The Society of Professional Consultants SPC Blog

Mastering the Art of the Rewrite

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:36:36 GMT

“Writing is rewriting.”

I’ve read that phrase in just about every book on writing. I’ve heard that wisdom at just about every writing workshop. I’ve even said it in my Writing Practice community.

But what does it actually mean?

Think back to how you were taught to write in school. If your experience was anything like mine, it may have felt like you just sat down at your desk and, well, wrote. Maybe you did an outline, but it probably felt like a bit of a make-work project — something you did to check the box and get the grade.

I was a young freelance writer when a mentor taught me that writing is a process with four distinct stages: thinking, writing, rewriting, and editing. And that if I could break the habit of editing as I wrote, my writing would not only improve, but I could turn assignments around faster, and I would enjoy it a lot more. To break that habit, I needed to understand the differences between each stage of the writing process.

The thinking stage is when you research your idea. It’s when you conduct interviews, review work from others in your field, identify the angle, and plan your article. In my writing workshops, we start with thinking. Participants complete a SOAR analysis, write a working title, and draft a simple outline. The SOAR analysis makes the point of your article clear. The working title reminds you of that point and keeps you from getting caught up in trying to craft the perfect title before you’ve written the article. The outline provides a container that helps make writing your article easier.

Once your SOAR analysis is completed and you have a working title and outline, it’s time to start writing. The writing stage takes the least amount of time. Its entire purpose is to get your ideas out of your head and onto the page. In my writing workshops, participants have 20 minutes to write a shitty first draft, relying on nothing other than their SOAR analysis, outline, and expertise.

If you can’t remember an important research study, quote, or illustrative example while you’re writing, simply make a note to yourself in brackets and keep going. To write a shitty first draft quickly, which allows you to enter a flow state, you cannot allow the details to derail your writing. One significant benefit of adopting this approach is that 20 minutes of effort will let you know where you need to think about your topic more deeply.

And that’s the point of the rewriting stage. Rewriting is when you fill in the details and add nuance and depth to your article. This is the stage of the process that often takes the most time. Once you’ve captured everything you want to share with your reader, turn your attention to editing your article.

While editing your article, you may discover that you need to revisit the rewriting stage. Though it’s rarely discussed, revising the rewriting stage is a completely normal part of the writing process. This, I suspect, is why the phrase “writing is rewriting” is so prevalent. Rewriting is where you do the heavy lifting of writing. But rewriting doesn’t have to be a slog. With the right approach, it can even be enjoyable. (Indeed, it’s my favorite part of the writing process.) Here’s how I approach the rewriting stage:

Finish writing your shitty first draft first.

You can’t rewrite what hasn’t been written yet.

Before you start the rewriting process, you have to finish writing the shitty first draft. If you wrote the first draft under a time constraint, a practice I highly recommend, you may have written part of it as bullet points, or you may have run out of time and never quite finished the piece.

Write that which hasn’t been written first.

It sounds simple, but it can be very difficult to read what you’ve already written without revising it. But if you start to revise the piece before you’ve finished the shitty first draft, you’ll end up making a lot more work for yourself, and you’ll slow the process down.

I give myself 10 minutes to finish writing the shitty first draft. Without that time limit, it’s too easy for me to stay in the writing process much longer than I should and to start combining the writing stage with the rewriting and editing stage, perfecting each line as I make my way through the article.

Start rewriting by filling in the blanks.

Once your shitty first draft is done, review the entire thing looking for gaps in your thinking, notes you wrote to yourself, and areas where you need to add a bit more context, do a bit more research, or share an illustrative example.

A part of the rewriting process is filling in those gaps. Review your research and any notes you made during the thinking phase and incorporate those into your article. If your shitty first draft introduced ideas you hadn’t thought about before you started writing, now is the time to research those ideas.

As you fill in the gaps, your piece will start to take shape. That’s when you invite your audience into the rewriting process.

Keep your audience in mind.

A good article answers one (and only one) question. Structure your article in such a way that the central question — and your answer to that question — are clear to the reader.

Writing is like a puzzle that can be put together in several ways. The best way is the way that best conveys your idea and perspective to your reader.

At this stage, you may want to print out your article. Printing the article allows you to see the whole piece at once, which makes it easier to see where it might need to be reorganized. In some cases, it might be helpful to grab a pair of scissors and cut up the article so you can figure out the best way to put it back together.

The change in format from the screen to the page offers other benefits as well. That change in format allows you to read the piece from the perspective of your intended audience. And that shift in perspective helps you see where your thinking is muddy and where you might be confusing the reader.

