The Business of Authority

Relationships are key to being in an authority business.Talking PointsHow relationships manifest between clients and consultantsDifferent ways of connecting with peopleThe network effectYou may be surprised by how willing people are to talk if you approach them the right wayHow connecting with one type of person can potentially open up a whole new branch of connectionsHelping other people connect can help you build new relationships as wellHow to set up systems that help you connect with other peopleQuotable Quotes“I’m pretty promiscuous on LinkedIn.” –JS“Part of your relationship-building process has to fit with what you like, what you love to do.” –RM“With social media, you can just explode your results 100 times over. You create the equivalent on Twitter especially, of these virtual rooms, these virtual cocktail parties.” –RM“The more interesting people you’re connected with, I think, I just keep coming back to magic. It’s like magic. Magic happens.” —JS

How do you decide whose voice to listen to?Talking PointsHow to develop filters that help decide who to listen toFiguring out where someone is coming from when they give feedbackResponding to unwanted feedbackWhen you should be open to new opinionsAvoiding echo chambersWhen asking for feedback, make sure that you ask specific questionsGiving graceful feedbackThe role of your spouseQuotable Quotes  “Just because it’s something that we don’t want to hear doesn’t mean we can’t still be grateful that somebody felt the need to tell us.” –RM“Being able to communicate a complex idea to a whole bunch of different types of peoples from different cultures and different languages – it’s brutal.” –JS“It’s all in who you ask, how you ask, how likely you are to get the response that you want.” –RM“In my intake form for private coaching, I have two questions on there. Are you single, what’s your marital situation, and do you have any business partners. Because both of those things need special handling.” –JSRelated LinksSeth Godin

The podcast discusses mid-year business metrics, transitioning to passive income sources, and aligning business decisions with personal vision. It explores optimizing email lists with ConvertKit, importance of meaningful metrics, leveraging LinkedIn for business growth, and exploring new strategies and opportunities. The episode also covers implementing immediate feedback tactics, crafting effective guest posts, and revenue generation strategies.

Should you build a course? How do you get started?Talking PointsOnce you create a course, it’s really hard to change it laterFormulate a big idea and know your audience for the projectWriting or speaking can help you get feedback on your ideas and help you get them into shape before creating a courseLook into your options for where to develop the courseShorter courses are easier to sellYou probably don’t need to communicate everything you know about a subject in one course in order for it to be useful to othersAn outline can be a good way to get started on your courseOptimize for ease of recordingLive takesKeep editing to a minimumTranscripts and video players that allow people to listen at their own speeds are helpful for studentsSelf-host or use a hosting serviceQuotable Quotes“I kind of go back to this all the time and it might be just my personal bias, but I feel like writing a lot is almost a necessary precursor.” –JS“I think maybe one of your questions should be, “where do I want to develop this course?”” –RM“Any whiff of perfectionism can spiral out of control very quickly.” –JS“If you’re at all a person who gets into detail, you may decide you really love doing the editing, and that may not be the highest, best use of your time.” –RMRelated LinksHow to Kick off a Successful Launch

Do you know how to develop an authority mindset?Talking PointsAn authority mindset includes wanting to help others who need your expertiseThe difference between an abundance mentality and a scarcity mentalityKnowing when to say noListening more than you speakPricing mindsetCourage and confidenceThe courage to specialize in a specific nichePutting yourself out thereHaving a thick skinEverything is contentQuotable Quotes“I think the first rule is you want to help kindred spirits whenever you can.” –RM“Lighting somebody else’s candle from yours – you’re not losing anything.” –JS“I want to make it clear that adopting a service mentality does not mean that you become a doormat. To use the restaurant mentality – I’ve kicked plenty of people out of restaurants.” –JS“I think as you get out more and more and your name becomes known and you build a thriving business there actually can be an uptick in your fear, because now you’re not just starting out wondering where the next dollar is coming from. Now it’s coming in nicely, and you don’t want to rock that boat.” –RMRelated LinksSeth Godin

