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If you're an expert, advisor, coach who offers free consultations, are you consulting like a sales rep or consulting like an expert?

Nov 10, 2026 — John Way

How can you tell?

Because, they both start out the same: trying to understand where the prospect currently is and where they want to go.

The difference is in how you advise the prospect to go from A → B.

For a sales rep, his solution will always be the “perfect” choice regardless of how you started or where you're trying to go.

If you ask him to compare all your options side-by-side, his solution will get all the checkboxes.

It's a rigged comparison. You know it and the prospect knows it.

That's why it feels salesy.

An expert, advisor, or coach doesn't do this.

If you're a consultant with 25 years of experience in your industry…

If you're a coach with a PhD in your specialty…

If you're a web designer who's seen 1,000+ websites…

You know there are no perfect choices. There are only trade-offs.

As an expert, that's what you'd do *after* you got the engagement, so why would you do anything different *during* the free consult?

That's the core theme behind my talk last month with the coaches and advisors in Kasey Brown's Brick by Brick cohort in Houston.

They were energetic, open, and ready to learn, and if you missed it, here's the biggest takeaway from that session:

After learning where your prospect is at, they have 3 basic options:

...do nothing

...fix it themselves

...bring in outside help: you or someone else

A salesperson will either pretend the other options don't exist or rag on them as “dumb.”

An expert walks through all the options: the PROs & CONs, time & effort, cost, and most importantly, when does each option make sense.

Because remember, there are no perfect choices. Just trade-offs.

Now I hear you: “Why would I talk about those other options? Won't I potentially lose the sale?”

1) That's sales rep thinking. They call it “commission breath” and your prospect can smell it.

Focus on what's best for your prospect and sales will follow.

2) In today's age, your prospect has probably asked AI about these options already.

So, you might as well be honest about your own PROs and CONs.

Btw, admitting that your service has CONs is not a flaw. It's who you chose to serve and how you deliver.

For example, you might: work only with female-only founders, require $5M+ in ARR, meet in-person, assign homework/challenges, etc.

Those are CONs to someone like me, but that's what makes you unique.

This is why at the session with Brick by Brick, we tested this LIVE.

People got in pairs and walked through their comparison table: Do Nothing, DIY, Outside Help (You vs. The Other Guys)

PROs and CONs of each.

And most importantly, how it could be better.

That's why live sessions with a cohort are so helpful. It's the only way to get that type of feedback.

Thanks to Kasey and her team for organizing the session and allowing me to share. Follow her for more.