The Business of Authority

Do you know how to develop an authority mindset? Talking Points An authority mindset includes wanting to help others who need your expertise The difference between an abundance mentality and a scarcity mentality Knowing when to say no Listening more than you speak Pricing mindset Courage and confidence The courage to specialize in a specific niche Putting yourself out there Having a thick skin Everything is content Quotable Quotes “I think the first rule is you want to help kindred spirits whenever you can.” –RM “Lighting somebody else’s candle from yours – you’re not losing anything.” –JS “I want to make it clear that adopting a service mentality does not mean that you become a doormat. To use the restaurant mentality – I’ve kicked plenty of people out of restaurants.” –JS “I think as you get out more and more and your name becomes known and you build a thriving business there actually can be an uptick in your fear, because now you’re not just starting out wondering where the next dollar is coming from. Now it’s coming in nicely, and you don’t want to rock that boat.” –RM Related Links Seth Godin LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Why “selling” shouldn’t be a dirty word. Talking Points Despite the pushy salesperson stereotype, most things are not sold to consumers in pushy way You can sell without acting like a pushy salesperson Words like marketing or negotiating are often more palatable than selling Selling is necessary, because people won’t just show up to buy unless you put in the effort Reframing the concept of selling can help You can think of selling something that somebody needs as a mutual profit – both parties get something they want It’s important to involve the client in the process along the way Chemistry with a person matters in some types of sales Importance of having the right mindset Quotable Quotes “What that means to me, I think, if you think about it, is that 90% of the things that are sold to you are not done in this gross way.” –JS “What difference does it make, really, what you call it? It’s the activities that you do that are going to get the result that you want. –RM “If you don’t want to talk about marketing, if you don’t want to think about it like that, just go into the world and help as many people as you can.” –JS “When a consultant figures that out, it’s like a bell rings and you can’t unring it anymore. You can’t go back and work with somebody who doesn’t fit in your parameter of genius.” –RM Related Links Book Yourself Solid The Secret of Selling Anything LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Where are you on the spectrum? Talking Points It’s important to clarify for yourself why you’re offering speaking services The difference between a speaker and a consultant who speaks How speaking provides challenges for the speaker The differences between subject matter expert speaking and inspirational speaking The overlap between speaking skills and consulting skills How to know which things to say yes to and what to say no to How speaking fits into your business model Finding a balance between performance and content Knowing what the audience needs to know and filtering out extraneous details Keeping track of your stories, findings, and observations Quotable Quotes “The expertise that I gained from doing client work is what I would base my talks on.” –JS “I like the give and take of an audience, because it tests you in really good ways.” –RM “Knowing where you fall – it’s a strategic decision. It’s going to decide what things you say no to, and it’s going to be saying no to a lot of things, and then you’re left over with the things you actually have time to do well.” –JS “It’s helpful to understand where you are right now, because that will tell you what you need to do, and most importantly, which things to say yes to and which things to run screaming from.” –RM Related Links David A. Fields Steal the Show by Michael Port Flawless Consulting by Peter Block LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Does your location matter? Talking Points Building trust online Competing online means competing globally Translating the skills needed to work locally to the skills needed to work remotely Going to meet-ups and conferences The best platforms for approximating in-person interactions online Content marketing Using video and audio Quotable Quotes “Going from virtual to in-person or vice versa – I think those are skillsets and the translation to that is a process. You have to do it a little bit at a time.” –RM “Once you make the shift to operating on the internet, operating remotely, now all of a sudden, not only do you feel like you’ve got one hand tied behind your back, but also you’ve got way more competition.” –JS “Pick that platform, and then try to make it – when I say conversational, I mean experiential. So it feels like they’re working with you, however that is.” –RM “I would suggest, if you are the kind of person who is good in person, then maybe video is a good fit for you, or at least audio.” –JS LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

You have to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em. Talking Points Signs that it’s time to kill off a product or service that you’re offering Differentiating between second-guessing yourself in the middle of a project and actually being ready to end the project Recognizing when a product or service that you’re offering is no longer making you happy Acting thoughtfully When changing things and trying new approaches doesn’t create new business or solve any problems, it may be time to quit Recognizing when you are or aren’t getting traction Changing your website Avoidance is not a good strategy Quotable Quotes “The first thing that occurred to me (because this is what happens to me), is I start to clench my teeth when I’m working on it or even when I’m thinking about it.” –RM “It’s usually client work where I just get exhausted by the thought of a particular thing, whatever it might be.” –JS “So, I’m sitting there saying to myself, oh my god. I have to invest more money to do more of what I don’t like. I mean, that’s just – that’s insane.” –RM “The first time it happened to me was in 2011, when I had like viral traction for an idea. And it like picks you up like a tornado and throws you.” –JS LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Are you ready to raise your rates? Talking Points Price points It can be easier for service providers to raise prices than for people who produce products to raise prices Hourly rates vs. price for a project Talking to clients about your rates How to raise rates with long-term clients How to quote per-project prices Pricing products instead of projects Pricing based on the benefits that you’re providing Why you should tinker with your prices Quotable Quotes “But for folks like us, it’s actually not that complicated because by and large, we’re not getting bulk discounts on anything, we don’t have, like, a supply chain or anything like that.” –JS “There’s all sorts of reasons why hourly rates are bad, there’s a couple situations where they can really work, but the thing that I find really difficult with them is you’re inviting your client to speculate about how you spend your time.” –RM “Folks who bill by the hour usually in their marketing don’t project themselves in a way that’s clear to their buyers exactly what the heck they do.” –JS “It doesn’t make them a bad client or you a bad consultant, but there are times when you just need to go out and get new clients, new people, experiment with different approaches and learn.” –RM LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Meet David A. Fields, author, speaker, and consulting firm expert. Talking Points How David got into the consulting space David’s website redesign David’s books, and the difference between the first and second books David’s writing process How books work as a marketing vehicle How David pictured his book fitting into his business model The difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing Advice for people who are considering writing a book What happens when you are the brand David’s story about speaking Speaking as a marketing tactic Quotable Quotes “What do you consider part of the writing process? Because there’s writing, then there’s rewriting, there’s having the beta readers give feedback and tweaking based on that.” –DF “If you want something fast, you get up on stage and you speak. If you want something enduring, you write.” –DF “It’s not worth holding back your book because you can’t get a publisher. If you’ve got a book to write, write the book.” –DF “I don’t consider myself a professional speaker. I’m a consultant who speaks.” –DF David's Bio David A. Fields is a true consultants' consultant who works with boutique consulting firms worldwide. He's a best selling author, speaker, consultant, and mentor. David also heads the Ascendant Consortium whose clients are who's who of the business world. Related Links David A. Fields LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

