Thinking

“Embrace what makes you different” “Stand out from the crowd” “Have a distinct point of view” “Find your ‘Blue Ocean’” Everyone is telling us that we need to show how unique we are, how we are different from our competitors. Is that really what we need to do? In this

Attention is a currency, something we all spend on those who entertain us, and those who help solve our problems. In a cluttered, noise-filled world, getting your ideal client’s attention focused on your content is difficult, creating content that will hold their attention even more so. In this episode, Ian

We know that creating and publishing content is a key part of building your authority – you’ve heard it from many guests on this podcast. But yet it’s still difficult to find the time to create that content. And even after we create it, we still need to deal with

Special bonus episode: Bland Content and Burnout with Craig Burgess   This is a special bonus episode of the podcast, and it’s very different from our usual interview episodes. It’s a behind the scenes look at an impromptu conversation between Craig Burgess and I. This is the first time I

Building a personal brand is advice we hear a lot, but it’s not always clear what that means, why it’s important, or whether it’s something we can approach in a deliberate way. In this episode, Mark Schaefer and Alastair McDermott discuss why personal branding is overtaking corporate branding, the four

As consultants, we often think about having a single core offer – usually a high ticket offering. But it’s not always a good fit for a lot of our potential clients, and there are some clients who are willing to pay more to get more. So how should we approach

Video is the medium of choice for many, and the social platforms encourage and even incentivize us to upload videos directly. But so many consultants and experts are reticent to use video for marketing. Video seems complex, expensive and time consuming to produce, and requires “a particular set of skills”…

As experts, we hear the advice that we should have a distinct – maybe even unique – point of view that comes through in our work, when we speak, and when we write. But what does it mean to have a point of view? Do you need to sound like

Storytelling has been the topic du jour in marketing over the past couple of years. We all know we should use stories more in business, but what does that actually mean from a practical standpoint? In this episode, Guillaume Wiatr and Alastair McDermott discuss a practical approach to using stories

Book publishing has changed dramatically over the past couple of decades. Traditional publishing no longer has a monopoly on distribution, and authors can thrive independently. Hybrid publishing models are springing up. What does it all mean for experts who write a book? In this episode, Melissa G. Wilson and Alastair

Writing articles for your website or social media is hugely time consuming, and it’s so difficult to find the time when you’re already working long hours on client projects. But you need to make the time. Here’s why. In this episode, bestselling author & renowned speaker Marcus Sheridan and Alastair

The business of independent consulting can be challenging, no more so than for a change management consultant in the healthcare industry in the midst of a pandemic! In this episode, Molly Angel and Alastair McDermott discuss what it’s like to run consulting projects in challenging times. Molly shares why she

Last week, David C. Baker talked about the importance of research. In this week’s solo episode, Alastair McDermott speaks about how research fits in with the Journey to Authority, and explains the Authority Maturity Model. If you are interested in growing your expert business and becoming an authority, this is

Running a consulting business can be exhausting. How can we make consulting easier to sell, easier to price, and easier to predict? In this episode, David C. Baker and Alastair McDermott discuss the business of consulting, including why research is crucial in positioning and standing out from your competitors, how

Selling consulting services is often selling the invisible and intangible. How can we better demonstrate the value of our services to prospective clients? In this episode, Kate The Case Study Copywriter and Alastair McDermott discuss how case studies can help convert your prospective buyers. They can learn how you have

How do you give yourself the maximum chance of winning your ideal clients? What are the characteristics of clients that you are uniquely able to help? How do you know if your messaging is right? In this episode, Emily Omier and Alastair McDermott discuss the differences between strategy, positioning and

For consultants, traditional marketing can often feel like an inappropriate tool for the job. In fact, sometimes it even feels like we’re screaming into the void. But what’s the alternative? In this episode, Michael F. Schein and Alastair McDermott discuss how to use hype to grab attention, create curiosity, and

As a consultant, it can often be difficult to be seen as meaningfully different from your competitors. Every consulting firm has  – or claims to have! – smart people, great methodologies and tools, and every website talks about how they can solve complex business problems in a variety of industries.

In this episode reposted from Philip Morgan’s The Self-Made Expert Podcast, Alastair and Philip discuss what the journey to authority looks like, why you should cultivate expertise, and how publishing develops your thinking. They also discuss when authority matters, how you know if you have authority, and the importance of