“Terry is very opinionated.”
I was listening to a few of the testimonials I’ve received over the years, and this quote from Dr. Glenn Livingston stood out to me.
He was talking about how many helping professions simply reflect questions back on their clients by saying something like, “I don’t know, you’re the one with the answers?”
That’s not what I do.
Sure, I’ll ask a lot of questions and dig to make sure we come up with the right answer for each client individually, but I’m not going to stay silent if they’re making a mistake.
As Glenn said it, “Terry will give you a definitive opinion, whether you like it or not.”
That made me chuckle.
There are many times I’ve had to tell a client that a certain plan wouldn’t work the way they envisioned.
Another client once even said that she cried after speaking to me the first time.
Changes had to be made if she wanted her business to succeed.
Glenn shared a lot of other details about how I helped him in his testimonial…including how he gained super powers (x-ray vision to see what was wrong with any specific area of his business and the pathway to fix it). You can listen to the audio about halfway down this page along with video testimonials from other clients as well.
Why am I bringing this up?
Because it’s one of the keys to standing out in competitive markets.
You need to take a stance.
Be a voice crying in the wilderness.
Share contrarian advice.
What is everyone else in the market saying? Where and how is that wrong?
It’s even better if you can become an advocate for your audience.
What do they wish they could say?
What frustrations do they have with the current solutions?
What desires do they have for the future?
Can you articulate their inner thoughts, fears, and passion better than they can themselves?
If you can do that…if you can give voice to what makes them tick…then it doesn’t matter how competitive the market is.
There is room for you.
The biggest secret to doing this correctly is listening to them.
Speak to your audience directly.
Sure, surveys can help. Lurking in online groups and reading what others post can give you some insights. Paying attention to what gets people to click, reply, or buy is essential.
But people are crying out for someone who knows how to listen.
What are the people in your market saying today?
If you can answer that question and be bold with your message…then you can stand out even in the most competitive markets.
