Your expertise is backfiring

Hey there!

Let me guess — you’ve been working in your field for 10+ years, and your expertise runs deep.

You can solve your client’s problem six ways from Sunday, but there’s a catch: The more you know, the harder it is to explain what you do.

Clients hear your pitch and glaze over. Not because you’re boring, but because you’ve accidentally turned a simple offer into a lecture.

This is the Curse of Knowledge, my friend. And it’s killing your deals.

Today, we’re diving into how your expertise might be working against you — and more importantly, what to do about it.

The Curse of Knowledge is what happens when you know so much about a subject that you can’t imagine what it’s like not to know it.

It’s why experts sometimes struggle to create clear, simple offers. Instead of leading with a straightforward solution, they overwhelm prospects with every possible scenario, feature, and outcome.

The problem? Complexity kills sales.

When your offer feels like a choose-your-own-adventure novel, prospects get decision fatigue and walk away. They don’t want all the options — they want the confidence that you’ll solve their problem quickly and effectively.

One client who does product consulting, struggled with this exact issue. He’d pitch clients with a 20-page deck highlighting his 6-month program. It was packed with design thinking frameworks and agile implementation — with case studies to back it up.

His presentations were a masterclass in death by details. Prospects nodded along, but none converted.

We overhauled his offer. We replaced 6 months of frameworks with 2 weeks of unmistakable ROI. His close rates doubled.

Not because his services magically improved overnight — but because his clients finally understood what they were getting, and saw obvious value in moving forward.

The truth is, most clients aren’t looking for a buffet of options. They’re looking for the ‘easy button.’ Your job is to be that button. But your expertise keeps getting in the way.

Simplifying your offer doesn’t mean dumbing it down. It means distilling your know-how into a clear, irresistible promise.

Here’s how to break the curse: