When you change ocean but don't yet know how to navigate

And you found your positioning but have no clients

Do you recognize this situation?

• Traditional accountant who wants to become strategic consultant
• You discovered the blue ocean: humanistic strategy (very few in Italy!)
• Ideal client: SMEs with ESG sensitivity and drive for change
• But: no client acquisition strategy, zero time for prospecting
• And the fear is: remaining stuck in tax work you no longer love

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The trap of positioning without traction

You had the enlightenment.

Years of traditional tax: declarations, accounting, compliance.
Repetitive work, clients who see the accountant as "the tax person".

Then you discovered humanistic strategy.
Strategic consulting with focus on people, value, ESG.
Prof. Malvezzi as mentor.

And you understood:

This is what I want to do.

Blue ocean: very few professionals in Italy offer this service.
Zero direct competitors in your territory.

Perfect positioning on paper.

But there's a problem:

You have no clients for this new service.

And meanwhile you continue doing tax (which you hate) to pay expenses.

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What happens when you have vision but not go-to-market

On the professional identity front:
You see yourself as strategic consultant.
But almost all revenue still comes from tax.
Cognitive dissonance: "Who am I really?"

Clients still see you as "the accountant".

On the commercial front:
No strategy to acquire ideal clients.
No continuous referencing.
Zero time for prospecting (how can it work?).

You sell online (you have the site) but no one arrives.

On the economic front:
Solid total revenue, but includes delegated tax.
Low margins.
Tax is cash cow sustaining transition.

But how much longer can/want to continue doing tax?

On the transition front:
Ambitious goal: consulting contracts.
But: how do you find them if you don't do prospecting?
You want to break free from tax definitively.

But without consulting clients, economically impossible.

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Why it happens

You did the conceptual work but not the commercial work.

Positioning: ✓
Ideal client defined: ✓
Blue ocean identified: ✓
Training with mentor: ✓

But:
Go-to-market strategy: ✗
Client acquisition pipeline: ✗
Time dedicated to prospecting: ✗
First sales to validate: ✗

You redefined what to do, but not how to sell.

And the market doesn't find you alone,
even if you're in blue ocean.

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The (wrong) path many try

Apparent solution: "I increase online visibility and wait for them to arrive"

But passive visibility (site, social) isn't enough.

Active outreach is needed.

Especially in initial phase.

Blue ocean = few competitors
but also = clients don't know you exist.

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The method

No longer vision. Traction.

1. Brutal focus goal: first pilot clients quickly

Not "many contracts" (too vague).
But few strategic consulting clients in short time.
Not to bill, but to validate offering.
Even reduced rates: the goal is case study.

1. Dedicated prospecting: non-negotiable time every week

Currently: zero prospecting time = zero clients.
Target: dedicated time every week on new service.
How: LinkedIn outreach, ESG events, partnerships with business associations.

Reduce other activities if necessary (delegate tax to employees).

1. Clear and tangible offer

Not "humanistic strategy consulting" (too abstract).
But specific package: e.g. "ESG Assessment + Sustainable Strategic Plan".
Clear deliverables, defined times, transparent price.

Client must understand "what I'm buying" immediately.

1. Strategic network: some partners who reference

Who already has your ideal client? ESG consultants, category associations, accountants who don't do strategy.
Partnership: "I bring strategic consulting, you accounting" or vice versa.

One partner who references is worth many LinkedIn posts.

1. Gradual economic transition

Initial phase: prevalence tax revenue, minority consulting.
Intermediate phase: balance.
Final phase: minority tax (only loyal historical clients), prevalence consulting.

Not abrupt cut: sustainable evolution.

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What changes after

You have clients in the blue ocean.

Not just theoretical positioning.
But real contracts, success cases, references.

Tax becomes optional:
You keep it for historical clients you love,
but you're no longer dependent on it.

And finally you can say with certainty:
"I am a strategic consultant."
Because you really are, not just on paper.