As you focus on the organization and structure of your article, you may realize a few pieces are missing or that some of the existing pieces don’t belong. Revisit your SOAR analysis. Is the objective of the article you wrote the same as the article you planned to write? If not, does that shift make the article stronger? Did it muddy the waters? Or is it just a different article than you expected? Take the time to align your SOAR analysis with your article, either by modifying your SOAR analysis or by modifying your article.

Once you’ve added in any missing pieces and removed any pieces that don’t belong, read the article aloud while keeping your audience in mind. Once you’re finished adding new ideas to your writing, you’re ready to move on to the editing phase.

To effectively convey your message to your reader, your writing must be cogent, well-researched, and compelling. And because written material can be read repeatedly and analyzed closely, it must be strong enough to withstand scrutiny.

Writing doesn’t allow you to rely on context, shared knowledge, or body language. The only tool you have available is the written word, and the written word leaves no room for ambiguity.

Rewriting takes time and thought and effort. It requires you to think deeply about your area of expertise and to find ways to convey your ideas clearly and succinctly. It helps you refine your ideas and improve your communication skills.

And that makes you a better consultant.

***

Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications. An authority development consultant and veteran freelance writer and editor, she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. Her clients write for Harvard Business Review, TD Magazine, Inc., ICMA, and Fast Company. To learn how to raise your profile, register for The Authority Lab, a free monthly Q+A focused on how to build your authority through writing.

How to Follow Up on Your Pitch

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:35:49 GMT

You pitched an article to a business magazine or association publication, and you’re eager to get the piece published so you can share it with the prospective client whose question inspired your article.

But now you have to wait.

And wait.

With each passing day, you lose a bit more confidence. You start to question whether you should even bother following up with the editor, since they clearly aren’t interested.

But following up is an essential part of the pitch process.

Unfortunately, knowing it is essential doesn’t make it any less stressful. How do you follow up? How often? When? If the editor hasn’t gotten back to you already, doesn’t that mean that they aren’t interested? Do I really need to follow up?

Why do you need to follow up on your pitch?

When you pitch your article, I recommend including a line at the bottom that says you will follow up with the editor in 10 days if you don’t hear back from them.

Now it’s time to keep that commitment.

By doing so, you demonstrate to your editor (and yourself) that you keep your word and take your commitments seriously.

But following up on your pitch isn’t just about keeping your word.

If you’ve ever had an overflowing inbox, you know how easy it is to miss or forget about an email. You get busy or bombarded with even more emails than usual, and the emails you intend to respond to today are pushed further and further down the page. It’s something all of us have experienced at one time or another. And editors? Well, they get a ton of email.

Even the most responsive editors sometimes need a reminder or two or three. Give them the benefit of the doubt that they are acting in good faith and doing their best. After all, they could be sick, on vacation, or on leave. In a situation where you can tell yourself all sorts of stories to explain their behavior, choose a kind one — and never shame an editor for not responding to you.

How do you follow up?

Following up does not make you a nuisance. When done well, following up is a way to build a relationship with your editor. Be polite, persistent, and respectful. Forward the original query to ensure the editor has all the information they need at their fingertips. Don’t make them dig through their inbox to find your pitch. Keep your follow-up succinct. You already pitched them, so you don’t have to do it again. Finally, let them know when you will follow up next — typically a week later.

Here’s a simple script for your follow-up email:

“Have you had a chance to review my pitch? I’ve included it below for your reference. Please let me know if you have any questions. I’ll check in again if I haven’t heard back by [DATE].”

Aggressive follow-ups, whether they are too frequent, across too many platforms, or with too many people (like the entire masthead) will get you blacklisted. Treat your editor the way you would want to be treated.

When do you stop following up?

How many times you follow up will depend on how important the publication is to you. For a publication you really want to write for, you may want to send the pitch and then follow up four times. For other publications, send the pitch and follow up twice. There’s no wrong answer, so use your discretion.

On the final follow-up email, include a deadline:

“If I don’t hear back from you by [DATE], I’ll assume you’re not interested and will pitch the piece elsewhere.”

That gives you and your editor an easy out — and it keeps the door open so you can pitch the editor again at a later time.

Following up is an important part of the pitch process, and if it isn’t something you’ve had to do a lot, it can feel a bit intimidating. If you follow the steps above, you’ll be able to follow up with confidence and use the process to build a relationship with your future editor.

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Writing Insightful Articles Without Overwhelming Your reader

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 10:50:11 GMT

Your body of knowledge is a rich tapestry of complex, interconnected ideas. Each of these ideas impacts and is impacted by every other idea in the tapestry. How then do you extract a single thread without unraveling the entire fabric?