There are lots of ways to measure growth. Talking Points Not all growth is good Growth is often measured by the number of employees, but that may not be the best measurement Q Scores The difference between strategy and tactics Other ways to measure growth Progress vs. growth The importance of valuing yourself and your services Measuring growth by the number of clients Measuring growth by social media followers or subscribers Vanity metrics Different businesses will have different measures of growth that are right for them Quotable Quotes “This may be a uniquely American phenomenon--I think we define how many employees we have as almost a bragging right.” –RM “I don’t think it’s automatic that people think of profits as the money number counts as growth.” –JS “Just don't let what the external world sees drive you if it’s not what’s good for you.” –RM “For me, growth is all about funding the mission.” –JS Related Links A Company of One LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Is it a good idea to use tweets for testing? Talking Points Paul Jarvis’s experience testing with tweets Why you need to identify an audience before running with a project What to do if you don’t already have a large email list or Twitter following Why you need to be able to describe your idea in a sentence or tweet What the market is good at Why it can be helpful when your followers shut down your ideas When you’re pitching a new idea, you need constructive feedback, not unconditional encouragement Make sure that you’re pitching to your target market Quotable Quotes “When I have an idea for something, I’ll just ask my list.” –JS “What that means for us is that we have no excuse not to test.” –RM “I’m not saying Facebook ads and Google ads don’t work, but they don’t work that great.” –JS “I also like when they just shut you down.” --RM Related Links Paul Jarvis Twitter Github LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Today’s Guest is Paul Jarvis, designer, consultant, and author. Talking Points Paul’s background in tech and what he does now How Paul handles picking new projects and working with several different projects Paul’s testing process How to do things at scale without taking more time What Paul does with projects he no longer has time for How Paul attracts an audience for his projects Why Paul chose Sundays for his newsletter What “growth” really means The Company of One mindset Paul’s long game What success means to the individual Quotable Quotes “I know what questions you’re going to ask, and I’m going to answer them before you have to email me to ask them.” –PJ “I’ve killed off software products, courses, podcasts… so many things.” –PJ “Others are really good at managing; I’m really good at making stuff.” –PJ “I’d rather hire the top of market people to do what I need done, and I’d rather pay the premium of the top of market, A-list players, because I don’t need to manage those people.” –PJ Paul's Bio Paul Jarvis is a veteran of the online tech world, and over the years has had such corporate clients as Microsoft, Yahoo, Mercedes-Benz, Warner Music and even Shaquille O’Neal. Today, he teaches online courses, runs several software businesses and hosts a handful of podcasts from his home on an island off the West Coast of Canada. Paul's new book is called "Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business", and is available for pre-order now. LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Bestsellers don’t just happen on their own. What do you have to do to create one? Talking Points Big ideas Why you need to be entranced with your big idea A distinct point of view Delivering content that serves your ideal audience Build your email list Start building an email list a year before you launch Write the book that your audience wants or needs, but in your voice Approach where they are, not where you think they should be Repeat with new books Quotable Quotes “It’s not just about your topic, it’s about who you’re serving.” –RM “Delivering the content in advance – there’s so many advantages to that.” --JS “It’s not like there’s one way to success. There’s certainly a formula, but the formula needs to have your essence in it.” –RM “You kind of need to meet people where their awareness is. –JS Related Links James Clear Jill Konrath LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

How to find a marketing style that you feel good about. Talking Points A lot of people have a false impression of marketing and sales and dislike marketing and sales because of that. Marketing is a way of making a change in the culture It’s easier to notice bad marketing models because good marketing doesn’t feel like marketing Marketing should help people as much as possible for free Pushy hard-sell tactics can turn people off If you believe you have valuable information that people should know about, you should share it People won’t magically find you. You have to let them know you’re there Know your audience, connect with them, and have empathy with them Find a way to deliver value with your marketing If you’re in a service business, you already help people. Incorporate that into your marketing Say no to get to yes Quotable Quotes “Marketers are people who make change happen – in particular changes in the culture, which are very hard to make.” –JS “In my mind, marketing is everything from how you position yourself in the market, to your overall messages, to how you reach out to a swath of your public.” –RM “Our clients have a lot of choices, and it can be hard to find you amongst everybody else that’s in your niche.” –RM “The more empathy you have for your audience, the more natural you’re going to be at it.” –JS Related Links Seth Godin The Secret of Selling Anything LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Meet Chris Do, founder and CEO of Blind and The Futur. Talking Points Chris’s background The vision for The Futur Chris’s plan for funding his projects Growing from $17K to $1.6M in annual revenue in 4 years The benefits of using YouTube Whether content can stand on its own without design Motivation and intent When to work with other people and when to go solo What things can and can’t be outsourced Which big ideas Chris presents to his audience When to change your rates Quotable Quotes “I think it’s important that we have more creative people, especially to solve some of the most perplexing problems facing humankind.” –CD “The worst that you fear never materializes, and if you have the courage to create content, it will be OK as long as you don’t go out of your way to hurt people. I think that’s the key.” –CD “Here’s the way I approach it: I’d rather not do it than do a mediocre job.” –JS “The business tools – they’re pretty straightforward. The miracle is when you’re going to use those tools.” –CD Related Links Chris Do Blind The Futur LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

