Consultant, what’s the best way to communicate your expertise to your audience so they trust you and buy from you?
Here’s what I’ve realized:
Communication is not about shouting from the rooftops about how good you are or the benefits of your solution.
On the contrary, communicating your expertise is primarily about demonstrating to your audience that you feel their pain. That you understand what they’re going through and why.
Let me explain.
Around 20 years ago I suffered from severe lower back pain. I managed a manufacturing business and drove 50km every day to the plant and back.
3-4 years of doing that and my back gave in. I couldn’t walk straight nor sleep without pain.
So I shortlisted a few doctors and began my visits. Most of them were good doctors but busy. They had standard treatments that they prescribed fast.
But the doctor I ended up going with had a different approach. He asked lots of questions about my symptoms, sought to understand my driving posture and took the time to carefully examine my X-rays and surveys. He even showed me a model of the spine, how it works and the dangers of continuing to drive the way I drove. He then gave me examples of other people with similar problems and how they permanently got rid of their pain without unnecessary drugs or side effects.
By the end, even before he talked about what the treatment was, I was sold. I trusted him because he “got” me. He knew what I was going through, what I wanted and how to get me there.
I didn’t even care too much about what his specific solution was. I wanted it.
Communicating your value and generating demand (aka sales and marketing) doesn’t have to be complicated.
It starts with listening and then articulating back to the other person that you understand their problem. When you do that, they will automatically believe you have the solution to their problem as well. You don’t need to “convince” them or shout from the rooftops about your expertise.
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Ready to add $100k-$500k revenue to your consulting business in 12 months or less without burning out? Schedule a call and let me show you how.
Image credit: Surrey Fine Arts
