Specialty Of The House

Imagine your clients choosing you the way most of us choose restaurants. They decide what they’re in the mood for—sushi, deli, pizza. Or maybe it’s that special occasion, break-the-bank meal. And then they consider where they’re likely to find exactly what they want/need.

If you own a restaurant, you want your clientele to say “I want Canter’s Deli”, not “I want a sandwich.” Ditto every other top-of-their-game restaurant from Fatburger to The French Laundry. Draw your clients to you in the same way. Make your offerings clear, compelling and uniquely distinct.

Choose your category. What kind of restaurant are you? Unless you’re a category-breaker, you’ll slot into a niche—haute cuisine, burger joint, seafood shack, food truck. Look around you and see how many others claim your category. Chances are, clients are surrounded by good choices. You’ve got to make yourself stand out.

Narrow your appeal. Will you focus on an ethnic cuisine or perhaps steak or seafood? Are you all about romantic corner booths, a spectacular view or whacking crabs with a mallet? Do patrons come to you for a raucous good time or are they serious foodies worshipping at the latest mecca? Narrowing your appeal lets those who will love you find you faster.

Discover your specialty of the house. Your clientele will tell you what they come back for. And it may be more about their waiter remembering their name and favorites then about your clams casino. It’s about their complete experience, which any successful restaurateur will tell you includes price, service, ambience and location.

So ask your clients why they choose you. Dig for the truth. And use what you find to let the rest of the world know your claim to fame.

Are You Just Clucking?

There is an old farm expression: “I can hear you clucking but I can't find your nest”.

The 2010 version: There is a whole lot of clucking going on instead of real, move-the-needle conversations. Social media seems to goad us into speaking when we have nothing—really—to say. Beware of three cardinal sins:

Shameless self-promotion. You have information that will help clients and prospects solve problems. That is NOT shameless self-promotion. We veer into shameless territory when we lose sight of how the reader will benefit. Give them wisdom or make them think—or laugh—but don’t bore them with your irrelevant minutiae (give foursquare the boot.)

Ignoring publishing standards. Self-publishing is a great invention, but not if you don’t hire yourself a rock-solid editor to save you from yourself. Editorial gaffes scream amateur. And your blog or newsletters? Typos demonstrate that you don’t pay attention to detail, or worse: that you don’t care about the quality of your work.

Incivility. Snarky can be lucrative (Bill Maher anyone?) but it’s a niche suitable for very few. Engaging in spirited—but respectful—conversations forges new relationships and creates break-through ideas. Your mother was right—manners matter.

So go ahead: promote, write, push the envelope. Just don’t be clucking with the other chickens.

Your Edge: Not Always What You Think

Your edge. It’s what the marketplace values most about you (and your firm). It’s why clients hire you and your tribe refers you. Are you clear on yours?

A lot of professionals assume their expertise is their calling card. You are an amazing corporate bankruptcy attorney. The expert on executive compensation. The wizard of SAP implementations.

You may indeed be a genius in your field, but few clients refer you solely on your expertise. One notable exception: when they need a “bet the company” solution and personality becomes secondary to immediate, tangible results. Or, you’re a brain surgeon.

So unless you're in that rarified territory, your edge is not your expertise. It's just the price of admission.

Your real edge is how you do what you do. Not your methodology but your humanology. Are you genuine? Do you really care about the results you’re creating? Are you likable (but not a sycophant)? Do you use humor effectively? Do you get clients the answers they need and help them feel good about working with you? Even when—especially when—you’re doing tough, game-changing work?

What's your edge?

Making Your Star Turn Work

Most of us in the advisory professions get our moment(s) in the spotlight at some point. Whether it’s because you’re leaving to try your chances with another team or you’re announcing a bold new adventure—you want to make sure your real message gets through.

Need some reminders for your star turn? America’s latest PR-spectacle—this time in sports—has given us a few.

Deliver the bad news—I don’t want to stay in Cleveland, come to New York, etc—personally. They’ll still hate your decision (maybe even you), but you’ll know you did your best to honor your relationships and your past work.

Praise in public, critique in private. Now is not the time to diss the losers publicly. Nerves are raw. Yes, you can let off steam with a few friends—that’s what they’re for after all. But with bloggers listening and cameras rolling? Not so much.

