Publishing articles
One of the best ways to make sure your ideas get in front of the people you want as clients is to be where they’re looking.
You may have been told, “If you want to be seen as a subject-matter expert, you need to get your ideas published!” So you tried. You set aside a weekend to pour your heart and soul into an article, sent it off to an editor … and never even heard back.
It’s frustrating and demoralizing, particularly when you look through publications and see articles like those you’d like to publish, or maybe articles written by colleagues or competitors. What are they doing right that you’re not?
“Forewarned is forearmed.” It’s an old saying, but it still rings true – if you know of the hazards that might lie ahead when you start a new venture, you can prepare yourself to meet those hazards.
In this post, I’m going to tell you about the hazards you might face in your efforts to get your ideas published. Maybe you’ve seen articles published in your clients’ niche media by your competitors, or as guest posts on influential blogs. Perhaps you wondered how they did it, when your efforts to get published seem to land with a dull thud each time.
For some business professionals, case studies are a go-to way to demonstrate their skills. And they can. I’ve argued that case studies can be a good way to enter a new market (Post #33). I’ve also warned that they can trap you in the kind of work you’re doing now, in Post #42.
Gaining your clients’ trust is huge. If your clients trust you,
• They’ll believe your recommendations on other ways you can help them.
• They’ll leave you some breathing room if you’re overworked – because you’ve shown them you’ll deliver.
• If you make a mistake, they’re confident you’ll make it right, because that’s what you’ve done in the past.
• When one of your competitors calls, they’ll just say, “Thanks, we’re happy with our current supplier.”
Would you rather build your business by meeting prospective clients who already know, like and trust you – or trying to convince people who’ve never heard of you before?
I know which one I’d pick.
What kind of work do you really, really want to do for your clients?
• Move out of repetitive, dull work you’ve done too many times before, through showing your clients you can help them in other, more interesting ways?
• Escape the “commodity trap” – you’re performing the same functions as your competitors, which means you can’t raise your fees without getting undercut by someone who’ll work cheaper?
• Stop “performing a function” for your clients, and move into being a strategic partner with them?