Why “selling” shouldn’t be a dirty word.Talking PointsDespite the pushy salesperson stereotype, most things are not sold to consumers in pushy wayYou can sell without acting like a pushy salespersonWords like marketing or negotiating are often more palatable than sellingSelling is necessary, because people won’t just show up to buy unless you put in the effortReframing the concept of selling can helpYou can think of selling something that somebody needs as a mutual profit – both parties get something they wantIt’s important to involve the client in the process along the wayChemistry with a person matters in some types of salesImportance of having the right mindsetQuotable Quotes“What that means to me, I think, if you think about it, is that 90% of the things that are sold to you are not done in this gross way.” –JS“What difference does it make, really, what you call it? It’s the activities that you do that are going to get the result that you want. –RM“If you don’t want to talk about marketing, if you don’t want to think about it like that, just go into the world and help as many people as you can.” –JS“When a consultant figures that out, it’s like a bell rings and you can’t unring it anymore. You can’t go back and work with somebody who doesn’t fit in your parameter of genius.” –RMRelated LinksBook Yourself SolidThe Secret of Selling Anything

Where are you on the spectrum?Talking PointsIt’s important to clarify for yourself why you’re offering speaking servicesThe difference between a speaker and a consultant who speaksHow speaking provides challenges for the speakerThe differences between subject matter expert speaking and inspirational speakingThe overlap between speaking skills and consulting skillsHow to know which things to say yes to and what to say no toHow speaking fits into your business modelFinding a balance between performance and contentKnowing what the audience needs to know and filtering out extraneous detailsKeeping track of your stories, findings, and observations Quotable Quotes “The expertise that I gained from doing client work is what I would base my talks on.” –JS“I like the give and take of an audience, because it tests you in really good ways.” –RM“Knowing where you fall – it’s a strategic decision. It’s going to decide what things you say no to, and it’s going to be saying no to a lot of things, and then you’re left over with the things you actually have time to do well.” –JS“It’s helpful to understand where you are right now, because that will tell you what you need to do, and most importantly, which things to say yes to and which things to run screaming from.” –RMRelated LinksDavid A. FieldsSteal the Show by Michael PortFlawless Consulting by Peter Block

Does your location matter?Talking PointsBuilding trust onlineCompeting online means competing globallyTranslating the skills needed to work locally to the skills needed to work remotelyGoing to meet-ups and conferencesThe best platforms for approximating in-person interactions onlineContent marketingUsing video and audioQuotable Quotes“Going from virtual to in-person or vice versa – I think those are skillsets and the translation to that is a process. You have to do it a little bit at a time.” –RM“Once you make the shift to operating on the internet, operating remotely, now all of a sudden, not only do you feel like you’ve got one hand tied behind your back, but also you’ve got way more competition.” –JS“Pick that platform, and then try to make it – when I say conversational, I mean experiential. So it feels like they’re working with you, however that is.” –RM“I would suggest, if you are the kind of person who is good in person, then maybe video is a good fit for you, or at least audio.” –JS

You have to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.Talking PointsSigns that it’s time to kill off a product or service that you’re offeringDifferentiating between second-guessing yourself in the middle of a project and actually being ready to end the projectRecognizing when a product or service that you’re offering is no longer making you happyActing thoughtfullyWhen changing things and trying new approaches doesn’t create new business or solve any problems, it may be time to quitRecognizing when you are or aren’t getting tractionChanging your websiteAvoidance is not a good strategyQuotable Quotes“The first thing that occurred to me (because this is what happens to me), is I start to clench my teeth when I’m working on it or even when I’m thinking about it.” –RM“It’s usually client work where I just get exhausted by the thought of a particular thing, whatever it might be.” –JS“So, I’m sitting there saying to myself, oh my god. I have to invest more money to do more of what I don’t like. I mean, that’s just – that’s insane.” –RM“The first time it happened to me was in 2011, when I had like viral traction for an idea. And it like picks you up like a tornado and throws you.” –JS

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