Today, I made some changes to Mindshare—a professional development community for marketing consultants, strategists, and fractional CMOs. The group is focused on helping you package and sell your expertise—not just execution—and to turn your ideas into leveraged products and services like advisory retainers, mentorship programs, memberships, subscriptions, group coaching, info products, workshops, training, and more. In …
How to remember your best ideas
Got a great idea? Load it into your Methodology‘s organizational system. Otherwise, you might not remember it the next time you need it. Most of my notes are pretty simple. Sometimes, it’s just an idea stored as an empty Trello card with a title I’ll remember. Do a “raise the dead” email campaign. Over time, …
You have permission to not know everything
Here’s a little secret every fractional CMO or marketing strategist should know: nobody knows everything. Nobody is an expert at all the channels. Nobody is perfectly creative AND technical. Nobody is a one-stop-shop— although many can do a little bit of everything. To be successful in this role, you need to at minimum have these …
Stocks and flows
I’m reading a book called Thinking In Systems by Donella H. Meadows. It’s fascinating to hear the mechanics of a system that can be applied to just about anything. Two of the mechanics described in the book are stocks and flows. Stock is how much of something is in a system. Flow is the change of …
Organize your thinking
Your goal as a consultant is to make your work easier and more effective—both for your sake and your clients’. The best way to do that is to organize your ideas into a framework. I call it your “Methodology”. Every time you have a new idea or approach to your work, you write it down …
How you onboard could make or break the relationship
When you first sign a client, there’s a pretty good chance they will second guess their decision. At least for a moment. After all, your services aren’t cheap. And everyone knows there are no guarantees when it comes to marketing. And yet, demonstrating they made the right decision is not only important, it sets the …
“Process saves us from the poverty of our intentions”
“Process saves us from the poverty of our intentions.” – Elizabeth King Methodologies and systems. I talk about them a lot. Methodology is the way you approach your client work. It’s your magic formula and checklist, ensuring no stone gets unturned with every engagement. Systems, on the other hand, are the things you teach your clients …
Not every marketing dollar needs to prove an ROI
There is a misconception about marketing that almost every dollar can and should be traced back to an ROI. The reality is, it’s just not possible—for the most part—on a granular level. Think about anywhere else in the business. What is the ROI of hiring one person over another? Or delighting clients with a treat …
Do you run a business or do you own a job?
“A consultant is an entrepreneur without a business.” I heard someone say this once on a podcast. It irked me for a second, probably because there is a grain of truth in it. But then I realized, it’s just not necessarily true. It’s describes a poorly functioning consulting business. If you’re a consultant, you do have …
Mass production or boutique service
When you’re good at what you do, it’s only a matter of time before you get busy. It’s slow at first, but then it happens all at once. It turns out, having an effective product or service is great for business. Who knew? But with that increased demand for your services, you’ll eventually run into …