How to Sell Advice

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. Today, I've got two ideas for helping you sell better advice. I'll give you a hint, it involves getting excited, saying yes, and articulating value and trade-offs.  Give it a listen and tell me what you think. —k

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. The premise of this group is to help you package, sell, and create leverage around your marketing expertise (not your hands). In this episode, I break down my 5-part framework for how this all works. It's the latest version of my thinking and it's always a work in progress. The high-level points include: Niche Cre...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. Are you still debating about the benefits of niching? Do you feel like you might not be niched enough? Give this a listen if you're on the fence and not sure if niching is worth the "risk" for you (hint: it probably is). Here's the top-level list: When you know who you're targeting, every decision is easier You ca...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. Oren is interested in exploring group coaching and mentorship for in-house marketing managers. I really like the idea. Here's the origina l heart of the questions asked in the " Ask Kevin " channel: Kevin C. Whelan originally I had in mind £250/mo per person. When I started reflecting and working towards the progr...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. I was talking with a client recently about the value of a project we were considering hiring someone for. The client wanted to know if paying a premium for a high-value writing project was worthwhile. It was a fair questions. So, we compared: The opportunity costs of not doing the project The DIY option and implic...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community I talk a lot about having a Methodology in your advisory business. A checklist of sorts that lets you deliver consistent and repeatable results for your clients. It usually is comprised of projects, processes, and things to do/review/audit. I also talk about your Operating System, the thing you or your clients use...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare communit If you're a marketing advisor, you might feel like you need to have everything figured out. To have a system for everything backed by training, documentation, and formal processes. But the reality is, all you really need is your thinking—y our ability to solve client challenges, in whatever way you know how. When yo...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. If you're like me, case studies can be a neglected part of your own marketing.  And yet, case studies done well are one of the most persuasive forms of proof you can create. Honestly, I can't believe I can sign up so many clients without having more than a couple case studies. Luckily, I am good at what I do! Anyw...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. Do you wonder if you're niched down or specialized enough? In this episode, I talk about the six signs to look for to indicate whether you've tightened your positioning enough. Give it a lesson and leave a comment in the community with your thoughts! —k

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. As a consultant, your job is to deliver results. But we need to remember that people don't just buy results, because frankly, we don't buy on logic. We buy on emotion. What this means is you're also responsible for delivering a certain feeling in your engagements. Sound hippy dippy? Stick with me, it's not. As muc...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. If you sell any of your expertise via subscriptions, courses, coaching, training, or whatever form, you might wonder what content to give away for free and what content to keep as paid. There are lots of ways to do this, but one idea resonated with me the other day. I heard it on the Three Month Vacation podcast [...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. In order to succeed as a consultant, you will need the confidence to be candid (yet tactful( with your clients. And that's not always easy—especially when the stakes feel high, or if you're generally a low-key kind of person. Sometimes, that might mean calling out tensions in the room. Other times, it might mean e...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. Every so often, a client or prospect will ask for a discount. And personally, I never do it. For a few reasons. In order to do the job well, you need to be properly so you can invest the necessary time and energy to get a result. You need to earn a profit on your time—not just be paid for your time. You can reinve...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. One of the fundamental views I have on positioning is to put yourself into a "Category of One". I recommend my clients do the same for their business. That means: Find a unique and valuable differentiator Double down on what makes you uniquely valuable Communicate that value consistently everywhere you go It doesn...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. Positioning yourself as a fractional CMO has a lot of benefits, but if you're not careful, you could end up becoming an outsourced marketing manager or a part-time employee. And that's no way to run a business. In this episode, I talk about the key attribute a client needs to have for you to be able to sell your e...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. If you are trying to break into a niche, you might be surprised to hear that the quality of your marketing efforts is not the only growth tool you have. One of the most important ways to break into a niche is through relationships. In this episode, I talked about how I created relationships to break into the cowor...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. How you design your business will have a big impact on your profitability, enjoyment, and frankly, your level of stress. In this episode I combine my entire approach to building a scalable consulting business model. Topics include: Managed advisory services Fractional CMO Coaching & mentorship Downgrade engage...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. There are pros and cons to specialization.  In this episode, I break down some of the main benefits of niche specialization, which include: Easier sales process via differentiation Lower time involvement required Less downward price pressure Better leverage and systemization Ability to package and resell expertise...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. This episode comes from a blog post I wrote in December and I'm sharing my highlights here because it's worth revisiting. Below is the original post shared below (I don't talk about all of it in this episode, though): When I work with clients, there are an infinite number of data points and layers we could look at...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. One of the ways I've been able to grow an audience within the coworking niche is by partnering and sharing value with other companies and consultants who have the same target audience but do different things. I've been able to do webinars, podcasts, panel discussions, conference talks, paid seminars, workshops, an...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. Do you have a clear idea on who your ideal target market is? Or, do you help your clients get clear on who theirs is? There's a lot of info on this subject and only some of it is really useful in a strategic marketing engagement. In this episode, I talk about ways to create an ideal target market profile for your...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. --- I have been building and designing websites for nearly two decades. Wild, right? Doesn't feel that long. I started out in the early 2000's as a hobby as a teenager. Eventually, I did it as a freelancer, turned the work into an agency, branched out into other areas of marketing along the way, and some time late...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. Here's a great follow-up question in the thread, Selling transformation vs. selling your time , by Ant Pugh: Just going back to your comment about a phased approach to transitioning from tactical work to selling advice. In this excellent blog post you talk about the conflict of interest between the same person doi...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. Most of my clients these days are turning into long-term clients, ranging from 1 to 4+ years working together so far. Which is great! But with that, I get a slight background concern that they could all "ripen" (like a fruit) at the same time and fall off the tree leaving my business cut in half. I also know that...

> Click here to join the conversation on this episode in the Mindshare community. Here's a great question from Michelle that came in earlier in the week: Hi - I'm curious where or what resources do you go to for ongoing education or certifications for marketing?  There are lots of ways to keep learning as you go along in your business. The big ones, of course are: Books Independent courses Cert...