The Business of Authority

Talking PointsHow do you know if you’re limiting yourself?What are skills which aren’t risky and are easily priced?The difference between someone who does something or someone who knows somethingAddiction to “saving the day”Gouging versus getting money for your servicesHow the “hero’s journey” works with our clients’ storiesThe importance of delegationGuide versus “Doing It for Them”Why do when you can teach?How to keep your skills sharp when you are teachingLetting go of what’s not strategicWriting a bookCharging services for “knitting”The problems with hourly billingDeveloping your IP (intellectual property)Quotable Quotes“If you really care about your craft, and you want to spread it, you’re not going to be able to do that if you’re always a fireman putting out fires.” – JS“You don’t really want to be Luke [Skywalker] in your marketing, you want to be Obi-Wan.” – JS“There’s that shift in your mind where you don’t just have to ‘do’, you can teach, you can coach, you can show the way, you can be the guide.” – RM“If you approach your consulting as a technician, you’re never going to solve the bigger problems of the organization.” – RMLinks and ResourcesThe E-Myth Revisited by Michael GerberBuilding a StoryBrand by Donald MillerFlawless Consulting by Peter Block

Do you know how to pivot?Talking PointsTaking a new direction while keeping your core business running wellTaking a half-pivotTying a new idea with a different message into your core businessGetting people on your sideHelping peopleHaving confidence in your ideaMarketing your new idea without losing current clientsWhat clients do notice and what they don’t noticeQuotable Quotes“You don’t want to be locked into your own success. You want to be able to go out and do something different.” –RM“All you need is like a magnifying glass, focus your energy, and boom! It’s on fire.” –JS“If you’re helping people, you will make money. It’s like a law, almost.” –JS“If you’re worried about changing your website without confusing your current clients, remember that unless you’ve got a membership site, your clients aren’t visiting your website.” –RM

The authority marketing roundup.Talking PointsSpeaking and writing as an authorityWho your content is forWhat promises you’re makingWhat’s good about starting a podcastPicking something from the speaking category that you’re comfortable withHow you can make your audience feelThe power of webinarsRunning a workshopLivestreamingEmail listsVideo compared to audioWriting for other publicationsHow speaking and writing inform each otherContinuous practiceSocial media activityAnswer bombsQuotable Quotes“Whenever I’m creating something, the first thing I want to know is who’s it for?” –JS“Your opinion of yourself may be completely warped.” –RM“Just remember that people learn in different ways, and there are some people who would so much rather watch a video than read anything you’re going to write. And vice versa.” –RM“When you’re watching video, you’re watching it. You’re probably sitting down, you might be at your computer or in a chair or whatever. When you’re listening to this show, you’re probably in your life.” –JS

Are you making enough time for marketing?Talking PointsHow many hours a week to spend marketingHow marketing can be devalued because it’s not billableMaking the time for marketingHow to block out marketing timeThinking of marketing as a deadlineReaching the point where marketing becomes an automatic thingMaking public commitmentsHow daily marketing can add upFarming vs. huntingBeing honest about what isn’t workingQuotable Quotes“It doesn’t happen if you don’t make time for it. Even when you’re not billing by the hour, it can be hard to create – I would call the marketing habit.” –JS“Marketing should always be on your mind if you have a business. That’s part of the mindset, you never let it go.” –RM“I think when you enjoy something, it’s sustainable. And if it feels like horrible, dragging work, you’re not going to do it.” –RM“If I’m scared of it, it’s probably a good idea.” –JS

Are you on the path to authority?Talking PointsHow pricing relates to where you are on the path to authorityDifferent types of specializationThe line between freelancer and consultantConsultant, or expert?Creating and selling a processSaying no and asking why more oftenIdentifying the clientClarifying the end goalMoving from expert or consultant to authorityConsulting as an authorityDifferences in authorities in different industriesBehavioral habits of authoritiesSocializing a point of viewGetting off the hamster wheelQuotable Quotes“If most of the time, you’re in your basement coding and you only talk to the client once a week, you’re not a consultant.” –JS“On this particular line of the matrix, I think it’s about a really deep knowledge.” –RM“It feels to me like the one-on-one consulting engagements that an authority would engage in would be less and less as their authority grew, because they could have a bigger impact doing something like a keynote presentation to 10,000 people.” –JS“If you’re an authority with big corporates, you need to be seen.” –RM