If you’ve ever asked that question, you aren’t alone. In fact, asking that question is a clear indication that you’re wrestling with the curse of knowledge.

The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that causes you to forget what it was like not to know what you know. As a result, you may assume others share your knowledge, and so you fail to provide the necessary context when you present your ideas. Or, you may assume others have none of your knowledge, and so you provide so much context that a simple idea becomes a dissertation-length manuscript.

The Big Bang Theory, a popular sitcom that concluded its 12-season run in 2019, perfectly illustrates this concept. In one episode, Penny wants to understand physics well enough so she can enjoy conversations with her boyfriend, Leonard, about his work with subatomic particles. She asks Sheldon for help, and he begins his explanation in Ancient Greece, intending to cover 2,600 years of physics history. That is way too much context, and it overwhelms Penny instead of helping her.

That may be an extreme example, but it’s often difficult to determine how much context is enough. But it is essential if we want to serve our readers without overwhelming them.

The good news is that finding the right balance is easier than you might think.

Go narrow and deep.

Your readers are trying to make progress towards a goal. They don’t need to know everything you know to take a small step forward. They just need to know what to do next and why.

The average article is between 750 and 1,250 words, so you only have a couple of pages to give your readers the tools they need to change their thinking, mindset, or behavior. If you can help your readers take that next step forward, you will have done your job.

The key to writing a compelling and useful article is to be clear about its point.

When I work with my clients, I encourage them to conduct a SOAR analysis before they start writing an article. The SOAR asks four questions:

Who does this article serve? In other words, who is your audience for this article?
What is the objective of this article? Why will the audience you identified above feel compelled to read it?
What action will the audience be able to take after reading your article? In other words, how will their thinking, mindset, or behavior change?
Will this article enhance or diminish your reputation?

Once you know your audience, the objective, and the action you want your readers to be able to take after reading your article, work backwards. What information do they absolutely need to take that action? For each point you include, ask yourself how it helps your reader. Is this something that is nice for them to know? Or is it something they need to know? If the point you are making isn’t strictly necessary, consider deleting it.

Raman Shah, a data scientist who consults with local governments and social enterprises on performance measurement and operational improvement, is a graduate of Pathway to Publication. When he wrote “Starting Simple in Performance Measurement” for the International City/County Management Association, he was responding to an oft-repeated rebuttal to his recommendation that a prospective client implement operation reporting as a management tool. It is a compelling piece that makes the case for measuring output, not just impact.

By going narrow and deep on one of the challenges facing how local governments measure progress, Raman made a complex idea understandable and helped his readers take one step toward changing their thinking, mindset, and behavior.

The same principle applies to your articles. Rather than trying to share your entire body of knowledge in one article, focus on answering one specific question.

Find the right question.

Not every question serves as a good foundation for an article. Some are much too broad and would require you to write a book to answer in any meaningful way. Others are questions you can answer, but they may not be directly related to the work for which you most want to be known.

You have to actively look for the right question.

What did you struggle with early in your career? What obstacles did you face? How did you navigate those challenges? What do you know now that you wish you knew ten years ago? Looking back at your own experiences can often unearth a number of questions that can serve as a foundation for an article.

But don’t stop there.

Keep a list of questions your clients and prospective clients ask. If you speak at conferences, facilitate workshops, or host webinars, keep a list of the questions that come from the audience. If you are a guest on a podcast, keep a list of the questions the host asks. Anytime you meet someone who is interested in your work, whether you meet them at a networking event or at a dinner with friends, pay attention to the questions they ask. Those questions offer insights into people’s challenges and fascinations.

When it comes time to evaluate those questions, look for those that:

Ask for help getting unstuck.
Come up repeatedly in conversation.
Represent an obstacle to progress.
Can be meaningfully addressed within the scope of an article.
Allow you to share insights backed by your experience-based expertise.

The truth is that if one person has a question, several others probably have the same one. These questions may seem simple to you, but you are not your client — you are the expert your client comes to for help. And what seems so simple to you only seems simple because you’ve been engaged in this work for so long.

Debra Roberts, who created a communication model that revolutionizes how we live and work together, is an Authority Development client. She wrote “Emotional Regulation: How to Keep Your Cool When It Counts” for Inc. The article was written in direct response to one of her clients asking her how their team could work better together when they were under a tremendous amount of stress.

Because she knew the circumstances surrounding her client’s challenges, and she knew that countless companies were navigating similar waters, she knew the answer to this question would make for an excellent article.

The more specific the situation and the more specific the question, the easier it is to write an article that will be of value to your readers.

Provide the right amount of context.

