"Here's why you shouldn't lie to a plumber consulting client..."

Part of successful selling is understanding your niche, as you say. Newbies, however, don't want to invest the several weeks it takes to learn the jargon, pain points and habits of the new niche--they run right to the solution. "Hey, I sell websites. Want to buy one?"

That way, they don't stand out. Their service or product becomes a commodity. They get shut down on their calls. They can't sell.

Then they say it didn't work for them, and they quit and go back to a job.

If you're going to be in business, niche down. Learn your niche. Expect that it's going to take some time to do so. Half measures won't work here: you have to go all-in.

That's the truth. The copy for Offline courses would have you believe (and the vast majority do believe, never seeming to wise up) that business owners are like excited teenager girls at a boy band concert if you show them how their site looks on a simulator or something else relatively novel, and that you can really have clueless business owners venerating you as their savior for pointing out a flaw on their website.

This idea of business owner as helpless, childish, gullible idiot is a complete fabrication.

And you gave the reason for why that is bang on. Because they know their business inside out and what will help it or not for the most part. Just not the how to go about it in most cases.


Not only are people taught that they can say any shit to a business owner on the phone or at a meet and have that business owner go into a trance of absolute compliance at every word and sentence you utter, but they aren't taught marketing skills either. A double bind of failure.

They are taught a lazy, crappy, half-arsed method by the WSO seller, the so-called ''no fluff'' step by step process for ''making 500 a day on autopilot''.

Not real marketing and selling skills that will enable them to get real results for clients. The skills they actually need. These need to be learned as well.

Totally agree Chris :-) Great post.

You just can't fake it 'til you make in any significant niche. One way I've found to bridge this
knowledge gap is to offer to do some work for client in an industry you want to penetrate.
You can offer marketing expertise in exchange for his/her help in learning their industry, in lieu of your fee (or offer a very reduced fee).

I did this in the contracting niche years ago and realized almost immediately my original plan to sell to them was flawed. This contractor, who remains a friend to this day, helped me see
how they think, and learn their lingo. Made all the difference in the world.

A marketer friend of mine in Chicago specializes in dentists. He did essentially the same thing as I did and came to understand the hidden motivations of most dentists. He changed his advertising to them and his response rate jumped up.

...and yes, it's a good idea to start small so you don;t make a big (but bad) impression.
_____
Bruce

One thing I want to add is you don't have to specialize. I think the auto industry for example has a lot of issues because all of the services they use specialize in them.

Think about it this way. You are not an expert in dentistry. But if I am a dentist do I want a dental expert or do I want a marketing expert?

If you treat the consulting like a partnership you can take your knowledge and experience and tailor it to their business.

Unless it's something related to inventory, since we don't have a choice in that case, I am not big on getting services that specialize in dealers.

I don't want a competitive advantage. I want an unfair advantage. And I will never have an unfair advantage if you and your competitors are all providing the same advice and service to my competitors.

But if I can find a guy who doesn't focus on a niche he is more likely to have learned real tricks that work no matter the product or service.

The reason advertising changes so slow in many industries like auto dealers is because they are all using the same (relatively) few providers. And those providers all give the same basic service. Joe Verde talks about how when he got his start in providing training how it was an uphill battle because he wasn't just providing the same old same old.

I'm not saying their is anything wrong with focusing on a niche and many would be better off doing that. But the true superstars among us will IMO hold themselves back. Your niche is marketing not whatever niche you choose to serve. Just never "fake" it. If you know only basics about their niche admit that to them and explain how outside the box thinking will help them.

It's the reason I have my job. I don't even camp. After nearly 6 years I know campers. But I didn't need to know campers to sell or market them. And my bosses saw the value in that. I brought things to the table because I wasn't an RV guy.

So what do you bring to the table because you don't specialize in one niche?