The Business of Authority

Are you ready for the publishing challenge? Talking Points The 5 in 5 publishing challenge How writer’s block relates to your audience Developing the discipline to create habits What to write about Beginner’s mind Figuring out what pain your expertise can solve Experimenting with different markets Passing on your knowledge Different ways to leverage what you do Scheduling interviews Audience prefe...

How can you get better clients? Talking Points Getting clients who will trust you more and pay you more What can happen when you take on a bad client Improving your client base as you go Narrowing your niche How taking on clients outside of your niche may affect your business How your point of view and messaging informs which clients you attract Being responsive to how your target reacts to your m...

Seth Godin joins us to explain the generosity of authority. Talking Points What “authority” means to Seth The first things that Seth thinks of when it comes to funding a mission Two different games Writing every day Levels of freelancing Imposter syndrome Podcasting Akimbo workshops Comfort zone vs. safety zone Publishing Word of mouth Writing a book Finding your alignment Making a decision Quotab...

Talking Points The importance of marketing yourself Having a strategy for your marketing tactics Why you have feast and famine cycles Target markets Being specific in your marketing Distribution Building marketing into your routine Picking a marketing method that has the least friction for your personality and skills Amplifying your message with social media Using social media in a way that fits y...

Start by answering "What's in it for me?" Talking Points Is it lead or lede? What does it mean to bury the lead? Burying the lead in conversation Using the pain point as your headline Knowing when to ask the question Letting the audience know what’s in it for them Conversational emails that aren’t about content Burying the lead means you’re not exhibiting authority and confidence Making sure that...

Is staying solo the right choice for you? Talking Points The difference between “small” and “not a lot of employees” The advantages of staying solo Being able to be very specific Building alliances Ways to address David and Goliath matchups When you’re a solo act, your clients always get to deal with the number one person What soloists need to watch out for Whale clients Why you need to always be...

Talking Points How 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 something Addiction to “saving the day” Gouging versus getting money for your services How the “hero’s journey” works with our clients’ stories The importance of delegation Guide versus “Doing It for Them” Why d...

Do you know how to pivot? Talking Points Taking a new direction while keeping your core business running well Taking a half-pivot Tying a new idea with a different message into your core business Getting people on your side Helping people Having confidence in your idea Marketing your new idea without losing current clients What clients do notice and what they don’t notice Quotable Quotes “You don’...

The authority marketing roundup. Talking Points Speaking and writing as an authority Who your content is for What promises you’re making What’s good about starting a podcast Picking something from the speaking category that you’re comfortable with How you can make your audience feel The power of webinars Running a workshop Livestreaming Email lists Video compared to audio Writing for other publica...

Are you making enough time for marketing? Talking Points How many hours a week to spend marketing How marketing can be devalued because it’s not billable Making the time for marketing How to block out marketing time Thinking of marketing as a deadline Reaching the point where marketing becomes an automatic thing Making public commitments How daily marketing can add up Farming vs. hunting Being hon...

Are you on the path to authority? Talking Points How pricing relates to where you are on the path to authority Different types of specialization The line between freelancer and consultant Consultant, or expert? Creating and selling a process Saying no and asking why more often Identifying the client Clarifying the end goal Moving from expert or consultant to authority Consulting as an authority Di...

Why would you want to become an authority? Talking Points Main reasons to become an authority Making more money Choice of opportunities Clearly defined thought leadership Building a business model that suits the way you think and work Shorter sales cycle Simplified selling Power to influence More effectiveness The difference between an expert and a thought leader Energizing others to further the m...

How can you align client experience with your brand? Talking Points How client experience relates to brand How appealing to potential clients differs from the actual client experience Disconnects in marketing What bad client experiences feel like Aligning experience with intent How technology contributes to your customers’ experiences and your brand Your responsibility to clients Customer satisfac...

Thinking through the ramifications of the experience economy. Talking Points How the economy has changed over time The journey from providing services to providing experiences and then transformations Customization Clients or customers as guests or aspirants How language can change the way you think about your work Creating memorable experiences Work as theater The backstage part of the theater Av...

Are you in the transformation business? Talking Points Applying the concepts in The Experience Economy to small authority businesses Moving from economies to experiences and transformations How better experiences can lead to worse service How acting factors into your business model Why acting isn’t equivalent to being fake or phony Pricing transformations The stages of transformation Choosing who...

How do you keep your network in motion? Talking Points What it means to keep your network moving How to keep reaching out on your radar Scheduling Sensitivity to organic opportunities to reach out Maintaining relationships Keeping tabs on what’s happening in your industry and who needs to know about it Working with people you like Helping people Making introductions Quotable Quotes “We’re in the r...

Is It Marketing BS Or Genius? Talking Points The $36 jump rope Sometimes you pay a premium for things outside of the thing you’re actually buying, like an experience or a lifetime guarantee Why it’s important to understand why people are willing to pay more money for a thing or a service Understanding how your audience likes to get information Getting past the demographics Being clear about your v...

What is the best home for your content? Talking Points Controlling your content Are you building someone else’s platform with your content? How search engine and social media platforms get in between creators and their audience Putting the same content in more than one place Knowing how much traffic you’re getting when you post on a platform Guesting on someone else’s podcast Sharing audiences Yel...

How can you keep producing killer content? Talking Points How to measure engagement What’s repeatable about going viral Knowing your audience Understanding your audience’s baseline knowledge Terminology How often you should put out content Why you should write every day How often podcasts and videos should come out Separating what you have to do from what adds value but isn’t strictly necessary Pe...

Are you ready to take your summer back? Talking Points How client work downshifts in the summer What you can do instead of client work during the slow season Planning marketing for the fall Taking care of things that you’ve been putting off or that weren’t high enough priority to get done at other times of the year What energizes you during the summer months Using the block of time to get yourself...

Do you have an unconventional niche? Talking Points How to choose a specialization What you can find out when you go deep into a specific area Picking a niche that’s intriguing to you How much choice people really want The Why Conversation Focusing your limited resources onto a specific point Why you should do a search to see what clients will see when they search for businesses like yours Incorpo...

How do you handle the twilight zone between when a client buys your stuff and you actually start delivering it? Why the time between purchase and delivery is the twilight zone Different twilight zones for different products Explaining the onboarding process Giving buyers something to do while they wait for what they ordered Setting expectations Helping clients trust the process Envisioning what yo...

What to do when you screw up. Talking Points How you can turn a screw-up situation around Thinking about how the story is going to be told How empathy can help you understand how the story will be told and how you can turn it around Asking clients to trust you after screwing up Avoiding defensiveness Helping clients dealing with difficult situations Responding to unsolicited criticism Remaining re...

What do you need to do to build trust as an authority? Talking Points Charlie Green’s mathematical equation for determining trustworthiness Getting feedback about what you need to work on How your website or marketing materials could reveal gaps in credibility Seeing your credibility indicators through the eyes of your ideal client Demeanor as a credibility factor Making and keeping promises Consi...

Charles Green, legendary author of The Trusted Advisor, shares years of wisdom on building trust with clients. Talking Points What a trusted advisor is Why people in the authority space want/need to be trusted advisors The trust equation How people view women and men in terms of trust Most trusted profession How taking risks builds trust Strength of ego The trust-building process Cues clients give...