Keep great advisors, but ditch the entourage. Great advisors give solid advice that you can act on. An entourage tells you what you want to hear. They convince you to refer to yourself in the 3rd person. Before you know it, your true, irreplaceable audience starts to slip away.

At the end of the day, we all make decisions that are right for us—taking some slings and arrows comes with the territory. When it’s your star turn, HOW you deliver the news speaks volumes.

Capturing Your "Only"

You know you need to differentiate yourself from others in your space but some days it just ain’t easy. One trick: think like a journalist. Remember the lesson from high school? Who, what, when, where, why and how.

Who are your clients? Consider industry, function, location, complexity, position, gender, ethnicity and more. What do they have in common?

What do you offer them? Be specific. You aren’t just the title on your business card. Drill down and consider all that you bring to the party. Perhaps you speak Spanish or have a highly tuned ability to mediate disputes. Don’t be shy—these are attributes your sweet-spot clients will truly appreciate.

When do they need you? Think triggers, like business events (buy/sell, merger, spin-off, new product line) or personal (promotion, marriage, birth, divorce, death). What trends and influences make them need you more?

Where are your clients? Do you practice locally, regionally, nationally or internationally? Do you have deep or broad geographic expertise that clients value?

Why do you matter to your clients? Remember, clients buy based on emotion—on how you make them feel. Do they feel more confident, safer, smarter, faster, richer when they work with you? Think about what they gain by being part of your tribe.

How are you different? Look at it from the client experience—from how you first attracted, engaged and consulted with them to how they experience you throughout the relationship. Don’t forget to include your distinct personality and style—it’s part of your “only” package.

Who, what, when , where, why, how. Try it to capture your “only”.

Competition: 3 Strategies for Professional Advisors

Competition in sports is good. Your personal win/loss record is public—an incentive to keep you sharp. Consistently high performers track their competitors but remember to always play their own game.

Competition in professional services can be a good thing too. In fact, there is an added advantage: having competitors often means there is an established market for your niche. So instead of trying to sell what you do (try getting people to watch synchronized swimming), your challenge becomes selling you.

You can learn a lot about marketing—your services, your practice and your firm—by looking outward. Take a look at the firms you consider your toughest competition. But don’t stop there—study the brands you most admire and envision the firm you’d like to create. And then consider these 3 strategies.

Imitation. Navigate the websites and compare the marketing collateral of your toughest competitors. Be brutally honest. If you could black out the logos, could you tell the difference between them? Imitation is easy—that’s why so many do it. The more you look like everyone else, the more your services sell like commodities. The best margins do not go to imitators.

Aspiration. Don’t limit yourself to the usual suspects. Take a look at any brand you admire. Would you like to be the Nike of technology consultants? The Ferrari of estate attorneys? The Starbucks of wealth advisors? How do your most admired companies build their brand? What does your firm need to do, say and be to enter your version of their territory? Note to self: is my firm truly committed to living our aspirational brand?

White space. Creating white space in your specialty is an art form. It defies competition—you may well have to create your own market for it. The first PC (IBM). The personal financial planning software that spawned an industry (Intuit). The pricing model that changed how people buy and listen to music (Apple). You’ll note the innovator isn’t always the last one standing—it takes vision, passion and superb execution to carry this off.

Imitation. Aspiration. White space. Which speaks to you?

Avoiding The Camel

Your work is giving—or, more precisely, selling—advice. How well are you selling yourself and your firm?

Let’s agree that being compelling to your sweet-spot clients is a must. Why then do so many firms—from 1-person shops to some mega names—insist on watering down what makes them distinct? Why do otherwise savvy partners fail to build a strong personal brand that aligns their talents and passions with their firm?

Three words: lizards, trolls and camels.

The lizard rules. The lizard is the part of us that is satisfied with the ordinary (for more about the lizard brain, read Seth Godin’s “Linchpins”). Reaching for more feels too risky. Unsafe. The website that says: “our service, our people, our technology are second to none” was written by the lizard. When you find yourself holding back, afraid to shoot higher, the lizard is in charge.

