We're back for Season 2, and open it with a BANG!

This is a a sweeping tour de force with someone I've had the privilege to meet only two months ago.

Evan Thomsen describes himself as the Machiavelli of Business. He has created a unique kind of consulting career for himself.

See, most consultants have a specialization that they then sell. However, Evan is not particularly specialized. Instead, he weaves himself into the fabric of the company so profoundly that he becomes a close confidant to the CEO. And as such, he is able to command superior compensation and gets fascinating insights into how his clients run his companies.

An unapologetic admirer of Machiavelli's realism, Evan is a well-read and erudite thinker whose musings could engage and inspire a crowd of intellectuals as much as business leaders looking for a strategic competitive advantage.

Evan has published a book about his career choices under the evocative name "Don't Chase The Dream Job - Build It", available on Amazon around the world:

https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Chase-Dream-Build-unconventional-ebook/dp/B091F3WPK8

Miss this episode at your peril.

Time Stamps:

0-5:30 intro and how we met

5:30 – 9:45 Evan the shoe salesman

9:45 – 13:15 Evan the choir director

13:15 – 18:30 How Evan gets and works with his clients

18:30 – 28:45 How Evan gets paid and weaves himself into the fabric of the company

28:45 - 43:20 How Evan learns useful skills very fast - a value-add model for consultants that’s very different from hyper-specialization or productization

43:30 - 59:45 Evan’s summary of his book “Don’t Chase The Dream Job - Build It”. A new career model.

59:45 - 1:16:30 How the personal and professional are intertwined, and how limiting your professional potential also limits your personal life.

1:16:30 - 1:26:20 Why WHO you work with matters much more than WHAT you do.

1:26:30 - 1:33:00 Nassim Taleb, Jordan Peterson and Moana - Evan’s intellectual heroes. The line where the sky meets the sea.

1:33:00 - 1:56:00 How Machiavelli is applicable to business

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Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WsHlCUL5sgc

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-client-acquisition/id1576487184

Michael Barris is a public speaking coach who helps professionals gain more confidence in front of the camera. He’s also written a book “How to become a SuperSpeaker”

I was intrigued by his instructional video (link below) where he suggests to become better at public speaking is to practice speaking twice as fast.

In our conversation, we cover the magic of a great delivery, what you need to do more and let go of when public speaking.

To me, the most eye-opening moment (7:00) was when Michael mentioned the Dr. Fox experiment, where an actor delivered a gibberish lecture in a lively and engaging way and still got positive reviews from a knowledgeable audience.

In the second half of our conversation, we discuss client acquisition and, specifically, my theory of the Wider Field Of Concern which matters a lot when outbound prospecting - you don’t want to immediately ask questions such as “so, have you considered launching a podcast” when you’re selling podcasting services. What to do instead? —> 32:30

Learn more about Michael Barris here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbarris/

Website: https://mikebarris.com/

His excellent video that got me interested: https://bit.ly/3hjsqCR

His video The 4 Phases of Delivering a Great Speech: https://bit.ly/3hjsqCR

His book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Become-Super-Speaker-Principles/dp/1674459793/

And here’s the link to the Dr. Fox experiment we discussed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Fox_effect

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The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on the whole process - from positioning to content to prospecting to closing on the phone. Got a question you want me to cover? —> Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com.

Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp

I've been looking forward to this episode for a while. Because I keep hearing these tales of woe and regret where people invested with a coach or program to help them grow their business, only to find out that it "wasn't for them" or that expectations weren't aligned.

So what are the things to look out for when choosing a sales & marketing coach or LinkedIn mentor? Most people go by their gut. And while the gut IS an important indicator (as you have to LIKE the person you'll be working with), there are several other important brain-based criteria.

In this episode I cover the 7* steps to choose a coach.

1) Understand the lay of the land

2) Assess your current capabilities

3) Pick candidates who are 1-2 steps ahead of you

4) Become very clear on their offer

5) Do you like them and their style?

6) Don’t allow price to be a consideration

7) Release attachment to the perfect outcome

* And because after recording I spoke to someone who had told me their story, I added step 8) as well. So you get a bonus step included!

The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com.

Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp

Ben Chan is a Project Management Consultant in Calgary, Canada. So far, he has been working with one major client, helping them implement strategic initiatives.

Since starting his business in early 2020, the requests for his expertise have not slowed down. In order to be able to serve these prospective clients, Ben came up with an idea to help these clients help themselves - by making their project management teams more effective - through a course and coaching program.

Ben is in the early stages of his productization initiative. I was curious to hear on how he is approaching this, who is his ideal client, how he intends to price it and what his execution timeline is.

Particularly worth listening to if you are thinking of creating a course & group coaching program that's on the periphery of your current value proposition.