One of the best tricks for writing an article that provides the right amount of context is to write the article in an email. Imagine that you received an email from a great client that asks you a specific question about a challenge they are currently facing and would like your help to navigate. I suspect you’d be able to answer that question relatively easily.

Now, open your email server and email the question to yourself — and then email a response. Because email is a less formal and more conversational platform, your response will be less formal and more conversational. It is also more likely to include only the context the recipient needs to have, making it actionable instead of overwhelming.

Jonathan Dursi, a leadership development consultant who helps STEM PhDs achieve their potential as leaders and managers, is a graduate of Pathway to Publication. When he wrote “Train More PhDs to Lead — and Break Canada’s Innovation Gridlock” for the Canadian Science Policy Centre, he knew the association’s members were deeply invested in addressing the country’s declining innovation performance.

Because he knew he was writing to his colleagues within Canada’s innovation ecosystem, he also knew that he didn’t have to provide a lot of context and could instead focus on his core argument that Canada needs to invest more in helping its top talent acquire the skills they need to be exceptional leaders.

While some articles require a more nuanced discussion, either because the audience doesn’t have a background in your area of expertise or because you are proposing an idea that you expect will attract pushback, you don’t need to share everything you know to give your reader the information they need to take their next step.

* * *

The more you write in response to specific questions about specific situations, the easier it will be to zoom out and write broader overview pieces that introduce people to your work. By starting with articles that focus on the specifics, you’ll start to see themes emerge in your work, and those themes can then become the basis for a broader overview piece. You can then use that overview piece to link back to the more specific pieces where your readers can find more information and dive a bit deeper. Starting with an overview piece is challenging. It’s just too tempting to include everything you know and address every possible variation of every possible situation.

So, start by addressing a specific question from a specific individual navigating a specific situation. (In fact, this article was inspired by a client’s struggle to figure out where to start and where to end an article she was writing.) Remember that your article is not meant to be the definitive work on your area of expertise. It is instead a snapshot; a single part of a much larger whole.

When you focus on helping your reader take one small step forward, you create valuable content that serves your readers without overwhelming them.

And that positions you as a trusted guide who can help your readers navigate whatever challenges come their way.

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How to Use NotebookLM to Conduct a Gap Analysis

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 19:02:12 GMT

Publications are looking for articles that say something new — that offer a different perspective, deeper dive, or a new approach to an old problem. They are looking for articles that add to the conversation, not the noise.

Writing for high-visibility publications isn’t merely about sharing your ideas. It’s about positioning yourself as an authoritative expert, differentiating yourself from your peers, and opening the door to more opportunities.

But publishing articles that fail to add to the conversation won’t deliver these business outcomes. That’s why it is critical to identify the gaps in industry conversations — gaps that you can bridge by sharing your expertise and insights. Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Build your research notebook.

Developed by Google, NotebookLM is a free tool that allows you to create online research notebooks. You upload source content to a topic-specific research notebook, and then you can ask questions related to the uploaded content. While this is certainly valuable when conducting research, it can also help you identify themes, topics, and gaps in the conversation a publication is having with its audience.

There are five steps to building a research notebook to conduct a gap analysis:

If you are writing for a digital publication, use the publication’s search feature to identify the articles most relevant to your area of expertise. Because NotebookLM cannot access webpages that are behind a paywall, and only imports visible text, I recommend downloading each article as an individual PDF. For your gap analysis, start with the 25 most recent articles.
Log in to your Google Account (if you don’t have one, you’ll need to
Click on TRY NOTEBOOKLM, and then + CREATE NEW to create a new notebook.
Upload PDFs of the 25 most recent articles to the notebook. These will serve as the source documents. (Each notebook can hold up to 50 source documents.)
Name the notebook. Keep your naming conventions simple so you’ll know exactly what is in the notebook. For the purposes of a gap analysis, I recommend [Name of Publication]: [Topic].

I helped Dr. Kristen Donnelly conduct a gap analysis of TD Magazine, published by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), and the association’s blog. Kristen regularly speaks at ATD’s conferences and recently presented her research on the talent development challenges inherent in multigenerational workplaces. To identify the gaps in the conversation around multigenerational workplaces, we created two notebooks — one for each of the association’s publications. For TD Magazine, we uploaded PDF versions of the last 12-months worth of issues. For the blog, we created a focused notebook containing every article written about Generation Z.

Step 2: Identify the gaps in the conversation.

NotebookLM can help you identify the main themes in your selected publication, which will help you see where your ideas fit. You can also use it to dig deeper into specific topics to discover what aspects of that topic haven’t been explored fully.