The troll appears. You overcome the lizard to firmly stake your territory—you publish an article, write a blog post, or make a bold statement in a speech. That’s when the trolls appear. Trolls are critics who take perverse pleasure in tearing others down. In fact, you haven’t conquered the lizard if you haven’t attracted a few trolls. Your job with trolls is simple. Ignore them. Engaging trolls only fires them up for more criticism. Who needs that? Let them go find someone else to annoy.

You create the camel. You’ve subdued the lizard enough to attempt something compelling, but haven’t quite been able to ignore the trolls. The result? Camel territory. Yes, the camel that was a horse drawn by committee. Camels are great if you’re crossing the desert, but most of us aren’t. While getting other inputs (especially in a partnership) is necessary and valuable, don’t let it dilute what makes you unique. Keep your focus on resonating with your sweet spot clients.

The secret to compelling marketing? Subdue the lizard. Ignore the troll. Avoid the camel.

Growing Your Practice: Hitting Your Sweet Spot

Sweet spot: Where your story (and marketing) meets a rigorous business model and a winning (not whining) mindset.

Outrageously successful consultants, advisors and coaches spend a lot of time in their sweet spot. Why? Life is better there. It’s dramatically easier to draw the RIGHT clients, prospects and referral sources to you.

Ready to spend more time in your sweet spot? Consider these essentials:

Your story: What’s your bankable value? Do you have a clear, compelling story that draws clients, prospects and referral sources to you? Is your marketing aligning your unique talents and passions with what your clients need most? Are you engaging with the right people?

Your business model: Have you created the ideal business model that optimizes your revenue and growth opportunities? Have you fully leveraged your intellectual property? Do you have administrative systems in place so you can spend your time where it matters?

Your mindset and actions: Do you maintain a winning mindset or are you making excuses for why you can’t make a sales call? Are you taking the consistent, daily actions needed to build the enterprise you envision-–even when it’s hard?

Getting to your sweet spot can take some hard thinking and thoughtful insight. But there’s a reason we call it sweet.

Conversations That Matter

Professionals trying to grow their business often view “selling” as a necessary evil, a fact of life. But what if you could spend less time persuading (and writing proposals that go nowhere) and more time engaging with the right people?

The key is to focus on real conversations that add value and insight to your clients, your prospects and your referral sources--conversations that matter.

Looking to enrich yours? Try this:

Be real. Don’t waste your time trying to be all things to all people. Being clear about who you are and what you uniquely do (and don’t do) is essential. Aligning your stories, actions, and visuals with your sweet spot demonstrates the real you.

Listen exquisitely. Think about it—what happens when someone truly listens to you? You engage. It changes your interaction immediately. Give it a try next time you want to grow a relationship: make your only goal to understand their needs and wants.

Invest in the good. Once you connect with good people (clients, advisors, friends), invest in them and your relationship. If it helps, think of relationships as your assets--invest based on your risk tolerance and for short and long-term growth. Sometimes you sell and sometimes you buy more. But you’re always invested.

Conversations that matter produce client engagements that matter.

Are You Creating Evangelists?

Recall your favorite glowing, unsolicited introduction to that sweet spot client who needed your help immediately. Nothing quite like it, right? And it so beats the times you felt like you were banging your head against the wall.

To make those referrals a regular event, create your own team of brand evangelists: great people who know you and your work and can’t wait to spread the word.

Some tips to attracting your dream team:

Create white space—a niche that no one else occupies so you get to write the rules and be a true original. Bonus? You also can set your fees in white space.

Be authentic in all things—true alignment builds credibility, trust and connection. Strong attractions are formed when you show them the real deal.

Seek to understand (listen) vs seek to be understood (selling). Knowledge talks, wisdom listens. And we all love to feel heard and understood.

Of course, to attract brand evangelists, you also have to serve as one. Who do you know that deserves a little evangelism?

2010: Not For Sissies

Have you felt it? That collective sigh of relief that 2009 is behind us and a brand spanking new decade awaits.

Now the trick is transforming survival activity into long-term prosperity in a “reset” economy. Clients (like consumers) are buying value, simplicity and results. Is your practice ready for 2010? Ask yourself some key questions:

How deep are my relationships? How likely are your clients, prospects and referral sources to turn to you for help? Need a deeper bench? Start now—relationships are organic and take time to nurture. And don’t restrict yourself to those in your town, area or industry. That’s short-term thinking.

