It’s not uncommon for people who sell their knowledge and expertise to fear that if they give too much information away – that they’ll eliminate their potential client’s need for their services.
When it comes to sharing your knowledge and expertise – the more you give, the more you get. The more you share knowledge and expertise – the more recognition and authority you accumulate.
Many knowledge professionals are engaged in making what Neil Rackham defines as “The Major Sale“. Major sales require a large investment of either time, energy or money. Major sales are more than simple transactions – they’re full blown relationships and relationships are the foundation of social media.
Relationships begin by building a foundation of trust. Build enough trust with your audience and you’ll eventually find you’re creating authority.
Authority = trust + power… the power to motivate people to take action.
Building authority does not happen overnight. It happens gradually – as you reveal and share your expertise via the many opportunities made possible thanks to social media.
I don’t have much time these days to bake- but over the years I have learned the hard way how important a tiny ingredient like baking powder can be in a recipe. It’s such a tiny amount of a seemingly inert powder that surely it won’t be missed if the box in the pantry is empty- right? WRONG! That tiny bit of baking powder makes a HUGE difference in any recipe. Without going into the science behind it – baking powder causes the bubbles in the batter to expand. This “fizz” helps to make baked goods tasty treats which when combined with long periods of inactivity – cause one’s ass to grow to a mind blowing size. Thus my retirement from baking as a hobby.
Dietary issues aside, when it comes to marketing your business – your knowledge and expertise are the “fizz” that makes your business rise and grow. Sure, people can get a plethora of information “for free” on the internet – but there comes a time when general free advice isn’t enough. It’s at the time when the rubber meets the road and prospective clients NEED your wisdom and hard won insight into solving their most pressing problems.
For example, if you think the self serve legal document service Legal Zoom replaces the need for a good attorney – then you’ve obviously never NEEDED a good attorney. A good attorney has the education, the experience and the critical thinking skills to either avoid trouble ahead or get you out of trouble.
If you think one of the $25 tax preparation software programs replaces the need for a good CPA – then you’ve never worked with a good CPA. A good CPA has the education, the experience and the critical thinking skills to either help you avoid tax problems in the future or can keep you out of tax trouble.
If you think an electronic back massage pad is an effective substitute for a good chiropractor – then you’ve never experienced a good chiropractor. A good chiropractor has the education, the experience and the diagnostic skills to treat current back problems and can help you avoid back problems in the future.
If you think a self help book replaces the need for your services as a therapist or a coach – then you’ve never worked with a good therapist or coach…. yada, yada, yada.
You get the idea.
Which is why – if you’re good – you shouldn’t fear sharing too much of the WHY people should work with you. There’s no way to give too many reasons WHY someone should want to work with you. There’s no such thing as sharing”too much” information when it comes to making the major sale which is why blogs ROCK as marketing tools for anyone in the business of selling their expertise.
Hey you are a genius. You make some really good points here about sharing and some that I did not realized.
I also did not realized that sharing is the root to success. Give and it will return to you. Thanks for this wonderful post. Since this is all about sharing, I’ve created a share blog over at PopularHowToEbooks all on ebooks to helping others.
Thanks for your article again and I wish you all the best.
.-= Mike Gervis´s last blog ..Google Sniper ebook & Video Course Review =-.
I work for a company where the owners are so paranoid that they don’t even share basic business information with the staff. As sales and promotional person I find myself on the road with no structured information to give to customers. I have to be creative and treat the product as if it were my own, therefore making sure that by my own input it does not fail. Changes in price, unavailability of goods, and goods have been taken off the product lists and unless I find out after I sell it to the customer, I am not routinely told of these things. Normal information dissemination is not practiced. But, guess what, as soon as a staff member makes an error due to lack of information they are made to look as if they aught to have known or even as if they are incompetent, and a big deal is made about it.
I am seriously searching for a new job.
Theresa,
I don’t blame you. One of my favorite “job seeker” quotes is from an article I read decades ago targeted towards managers: “The BEST are the first the leave.”
Best wishes on your job search.