Start with broad questions to understand the themes of the conversation thus far, then narrow your focus with more specific queries. Don’t worry too much about crafting the right question — NotebookLM is pretty savvy and responds well to simple, everyday language. Here are a few questions to get you started:

Based on the source material, what topics appear most frequently in discussions about [topic]? What related topics are notably absent or underexplored?
Based on the publication dates of these materials, how have discussions about [topic] evolved? What emerging trends are mentioned but not explored in depth? What newer aspects of the conversation aren’t fully developed yet?
What theoretical frameworks or models about [topic] are commonly referenced across these sources? What alternative frameworks exist but aren’t well-represented?
What perspectives or viewpoints are well-represented in discussions about [topic]? What perspectives, viewpoints, voices, industries, or organizational contexts are underrepresented?
When it comes to [topic], what practical implementation challenges do professionals in this field face that are not adequately addressed?

When you use NotebookLM to identify the gaps in the conversation, it can also identify and summarize the main point of each article. As NotebookLM answers your questions, it will reference specific source documents within the notebook. This allows you to focus your time on those articles that are most relevant to your area of expertise, so you don’t have to read every piece in depth.

One of the most common ways to add to the conversation is by adding nuance. As you read each article, capture quotes that stand out and note your response to those quotes. One way to do this is to review each quote and write a statement that starts with “yes, and,” “yes, but,” or “no because.” Those simple prompts help you dig deeper and bring more nuance to the conversation. It will also help you clarify your position, identify the angle of your article, and address the specific gap you identified.

As a part of Dr. Donnelly’s speaking engagement at the ATD conference, she was invited to write an article for the association’s blog. The gap analysis revealed the articles about multigenerational workplaces focused on Generation Z’s values. While almost all mentioned that members of Generation Z are digital natives, none explored how their foundational experiences shaped their critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills. Dr. Donnelly’s article, Gen Z 101: How to Develop Talent Across Generations, provides the context that was missing from the conversation.

Step 3: Pitch your idea.

Once you’ve identified the gaps in the conversation, choose two or three that align with your expertise. Validate those gaps by reviewing the relevant articles to make sure NotebookLM’s interpretation is accurate. If the selected publication has an editorial calendar, review it to make sure the topic fits with the publication’s upcoming priorities.

These validation steps may eliminate one or more article ideas from consideration. If that isn’t the case, choose the conversation where you can add the most value. When preparing your pitch to the publication, explicitly mention how your article addresses an identified gap in their coverage. For example, Dr. Donnelly is in the process of conducting a gap analysis of TD Magazine. If she chooses to write about Generation Alpha, the generation following Generation Z, her pitch might say:

“TD Magazine has published several articles about multigenerational workplaces, but there’s been limited discussion about Generation Alpha, the newest generation to enter the workforce. My proposed article, tentatively titled “How Generation Alpha’s Foundational Experiences Will Shape Tomorrow’s Workplaces,” addresses this gap by providing talent development professionals with practical approaches to onboarding, training, and supporting this new generation of employees.”

Adopting this approach positions you as more than just another expert contributor seeking exposure; it positions you as a valuable resource to your editor. Editors are under constant pressure to provide their readers with actionable insights. When you identify a gap in the conversation a publication is having with its readers, and offer to fill it, you’re solving a problem for the editor. It’s a great first step to building that relationship.

* * *

In a noisy world where you can now churn out mediocre content at scale, you want to be known as someone who adds to the conversation, not to the noise. Publications are actively seeking expert contributors who offer fresh perspectives, deeper insights, and new approaches to long-standing problems.

Finding these opportunities used to require hours of painstaking research and analysis. But with tools like NotebookLM, you can easily identify meaningful gaps in the conversation and bring your expertise to bear on questions where it’s needed most. That not only increases the chances of your pitch being accepted, it also lays the foundation for a sustainable strategy that will build your reputation over time.

Each article you write should be part of a coherent body of work that demonstrates your expertise and helps shape your industry’s most important conversations. The cumulative impact of these articles allows you to move from being one of many voices in your field, to an authoritative expert whose insights are actively sought.

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Publications as Learning Platforms: Writing Articles Is Just the Beginning

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 14:34:57 GMT

While associations have always been known for their educational mission, more and more traditional business magazines are positioning themselves as learning platforms and looking for ways to serve their readers.

As a contributing expert, you already provide value to the publication and its readers. That means you are well-positioned to take advantage of these opportunities.

But how do you find out what opportunities are available? And how do you take advantage of those opportunities?

Identify and prioritize the opportunities.

Identifying these opportunities is relatively easy. As the publisher launches new ways to serve their audience, they will need to let that audience know about it. So, be a contributing expert and an audience member. Subscribe to the publication. Get on their email list. Take a deep dive into their website and see what you can find.