How easy is it to find and know me? Are you leveraging social media effectively for your client/referral base? Are you using the right web tools for your business model? Beware of poo-pooing new technology—you’ll come across as a dinosaur.

What are key clients and prospects saying about us? Do they see you as a key leader navigating a new decade or mired in old paradigms? Ask questions. Find out what’s important and create new ways to work that align your talents with what they need.

Now is the time to act…while your competitors are busy congratulating themselves on survival.

Make Yourself Unforgettable (Part 2)

Think about it. What if you could draw the right clients and referral sources to you? What if you could spend less time on proposals that go nowhere and more time serving your best clients? That’s what being unforgettable—for the right things—can bring you. For the 600-word version, read my full article in “Think Like a Consultant”.

Or, stick to the headlines:

Know yourself and what makes you distinct. Get to the root of who you are, what you do and why it matters.

Align your stories, your actions and your visuals. Make sure everything you do tells a consistent, compelling, unique story.

Put yourself out there. Share your ideas with others by providing sustainable value and building real relationships.

Start the new decade right—and make yourself unforgettable. See you in 2010!

p.s. If this topic really intrigues you, enroll in my upcoming live or virtual sessions

When Is The Copy Better Than The Original?

We all strive to be originals. The one that others want to copy. But can the copy ever surpass the original? You betcha. Consider this: Cher, live in Las Vegas. Then, just an hour later, “Divas” featuring a Cher impersonator. Can you guess who was better?

Yep—the imitator by a long-shot. Which got me thinking: what might make a copy BETTER than the original?

You take a flaw from the genuine article—and make it your calling card. While Cher was behind the curtain making uncountable costume changes, her impersonator was out in front, building a fan base.

You make it about content, not just window dressing. Cher looked bored in a series of Bob Mackie gowns while her counterpart (still looking every bit the diva) belted her songs out like her life depended on it.

You forge new territory vs resting on your reputation. Cher often simply stood and sang a few bars from her hits while her impersonator led energizing dance numbers with her back-up dancers.

Would I go to another Cher performance? Not a chance. The moral of the story: An original who loses her edge can command an audience (and premium fees) for a limited time only. But a “copy” who has found a better niche can steal the show.

Back to Basics For The Holidays?

The holiday season is officially upon us. How will you cut through the holiday clutter to reach your clients?

Electronic holiday card? Tough to be personal or original with that. The delete key awaits you.

List of New Year’s resolutions? Maybe—if you can make it really different. There’s that delete key again.

Client gifts? Only if they are appreciated and memorable—in a GOOD way. No fruitcakes, please.

I propose a simpler solution in this year of “resets”. What if we—consultants, advisors and coaches—simply write a personal note of thanks to those who we appreciate?

Yes, it can be electronic, but it must be genuine and unique to each individual client, referral source, prospect and colleague. What do you think?

Are You Ready For Your Close-up?

My last post unleashed some angst about capturing the perfect business photo. Let’s face it—for most of us, having our picture taken is right up there with having a root canal or an IRS audit. So I consulted with Harvey Lewis, producer of over 1,000 commercials and films globally, to bring you 5 tips for staging a great photo shoot:

#1. Choose wisely.
Your best bet to engaging a great photographer is through referral. Who do you know with a great photo? Lacking that, google portrait photographers in your area. Peruse their sites and see whose shots you like best. Pick at least two favorites and interview them to test your comfort and chemistry.

#2. Ask some key questions.
How will you work with me to get the best shot? How will you ensure my photos will be current and relevant? Can you show me examples of other business photos you’ve taken? Will you arrange hair and/or make-up artists for me and how much will it cost? Relax gentlemen, I suggest this for women only. Ladies, investing in professional help will ensure your photo looks natural, like the best version of you.

#3. Share yourself.
Before the session—articulate 3-5 key words that you’d like your photo to evoke. Smart? Warm? Energetic? The more specific, the better. Tell them about your work and how/where you’ll use the photos. Discuss your usual business attire and listen carefully for their suggestions on which colors, patterns, items will photograph well or should be avoided (vertical stripes, for example, are usually a no-no).

