James Clear has a great quote in his book, Atomic Habits: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits that will get you there. This year, spend less time focusing on …
Fix the system, don’t reprimand the person
This week, my assistant almost cost me $5,000 because of a simple mistake. As part of my advisory retainers, I provide access to my list of implementation specialists (designers, developers, writers, etc.) to do the implementation work. Usually, it’s a direct referral. I don’t middleman the transaction nor mark up anyone’s time, I just make …
Using a methodology & operating system in your advisory OR execution business [Ep. 130]
This is your Friday preview episode of the private podcast that comes with a Mindshare Community membership. Sign up for a free 7-day trial to level up the way you run your marketing consulting business. I talk a lot about having a Methodology in your advisory business. A checklist of sorts that lets you deliver consistent …
The systems of a marketing consultant
I used to be a waiter at a decently high-quality restaurant. But here’s the thing: I was not good at it. I was constantly running around confused about what I should be doing next. As soon as things got busy, I spent the rest of the night reacting. It wasn’t good. By the time I greeted customers, …
The nuance to selling a “system”
As marketing practitioners, we often lean towards selling our process. It’s the way we approach our client work, so it feels important for us to talk about it. But if you’ve bought anything lately and encountered someone selling their approach to the way they work, you’ll quickly realize how little you care about it. What …
Strategy, systems, processes, and results
In order to get consistent and predictable results from your marketing, you need to have a system. Of course, your system should be based on a strategy. But as important as your strategy is, it’s the systems that produce results consistently over time. Without a system, you have haphazard activities and inconsistent results. Processes, on …
Your business is a system
Your business is a system. Maybe it operates haphazardly, or maybe it runs like a swiss watch. Either way, it’s a system. And anything new you take on, whether it be a client, project, activity, or task, becomes a piece in that system. The key is to assimilate things slowly so they fit into your …
The systematic approach
SpaceX successfully launched a rocket on Monday with four astronauts aboard. And while I’m no space expert, I imagine they followed a series of systems and processes to do it. No doubt, the system would include a series of countless checklists performed by countless professionals, developed through years of scientific breakthroughs and iterative refinements. Sounds …
The importance of good onboarding
When a new client commits to working with you, how you onboard them is critical to how your engagement will go. It sets the tone for everything to follow. Once the deal is approved, your job is to sweep them off their feet and guide them swiftly into your process. How you get signatures, gather …
Two ways to build demand in a new consulting business or niche
What do you do when you’re new to consulting and nobody seems to want what you’re selling yet? Here are two ideas to consider: 1. Make sure demand exists already for the category of thing you sell in the market you sell it to There’s no point in trying to sell ice to a penguin. …