The Business of Authority

Are you ready to move from execution to strategy?Talking PointsHow to get out of execution when you get stuck3 layers of strategyWhat would cause someone to want to move from execution to strategyWhen the client suggests features that won’t workHow to sell and price strategyOpportunity costSeparating clients who are interested in strategy from those who aren’tWhy people in the strategy space are neededDeveloping the language to get more strategy clientsIf you’re an authority, you’re likely to attract a lot of people who want your advice, opinions, and plansIt’s more difficult to be an authority if you’re all about executionWhether or not you have to keep consultingWhy you don’t need to know 100%Quotable Quotes“There is an execution piece and there is a strategy piece, and you can think about any place along that curve, you can set your business.” –RM“Strategy is probably one of the most misused words that I get questions about.” –JS“Don’t pretend you’re doing strategy when that’s not what you were hired for.” –JS“I’m going to argue that we have a real need right now for people in the strategy space.” –RM 

Get ready to specialize!Talking PointsFocusing on a smaller market may seem counterintuitive, but establishing a niche worksHorizontal specializationIt’s easy to think of horizontal specialization firstPitfalls of thinking too much about yourselfConsider trainingPlatform specializationHow platform specialization differs from horizontal specializationPiggybacking off of a platform’s marketingVertical specializationNiches that you can ownClients are more concerned about competence than whether you work for competitorsDemographic specializationPower of demographic specialization if done correctlyHow demographic specialization can creep up on youPsychographic specializationWhat psychographic specialization meansAttributes of your ideal clientsQuotable Quotes“Trying to sell anything to everyone is like selling nothing to nobody.” –JS“You can be excited about a trucking company. You might have a story to tell about why you’re excited about that.” –RM“The better the website, the better the leads.” –RM“I think it’s pretty clear that in the beginning, you’re thinking way more about yourself, and then as you get to the end you’re thinking way more about the other person.” –JS

Who do you need on your team?Talking PointsThe different categories of assistants you needThe right handHow many of the things an assistant could be doing are you doing yourself?Your cheerleadersYour drill sargeantsCoachesPeer groupsA few sagesGrowing through reading books, listening to podcasts, and finding personalities that communicate in a way you understandBinging on contentCrossover between sages and brandingChanneling people you admireTaking inspiration from someone vs. copying or impersonatingRecognizing the ways in which you are differentCharging for the things that come easily to youQuotable Quotes“I think it all boils down to what you feel you need to push you, or to keep the momentum going if you’ve already got it started—you just want to keep feeding the fire.” –RM“When you’re at an inflection point of some kind, it can be paralyzing.” –JS“When you get right down to the content, the core content, there’s not that much different between Gary V. and Seth Godin. But there’s a huge difference between them.” –JS“Who do you really admire in terms of the content that you absorb? Because that tells me a lot.” –RMRelated LinksCompany of One by Paul JarvisSeth Godin

Are you wrestling with imposter syndrome?Talking PointsWhy you feel imposter syndromeUsing your fears like a compassThe authority mindsetTaking feedbackRecognizing when something is a learning experienceDeciding what’s best for your audience and how to have the maximum impactFeeling uncomfortable is a sign that you’re going in the right directionThe confidence that comes with overcoming imposter syndromeForming habits that force you to put yourself out thereThe difference when your ego isn’t on the lineGetting nervous about a pitchQuotable Quotes“If you want things to be better you have to change something.” –JS“It’s harder to break through with your ideas and your content if you’re holding back.” –RM“If nothing you’re doing is scary, that makes me nervous.” –JS“Who wants to work with a know-it-all anyways? We love to work with people who ask us questions.” –RM 

