Marketing Advisor, Mentor, & Educator

Kevin C. Whelan

marketing

Is it fear or a desire to do things right?

Sometimes, the right approach is to wait until your ideas are perfect before you share them with the world.

But more often, the better approach is to run with your best ideas, see how they perform, then iterate until you find the traction you need.

Ideas need oxygen to thrive. Maybe not at first, but they need it sooner than later.

The oxygen gives your ideas life. It gives you feedback. Your ideas need feedback to be successful in the same way plants need sunlight.

The key is knowing whether your need for perfection is based on fear or wanting to do things right the first time.

There’s a difference. Only you can know for sure what is driving you.

Either way, don’t suffocate your ideas.

Make time for tinkering

The other day, I made an argument about why you should only chase one shiny object at a time.

My point was that when you pursue too many business ideas, you end up succeeding only partially at any of them… if you’re lucky.

And while that’s true from my experience, I think there’s an important distinction to make: tinkering.

My entire life, I’ve been a tinkerer. Mostly as it relates to technology.

It’s this curiosity and explorative nature that led to the career I have today.

Some 20+ years later, I still find myself tinkering with technology and getting a lot of benefit from it.

These days, I explore everything from web3 to photography, video and audio production, web development, new software, hardware devices, and a lot more.

I’m not yet sure what benefits these explorations will have yet, but I do know it will lead somewhere. It always has.

So don’t be afraid to tinker. Make time to explore your interests. It can be good for business.

But when it comes to the business ideas you decide to run with, choose wisely. Build one thing at a time.

Not because it’s a forever decision, but because you don’t go far without focus.

Chase one shiny object at a time

Last week, several members of Mindshare got together for our monthly community coffee meetup.

The meetups are a chance for us to talk shop and get feedback on our immediate situations from others in the group.

One of the trends I noticed on this call—and in other contexts before this—was people wanting to do multiple things at once.

Multiple businesses, multiple target markets, and multiple value propositions across each.

There’s no shame in any of this. Literally all of us fall into this trap at some point. Including me.

That’s because as marketers, we have the skills to launch a number of ideas quickly and fairly easily.

We can help all kinds of businesses. We can do all kinds of things for people. And there are tons of opportunities everywhere.

But the problem is, when you chase too many things, it becomes hard to succeed at any one thing.

Our attention gets diluted, our energy is dispersed, and our time is always scarce. Our work suffers as a result.

And that doesn’t even take into account how the market perceives you.

When you confuse the market with mixed messages about various projects, markets, and claims of expertise, they begin to wonder what—if anything—you’re truly expert in.

It’s hard enough to get one idea off the ground, let alone multiple.

Better to get one thing going successfully first. Then, if you aren’t happy, consider trying something new.

Chase one shiny object at a time.

What to do when nobody is buying

Sometimes, your offers and positioning are strong, there’s just not enough people seeing them.

A 5% conversion rate is considered pretty decent in the world of marketing, after-all (depending on context, of course).

Keep showing up, get in front of more people, iterate slowly with the feedback you do get, and the results will follow.

You can’t rush the growth of a consulting business—especially a new one.

It only works if you keep showing up.

Copy and paste your best clients

Your best clients are often the people you do your best work for.

After all, you won’t think of them as your “best” for very long if your work isn’t top notch.

Plus, when you are good at what you do, you usually like it a lot more, too…. which makes you even better at your job while also increasing your general satisfaction.

It’s a great cycle to be in if you find it.

That’s why one of the best ways to find a niche is by “copying and pasting” your best clients.

What industry are they in? How big is the business? What personality traits do they have? Why do you work so well together?

Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Find replicas of your best clients in all the factors that matter.

Combine a vertical with a personality trait, value system, or company size. Look at all the variables that make them a great fit for you.

That’s your bullseye.

Not only will you do better work, you’ll like it more, too.

You can’t rush a new consulting business

There’s a tendency to think marketing isn’t working if it doesn’t get an immediate result.

Maybe you see that tendency in yourself, or maybe you notice some clients with it. Months go by and it feels like it’s crickets.

The reality is, even if you have the right positioning, messaging, offerings, and manage to get in front of your ideal audience, you still may not sell any of your consulting services for several months.

After all, hiring a consultant is not something people take lightly. It’s a risky bet for most companies, both in terms of time and money.

And that can be discouraging. Especially when you’re starting our or building in a new niche.

It feels like you have to constantly change tactics or try something new, when more often than not, you just need to grind it out a little longer.

To keep showing up. Iterating. Talking to people. Researching.

When you’re new to consulting, your goal is to learn as much as you can and add as much value as possible to the people around you.

You need to prove you can help people—even if it’s for free at first. That’s why I write daily and host a community full of free additional content.

It’s hard, but that’s the price of admission. It takes a long time to build people’s trust.

Referrals help a lot, but don’t expect them right away, either.

Sell what you need to to stay in business, then give yourself a long enough runway to make your ideal consulting busines work.

Desperate consultants don’t win business. You have to prove yourself first.

If it were easy, people wouldn’t need you.