What is the key difference between freelancers and business owners? Talking Points Freelancers are business owners, they just don’t always know it Freelancers end up spending their time working in their business instead of on their business The difference is a difference in mindset. To be a business owner, you will need to think like a business owner Freelancers who want to grow have to start thinking about business like a business – including marketing, finances, vision, and strategy If clients can’t tell the difference between you and a cheaper freelancer, they will go with the person who is cheaper To build a successful business, it’s important to understand what really adds value to your business You need to have a strong story in order to reach clients You have to be able to say no when asked to do something that’s outside of your expertise or the scope of your business Your authority needs to be part of your branding and marketing Putting the time into building the business The three personality types that every business needs The entrepreneur personality is the one that can’t be hired out Working for a small agency before going solo can help you understand more of how the business end works People who want to start an authority business need consulting skills When you own a business, you set aside time to work on your business no matter how busy you are with client work The time commitment involved in building a business Quotable Quotes “As soon as you hang your shingle out there, you started a business, whether you know it or not or like it or not.” –JS “I think of a woodworker, for example, who makes beautiful furniture, but if you don’t have a way to sell it, if you don’t have a way to market it, if you don’t have a way to leverage the time that you put into it, if you don’t have a way to price it properly, then you don’t have a business. You have a craft.” –RM “If you’re not making some enemies, you’re not making any allies.” –JS “Freelancers, in particular, need to be reminded that it took a lot of courage to do that (leave their job). But the way to not have to go back and become an employee is to create a business around what you’re doing.” –RM Related Links The Freelancer’s Roadmap Built to Sell LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

More systems that can help you build an authority business. Talking Points Content is an important aspect of marketing A detailed checklist can be a helpful system Speaking can be a marketing activity It’s helpful to have a system that allows you to schedule promotions of your content Creating a playbook can be helpful for busy people who need guidance in promoting content Admin tasks are necessary, but can often be delegated to experts Determine which tasks are integral and necessary to your mission. You may be able to eliminate those that aren’t Keeping yourself healthy is necessary in order to keep performing at your best Exercise that you enjoy is good for both physical and mental health Set boundaries for yourself Creative pursuits can help you relax after a tough day Quotable Quotes “With an authority business, your content is critical.” –RM “Your strategy should follow the medium too. You have to be respectful of the medium that you’re on.” –RM “I’m not anti-ads, but if it feels like torture, do something else. There are other things to do.” –JS “There are very very few things in my calendar that are immovable objects.” –JS Related Links Meet Edgar ConvertKit When by Daniel Pink LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