#4. Find your inner supermodel.
Really. Bring several changes of clothes AND accessories. You and your photographer can experiment with various combinations. Be creative—bold jewelry for women and striking ties for men can photograph well. Trust your photographer and try different positions—sometimes the best shots come from what feels unnatural. There’s always the delete option.

#5. Learn from actors.
Ever wonder how actors can laugh and cry on command? Try using their sense memory technique during your shoot. To keep a genuine smile, think about a time, a place, a sound/song when you were truly happy and imagine yourself there. Don’t believe it? Try it in the mirror and see the difference.


Remember, the goal is an authentic photo, capturing what’s unique and engaging about you. Do your homework, then relax and trust your photographer. You might actually enjoy it!

Picture This: What Does Your Photo Say About You?

Consultants and advisors are used to building gravitas—showing their smarts to the right buyers. But posting a snazzy photo? Not so much…

Social media is changing how people meet and engage their advisors. If a client (or referral source) meets you on-line first, they will make a snap judgment from your photo.

The old headshot just doesn’t cut it anymore. The right photo is the one that gives the viewer an authentic preview of the real you. A few things to consider:

Stuffy is out. That highly posed studio shot where you look exceedingly awkward, and anxious to be anywhere else? Ditch that. You can look smart without looking stiff.

Lose the yearbook shot. You know the one. You haven’t looked like that in, oh, about ten years. Be sure you look relevant. And current.

Multiples don’t make you more captivating. Yes, your wife, husband, son, daughter, dog, cat are incredible but they don’t belong in your professional profile photo. Save those for your friends.

The bottom line is this. Spend the extra dough to get a great photographer who will work with you to bring out what’s real and fabulous about you. You won’t regret it.

How To WIN A Client In 10 Days

After my last somewhat tongue-in-cheek post, I received one recurring response: tell us how to WIN new clients in 10 days. So here you go.

The fastest way to win a client—hands down—is by referral. Powerful stuff, referrals—you walk highly recommended into that first meeting with a client who has already decided they need help. Sounds good, yes? Consider these three keys to increasing your referrals:

BE KNOWN
Before someone can even think about a referral, they must “know” you. But don’t limit yourself to those you know from in-person experience. A referral source might “know” you from reading an insightful article you’ve written or a social media post (think LinkedIn group discussions). You might have only chatted by phone—but if it was positively memorable, it has the ability to spark a referral.

BE LIKED
No shortcuts here. Your referral sources need to connect with you personally and genuinely like who you are. They will look to your willingness to share information and help others, especially them. Do they like interacting with you? Do they learn something or feel better about themselves and their work after speaking with you? Kindness counts, just like your mother said.

BE RESPECTED
This points to your values and your point of view. You can be provocative—ideas are after all an advisor’s stock in trade—but you must also be respectful. Offering your wisdom or insight in a consistently authentic way helps to build respect and trust. Reliability—when combined with talent and likeability—will generate referrals.

The 10-day advice is this: make a list of those who know, like and respect you and ask them to consider referring you. Listen carefully—their responses will tell you if you have work to do. Not a big enough list? Then it’s time to start putting yourself and your ideas out there and connecting with like-minded folks.

How To Lose A Client In 10 Days

Being in the advice business, I’m always interested in hearing hall of fame/wall of shame stories about professional advisors. This time, the story is mine: meet my soon-to-be ex-insurance agent and learn how to lose a client (me) in 10 days.

1. Spend several hours of valuable time listening to your client. And then slap something together that meets 70% of her needs—that’s better than nothing, right? (If you can’t help me, don’t waste my time. Refer me to someone who can.)

2. When your client asks how you how to fix this, don’t return her call. And then, when your client calls you again to follow-up, lose her number. (Make me feel important to you.)

3. Spell her name wrong on key documents. And her address. And then, when you’ve been corrected, invent another creative spelling. (Yes, the little things matter.)

4. When you need additional information, arrange a robo call instead of calling her yourself. (Are you kidding me? Talk to me. Win me over after your mistakes.)

We all have these stories—and I’d love to hear yours. You can post them here or drop me a note and I’ll share the best ones in a future post.