How do you demonstrate your expertise as a consultant or coach? How do you show you’ve really got the goods?

You could state your credentials. You could talk about what you know.You could even talk about your own achievements and how you reached them.

But a lot of business owners come up against the “I hate to write about myself” block. They feel they’re boasting or showing off … and that doesn’t feel good.

Actually, the most effective way to communicate expertise is by crafting a success story.

For example:

Ken sent this story to his list (with edits to disguise the details):

Annette came to me because she was looking for more effective ways to demonstrate her value and increase her close rate beyond 40%.

Annette is a successful professional organizer with 10 years of experience. Her clients tend to be conscious, mission-driven business owners. Together, we analyzed Annette’s programs and offers. We also discussed her personal and revenue goals.

“After Ken’s’s 2-week marketing program,” Annette said, “I revised my offers and focus less on close rates. I began implementing the strategy and saw results right away.”

This story gives us some hints about the way Ken works with his clients, but it’s pretty vague. Ken could reposition the story to focus more clearly on his expertise.

Let’s rewrite:

“Annette is a professional organizer with a steady flow of clients. When prospects signed up for her free get-acquainted sessions, she was able to close over 40%. She wondered if she could get an even higher close rate and wondered if she could improve her sales pitch.

“Over the years, I’ve learned that many business owners put energy into activities that will rarely lead to the results they’re seeking. I’ve built a 7-step program to help them connect goals with actions. And I’ve developed a sixth sense for recognizing where they need to begin. That’s why I schedule a one-to-one session with each client at the beginning of the group program.

“After our one-to-one call, Annette realized she needed to focus on the big picture for her business. She enjoyed a high close rate because she was competing primarily on price. She needed to come up with higher-end offers and packages. She needed to stop trading hours for dollars and create some courses and group programs.

“We worked together to redesign Annette’s offers. She could keep a low price point with group program offers and video training, while raising her prices for the one-to-one programs. Her closing rate was less important than her total revenue.

“Six months later, Annette reported that she had reduced her working hours by 20% while raising her revenue by 30%. She expected to see even more growth as she could leverage the programs she was creating now.”

Of course, a real story would include even more details, but notice what Ken’s done. He’s identified his strengths as a business consultant. He’s shown that this success story isn’t unique to this client: it comes from his well-developed system.

Most important, he’s demonstrated his expertise in a professional, matter-of-fact way, without boasting or exaggerating. He’s also building a foundation for becoming the go-to brand in his industry, even in a competitive field.

And if you’d like to work one-to-one with me to uncover your own brand-building story, click here to learn more about the Power Hour consultation.