What systems do you need to build an authority business? Talking Points An overview of the systems that authority businesses need Writing regularly is essential for building an authority business Rituals or routines can help establish a writing routine Schedule writing for a time when you’re at your best and you can be most creative Reading regularly can help spark ideas Be observant for examples of your subject Get input from others who do more in-depth research on your subject Schedule client work Have a plan for how to communicate with clients Sales is a one-to-one touchpoint with your clients Clear steps in the sales process help both you and your clients The speed element to sales Quotable Quotes “For me, writing is absolutely the most important thing I do for my business.” –JS “That’s the takeaway, find that right time – and that right system – so you can be at your best.” –RM “I’m always looking for great real-world examples that will snap people out of the way they think about how they –air-quotes price – their work in an hourly billing way.” –JS “We create the systems that we need to get our businesses and our lives in order. –RM Related Links Wordpress Drip Gmail How to Measure Anything Calendly Twist Slack LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Author James Clear on getting remarkable results from making tiny changes to your habits. Guest Bio James Clear is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. More than 400k people subscribe to James' newsletter on habits and performance. His work has been used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB, as well as leaders of Fortune 500 companies. His new book "Atomic Habits, Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results" is available now. Quotable Quotes "Big goals make you feel bad about yourself."—JC "When you focus on the practice instead of the performance, you can enjoy the present moment and improve at the same time."—JC "I've found that goals are good for planning your progress and systems are good for actually making progress."—JC "What you do now is a mirror image of the type of person you believe that you are (either consciously or subconsciously)."—JC "You can't rely on being motivated. You have to become the type of person you want to be, and that starts with proving your new identity to yourself."—JC "Amateurs are the victims of their habits."—JC Related Links Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results James on CBS This Morning JamesClear.com This Coach Improved Every Tiny Thing by 1 Percent and Here’s What Happened Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead. Identity-Based Habits: How to Actually Stick to Your Goals This Year LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Why should you specialize? Talking Points Nobody wants a unisex haircut People are often looking for a unique style, not a one-size-fits-all approach It may be best not to put your portfolio on your website Generalizing locks you into lower prices and more competition Specializing minimizes your competition Specializing leads to higher prices Even if you only appeal to a small subset of the market, you can charge a lot if you offer something that subset can’t get anywhere else You may gravitate toward a specialty over time depending on what is most profitable or what you enjoy doing the most Specializing can allow you to close on a higher percentage of sales because your clients are specifically seeking out your unique service Having a specialty means sometimes saying no to work that doesn’t fit within that specialty Quotable Quotes “When you don’t market to someone in particular, you’re marketing to everyone, and when you’re marketing to everyone you’re not marketing to anyone.” –JS “If I knew that I could get high-quality vision and feedback, I would spend a lot more.” –RM “You don’t really want options. You just want exactly what you want.” –JS “The fact that you have your own special sauce is fabulous. You’ve got to own that. You don’t want to look like anybody else, much less everybody else.” –RM Related Links Dribbble LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Top 10 Tools for Building an Authority Business Which tools do you need to build an authority business? Talking Points Most authority businesses benefit from email marketing Email automation platforms have multiple useful features A contact system can help you keep track of leads, contacts, and clients Making physical notes with pen and paper is an alternative for people who don’t like digital to-do lists Communication tools for both client communications and team communications Payment platforms Accounting and bookkeeping Accepting credit cards is important for building trust Calendar management The sanity bucket Importance of setting boundaries Managing your email inbox Starting and ending calls on time Remember to move during the day Quotable Quotes “People do not mind getting good emails. They mind bad emails.” –JS “You really have to match this to how you work.” –RM “We’re professionals, we serve clients, we have this big idea we’re trying to spread and connect with people, we have to stay sane in the process.” –RM “Getting out of my email inbox solves a million problems.” --JS Related Links MailChimp Drip ConvertKit Salesforce Google Keep Evernote Remember the Milk Streak Pipedrive Zoom Skype Twist Slack Crowdcast Braintree Stripe FreshBooks PayPal SendOwl MoonClerk Calendly ScheduleOnce Sanebox LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes of a successful launch. What do you need to do to make sure launch day goes smoothly? Talking Points A launch is an integrated process that can be considered part of the product development Figure out how to structure the product Learn how to talk about the product in a way that will attract the interest of people who need it Keep potential clients and buyers updated and get their feedback Have a test group Focus on the mission, the goal, and the impact that you want to have Having a mailing list is an enormous asset Focusing on a central point helps you pick up momentum There’s an emotional investment in a launch. It’s about more than just the production of a product Quotable Quotes “Part of my mission here is to spread this concept of ditching hourly billing for something better.” –JS “That’s the problem with social media – it’s that at any time, Twitter or Facebook could ban you.” –RM “The more that you can focus, in a very real way, on your mission and your audience, the more likely it is that you’re going to have this kind of success with a launch.” –RM “If I tried to change what I was doing tomorrow, it would be impossible. I couldn’t.” –JS Related Links The Pricing Seminar The Marketing Seminar by Seth Godin LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Are you asking for testimonials as often as you should be? Learn how to make it easier. Talking Points Asking for feedback should be part of your process Ask clients what their biggest concern was before hiring you Testimonial feedback can help you learn how to serve clients better Even if you don’t use it as a testimonial, feedback can be used to update your website, service offerings, or FAQs When you ask for feedback frequently, you’ll start to notice patterns, and gain a better idea of what your clients value Ask clients what surprised them about working with you Ask clients what they would have wanted to be different about their experience The last question to ask clients is “would you recommend me? Why?” If you edit client testimonials, make sure to leave the client’s voice intact Asking for testimonials can be an antidote to imposter syndrome Clients are more likely to provide testimonials if you can ask questions that guide them through the process easily When you get compliments from clients in the normal course of your work, you can ask to use those phrases as testimonials Quotable Quotes “Even if you don’t ultimately publish the feedback that you get, it’s really important to get it.” –JS “The more you know, the better you’re going to be able to serve your next clients.” –RM “I hesitate to say always – I want to say always, though. It always surprises you.” –JS “The more you reflect what people really value about you, the more of those people you’re going to attract into your orbit.” –RM Related Links Building the Perfect Testimonial The Right Way to Ask for Testimonials Making Time for Creativity – The Four Essentials LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