Are you ready for the publishing challenge?Talking PointsThe 5 in 5 publishing challengeHow writer’s block relates to your audienceDeveloping the discipline to create habitsWhat to write aboutBeginner’s mindFiguring out what pain your expertise can solveExperimenting with different marketsPassing on your knowledgeDifferent ways to leverage what you doScheduling interviewsAudience preferences for different mediumsHow long published work should beNarrowing it to one ideaQuotable Quotes“If you feel like you have writer’s block, double-check that you really have a clear idea of who you’re writing for.” –JS“I would say, go with where your passion and your heart is, related to your area of expertise.” –RM“Find pains, find questions, and just answer them.” –JS“I think the key is to just put it out there and to have the feeling that we all have when you hit that publish button.”–RM

How can you get better clients?Talking PointsGetting clients who will trust you more and pay you moreWhat can happen when you take on a bad clientImproving your client base as you goNarrowing your nicheHow taking on clients outside of your niche may affect your businessHow your point of view and messaging informs which clients you attractBeing responsive to how your target reacts to your messageMake a list of dream clientsDraw boundaries of who you won’t work forFigure out the best way to get your message outImposter syndromeAsking business outcome questionsDefining better clientsNot playing small ballStrategizingKnowing what to say no toLooking at what people you admire are doingKnowing what it is that you do bestQuotable Quotes“Every client you take on, you want it to be better than the last one.” –JS“Each one will teach you something that you didn’t know before about how to attract that client.” –RM“Courage is acting even though you feel the fear.” –JS“We have to have this headspace that says we’re not going to play small ball. This is the major leagues.” –RM 

Exploring strategies for leveraging the 100-day sprint in business, mastering direct and assertive communication, navigating seasonality and strategic outreach, crafting effective prospect emails for cold calls, crafting specific and engaging outreach messages, and efficient personalized business communication with templated emails.

Talking PointsThe importance of marketing yourselfHaving a strategy for your marketing tacticsWhy you have feast and famine cyclesTarget marketsBeing specific in your marketingDistributionBuilding marketing into your routinePicking a marketing method that has the least friction for your personality and skillsAmplifying your message with social mediaUsing social media in a way that fits your brand and styleAvoiding getting sucked in by social mediaWhy a rut is a good signHow your body of work can add upHow you can leverage content that you’ve already createdMarketing as a form of teachingHow to form a marketing habitQuotable Quotes“If you’re running a business, you need to be marketing, full stop.” –JS“Until you get really specific, those doors are closed.” –RM“You may spend – especially when you first start something – as much time distributing, or even more, as you do creating the content.” –RM“I really want everyone to have a daily habit around marketing their business.” –JS

Start by answering "What's in it for me?"Talking PointsIs it lead or lede?What does it mean to bury the lead?Burying the lead in conversationUsing the pain point as your headlineKnowing when to ask the questionLetting the audience know what’s in it for themConversational emails that aren’t about contentBurying the lead means you’re not exhibiting authority and confidenceMaking sure that you’re being clear for your audienceChoosing the right audienceQuotable Quotes“Burying the lead in a conversation is just as bad an idea when you’re having a sales conversation as it is on your website.” –RM“If you know what your ideal buyer's pain is, and you can just say ‘hey, do you have this pain?’ That’s the headline.” –JS“If you do nothing else before a conversation, an email, a point on the website, the way you’re restructuring your website, you just ask from your viewer’s perspective, “what’s in it for me?” What do they get from this page?” –RM”You want to find the perfect language that will resonate with the people who you’re trying to reach, right? Well then you’re going to have to decide exactly who you're trying to reach.” –JS

Is staying solo the right choice for you?Talking PointsThe difference between “small” and “not a lot of employees”The advantages of staying soloBeing able to be very specificBuilding alliancesWays to address David and Goliath matchupsWhen you’re a solo act, your clients always get to deal with the number one personWhat soloists need to watch out forWhale clientsWhy you need to always be marketingLearning how to say a really firm noQuotable Quotes“One of the advantages of staying small is that you can compete with those big players by going super, super specific.” –JS“Big firms are made up of individual people, and those individual people may refer you!” –RM“Big firms bill by the hour, so… they like slow computers.” —JS“Some would say ABS, always be selling, as opposed to always be closing, but I think you have to always be marketing.” –RM