Many organizations publish both digital and print publications. Do they also publish books, reports, or guides? Do they produce any podcasts or webinars? Do they host any conferences or workshops?

Identify the opportunities available, and then determine who the audience is for each channel. While it is possible that all the channels a publisher offers serve the same audience, it is also possible that certain channels serve specific segments of that audience. Gather as much information about each opportunity you can.

Once you’ve identified the available opportunities, and narrowed them down to those that are a good fit for you, it’s time to prioritize them and develop a strategy to help you get where you want to go.

If your long-term goal is to speak at the annual conference, start by being a guest on the podcast or presenting a webinar. If your ultimate goal is to publish a book with them, and you already write for their online publication, pitch an article for their print publication or pitch an idea for a short guide.

Use each opportunity as a rung on the ladder to your ultimate goal. If you’re writing for the digital publication now, what is the next logical step? Start there. Build your relationships as you go. At each step of the ladder, you get to demonstrate to a new group of people that your mission is aligned with that of the publisher: to be of service to their audience.

Build your reputation with the publication.

Before you approach your editor to discuss these additional opportunities, make sure you’ve written enough high-quality articles to build your reputation and demonstrate that everything you do is anchored in value. Once you’ve written several high-quality pieces, reach out to your editor and ask for their advice.

Before you reach out, make sure you’re prepared for the conversation. Do your due diligence. It is not your editor’s job to tell you what other opportunities might be available to you. It’s your responsibility to identify those opportunities.

If you approach your editor asking them for advice about how else you might be of service, and don’t know about the perfect-fit podcast the organization produces, even though the podcast is prominently displayed on the homepage, you will damage your relationship with your editor.

Do your research. Go into the conversation with your editor with your list of priorities, a clear idea of your next best step, and a specific request for their advice about how to get to that next step. Hold your plan gently, and be open to your editor’s perspective. Your editor might have ideas you hadn’t thought about yet, or the publication might have a specific way they like to move experts through these opportunities.

If you did your research and didn’t find any new ways to get involved, it still behooves you to have a conversation with your editor. In that case, you can ask if there’s anything you can do to be a better contributor. You can share a few ideas you have for future pieces, hear what your editor thinks about those ideas, and ask them if they have any other suggestions. Finally, let them know that you scoured the website to see how else they serve their readers — such as through webinars or publishing books or hosting a conference — and didn’t find anything. Ask them if you missed something or if any of these offerings are in the works. If something is in the works, you can let them know that when the time comes, you’d love to be involved with that effort as well.

If you don’t have an editor, but instead work with an editorial team, you still need to build your reputation and demonstrate the value you provide before you pitch your book idea, webinar, or speaking services. When you do pitch, you want those who evaluate your pitch to see what you’ve done and the value you’ve provided.

Pitch your ideas to the right person.

In the very best of circumstances, your editor will introduce you to those responsible for your next opportunity and even pitch your idea to them on your behalf. That’s precisely what happened to Kimberli Jeter, a graduate of Pathway to Publication.

Kimberli has been involved with the Association for Talent Development (ATD) for years. As a result of the relationships she built, she was invited to contribute a chapter to ATD’s Handbook for Consultants. Shortly after the book was published, she was introduced to the editor of the association’s blog. In August 2024, she published Introducing the Networking Wheel: A Tool to Build a Network You LOVE on the blog. Her editor felt the topic would be excellent for the career section of the association’s print publication, and pitched the idea to her colleague. Once the idea was accepted, she introduced Kimberli to the magazine editor. Put a Different Spin on Networking: Transform the Way You Build Meaningful Connections was published in the January 2025 issue of TD Magazine.

By building your relationships, your editor can become your advocate. In most cases, however, you will need to pitch your idea yourself. If you work with an editor, you can ask them who to send your pitch to. They may have you send the pitch to them so they can forward it to the right person, or they may have you pitch the person directly. If you are pitching the person directly, ask your editor if you can use their name.

But what if you work with an editorial team instead of an individual editor? In that case, you’ll need to do a bit more research and find out who to contact. As is true when you first pitched the publication, make sure you follow the guidelines (if, indeed, there are guidelines). If there are no guidelines, craft a pitch that gets right to the point, clearly demonstrates the value you will provide to the audience, and demonstrates why you are the right person for the job.

You already write for this organization. Every article you publish demonstrates that you provide real value for their audience. Sharing your expertise through other channels doesn’t just benefit you, it also benefits the publication and its audience.

Published articles are business assets. Why not use them to help you take advantage of opportunities with an organization that already knows, likes, and trusts you?

