The Business of Authority

What can you do right now to build trust with your clients, buyers and audience?The Trust Equation to measure your trustworthinessHow to become more trustworthyWhy we and our clients are more emotional right nowWhat to do when you feel the desire to put your head in the sandHow to increase your intimacy with your clientsMaking generous offers (including risky gifts)What’s the “right” way to sell right now?Finding someone to helpDoing the next right thingMaking memories with your clientsLeading from our highest selvesQuotable Quotes“You need to pay attention to the fact that our emotional lives are front and center—raw edges, band aids ripped off—that needs to be acknowledged in our interactions with our clients.” –CG“This is a fantastic time to reach out and have a deep discussion with your clients—not only to give advice…but to connect.” –CG“Get over your damned self and pay attention to others’ freak out.” –CG“The way you generate short-term revenue is with long-term behavior.” –CGThe Trusted Advisor 

What you need to hear before you cut your fees.Talking PointsWhy you might be considering cutting your fees right nowWhy you should avoid making assumptions about your clients’ needs and financial standingHaving the conversation with your clientsAvoid making decisions out of fearChange is going to happen regardlessGetting clear about your valueProducts with the least personal investmentWhy free is better than cheapGroup coaching pricesAdding more value for your existing audienceGiving away video or audio vs. booksLive eventsSending out invoicesQuotable Quotes“If you have – especially for clients where you’ve got this tight one-on-one relationship – just have the conversation.” –JS“Blanket anything is pretty much not going to work.” –RM“Things change, and they keep moving forward. The pace of change is through the roof right now, but it’s normal, it’s just compressed.” –JS“If nothing else, this whole mess is an opportunity to get really clear about what you’re contributing to your clients' bottom line.” –RM

What’s your implied promise to your market?Talking PointsA listener question from episode 100 (the Seth Godin episode)What your buyer is paying forLess tangible value-addsHow brand relates to trustThe “one-firm” firmMaintaining consistencyYour implied promiseMeeting client expectationsQuotable Quotes“The premium piece, the over and above part of the fee, is the part that they’re not paying for the advice. They’re paying for something else.” –JS “Trust is really key here, because that’s what brand really does—it’s building trust.” –RM“Standing apart from the crowd – there needs to be something different about you.” –JS“Everything you do—your actions, your stories, your visuals—should align with this implied promise you’ve made to your market.” –RM

How positioning plus pricing equals profits.Talking PointsThe concept of value pricingPrice vs. hourly rateSetting acceptable pricesPaul Newman’s RolexHow to differentiate yourself from the competition so that price isn’t the only distinctionHow big corporations choose between different pricesHow positioning affects your leverageWays to set pricesHow your prices can rise over timeHaving the courage to keep charging moreA fixed price can be a meaningful differentiationHow hourly billing punishes experienceSelling access to expertiseOwning your spaceImpact and influenceQuotable Quotes“If you’re renting yourself out by the hour, then you’re not pricing anything. That’s not a price.” –JS“When you lead with your hourly rate, it gives clients a point of reference that isn’t valid.” –RM“If your audience are big corporates, a lot of times they have to choose the lowest price.” --RM“If you are the obvious choice, then those other “competitors” are just not on the table anymore.” –JS 

 What to do when your business is unsellable at the momentStaying client focused while so much remains in fluxHow to apply your skills to the new reality your clients are in nowAvoiding a hoarder, everyone-for-themselves mentalityWhy helping clients and your audience is your best path forwardAvoiding sounding “tone deaf” in your communicationsStepping up and being a leader for those you serveLetting go of how you’ve done your business if it’s no longer workingThings you can work on nowDoing the next right thingAdapting to our new realityDiscovering new talents and superpowersUsing any newly quiet space to develop your ideasQuotable Quotes“The most effective thing you can do is focus on who you can help.” –JS“You do want to come up with ways that are client-focused for you to meet them where they are now…their new pains, their new anxieties, their new concerns or nightmares.” –JS“Even if you’re a soloist…if you’re out there, talking about your big idea, trying to make a group of people better in some way, you are a leader. It’s our responsibility at times like this to step up and lead.” –RM“There’s a hidden surprise in all this—when you start serving clients in a way you hadn’t expected, you might discover some new talents and even a new superpower.” –RM

Exploring the concept of 'genius time' in professional service-based businesses, the power of collaborative idea generation, escaping to Europe for creative inspiration, challenges in leading a transformation business, balancing work and family life, and redefining entrepreneurship and business growth.

How can you prove your authority?Talking PointsWhat evidence of authority looks likeClient testimonialsClients talking you upSocial media followingRegular speaking gigsGetting big guests on your podcastHaving a published bookFocusing on interviewees that your target audience will recognizeThird-party validation from a trusted brandBuilding relationships with major players in your field of authorityBeing the biggest fish in your pondQuotable Quotes“These signposts need to be difficult or everyone would have them and it wouldn’t be proof of anything.” –JS“I like the idea of clients talking you up.” –RM“It’s definitely a big deal to get big guests on your podcast.” –JS“It’s not about vanity, it’s about literally these building blocks in your authority.” –RM

When does prospecting build authority?Talking PointsWhat prospecting means for an authority3 different pivotsWhen prospecting is the perfect playShifting to a different audienceTechniques for getting your message outBeing a good listenerBeing interested in order to be interestingGetting feedback that starts conversationsHow to ask for feedbackHow reciprocity helps build a networkPracticing reaching out even when you’re not at a pivot pointQuotable Quotes“Prospecting is a natural part of what you expect to do, typically, when you start your own business.” –RM“The skills that you use to prospect are the same no matter what the pivot point.”“Another word for this that I hear used regularly instead of “prospecting” is “outreach”. –JS “I think everyone’s interesting if you ask the right questions.” –JS

What’s the V-word?Talking PointsVision shameWhere the confusion around vision comes fromImagining the way the world could be if your big idea comes to fruitionHow your mission relates to your visionThe big V and the little VYour valuesHow vision helps you filter out distraction and keep moving forwardChanging outcomes for the futureHow to articulate a visionFinding the vision in the storiesWorking as if you have a vision before you have oneWhat to do to uncover your visionQuotable Quotes“There’s shame around not having a clearly articulated vision.” –RM“It’s your vision for the future. It’s the way the world could be if your big idea comes to fruition.” –JS“Values is the kind of stuff that no matter what business you’re in, they’re not going to change.” –JS“Your vision is the story you tell about where you’re going.” –RM

What three questions should you ask yourself during the sales process?Talking PointsWhy you need to answer some questions yourself during the sales processWhat resources you need to serve the clientCalculating how your time and costs are incurred on behalf of a clientWhether the job allows you to work from your genius zoneKnowing when to say “no” to working in a different wayKnowing how to say “no”Burning out and checking outHow a particular project or client advances your authorityLearning and advancing your skillsetCreating momentum for your businessBeing intentional about broadening your target marketTreating other aspects of your business the same way that you would a clientTricking yourself into getting things doneGetting your business into alignmentQuotable Quotes“These are the kinds of questions that are going to help advance you, your business, and your authority, and I think we get into trouble when we don’t ask these kinds of questions.” –RM “If you’ve recognized in the past that clients tend to lead to more clients that are similar, then you’re really going down a rabbit hole.” –JS“Everybody’s genius zone is different. That’s the glory of it.” –RM“By definition, it feels like you have a smaller pool of potential opportunities. But the reality is that the exact opposite ends up happening.”