10 Ways Your Expert Voice Isn’t Getting Heard — And Exactly What to Do About It
Written by Christine Blosdale - The Expert Authority Coach™
Recently, I joined Jennifer Loehding on the Starter Girlz podcast to talk about a problem I see every day: experts, coaches, and entrepreneurs doing the work, creating value, and still feeling invisible. If that’s you, I want to speak directly to you. I’m Christine Blosdale — Expert Authority Coach™ — and below I’ll walk you through the real reasons your voice isn’t breaking through the noise, plus clear, practical fixes you can implement today.
These are the lessons I learned moving from head entertainment writer at America Online to community radio talk show host to 20 years of coaching people on brand, messaging, and visibility. I’ll share metaphors, real client pivots, and tactics that actually work. Read this like a conversation between us: short, direct, and full of action steps.
1. You’re selling the stapler when people are hungry for a sandwich
This is one of my favorite metaphors because it’s so simple and true. You might be brilliant at your craft, and you might love what you’ve built — but if your audience isn’t hungry for it, it won’t land.
“If someone’s hungry, they don’t need a gizmo. They want a sandwich.”
What to do:
Shift your perspective from “what I want to give” to “what they need.”
Ask two questions in every conversation: “What’s your pain right now?” and “If that pain was solved, what would your life look like?”
Create offers that answer a specific, urgent need (even if your deeper work is more transformational).
2. Your messaging is vague — “transformation” doesn’t sell unless it’s specific
People won’t buy a fuzzy promise. “Live your best life” sounds great, but it’s not tangible. You have to translate big ideas into concrete outcomes.
Example: I worked with a gifted tarot reader who wanted to sell spiritual guidance. We repositioned her as a business tarot consultant: brand name checks, ad investments, launch timing. Suddenly she had a product that entrepreneurs could actually say, “Yes — I will pay for that.”
What to do:
Name the specific result (e.g., “a clear 90-day marketing plan” rather than “business clarity”).
Create a simple, repeatable framework people can remember and attach to results.
Market outcomes over process: people buy results, not lists of qualifications.
3. You don’t check the three human pillars: health, wealth, love
When you’re positioning a book, program, webinar, or coaching package, you’ll do better if it taps at least one of the universal human drives: health, wealth, or love. Those are the emotional levers that make people act.
What to do:
Ask: Which pillar does my product hit? Make it explicit in your messaging.
If you hit multiple pillars, lead with the most urgent one for your audience (often wealth or health for entrepreneurs).
4. You’re broadcasting, not listening — learn to ask and to listen
Marketing is a conversation. If you aren’t asking good questions and actively listening, you’ll miss the clues that tell you what your audience actually needs.
Practice this in networking and sales calls:
Use open-ended questions to unearth pain points.
Reflect back what you hear to validate the person’s experience.
Only suggest services that map directly to the needs they’ve expressed.
5. You’re suffering from “desperation stink” — and people can smell it
When you’re desperate for clients or results, it shows in your messaging, video energy, and offers. Desperation repels. Confidence attracts.
How to flip it:
Build systems that don’t depend on instant wins (lead magnets, evergreen funnels, partnerships).
Practice calm, confident language. Don’t over-promise. Don’t oversell.
Be honest about early-stage struggles, but frame them as part of a coherent plan.
6. Your branding and content aren’t congruent — you confuse your audience
People decide quickly whether they’ll stick with you. If your titles, imagery, and content tone don’t match, they click away. For example, if your brand is about empowerment and abundance, don’t use fear-based YouTube titles just to get clicks. You’ll attract the wrong people and let down the right ones.
What to do:
Audit your top 10 pieces of content: are they aligned with your core voice and promises?
Pick three words that describe your brand (e.g., simple, fun, actionable) and make every piece of content reflect them.
Be consistent. If your audience expects “simple and fun,” don’t surprise them with doom-and-gloom clickbait.
7. You’re pushing one format when your audience wants options
Podcasting is powerful, but not every business needs a podcast host program. Many of my clients benefit far more from strong branding, clear messaging, or being pitched as a guest rather than launching their own show.
How to pivot effectively:
Offer modular ways to use your skills: consulting, guest appearances, short workshops, or one-off audits.
Use podcasting as one tool among many — sometimes being a guest is more strategic than producing your own series.
Ask your list how they prefer to consume content and adapt.
8. You ignore collaboration as a growth model
Collaboration beats competition. I build “bundles” — collections of free or low-cost gifts from several experts — that give value to audiences, introduce warm leads to collaborators, and expand everyone’s email lists. No money changes hands, and everyone wins.
Why this works:
Warm leads convert better than cold leads.
Shared audiences broaden trust quickly.
You amplify your impact while staying true to your core offer.
9. You let agencies and automated outreach do the human work
When agents or automation pitch someone on your behalf, you lose the connection and the buy-in. I’d rather get a genuine email from a guest than five templated ones from an agent. Real engagement builds commitment; mass outreach creates no relationship.
How to fix it:
Make outreach personal. Reference a recent piece of content from the person you’re pitching.
Explain clearly how your conversation will add value to their audience.
Prefer direct contact whenever possible — it shows you care and it demonstrates buy-in.
10. You’re stuck in scarcity and afraid to share your people
If you’re worried someone else will “steal” your audience, you’re in a scarcity trap. Real influence is built by generosity. If you find an expert who can help your client more than you can, refer them. Your credibility climbs, and so does your network.
How to shift your mindset:
Celebrate joint wins and publicize collaborative projects.
Start small: create one bundle or co-host one event and measure the results.
Remind yourself that trust and reputation are the long game — referral partners are long-term assets.
Actionable Checklist to Start Being Heard Today
Audit your messaging: can you describe the specific outcome someone will get from working with you in one sentence?
Identify the pillar you’re addressing (health, wealth, love) and lead with it in your next three pieces of content.
Replace one fear-driven headline with an abundance-driven, benefit-first headline.
Send a personal outreach email to one ideal podcast or event host this week — no agents, no templates.
Create a mini-bundle or co-host an event with one trusted peer to test collaborative lead flow.
“When you flip the script and build for what people actually need, the game changes.”
Listen — you don’t have to be everything to everyone, and you don’t have to do it perfectly. The faster you get specific about who you help and what outcome you deliver, the faster your expert voice will cut through the noise. You’ll attract the right clients, create offers that sell, and build a reputation that lasts.
If you want help getting unstuck — clarifying your message, packaging your offers, or building a positioning plan that actually converts — you can book a FREE discovery call with me at ExpertAuthorityCoach.com. I work with people who are serious about building authority without the overwhelm, and I’d love to help you take the next step.
Start where you are, be consistent, and remember: every start begins with a decision. You’ve already read this far — that’s momentum. Use it.