How to Sell Advice

I was recently asked how I am able to find clients for all my different services. So, I thought I'd break down my business strategy, marketing strategy, and marketing plan to help you get the full picture in case it helps you get clarity.Currently, I have:8 x 1:1 advisory clients1 x 4 members group coaching clients 40+ people in a memberrship programThis community which is in it's infancyI do occasional workshops/training programsI sell (very few) info products Some lingering website maintenance and hosting work from past lifeWith total revenue around US$25k/month including the web stuff (to give you context and full transparency). In this episode, I'll break down how I look at:My overarching business strategyMy current marketing strategy (for my specialized business)My current marketing plan (at a high-level)The key to a good marketing strategy is having a good business strategy. And the best business strategy is to be specialized if you're a consultant—even if, like me, you keep a general website for those random opportunities outside of your specialization.Does this resonate with you? Do you have a different approach? I'd love to hear it! Leave a comment in the community for this episode: https://society.mindshare.fm/c/mentorship/70-an-inside-look-at-my-business-strategy-marketing-strategy-and-marketing-plan—kevin

Yesterday, I wrote a quick post on my personal website about how your job as a marketing consultant is as much about de-risking your clients' situation as it is about growth.It might seem counter-intuitive for a marketing consultant to be thinking about risk mitigation when your day-to-day job is to help clients win new business, but you might be surprised to hear that they are two sides of the same coin.Give this one a listen and let me know in the comments what you think!Yours,—kevin

Hey! Today is my birthday and I felt like recording this little bit of encouragement for those who are thinking of starting a group program or mentorship of your own.Yours,—kP.S. The community is being rebranded as Mindshare.fm and has been rebuilt using Circle (community platform), Memberful (payment and private podcast functionality), and Transistor (podcast host). If you want to get access today, you can head over here and save $5/mo. on monthly plans (promo code: VIP5) or sign up to the new annual plan for $99/year: https://mindshare.fmMore details soon.

When a prospect asks to speak to one of your pasts clients as a reference, what do you say?Do you say yes or no? Is it a red flag or normal procedure? Let's dive in. Yours,—kevin

Happy Friday, everyone.I wrote a blog post today and thought I'd do an audio version for you to make it easy to download into your brain while you do something else.The TLDR is:Most consultants don’t  publish their pricing. While custom quoting based on value isn’t wrong,  it can lead to a poorer buying experience, less trust at the beginning  of the relationship, and even fewer opportunities overall.You can read the actual article here (https://kevin.me/prices/) or just give this a listen and enjoy the ride!Have a great weekend.Yours,—kevin

A client recently asked to downgrade services to my lowest 1:1 advisory tier.During that conversation, I walked them through several levers of value that they would be missing from the tier they were currently on. Since my work isn't based on hours or "deliverables", the value clients get from each feature might be nuanced but are worth talking about so they can make the right decision. In this episode, I talk about:1. The intangible but valuable features of my advisory services—especially at the low end.2. How and when to create low-tier advisory services—and when you shouldn't do it.3. Why it can be helpful to have downgrade options to phase out engagements—instead of a hard stop.4. How to offer low-tier advisory work while still keeping leverage in your business. That's all for now!Yours,—k

Is there a difference between selling consulting vs. advisory work?In my world, there certainly is. A big one.Advisors sell their advice. They sell access to their knowledge and expertise.Consultants do, too. But according to my definition, they also produce deliverables. And of course, there's nothing wrong with producing deliverables as part of your services.But from my experience, they're not as valued as you might think.In this episode, I talk about:How I transitioned from roadmaps/audit deliverables to jumping right inHow to create "deliverables" with the client instead of for themHow to create repeatable template documents instead of deliverablesHow to transition from selling done-for-you work to advisory servicesSmall steps you can make to bridge gap between freelancing and consultingHow to create even more leverage through systemization and packaged expertiseDo you sell advisory or consulting work? Do you agree with the differences?Let me know in the comments below.Yours,—k

I recommend ActiveCampain to a lot of my coworking clients. It's easy to use and has a CRM/email marketing/automation built in.When one of my clients signed up recently, the folks at ActiveCampaign asked where they heard of them. Of course, they mentioned me. So, ActiveCampaign then reached out and asked if I'd like to be an affiliate partner, earning commission for all referrals for the lifetime of their relationships.And while they did set me up with an affiliate URL in case I ever need it, I will never use it for one of my active advisory clients.Why?Because I believe in providing strictly a fiduciary standard of advice. You can (and should) learn more about that here if you're interested in doing advisory work: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39604714Clients may not seek this initially, but when I tell them the lengths I go to ensure my advice is neutral and unbiased as can be, I know they appreciate it.There's nothing wrong with referral commissions or affiliates. But in an advisory capacity, I don't do it for the reasons described above.At the end of the day, all you have is trust. Optimize for it at every touchpoint.Have a great weekend!Yours,—k

