Your expertise is causing you to lose ideal clients every day. Perfect prospects pass you by without realizing you have their ideal solution.
The problem is the all-too-common “curse of expertise” that affects all coaches and consultants.
How Your Expertise is Driving Potential Clients Away
As we gain expertise, we often lose touch with our intended clients’ daily experiences, which leads to messaging that doesn’t connect.
In addition to showing how you can credibly help them reach their desired outcomes, you must also show how you will bridge “the gap” for them.
The gap is a catch-all term for the challenges and friction points keeping them from taking the next step and reaching their desired outcome, including hiring you to support them.
I created a framework to help you identify your ideal client’s “gap challenges” and craft content that attracts them like butterflies to nectar.
How to Bridge the Gap
Four types of “gaps” prevent your intended clients from taking the next step and hiring you to help them:
- Obstacles
- Objections
- Overstays
- Omissions
Your content will stand out and consistently attract new clients when you understand their challenges in these four areas and craft content showing how you remove them.
The 4 O’s Framework in Action
Let’s look at examples from the ADHD coaching market to see how the framework works.
Example Client: Adults with ADHD
Desired Outcome: Start and finish more tasks and projects.
1) Obstacles: What do they think is holding them back?
Challenges
- Getting bored before finishing new projects
- Feeling easily overwhelmed
- Frequent lack of motivation
Content Ideas
- Finish What You Start Even If You Get Bored Easily: ADHD-Friendly Techniques
- 7 ADHD Strategies to Overcome Task Overwhelm and Avoidance
- How to Stay Motivated Without Struggle When You Have ADHD
2) Objections: What fears, costs, and concerns are keeping them from choosing a solution and taking the next step?
Challenges
- “I don’t like creating and following routines.”
- “Productivity apps don’t work for me.”
- “I don’t want to take another medication.”
Content Ideas
- The Often Overlooked Benefits of Flexible Routines for ADHD
- 5 ADHD Strategies That Don’t Require Downloading Another App
- The Secret to Managing ADHD Without Medication
3) Overstays: What are they tired of hearing or trying?
Challenges
- “Just focus harder”
- “You just need more willpower”
- “Have you tried timeboxing?”
Content Ideas
- How to Improve Focus and Productivity Without ADHD Medication
- Why “Just Focus Harder” Doesn’t Work for ADHD Adults and What Does
- 3 ADHD Productivity Strategies That Work When Timeboxing Doesn’t
4) Omissions: What missing pieces, assumptions, or myths are holding them back without them realizing it?
Challenges
- ADHD is about compromised executive functions, not laziness and willpower.
- ADHD does not mean you have a broken brain. It means you have a different brain with unique strengths.
- Dopamine management plays a vital role in motivation.
Content Ideas
- How to Use Dopamine Hack to Get More Done When You Have ADHD
- 3 Ways to Leverage Your ADHD Strengths to Get More Done
- How to Boost Productivity Without Relying on Willpower
—
By understanding and addressing the 4 O’s, your content will more effectively capture the attention and trust of your ideal clients.