The Recognized Authority

"You should raise your prices" is advice you'll frequently hear on this podcast and elsewhere. But it's not that easy to implement.

In this episode, Ron Baker and Alastair McDermott discuss why pricing by the hour is a bad option, and why value pricing is better for the provider and for the client. They cover steps you can  take to do value based pricing, and talk about the importance - and difficulties - of the value conversation.

They also discuss the recurring subscription model, which Ron calls "Value Pricing 2.0"!

“The value conversation is difficult because we've never been taught it, it's not part of the culture of how professionals work. We've always slid an engagement letter across the table with our hourly rate and hope the customer signs it.” -- Ron Baker

Marketing and branding are often conflated: the distinction can feel more like semantics. But there's a very real and easy to understand difference.

In this episode, Leo York and I discuss the primitive origins of marketing, how plants were the first marketers, and how and why color choice impacts how we think about brands. 

We also discuss how experts can use the 3 Aristotelian modes of persuasion: ethos, logos and pathos, or the appeal to authority, the appeal to logic, and the appeal to emotion.

On a personal note, this was one of the most fascinating conversations I've had on the podcast so far, and I hope you enjoy it too!

- Alastair.

“Animals showed up, and now plants have a problem because they can't move. So plants did an amazing pivot where they decided to start marketing to these animals to get an advantage, rather than to be just destroyed by them. ” -- Leo York

Being an independent consultant can sometimes be a tough gig - but there are things you can do to make life easier for yourself!

In this episode Michael Zipursky and Alastair McDermott discuss how to run a successful consulting business, including details on how to niche, how to increase capacity, and why you should raise your prices immediately.  They discuss how selling consulting services is different, and why conversations are so important. 

Michael also shares why you should act like a musician when it comes to content marketing, and how to develop a content plan.

“When you're dealing with an organization, there's going to be multiple decision makers, there's going to be budgets, there's going to be different allocations of resources, there's going to be just a lot more factors that go into play. And therefore you're going to require a conversation.” -- Michael Zipursky

After an initial growth period of several years, it's quite common for a business to hit an inflection point where they start to level off or even start to struggle. 

In this episode Evelyn Starr and Alastair McDermott discuss how this happens and what you can do about it. Evelyn uses the analogy of teen adolescence to help identify the signs your brand might be in this period, and how to course-correct so you can start scaling again. 

They also discuss the perils of working on a project without direct access to the client.

“You are not the complete owner of your brand. Your brand exists in the minds of your audience. Every time you have an interaction with them, those experiences factor into their idea of what your brand is. Your brand is what they expect to encounter from you next time.” -- Evelyn Starr

What does it mean to be a thought leader? What is thought leadership content, and how is it created?

In this episode Andrew Rogerson and Alastair McDermott walk through the actionable steps that you can take to create thought leadership content, from the strategic overview to research, writing the content and then repurposing it in multiple ways afterwards.

They also discussed the importance of well-structured executive summaries, and why Kate is writing a book to help experts get their ideas across more clearly. 

“If you think thought leadership doesn't work I would say you're probably not doing it right.” -- Andrew Rogerson

“Content is the future. I don't know what other forms of marketing can provide that kind of response, particularly when we can't do in person networking and take you out to dinner!” -- Andrew Rogerson

Guesting on podcasts is a fantastic way to get your message in front of a new audience and build your authority. But the majority of pitches received by podcast hosts are terrible!

In this episode Mai-kee Tsang and Alastair McDermott discuss why most podcast pitches are bad, how podcast guesting is such a fantastic opportunity, and how you can create a "yes-worthy pitch" that is well received by the podcast host.

They also discuss how the advice to "put yourself out there" doesn't always work, particularly for people who have experienced trauma, and how you can take a trauma sensitive approach to visibility. 

“The true power of podcast guesting, it is in the relationships, not how many podcasts you're on.” -- Mai-kee Tsang

Consultants are not in the business of selling methodologies - you're in the business of solving a client's problem. You need to be laser focused on your client and on solving their problem.

In this episode Luk Smeyers and Alastair McDermott discuss why consultants say that they don't have time to do marketing, and how this is a fixable problem. 

They also discuss what Luk terms the "vicious loop to hell", which is if you don't invest time, you will always be like struggling to survive, you will lose trust in yourself and confidence in growing your business. 

“Technical firms are all about their technology, their features. Consultants are not in the business of selling methodologies. You're in the business of solving the client's problem.” -- Luk Smeyers

The world of journalism and PR can feel nebulous to experts and consultants who don't interface with that world. But it can be a fantastic way to reach new clients and build relationships.

In this episode Kate Warwick and Alastair McDermott discuss how to develop your messaging and positioning to take advantage of PR. 

They also discussed the importance of well-structured executive summaries, and why Kate is writing a book to help experts get their ideas across more clearly.

Most consultants love their work - but they don't love selling their work. 

In this episode, Brendan McAdams and Alastair McDermott discuss how to qualify your prospective clients so that you can sell more effectively. We discussed the fundamental principles of sales that are often overlooked, and get into the psychology of why someone might not buy from you.

They also discussed what Brendan learned from marketing his first book, and what he's changing in the marketing of his second book.

Show Notes

Access all the links mentioned in this episode in the show notes here: https://therecognizedauthority.com/improving-your-salescraft

Connect with Alastair and The Recognized Authority

• On LinkedIn 
• On Twitter 
• On YouTube 

Subscribe to the email list at TheRecognizedAuthority.com

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Help share the podcast by leaving a rating & review on Apple Podcasts

Many consultants consider writing a book. It can be an invaluable marketing tool that can generate new business, demonstrate your expertise, and position you as the authority in your field. But from a business perspective, most books are a failure.

In this episode Rob Fitzpatrick and Alastair McDermott discuss how to ensure your book is actually useful to readers, which will result in better sales numbers and reach.

Rob also shared how to build a community around a book, and how not asking the right follow up question cost him $60,000.

Show Notes

Access all the links mentioned in this episode in the show notes here: https://therecognizedauthority.com/write-useful-books/ 

Connect with Alastair and The Recognized Authority

• On LinkedIn 
• On Twitter 
• On YouTube 

Subscribe to the email list at TheRecognizedAuthority.com

Like what you heard?

Help share the podcast by leaving a rating & review on Apple Podcasts