15 Feb 2026 6 min read Positioning

Build Authority as a Consultant: The PACE Guide

EXPERTISE DOES NOT EQUAL CLIENTS.

Let that sink in.

You're good at what you do. Really good. You've spent years mastering your craft. Clients love your work once they find you.

But the loudest voices online, the ones with half your experience, are getting all the attention.

It's not because they're better. It's because they know how to position themselves as the go-to choice.

Most experts assume their work speaks for itself. But expertise without visibility equals missed opportunities. The people winning aren't necessarily better. They're just positioned better.

If you want to build authority as a consultant, you need more than skills. You need a system.

The Positioning Problem No One Talks About

Here's something that shifted my entire perspective on authority.

One time, the Head of Marketing at Dropbox introduced me: "This is String. She's really good at personal branding."

At the time, I didn't get it. I wasn't calling it personal branding. I was just being me online.

But branding is a game of perception. How we see ourselves does not equal how others experience us.

You might think you're clearly communicating what you do. Your audience might be completely confused.

Want to test your positioning? Ask 3 people to describe what you do in one sentence. If they all say something different, you've got work to do.

That's the positioning problem. You know your expertise inside out. But strangers can't see what lives in your head. They see a LinkedIn profile that looks like everyone else's and content that sounds like generic advice.

Build Authority Consultant Style: The PACE Framework

After years of helping consultants escape the "brilliant but invisible" trap, I've distilled authority building into four elements.

P.A.C.E. is the 4-step system:

Positioning - People know what you do and why it matters. Not a vague description. A clear, memorable statement that makes the right people lean in.

Audience - Speaking to the right people. Not everyone. Not anyone with a budget. The specific humans who need exactly what you offer.

Create - Showing up where it counts. Consistent content that proves your expertise without requiring a sales call first.

Engage - Building relationships, not just hoping people figure out you're the best.

Most consultants skip straight to Create. They post content without clarity on positioning or audience. Then wonder why nothing lands.

PACE works because it builds authority systematically. Each element strengthens the others.

Why Expertise Alone Keeps You Invisible

You've spent years developing real expertise. You've helped dozens of clients. You have case studies, testimonials, proven results.

Yet when you try to grow beyond referrals, nothing works.

You post content that gets ignored. You reach out to prospects who don't respond. You watch less experienced competitors win business because they're better at marketing themselves.

The problem isn't your expertise. The problem is translation.

Your expertise lives in your head. Your clients experience it during engagements. But strangers on the internet? They can't see any of it.

Credentials prove you've done the learning. Authority proves you can apply it in ways that matter to your ideal client.

I've watched consultants with PhDs lose work to competitors with no formal credentials. Because the competitor showed up consistently, shared insights that resonated, and positioned themselves clearly.

If you're relying on your credentials to differentiate you, you're fighting the wrong battle. Every competitor has credentials too.

The Three Pillars That Make Authority Stick

Authority isn't built through one action. It compounds through three overlapping elements.

Expertise Proof

This is evidence that you actually know what you're talking about.

What counts:

Specific case studies with measurable results
Original frameworks and methodologies
Insights that reveal deep understanding
Content that teaches, not just inspires

What doesn't count:

Generic advice anyone could give
Reposting other people's content
Vague claims without specifics
Testimonials that say "great to work with" but nothing about results

A consultant who says "I help companies improve their sales process" has zero expertise proof. A consultant who says "I implemented a qualification framework that reduced wasted sales calls by 40% for three mid-market SaaS companies" has expertise proof.

Specificity is credibility. Vagueness is forgettable.

Consistent Presence

One viral post won't build authority. Neither will one great article.

Authority comes from repeated exposure over time. People need to see your name attached to valuable insights again and again before they start associating you with expertise.

What consistent presence looks like:

Regular content on platforms where your prospects spend time
Showing up in conversations in your industry
Being findable when people search for topics you specialise in
Having a body of work people can explore

The biggest mistake? Posting three times then disappearing for months. Or only showing up when you need clients.

Consistency beats intensity. A consultant who posts twice a week for two years builds more authority than one who posts daily for two months then burns out.

Strategic Positioning

Authority requires focus. You can't be known for everything.

Strategic positioning means being clear about:

Who you help (specific enough that they recognise themselves)
What problem you solve (concrete enough to be searchable)
Why you're different (unique enough to be memorable)

You can niche without limiting your expertise. Positioning isn't about shrinking what you do. It's about being specific about who you do it for and why.

Content as Authority Building, Not Marketing Noise

Most consultants treat content like a necessary evil. Something to tick off the checklist.

That's backwards.

Content isn't just marketing. It's expertise proof in action. Every piece you create demonstrates how you think, what you know, and why your perspective matters.

Authority-building content:

Teaches something specific and actionable
Shares original thinking, not recycled advice
Reveals your methodology and approach
Takes a position and defends it

Marketing content that doesn't build authority:

"5 tips" posts that could come from anyone
Motivational fluff without substance
Generic observations everyone already agrees with

When someone reads your content, they should learn something. And they should think "this person really understands my situation."

If your content could be written by any consultant in your space, it won't build authority. It'll just add to the noise.

Accelerators: Speaking, Writing, and Teaching

Some activities compound authority faster than others.

Speaking puts you in front of rooms full of ideal prospects. Conferences, podcasts, webinars, workshops. Being the teacher elevates your status.

Writing scales your expertise. An article reaches more people than a conversation ever could. And it stays online, working for you while you sleep.

Teaching proves expertise through demonstration. Running a workshop, leading a training, coaching others. When people experience your expertise directly, authority follows.

These aren't magic bullets. But if you're strategic about where you speak, what you write, and who you teach, these activities compound faster than social media posts alone.

The Practical Path: Building PACE Into Your Business

Stop thinking about authority as something you either have or don't. Think about it as something you build through repeated actions.

Month 1-3: Position and Audience

Run the positioning test with 3 people you trust
Clarify your positioning (who you help, what problem, why you)
Define your specific audience in detail
Audit your online presence for credibility gaps

Month 4-6: Create

Build 3-5 pieces of cornerstone content showcasing your expertise
Pick one primary platform and commit to consistent presence
Develop a content rhythm you can sustain
Document client results as case studies

Month 7-12: Engage and Compound

Start reaching out for speaking or podcast opportunities
Engage with others in your space (comments, conversations, collaborations)
Look for opportunities to teach (workshops, trainings, guest sessions)
Track inbound inquiries as your authority metric

Authority isn't built in a week. The consultants who win are the ones who keep showing up.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to build authority as a consultant?

Expect 6 months of consistent effort before authority starts compounding. You'll see small wins earlier. People engaging with content, inbound inquiries trickling in. But substantial authority takes time. The consultants who quit after six months never see the results.

Yes, but it's harder. Speaking, writing, teaching, and networking can all build authority without social media. The challenge is reach. Social platforms let you stay visible to large audiences with relatively low effort. Without them, you need other distribution channels.

What's the fastest way to build consultant authority?

Get results for clients in a specific niche, then document and share those results relentlessly. Specificity is speed. The consultant known for "helping B2B SaaS companies reduce churn by 30%" builds authority faster than the generalist "business consultant."

Your Next Move

The people winning aren't necessarily better. They're just positioned better.

You've got the expertise. Now you need to translate it into authority that strangers can recognise.

Run the positioning test. Ask 3 people what you do. See what comes back.

If they all say something different, you know where to start.

Want to position yourself as a curator while you build your expertise? Or ready to join The Trusted Voice community where consultants learn to stop being invisible?

Your authority is waiting to be built.

🍗 String