How can you keep in touch with your creative process? Talking Points Focus on the objective, mission, or message Have a daily practice Avoid perfectionism Set a schedule Practice being creative Work on something that’s bigger than yourself Have a big idea or specialty to focus on Feedback from other people can help you generate ideas It’s OK to ignore certain kinds of feedback Have accountability outside of yourself If you get a streak going, you won’t want to break it Having a coach can help Quotable Quotes “It’s shocking how much more output you’ll get from a daily habit than even a weekly habit.” –JS “I help myself with my work as much as I help anybody else.” –RM “Creativity is not a solo act.” –RM “Not everybody’s on the same journey with you.” –JS Related Links Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

Is podcasting the right path for you? Talking Points It helps to have a focus and a clear audience How podcasting and writing a book can go together How the interview format can be helpful for podcasters Podcasting as an income stream Complications of ads and sponsorships Podcasting as a way to build a network Things you need to get started in podcasting How to record voices on separate tracks Podcast editing tips and strategies Podcast hosting options Three phases of podcasting The importance of promoting your podcast How social media can help with podcast promotion Podcasting analytics Quotable Quotes “You don’t get speaker’s block when you’re talking to someone.” –JS “Really what you’re doing is listening to your guest – you’ve got your standard set of questions and you’re listening to where your guest goes with it. And you follow them.” –RM “Just as a listener...that sponsorship feel can be really negative.” –RM “I love having something to invite people to.” –JS Related Links Jill Konrath This American Life Rode Microphones MXL Microphones Quicktime Call recorder for Skype Zencastr Zoom Audacity Adobe Audition Reaper Podcast Motor Simplecast Castos Wordpress LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

It's the most wonderful time of the year to initiate conversations with your network Talking Points How to revive dead deals The best communication channel for making connections Why outreach is both predictable and unpredictable The importance of genuine curiosity Networking for introverts Related Links Closing The Loop by Blair Enns LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter 

##Talking Points One of the critical growth points consultants and authorities-in-the-making grapple with is when to hire outside help with your business. This week we discuss how to decide if you’re ready for a Virtual Assistant—and then dive into how to make it work. We cover how to decide what to offload, what kind of VA you need, how much to pay them and where to find them. ##Quotable Quotes -“If you’re beyond the start-up phase—or you’re in the start-up phase with money and a vision—chances are you can use the help of a savvy VA.”—RM -“You’re ready for a VA if you’re spending time on things you’re not good at or you don’t like to do and you could use that time PROFITABLY to grow your business.”—RM -“What things could you do…if you added another person to take it the next step?”—JS -“You want to hire someone who has experience and can take things off you. You want to feel relief, not annoyance.”—RM -“What could you have someone do—not just recurring tasks—but what could they do to add value to your clients?”—JS -“You have to get really clear about what you want to get done AND how you want to work.”—RM -“A good, experienced, savvy VA is going to look at your business—and they will see things you could do better.”—RM -“If you can find a way in your business to take the stressful pieces off you—and put them on somebody else who enjoys doing that (it’s their oyster), then do it.”—RM LINKSRochelle | Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramJonathan | Daily List | Website  | Ditcherville | LinkedIn | Twitter