Why would you want to become an authority?Talking PointsMain reasons to become an authorityMaking more moneyChoice of opportunitiesClearly defined thought leadershipBuilding a business model that suits the way you think and workShorter sales cycleSimplified sellingPower to influenceMore effectivenessThe difference between an expert and a thought leaderEnergizing others to further the missionMomentum over the course of a careerStages along the way to being an authorityQuotable Quotes“The way that an authority is in the market is automatically going to be seen as a luxury purchase.” –JS“Really, most of us didn’t get into this business to sell, and what we like about the selling process is that we’re solving a problem.” –RM“An authority to me, has an imperative to teach other people, and to keep thinking about what’s the next thing in their area of expertise.” –RM“My way or the highway, to me, is not a leader.” –JS

How can you align client experience with your brand?Talking PointsHow client experience relates to brandHow appealing to potential clients differs from the actual client experienceDisconnects in marketingWhat bad client experiences feel likeAligning experience with intentHow technology contributes to your customers’ experiences and your brandYour responsibility to clientsCustomer satisfaction as a productBeing professional without being fakeWhat being a pro looks likeHow the clothing you choose speaks to your brandFinding clients for whom you’re a good fitClient feedbackQuotable Quotes“Marketing and branding should not be about pretty pictures and telling a story that is not real.” –RM“I can feel the difference when I onboard people now, I can feel them sit back and relax.” –JS“In an ideal world we use technology in a way that makes our brands stronger, that ties people more closely to us.” –RM“My actual product is customer satisfaction.” –JS

Thinking through the ramifications of the experience economy.Talking PointsHow the economy has changed over timeThe journey from providing services to providing experiences and then transformationsCustomizationClients or customers as guests or aspirantsHow language can change the way you think about your workCreating memorable experiencesWork as theaterThe backstage part of the theaterAvoiding dissonanceQuotable Quotes“If you’re like me and you want to charge for outcomes and not hours, then it’s incumbent...to try to be climbing up that progression.” –JS“Even transformation experiences, there should be some parts of those that are fun.” –RM“We’ve been taught we have to take ourselves very seriously because we’re an expert and we’re becoming an authority on whatever it is so we must be formal and we have to do all those things. But really, it is theater.” –RM“When you’re on stage it doesn’t matter if you’re in the performance or in pre or post. It all counts.” –JS

How do you keep your network in motion?Talking PointsWhat it means to keep your network movingHow to keep reaching out on your radarSchedulingSensitivity to organic opportunities to reach outMaintaining relationshipsKeeping tabs on what’s happening in your industry and who needs to know about itWorking with people you likeHelping peopleMaking introductionsQuotable Quotes“We’re in the relationship business at the end of the day.” –JS“There will be things that trigger your thinking of someone.” –RM“It is about helping. That’s really what this is all about. It’s about helping people.” –RM“Almost always, at least with the folks I work with, the thing that the other person needs to help you is more specificity.” –JS

Is It Marketing BS Or Genius?Talking PointsThe $36 jump ropeSometimes you pay a premium for things outside of the thing you’re actually buying, like an experience or a lifetime guaranteeWhy it’s important to understand why people are willing to pay more money for a thing or a serviceUnderstanding how your audience likes to get informationGetting past the demographicsBeing clear about your valuesBest is subjectiveNoticing the story that you tell when you recommend something or give a giftPicking your battlesConnecting a desire to a productQuotable Quotes“When it’s real, it’s not BS.” –RM“It’s not just the information transfer. If it were just information transfer, then everything would probably be a book or an audio file. You’d do everything in one medium. But you don’t.” –JS“You’re not making it up, it’s your story but you pick the points you want to tell and how to tell them based on what the pull is between you and your audience.” –RM“If you’re trying to help people who are into renewable energy, it’s going to be pretty hard to sell to climate deniers. Pick your battles.” –JS