, and business strategy.
1. Market Positioning: The Power of Specialization
High-earning consultants don't try to be everything to everyone. Instead, they:
- Develop deep expertise in a specific niche
- Become known as the go-to expert in their field
- Create proprietary frameworks and methodologies
- Target a clearly defined ideal client
In contrast, underearning consultants often take a generalist approach, afraid to specialize and trying to appeal to everyone – ultimately appealing to no one.
2. Marketing Systems: Consistency Over Desperation
The most successful consultants have cracked the code on sustainable marketing:
- They market consistently, regardless of their current workload
- Maintain visibility and relationships year-round
- Implement automated lead generation systems that work 24/7
- Build systematic approaches to business development
Meanwhile, underearners typically market only when desperate, creating the dreaded feast-or-famine cycle and relying solely on referrals and sporadic networking.
3. Pricing Strategy: Value Over Time
Top earners have revolutionized their approach to pricing:
- They implement value-based fixed pricing
- Sell outcomes rather than hours
- Create packaged solutions and productized services
- Confidently maintain premium pricing
- Develop multiple revenue streams, including passive income
Underearners, however, often stay trapped in the time-for-money exchange, billing by the hour or day, competing on price, and regularly discounting their services out of fear.
4. Mindset: The Ultimate Differentiator
Perhaps most importantly, high-earning consultants operate with a fundamentally different mindset:
- They embrace an abundance mentality
- Maintain strong self-confidence
- Focus primarily on revenue-generating activities
- Think like business owners, not employees
Underearners often struggle with scarcity thinking, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome, leading to procrastination and low-impact activities.
The Consequences Are Clear
These differences in approach lead to dramatically different outcomes:
High earners enjoy:
- Multiple six-figure income
- Predictable, consistent monthly revenue
- Financial security and freedom
- Sustainable growth potential
- Work-life balance
Underearners face:
- Inconsistent revenue
- Constant feast-or-famine cycles
- Regular burnout
- Limited growth potential
- Ongoing financial stress
Breaking Through the Ceiling
The good news? These differences are learned behaviors, not innate traits. Every high-earning consultant started somewhere, and they developed these approaches through conscious effort and strategic implementation.
The first step to breaking through your income ceiling is recognizing which of these areas needs your attention. Are you positioning yourself as a specialist or a generalist? Do you have systematic marketing in place, or are you riding the feast-or-famine roller coaster? Are you pricing based on value, or still trading time for money? And most importantly, what beliefs about yourself and your business might be holding you back?
Remember: The path to high earnings isn't about working harder – it's about working differently. Which of these areas will you focus on first?
Ready to Break Through Your Income Ceiling?
Join me for a free LinkedIn Live Event: "Break the Consulting Ceiling: The 3 Missing Pieces Keeping You From Multiple Six Figures"
In this 60-minute session, you'll discover:
- Why most consultants get stuck below $150K (and how to make sure you're not one of them)
- The proven system high-earning consultants use to command premium rates
- How to build a predictable pipeline of ideal clients who value your expertise
- The critical mindset shifts that separate $250K+ earners from the rest
Special Bonuses for Live Attendees Only:
? My 9-step process for busting limiting beliefs that hold back your income
? Exclusive assessment tool to diagnose what's really keeping you from your financial goals
? Special offer: Three 1:1 strategy sessions for just $150 (normally $750)
Date: Thursday Nov. 14
Time: 5:00 pm PST
Investment: FREE
This Training Is Perfect For You If:
? You're tired of the feast-or-famine cycle
? You know you're capable of earning more but aren't sure what's holding you back
? You want to stop competing on price and start commanding premium rates
? You're ready to transform from tactical expert to trusted authority
After 35 years as a successful consultant, I discovered I had left $2 million on the table due to common mindset traps and missing systems. Don't make the same mistakes I did.
Can't make it live? Register anyway and you'll get the replay. However, live attendance is strongly encouraged for maximum benefit and access to the special bonuses.
#ConsultingSuccess #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship