What Happens When Clients Trust AI More Than You?

Last week, we kicked off our 8-part series on the Client Value Journey—that predictable path your prospects follow from stranger to superfan.

We covered Aware → Engage, and I promised we'd continue with Subscribe → Convert this week.

We'll get back to that next week. I promise.

I'm calling an audible this week because I had an epiphone in Friday's AI & Automation Mastermind that I lead for my clients. It has led me to incorporate something new and important in our calls, and I encourage you to incorporate this in your business, too, even if you're not part of our mastermind.

While teaching automation techniques to help consultants scale, I felt something moving beneath the surface. Behind the excitement about efficiency gains, there was this funky undercurrent in the form of an unspoken question.

Where I live, the old farmers call this, "The skunk that you need to be put on the table."

They're mastering AI to deliver more value, faster.

Smart.

But I realized they might be optimizing a value proposition that's about to become obsolete.

So consider this your "special bulletin"—an urgent preparation guide for what's coming with Artificial General Intelligence (AGI.)

Because here's the unvarnished truth that, for some reason, doesn't get talked about much:

Your Client Value Journey won't matter if the value you're journeying them toward can be replaced by a $20/month subscription.

Next week, we'll return to the value journey series with Subscribe → Convert.

But as we continue mapping that journey, I'll be weaving in how to ensure each stage delivers AI-proof value.

For now, let's put that skunk under the table that nobody wants to talk about...

Here's what I have for you in this issue:

🛠️  What Happens When Clients Trust AI More Than You? 

An urgent preparation guide for what's coming with AGI.

🤖  AI Prompt: The AGI-Proof Service Designer

Transform your vulnerable consulting services into premium, AI-resistant offerings 

The Evolution We Need to Make Together

In our masterminds, we've been learning AI as a productivity tool. And that's been the right move—it's helping consultants deliver 10x more value.

But there's a next level we all need to prepare for.

As AI moves toward AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), our clients won't just use it for research or first drafts. They'll start wondering:

"Could AI do what my consultant does?"

Not because you're not valuable. But because AI is getting that good.

We have to shift from using AI for efficiency to positioning ourselves as irreplaceable even when AI can do 80% of what we used to charge for.

Why I'm Expanding Our Focus

Here's what my research into AGI tells me:

The consultants who'll thrive aren't just the ones using AI tools.

They're the ones who've rebuilt their value proposition for an AI-first world.

Think of it this way:

Today: AI is your assistant
Tomorrow: AI might be your competition
The opportunity: Become what AI can't be

That's why I'm evolving our mastermind focus—and this newsletter—to help you prepare for what's next.

The Good News Hidden in the Challenge

Here's what excites me about where we're headed:

The consultants in our mastermind are perfectly positioned for this shift. You've already learned to leverage AI. Now we're going to learn to transcend it.

Because when everyone has access to the same AI tools, the differentiator isn't the technology.

It's what you bring that AI never can.

The 7 Pillars of AGI-Proof Consulting

Over the next few months, we'll be building on our AI foundation with these seven transformations:

1️⃣ From Information Delivery to Wisdom Application

What we've been doing: Using AI to research and analyze faster

Where we're going: Positioning ourselves as the wisdom layer above the data

✅ Think of it this way: AI can tell your client their customer retention is down 23%. You're the one who knows it's because their COO and CMO aren't speaking to each other.

That insight doesn't come from data. It comes from decades of lived experience and learned skill—of seeing the human patterns behind the numbers.

2️⃣ Amplifying Our Uniquely Human Capabilities

In our masterminds, we'll start focusing on what I call "The Irreplaceable Stack":

↳ Pattern Recognition from Experience: You've seen this movie before
↳ Emotional Navigation: Guiding through the fear and resistance
↳ Strategic Judgment: Knowing which opportunities to pursue and which to avoid
↳ Trust Building: Being the steady presence in uncertain times
↳ Accountability Partnership: The difference between knowing and doing

These aren't just skills anymore. They're your competitive moat.

3️⃣ AI as Your Amplifier, Not Your Identity

We've been learning to use AI for efficiency. Perfect. Keep doing that.

Now we add the next layer: Using AI to amplify what makes you unique.

Example: Sarah uses AI to analyze 1000x more data than before. But her value isn't the analysis—it's knowing which insights matter for her client's specific situation, based on her 20 years of experience.

She charges more now than before AI. Because she delivers wisdom at the speed of AI.

 

4️⃣ Creating Your Signature Methodology

It's also called your "Unique Mechanism." Here's something we'll be working on together:

If your methodology can be Googled, AI already knows it.

Time to build something uniquely yours.

Your methodology should be:

• Rooted in your specific journey and insights
• Full of stories only you can tell
• So infused with your perspective that AI sounds generic copying it

This isn't about being clever. It's about being irreplaceable.

5️⃣ The Trust Premium in an AI World

As AI gets better at answers, trust becomes the new currency.

Clients won't pay for information. But they'll pay premium prices for:

✅  Confidence in critical decisions
✅  A steady hand during transformation
✅  Someone who's navigated similar challenges
✅  The courage to do what they know they should

We'll be working on positioning you as that "category of one" trusted advisor.

6️⃣ Evolving Your Business Model

The way we price and package our services needs to evolve too.

Moving away from:
✗  Time-based billing (AI doesn't sleep)
✗  Deliverable-focused projects (AI delivers instantly)
✗  Information-based value props (AI knows everything)

Moving toward:
✓  Transformation partnerships
✓  Outcome-based engagements
✓  Decision support retainers
✓  Strategic thinking partnerships

We'll workshop these new models in upcoming masterminds.

7️⃣ Leading the AI Conversation 

Instead of fearing the "Why don't I just use AI?" question, we'll prepare you to lead that conversation:

"Absolutely, you should use AI. I do too. It handles the heavy lifting on research and analysis. But when it's time to decide which path to take, navigate the politics, manage the resistance, and ensure you actually implement—that's where my experience becomes invaluable. AI gives you options. I help you choose wisely and execute successfully."

Transparency builds trust. Trust commands premium fees.

Your 30-Day Preparation Plan

While we expand our mastermind focus, here's what you can start doing now:

Week 1: Value Proposition Audit

• List your current services
• Ask: "What would I still be needed for if clients had unlimited AI?"
• Focus on the human elements that remain
• That's your future foundation 

Week 2: Experience Inventory

• Document your unique experiences and insights
• Identify patterns you've seen repeatedly
• Note the "expensive mistakes" you help clients avoid
• These become your differentiators

Week 3: AI Integration Experiment

• Use AI to 10x one aspect of your service
• Track how it amplifies your unique value
• Note what you add that AI can't
• This becomes your new service model

Week 4: Evolution Planning

• Draft your AI-amplified value proposition
• Design one premium service that AI can't replicate
• Test the messaging with trusted clients
• Refine based on feedback

What This Means for Our Work Together

In our Friday masterminds, we'll continue building your AI capabilities. That foundation is essential.

But we'll also start preparing for the next chapter:

➜ Positioning workshops for the AGI age
➜ Methodology development sessions
➜ Pricing model evolution discussions
➜ Trust-building strategies

Because the best time to evolve is before you have to.

The Future I See for You

Here's what excites me most:

The consultants who prepare now won't just survive the AI revolution.

They'll thrive in it.

While others scramble to justify their fees, you'll be confidently charging more.

While others fear the "AI question," you'll welcome it.

While others see threat, you'll see opportunity.

Because you'll offer what AI can't: Wisdom, judgment, and transformation born from real experience.

💡 This Week's Reflection

As you use AI in your practice this week, notice something:

What do you add to the AI output that makes it valuable for your specific client?

That addition—that uniquely human layer—is your future.

It's not about fighting AI. It's about becoming what AI makes even more valuable:

A trusted guide in an increasingly complex world.

The consultants who view AGI as a threat will struggle.

The ones who see it as an opportunity to become even more valuable will soar.

In our mastermind, we're choosing to soar.

Next week we return to our Client Value Journey series with Stage 3: Subscribe → Convert.

But here's what's different: I'll show you how to build a subscription mechanism that positions you as the irreplaceable human guide in an AI-powered world.

Because getting prospects to raise their hand means nothing if they realize ChatGPT can do what you do.

See you next week as we continue the journey—now with AI-proof 🛡️armor.

Want to dive deeper? Check out these related articles:

👉 How to Get Paid a Premium for Your AI-Powered Consulting Services
👉 How To Master AI Strategy & Scale Your Consulting Business Faster

You might also find these interesting:

🔎 The Client Value Journey: Aware → Engage
🔎How to Break Through $15K/Month and Build a $30K+ Consulting Practice

P.S.: When you're ready, here are more ways I can help you...