If you want to earn top-dollar for your advisory, coaching, and professional services programs, it’s clear you’ll first have to become the go-to expert in your niche. You’re likely already working toward that goal, and probably have been for some time, but if you’re not quite there yet, here’s how to jumpstart your career.
Content Creation:
This is by far **the most important thing** you can do to grow your audience and your credibility.
Training programs (we develop this for our clients and love it!) blog posts, podcasts, e-books, whether free or paid, are the building blocks of your small business and if you want to earn top dollar, you first must put in the work to **create a solid foundation.**
Video:
This is where a lot of people struggle, but the reality of today is – you have to do video.
Our audience and clients alike, want to develop a “relationship” with you and while it would be great to be in more places at once, the fact it was can’t! So video helps to resolve that challenge. Maybe you hate the sound of your voice or you hate how you look on video. The plain fact is: you’ll need to get over it. Trust me when I say to you, you’ll be just fine. In fact, please keep it as real as possible. Your viewers will appreciate it even more.
Your potential clients need to get to know you better before they shell out $5,000 or $10,000 for that group-coaching program you’re putting together, and video is the easiest way for them to do that.
Write a Book:
The big daddy of content, a real, physical book can skyrocket your credibility and pave the way for the rest of your coaching career. Now, we’re not talking about Kindle books here (although they do have their place in your overall content plans).
No, no, not, for this. You want to publish a printed book and if you can attract the attention of a publishing house rather than going the self-publishing route, all the better.
Speaking:
Nothing says, **“I’m an expert”** quite like getting to take to the stage and speak in front of a group. **Nothing.**
Suzanne Evan, has brilliantly made this an art form! If you want to see a real Pro in action, then be sure to see Suzanne on a stage! Every time she steps up there it’s a “Masters Class” in infotainment, sales, and simply the pure art of persuasion.
I bet chances are your expert status has already attracted the attention of event organizers and you may have even been asked to speak at least once or twice! If you have, and have turned down the opportunity, now is the time to boost up your confidence and make the leap.
If you haven’t, then go out and actively seek out opportunities that are a good fit. Don’t be afraid to start small either! Perhaps your local Chamber of Commerce, a BNI chapter, perhaps a trade group, heck even the corner gas station counts! If there is one or two, you have a crowd and I say go for it! But keep an eye on the big stage, too, and be open for the chance to wow a crowd with your expertise. The true key to success is this: practice, practice, and practice some more.
Host a Live Event:
Want to really blow your audience away with your advisory, coaching, and professional services skills? Plan and host a live event.
It doesn’t have to be huge, in fact a small, intimate venue is often the best choice! Gone are the days when you had to have at least 400 people. Audiences today prefer smaller and value packed events.
**Bottom line is**, live event hosts are often viewed as the real movers & shakers in their industries (because they really are). Just remember, “quality over quantity” is the name of the game today!
Finally, no matter which credibility-boosting method you’re using or commit to going forward, it will only work if people know about it.
So don’t just start a podcast, market it. Don’t step onto a stage of any size without shouting about it to the rooftops, and never, ever, ever write a book without a big launch.
**Credibility and visibility** go hand in hand, so do everything you can to get the word out about your achievements.
