How to Sell Advice Kevin C. Whelan

I recently interviewed Reza Saeedi—a marketing strategist and former Director of Marketing at On Deck—about his transition from employee to marketing advisor to employee again with advising as a side venture. 
In this episode, we chatted about things like:
How Reza got into marketing and eventually, as a mentor/advisor to entrepreneurs How he was able to get one fractional CMO and two advisory clients quickly after leaving his job at On DeckThe role of casual networking and how it led to unexpected opportunities down the lineThe difference between being specific and niching down in business based on your strengths and interestsThe role of risk-reversing guarantees and discussing prices against value during sales conversations Why turning away poor-fit clients helped with his overall confidence and contributed to his early successHow to internally handle the fact we can’t guarantee successful outcomes The value of factoring in word of mouth and referrals into your marketing planThe intersection and overlap between teaching and advisory work How Reza plans to do part-time advising in a low-labour, sustainable way How Reza stays productize and organized in his workThe importance of exercise, habits, and mental health optimization
Plus many fun tangents along the way!
Whether you currently have a job and are thinking about advising full or part-time, or you’re already independent but looking to get into advisory work, this episode will have a ton of insights to offer you.
Key links and mentioned resources:
Reza on LinkedInReza's personal siteReza on X.comPassage.comEpisode 200: Kevan Lee on part-time advisory work, mentorship, equity compensation, and moreThe Win Without Pitching Manifesto (Book)Meditations by Marcus Aurelius 4,000 Weeks by Robert BosmanReadwise App

So, you want to publish content to attract clients.
Do you start a blog? Hammer out posts on LinkedIn every day? Start a YouTube channel? A podcast?
Good question. I get asked it a lot. 
In fact, someone in Mindshare asked me about it again today, so I thought I'd break out my mental model for how I think about publishing and distributing content.
Here is a visual breakdown to look at while you listen to the latest How to Sell Advice podcast episode:

 

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Brad Hussey—a former web designer turned creator, educator, and community builder.
In this episode, we talk about things like:
How he made the leap from employee to full-time web designerHow he successfully sells web design courses on platforms like Udemy, Awwwards, Teachable, and other placesHow these courses lead to people hiring him for web design services, training, coaching and even requesting more courses—creating a flywheel for his businessHow he leveraged his expertise into a partnership with Wix, where he hosts and maintains the Creative Crew CommunityHow his partnership with Wix is structured and run in terms of compensation and accountabilitiesA breakdown of his revenue streams, including services, community, courses, sponsorships, ad revenue, and affiliatesHis thoughts on publishing his courses on his own website and on learning platforms for a double benefitHow he built and monetized two YouTube channels with tens of thousands of followers across both channelsHis advice on how to grow a YouTube channel—and how it benefits his businessAnd a lot more!Resources & Links Mentioned
Brad's WebsiteCreative Crew CommunityBrad's audio/video equipmentKevin's audio/video equipmentBeCreatives - Unlimited Video Subscription AgencyVideo Huskey$100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau The Almanac of Raval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson Listen here or subscribe via your podcast player.
—kevin
P.S. Like this episode? Share it with another marketer and help them build a more leveraged and profitable marketing practice, too!

The other week, I chatted with former software consultant turned CRM SaaS owner, Reuben Swartz about how to do sales in a way that doesn't feel like selling and instead sets up your relationships for success.

In this episode, we chat about things like:
Why traditional sales processes don't workHow he helps people win clients without being sales-yHow having a clear target market helps your sales successReframing "sales" as "educating" and "networking" as "connecting"Why having a strong marketing engine allows you to be better at salesA mental model for generating more referralsShould you give gifts and thank-you notes to people who refer business to you?Easy ways to maintain contact with people in your networkAnd a lot more!

If selling isn't your jam—or even if it is—you'll get a ton of value out of this episode. 
The mindsets and mental models he shares make it easy to navigate sales conversations without getting mired in tactical "steps" which can often confuse you and put a barrier between you and your prospects.

Resources mentioned:
The Go-Giver by Bob BergAlchemy by Rory Sutherland Mimiran: The fun, antiCRMReuben on LinkedInThanks for listening, and if you enjoy the show, please share it with a friend!
—kw

Do you have a proprietary framework or methodology you can build an entire business around?
I recently recorded a podcast with Billy Broas, a copywriter, advisor, and educator who has built a business around his proprietary messaging framework, The Five Lightbulbs. 
In this episode, Billy and I unpack the Five Lightbulbs and then go deep into how his business works, how he gets clients, and a lot more.
We discuss things like:
Why having a proprietary framework like the Five Lightbulbs is key to selling adviceHow he leveraged his IP into courses, books, and other more leveraged ways How he evolved his business from doing to advising and now teaching Selling custom services with some productization on the back endWhy he focuses on the evergreen fundamentals of marketing and not just the “new thing”How products get better by empathizing with and better understanding the customerWhy we should systemize and codify our expertise that outlives youHow teaching other audiences—i.e. industry software companies—leads to more business (Golden Goose Strategy)How teaching courses and programs can lead to consulting engagements with studentsHow writing simple emails on a single topic under your own name works well as a format for email newslettersHow to fold the Five Lightbulbs framework into your emails and other marketing materialsFind Billy Online:
Billy’s WebsiteBilly’s TwitterBooks Mentioned:
Selling the Invisible by Harry BeckwithBreakthrough Advertising by Eugene SchwartzAuthors like:Gary HalbertVictor SchwabbJoe SugarmanClaude Hopkins

I recently decided to rebrand the Mindshare franchise (can I call it that?).
Listen in for all the details!
—kw