You can find Ben on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-chan-yyc/

And check out his website for the results of his large-scale 2021 Project Management Survey: https://www.clymbconsulting.ca/

The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com.

Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp

What does it say about someone who's in the business of helping other people be better at what they do...

... but doesn't invest in a coach / consultant / mentor themselves?

It doesn't only destroy credibility, but it also impacts their karma. Listen to today's episode to understand why.

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The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com.

Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp

Not only is being "disruptive" lazy marketing that most people see through. 

It also puts you into a wrong mindset. 

Because being disruptive means you're playing outside the boundaries of an industry (and therefore: hierarchy). You want to destroy it in order to build it up in your image and emerge as the dominant player. 

And playing OUTSIDE of an established hierarchy means you miss out on a significant source of happiness: Experiencing gradual progress and improvement. 

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The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com.

Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp

[Clip From A Live Alpha Lead Academy Coaching Call Included]

I have a client, let's call her Jane. She's excellent at what she sells to people (public speaking, presenting, pitching). But she's been at a low revenue level for a while now, underselling herself on most occasions, with patchy revenue from piecemeal clients ($99 here, $997 there). 

During a coaching call with her, the problem crystallized in my mind for the first time: She's leading sales conversations with her SKILL, not with a product. She knows she has a skill she's very good at, and so she starts every conversation exploring the prospects' needs and then trying to fit her skill around it, resulting in this piecemeal approach.

Instead, what she needs to do is to lead with the RESULT the prospect will get when working with her and presenting a fixed-price package that will help them solve the problem.

Listen to a clip from my call with Jane where we discuss this (published with her permission). 

The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com.

Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp

One thing I like about Sam Moss is how non-flashy he is.

He publishes solid B2B marketing content. A podcast where he interviews interesting people. The occasional family picture.

But...

✅ ... no fancy jump-cut videos with animations

✅ ... no provocative clickbait

✅ ... no "vulnerable" self-flagellation

​And yet, despite this lack of extravagance, his LinkedIn content drives all the revenue of a 13-person agency. 

(Sam builds Wordpress websites for B2B companies) ​​

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That's a remarkable achievement.

Because, on the other side of the spectrum, I also know, many LinkedIn gurus who get hundreds of likes on each post... and yet have to get a job to pay the rent.

So I was happy that Sam agreed to come on my podcast and talk about his journey from peanuts to 12,000+ followers, fantastic engagement,... and heaps of revenue.​

​This is a value-packed podcast episode, so I recommend you listen to it in full. Sam's awesome and you should definitely check him and his content out:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam1ca/

And here is his podcast: https://1clickagency.com/podcast/

The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com.

Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp

I have now spoken to well over 1,000 coaches, consultants and other such solopreneurs and leaders of small B2B. 

They are all at one of five stages of entrepreneurial progress. 

Stage 1 - "I do anything for money" ($0-3k/month)

Stage 2 - Specialists who are afraid of selling ($2-5k/month)

Stage 3 - Busy professionals selling their time ($5-25k/month)

Stage 4 - The business owner - organic client acquisition ($10-50k/month)

Stage 5 - The business owner - PAID client acquisition ($20k-unlimited/month)

In this episode, I discuss the features and hallmarks of each stage and what to do to advance to the next one.

Which stage are you at? And what can you do to advance to the next level?

The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com.

Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp

Tricky subject! May is Mental Health Awareness month, and it's my firm conviction that 50% of supposed mental health issues are completely avoidable by choosing to walk away from the diagnosis and pursuing a meaningful adventure, instead. 

I speak from experience. In 2014, a doctor diagnosed me with "anxiety". I went to see a therapist who offered to treat me... and I decided against it. I chose to stop rummaging around in my past and unhappy present and chose to dedicate my efforts towards an external goal. 

Why does this matter for business? Because mindset is 90% of your success. The main difference between who I am now and who I was in 2014, even in 2020 is mindset. And if you allow your mind to be harangued by constant ruminations about how you're "not happy", encouraged by a culture of narcissism and self-obsession.

Obviously, this doesn't apply to any clinical cases of depression and such. If that's your case, get help. But the line is blurry. And I believe that many many people could cure themselves by choosing to not accept the diagnosis and instead pursue a meaningful adventure in their lives.

Up front I cover a listener's question of whether you should have a website with your name (like I do - www.michalbohanes.com) or something more business-y like www.scaleandattract.com or www.strengthcoaching.com. 

The answer may surprise you: It doesn't matter. At least until you scale to 7 figures.

Timestamps

1:50 - Your own name as a domain name or a business name?

4:50 - Choosing to walk away from an anxiety diagnosis

The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com.

Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp