You do NOT need to be an expert to sell to and help offline business

Why am I making this post?
There are many great veterans here that help offline business and there are many just starting out. This place can can be TERRIFYING to those starting out.

Often we see posts from some people with credentials that would scare most of us and often they are telling us
DO NOT sell a service to an offline business unless you are an expert at it etc...
BUT
we all started somewhere didn't we?
AND
not every company gets to hire the best or will be contacted by the best and often it is the guy that you give a break to that works his butt off to find the best solution.

I have been helping offline business for 15 years so I could put down a guy that has been doing it for 6 months and say don't sell them this service or that service because you don't really know what your doing
BUT
I was that guy years ago and I DID help business EVEN when I was that new guy, often helping them more than veterans that had tried and failed due to lack of interest or real commitment to the task.

I did well early on because when I was presented with a marketing/software problem I had never encountered I TOLD THE TRUTH!
I said I don't know but I will find out. My sincerity to help and ask questions and work through the solution with the business owner often got me the gig even when they could of hired someone that already knew the answer.

I was a problem solver and not a book of answers and that gained me respect and people gave me a chance.

Nothing pisses the best smartest clients off more than sending them an email or shooting your mouth off about everything they are doing wrong.

BOY DID I DO IT WRONG when I first started out.
I cringe now remembering back at the times I sat across the table spouting off answers to problems that did not even exist in the business owners mind.
I would put down some aspect of the business that I had a fix for of course
and then later find out he could buy and sell me 50 times over because all his sales were driven by something I was totally ignorant of.

STILL WORKS TODAY

Today I was made aware that someone was seeking a problem solver for a group of companies owned by a very successful local business person BUT I have no inside information on the problem.
I was told the guy is unreachable don't bother he will find who he wants.

I sent an email and it basically said something like this:

"I heard through a mutual friend you may want an extra set of eyes from a marketer on a few business issues. Of course I know of your companies. Before writing you I had a look at any public information about your businesses I could find including web sites and marketing materials.

From the outside looking in, the excited marketer in me wants to write you a book on things you might try BUT the experienced consultant in me knows that I know nothing about what is working for you today, your internal systems, your goals and the hard lessons you have already learned so I will not insult you with useless uninformed opinions.

The reason I am emailing you is simple. I am intrigued at the chance of getting to learn more about you and your business interests and to see if there is something in my field of expertise that could help you achieve some of your goals. I may not be able to help at all or I may have some ideas that could help greatly. I am at your disposal for a coffee and a chat.

I got a phone call within 10 minutes.
I now have an opportunity that involves serious money.
It may or may not pan out but I can tell you that the biggest and best deals I have closed have never involved me being a know it all or having all the answers before I walked in the room or how long I had been doing it.

Being new, or new to the subject will NOT stand in your way if you approach it properly and have a sincere desire to help and learn to ask questions first.
You will then live and die based on if you are genuine and see your obligations through to completion. You will even be forgiven mistakes if you take responsibility and simply move the solution forward.