Build credibility with a research-backed, clearly-stated problem

What do you do when you’re new to a niche and don’t yet have lots of credibility in that market?

You research as much as you can.

Instead of trying to prove you’re credible with results you may not have yet, try to understand and articulate the real problems of that niche better than anyone else.

Look for the actual words they use to describe themselves, their situation, and their challenges.

Find examples of people’s frustrations or aspirations in communities, product reviews, social media, and wherever else you can find them.

Look for signs people are actually paying for solutions to their challenges and/or actively seeking out people who can help them.

Read job descriptions if you have to.

Once you see the problem patterns emerge, talk about them in your marketing and positioning.

Focus on on the value of solving (or not solving) those pains and challenges. Paint a vivid picture of both scenarios.

The better you can articulate the problems of your ideal clients, the more likely they are to trust you can solve them.

As the saying goes, “a problem well-stated is a problem half-solved”.

State the problem better than anyone else by doing research—not by guessing.

—k

P.S. If you want my research methodology and Airtable template, join Mindshare Pro for that and a lot more.

Should you position yourself as a fractional CMO?

I was at a BBQ last year and my extended in-laws were asking what I do.

The easiest thing that came to mind was telling them that I’m like a fractional or part-time CMO (chief marketing officer).

I told them how companies too small to justify one full-time could work with me and get the same level of expertise applied to their business for a fraction of the cost.

I explained how we work on everything together over time, building according to goals and priorities, and evolving with their needs and challenges as they arise.

The instantly got it.

Even though they were not “business folk”, it just made sense to them.

If I said “I’m a marketing consultant”, their eyes would have glazed over. It’s vague and could mean any number of things.

Comparing myself to a “part-time CMO” quickly articulated what I really do. I tend to work with clients over a long period of time. Many months and even years if things are going well.

We tend to work on everything to do with new customer acquisition and retention. It’s a holistic job, not focused on one individual area or tactic unless it’s the key priority.

I won’t write your copy or manage your individual projects, but I will facilitate change, oversee all work, help you hire, and ensure you’re getting the best possible results with the resources you have.

Should you choose to position yourself as a Fractional CMO?

The answer to this question depends on your business and how you approach your work.

Here are some questions you might ask yourself to see if it’s right for you:

  1. Do you actually do executive-level work?
  2. Do you prefer to work at the strategic level or are you more focused on individual tactics by nature?
  3. Do you want to be seen as long-term partner or someone who works on special projects?
  4. Do your ideal clients tend to have an in-house CMO already? If so, your positioning might scare those clients away.

Personally, my clients tend not to have an executive-level marketing person. They have a manager who has some experience but I become their mentor while also helping the business owner at the strategic level.

This is my sweet spot. If it sounds like what you do, try describing yourself that way in sales conversations.

How I currently position myself

I currently position myself as a marketing advisor and mentor, but I regularly mention in conversation that working with me is like having a part-time CMO for a fraction of the usual big salaries they come with.

People generally get that. Many still refer to me as their fractional CMO because of those early sales conversations.

The most critical part is that everyone I speak to just “gets it” the first time they hear it.

It clarifies the type of work I do, the size of clients I work with, and the general value I bring to the table.

What more could you ask for?

What are the risks of fractional/part-time CMO positioning?

To me, there are two main risks of positioning yourself as a fractional CMO.

1. Being perceived—and therefore treated—as an employee

There’s nothing worse than setting the expectations that you are basically a contract employee.

Clients will expect you to produce deliverables and do things on their terms, their way, at their business, etc., which is not generally what a consultant does.

Or, they may not always listen to your advice, thinking you’re like another employee who they can listen to optionally if they wish to.

They may not like you disagreeing with their ideas or saying no to doing certain tasks if it’s not what you do.

Ultimately, it can become the wrong kind of relationship if you intend to be candid with your clients. Your job is to deliver the truth, not mince words if they need to hear the facts as they are.

Employees are expected to be agreeable, whereas consultants have a bit more room to stand strong, defending their ideas if they believe it will actually get results for their clients.

You need to be prepared to be fired for taking hard positions when you believe them to be the right path. Employees aren’t generally expected to take that role.

How you are perceived matters—you are not an employee.

2. Scaring potential clients away if it would undermine current marketing leadership

This is one of the main reasons I don’t position myself as a fractional CMO, except for during sales conversations or times when I say I’m “like having a …”.

The main reason is I want the current marketing manager to feel empowered and know that I will build on their work, not overhaul it or become a new boss to them.

My ideal clients have marketing managers in many cases, but none have CMOs. So it’s critical that I set the expectation that I’m not becoming a permanent member of their team, but instead someone who will mentor and advise on the process for as long as I’m needed.

Hence, my position as marketing advisor and mentor who is like having a part-time CMO on the team.

At the end of the day, you have to do what’s right for you and your business. I used to position myself as a fractional CMO, but not any more. It may change again over time, who knows.

How do you position yourself? Let me know on Twitter.

Oh by the way, if you like this topic, you’ll love Mindshare. Check it out for a free trial.