Here’s the big idea of this episode: not everyone needs thought leadership to get the growth they want.
If you have a very simple, direct offer that people are already receptive to, and they don’t need to be converted to a new point of view in order to buy, then you may not need a lot of thought leadership.
A perfect example is right in my own home turf of real estate.
We’ve launched a ton of podcasts in the real estate space, but we don’t launch real estate podcasts aimed at the general public. We only work with the coaches and consultants, so the podcast listeners are the agents themselves.
Why is that?
Because I learned that the general public is not looking for podcasts from real estate agents. The agency I came out of years ago launched video blogs for hundreds of top agents across the country. Despite every video being available as a podcast episode, the general public doesn’t know those episodes exist because they’re not looking for them and didn’t take advantage of them when offered that option.
It’s just not the content they’re looking for.
So for most agents and teams, the answer to more growth is simply to put more money into lead generation and conversion. Thought leadership isn’t necessary to scale up.
So where is thought leadership essential, where does it actually move the needle?
Thought leadership is essential in a business where you…
Sell something intangible – like professional services (Marvin Bower has a good quote for this)
Have a message – in other words, you have something to say, not just something to sell. You are mission-driven and have a unique perspective on the world that you are driven to share (Michael Michalowisz mission to end entrepreneurial poverty)
Want to create a following, a tribe or a community around your message – if you can’t help but get “ranty” when you talk about your industry, that’s a sign you are a thought leader (Boss Mom)
Need to change hearts and minds in order to sell – you need converts to your belief system in order to grow your business (Marc Benioff)
Need people to agree with you and take your advice in order to get them results – this applies to basically every business coach and consultant – (Bain consultants embedding themselves at every level of the company to get buy-in)
So how do you use your podcast to change hearts and minds?
Build Trust Through Consistency – Selling something intangible takes trust, which is built by publishing relevant content over long periods of time. You can’t be seen as constantly pivoting, shifting and changing your offer and your target market.
Sharpen the Language of your Message – Look at the language you’re using, test that language against conversations with your ideal clients as well as research. (YouTube search results for “create a podcast” versus “launch a podcast”
Reward Your Tribe with Time and Attention – While I don’t agree with Gary Vee on his approach to social for introverts, when people do choose to reach out to us, we should make every effort to respond and build that connection. Just as pastors mingle with the congregation after their sermon, build your tribe through connection, conversation and community
Get Clear about the Change You Want to Make – Step away from the ego-driven goals of business growth and focus on the people you want to serve. Think deeply about what change you want to make in their lives and in the world as a result of your work. Get down to the root of why you want to make those changes. The more clarity you have, the more it comes across in your content and the more powerful and impactful your content will be.
Use Your Content to Create Agreement & Destroy Objections in Advance – In any sales situation, there are 2 wildly different ways to approach objections. You can learn a bunch of objection handlers and scripts, or you can destroy objections before they come up. I love to use content like podcasting to destroy objections before they come up. (Team Building workshop)
As you continue to improve your podcast, you’ll build real, enduring influence with the right people.
Real, enduring influence is the foundation of your power, your base of security and longevity, and the launchpad for bigger moves down the road.
And here’s the kicker….
When the goal of your podcast is to teach, train and lead people, your podcast actually does a much better job of attracting an audience. An audience who wants to be led to new beliefs, new actions and new results.
So if you’re the kind of person who is driven to teach, train and lead, you’re the kind of person who should have a podcast. Because a podcast in the right hands is a very powerful tool to change hearts and minds while creating ideal clients along the way.