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Are Pay-to-Play Publications Worth It?

Erica Holthausen — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:33:32 GMT

Many publications are actively seeking expert contributors. Some (and the number is increasing) require you to pay for the privilege. But why pay to publish on a particular platform when other publications will publish your work for free?

Before we dive into whether pay-to-play publications are worth it, it’s important to understand each of the three types of pay-to-play opportunities.

Pay-to-play public relations opportunities are those that profile you and your work in exchange for payment. The resulting articles are written (or appear to be written) by someone else. The writer may interview you, either by phone or email, or you may be asked to complete a questionnaire. When the article is published, you are encouraged to share it widely. You may also have the opportunity to appear on the cover of the publication — for an additional fee, of course.

Pay-to-play marketing opportunities are referred to as sponsored content. In this case, you (or someone you hire) writes an article that is published on one or more media platforms. Sometimes these sponsored content pieces are negotiated directly with the publication. Other times they are placed through a company like OutBrain. These articles are identified as “sponsored content” to make it clear that they are advertorials — advertisements, not articles.

Pay-to-play publications typically offer their expert contributors the opportunity to become a member of a select group of experts in exchange for a fee of between $1,000 and $5,000 a year. One benefit of membership is the opportunity to publish bylined articles on the publication’s website. While these articles are not identified as sponsored content, expert contributors are identified as members of the membership program. To determine whether joining such a program is a worthwhile investment, you need to understand how these programs work and evaluate the benefits of the program through the lens of your business goals.

Not all pay-to-play publications are created equal.

Forbes was the first publication to adopt a pay-to-play program. In 2010, Forbes launched its contributing expert platform. Contributing experts don’t pay to publish their articles. Instead, they pitch an article or column and, once approved, log directly into the platform and publish their work. Pieces written by contributing experts are not edited before they are published.

Forbes Councils were established in 2015, five years after the contributing expert platform was launched. One of the benefits of this annual membership program is the opportunity to publish lightly edited, bylined articles on the magazine’s website. Council members can also contribute to roundup articles featuring several subject-matter experts. Other benefits include networking opportunities and educational events.

But the Forbes brand is not what it used to be.

Articles published by contributing experts have historically been subjected to very little editorial oversight. That lack of oversight led to a number of abuses, many of which were chronicled in a 2022 Nieman Lab article. The worst abuses involved contributing experts accepting payment to cover specific individuals or companies — you, too, can be featured in Forbes for only $5,000 — and shysters using their positions as contributing experts to polish up their reputations and those of other unsavory public figures.

Forbes is now working hard to rebuild its reputation.

Other traditional, well-established business magazines have since launched pay-to-play membership programs. Forbes’s mistakes gave these publications insight into the benefits and pitfalls of the pay-to-play model, allowing them to put guardrails in place. I expect more publications to adopt this model in the future. For now, two worth considering are the Entrepreneur Leadership Network and the Fast Company Executive Board.

The Entrepreneur Leadership Network is an annual membership program that allows members to submit up to four bylined articles per month to be considered for publication. Once an article is approved, a dedicated editor works with the writer to ensure the piece meets the publication’s editorial standards and to arrange for the piece to be published. Other benefits include networking opportunities, writing workshops, and webinars.

The Fast Company Executive Board is an annual membership program that allows members to publish edited, bylined articles on the magazine’s website and participate in roundup-style articles featuring several subject-matter experts. Other benefits include networking opportunities, an online community and member directory, and professional development opportunities.

The best pay-to-play programs use the funds they receive to pay the editorial team to work with expert contributors. Editing an expert contributor is a different experience from editing a freelance or staff writer, and if a publication wants to maintain the editorial quality of their publication, they need to pay close attention to what is being published. Just because you pay to publish your work on these platforms doesn’t mean your work will be published; it still has to meet the publication’s editorial standards.

And that’s a good thing.

We are judged by the company we keep — and you don’t want to write for a publication that isn’t well respected by your peers, prospective clients, and partners.

Your business goals determine which publications to consider.

You are not writing to get published; you are getting published to achieve specific business goals. If a pay-to-play program will help you achieve those goals, there’s no reason not to consider it.

When you write for high-visibility publications, you receive real value in exchange for your expertise. Writing for high-visibility publications helps you share your perspective with an already-established, well-defined audience. It differentiates you from your peers and enhances your credibility, positioning you as an authoritative expert.

Only you can decide whether the additional benefits associated with a pay-to-play program are valuable enough to justify the annual fee. If they are, such a program may well be worthwhile. If they aren’t, but you’d still like to write for the publication, consider pitching the publication directly. Many publications accept pitches from contributing experts, even when they have a pay-to-play program.