Unsure what to put in a case study? The key is remembering to think like a prospect. What do they want to see?1. That you've helped people like them2. That you actually do things they want done3. That you get results they are looking for4. That you can get results for them specifically, tooThe first step before you begin is knowing what kind of clients you want to attract. There's no point in doing a case study on clients you have no desire to replicate.Like attracts like.Once you have a clear vision of the clients you want to attract, it's time to write.Here's what I normally recommend:1. The client's situation before they hired you - where they started (which should resemble your prospect's situation) 2. The things you actually did - clients want to see you can do the tactical things they already want. Remember, clients self-prescribe solutions. They come looking for tactics. This list shows you can do all of what they want and much more. Include photos/screenshots/examples if you can.3. The results you actually got (and why they matter) - Clients have a desired future state in mind. Maybe they need more revenue or maybe they been better performance tracking for their investors or key stakeholders. Combine the results you got, whether financial, analytical, subjective, or otherwise with the reason they mattered. 4. A client testimonial - this is the bow on the package that ties it all together. Their words describing the nuance and specific things they liked about working with you. Try to make it outcome focused but allow room for benefit-driven and emotional language. On the topic of testimonials...Sean D'Souza of Psychotactics has a list of questions you could ask (below). But don't feel you need to copy them verbatim. The key is uncovering the before, during, and after in their own language, and then seeing how they describe you and the benefits of working with you. Here's what Sean recommends you ask (with his explanation below each):1) What was the obstacle in your mind/hesitation before buying this product/service?We ask this question because the customer always has a perception, hesitation an obstacle. No matter how ready the customer is to buy your product/serv­ice, there’s always a hitch. The hitch could be money, or time, or availability, or relevance—or a whole bunch of issues.And when you ask this question, it brings out those issues. And it does something more. It gives you an insight into issues you may not have con­sidered, because the client is now reaching into their memory to see what could have been the deal-breaker. And there’s always an obstacle; always something you may not have consid­ered. So when the customer brings up this obstacle, it presents an angle that’s unique, personal and dramatic.2) What did you find as a result of buying this product/service?This question is important, because it defuses that obstacle. When a client answers this question, they are clear about why the purchase was worth it, despite the obvious obstacles.3) What specific feature did you like most about this product/service?Now you’re digging deeper. If you ask the customer to focus on the entire product/service, the answer gets waffly. It’s therefore important to focus on one feature/benefit that the customer liked most about the product/serv­ice. This brings out that one feature in explicit richness and detail.4) What would be three other benefits about this product/service?Having already got one big feature, you can now go a little wide, and see what else the customer found useful. You can substitute the word ‘three’ with ‘two’ or simply remove the number. The number allows the customer to focus on ‘two’ or ‘three’ things, and then give you those ‘two’ or ‘three’ things that were useful.5) Would you recommend this product/service? If so, whyYou may not think this is an important question, but psychologically it’s very important. When a customer recommends something, there’s more than your product/service at stake. The customer’s integrity is at stake too. So unless the customer feels strongly about the product/service, they won’t be so keen to recommend it. And when they do recommend it, they’re saying to prospective buyers: “Hey, I recommend it, and here are the reasons!”6) Is there anything you’d like to add?By this point, the customer has said all he/she has to say. But there’s never any harm in asking this question. The questions before this question kinda ‘warm up’ the customer, and sometimes you get the most amazing parting statements, that you simply can’t imagine.And this detailed construction of testimonials brings us to a very interest­ing observation.I definitely recommend reading this full article for more info, and listening to his podcast for more great marketing tips: https://www.psychotactics.com/six-questions-testimonials/ That's all for now! Did this help? Let me know what you do differently if you have other ideas.Until next timeYours,—k

I interviewed Jonathan Stark today for a new podcast I'm creating. The focus of the podcast is to help marketing freelancers, consultants, and agency owners package and sell their expertise, not their hands, in an effort to create leverage and scale. And Jonathan is a wealth of knowledge on this subject. Right before the interview ended, I asked him what his best advice would be to someone who wants to sell their expertise as a product or advisor (vs. implementor) for the first time.His advice was similar to mine but a bit different. He suggested that, instead of building a whole business around your idea, you could start by selling a specific product or service around it and see if it sticks. It could be under your own brand or on it's own site. But it would be small and specific, which is interesting to me. I'll post the full recording for you soon as a member of this group while we wait for the podcast to be released, but I thought it was interesting to share this approach in the meantime.Are you thinking of starting something new? Let me know in the comments what your plan is!Yours,—k1 Like