Whether you are looking to secure more speaking engagements, connect with fellow leaders in your industry, or get more meetings with the right prospects on the books, building relationships with the right people is critical to your success as a consultant.

Don’t discount pay-to-play programs simply because you could publish the same articles elsewhere for free. Take time to evaluate each publication and its pay-to-play program against your business goals, values, and style.

Do your due diligence, and then make your decision.

***

How the Substack Content Moderation Debate Shapes How You Choose a Newsletter Platform

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 10:43:31 GMT

Substack has been the topic of a lot of conversations lately. Some people on the platform encourage everyone they know to join them immediately because the platform offers several tools to help grow your following. Others refuse to use Substack and harshly criticize those who do, accusing them of being devoid of moral values because it espouses a decentralized content moderation policy and thus permits content that many find repugnant.

But what is Substack?

Substack is a popular subscription-based newsletter publishing platform used by journalists, writers, and experts to share articles, podcasts, and videos with their subscribers. Those who use the platform (referred to as “Substackers”) can adopt a tiered subscription plan that allows them to share all their content for free or limit access to some or all of their content to paid subscribers. Substack is based on a shared-revenue model, which means it takes a commission on all subscription income. The more money Substackers make, the more money Substack makes.

Substack popularized the shared-revenue model for writers creating a subscription-based newsletter. When it first came on the scene in 2017, Substack actively recruited journalists and other well-known writers to build their digital home on the platform. Since then, Substack has refined its built-in social network and recommendation engine, making it even easier for Substackers to find their audience and connect with one another.

Substack’s content guidelines are much less stringent than other platforms. Substack explicitly prohibits “credible threats of physical harm” but otherwise states that “critique and discussion of controversial issues are part of robust discourse.” Unfortunately, its approach to content moderation has served as a siren call to conspiracy theorists, hatemongers, and bigots, who can freely share on Substack that which may have gotten them banned elsewhere.

And that is where the content moderation debate begins.

The dark side of free expression.

On November 28, 2023, Jonathan M. Katz published “Substack Has a Nazi Problem” in The Atlantic. He reported finding several newsletters that feature Nazi symbols and promote white nationalism and noted that while Substack has a largely hands-off approach to content moderation, its content guidelines do prohibit hate.

Within weeks of this article being published, more than 200 Substackers, including Katz, published an open letter to Substack’s founders, officially launching the Substackers Against Nazis campaign. The letter starts by asking Substack’s founders why they are “platforming and monetizing Nazis” when it is against the platform’s content guidelines, which state that the platform cannot be used “to publish content or fund initiatives that incite violence based on protected classes.”

Meanwhile, more than 100 other Substackers co-signed a note written by Elle Griffin of The Elysian supporting Substack’s decentralized approach to content moderation. Griffin noted that calls for moderation are calls for “the platform to decide who can say what, and who can be here.” She noted that social media platforms with more robust content moderation policies have struggled to moderate hate speech and misinformation. She applauds Substack’s approach: “Rather than rely on . . . a team of moderators, Substack democratized the process, giving full moderation control to writers.”

It is important to note that hate speech is constitutionally protected under the First Amendment. However, the First Amendment only applies to government entities, not private businesses. Those who publish on Substack (or any other platform) have no constitutional right to free speech on that platform. Private companies can, with few exceptions, restrict whatever speech they wish.

With these opposing viewpoints, the battle lines were drawn.

Hamish McKenzie, one of the co-founders of Substack, responded to these open letters by acknowledging that Substack has “narrowly defined proscriptions” and confirming that the company will “stick to our decentralized approach to content moderation, which gives power to readers and writers.” He also acknowledged that not everyone would agree with their position, but that they welcome a “robust debate about these issues.”

By the new year, several of those who joined the Substackers Against Nazis campaign left the platform, including Casey Newton of Platformer. A well-respected technology reporter, Newton left his job as a senior editor at The Verge in 2020 to launch Platformer on Substack. Substack actively recruited Newton to join the platform, offering a year of healthcare subsidies and ongoing legal support. Over three years, Platformer grew to more than 170,000 subscribers.

On January 11, 2024, Newton shared how and why he decided to leave Substack: “I’m not aware of any major US consumer internet platform that does not explicitly ban praise for Nazi hate speech, much less one that welcomes them to set up shop and start selling subscriptions.” Platformer grew their audience by taking full advantage of Substack’s built-in social network and recommendation engine. These tools are designed to help publications grow and monetize quickly because the more money these publications make, the more Substack makes. “That design demands responsible thinking about who will be promoted and how.”

In July 2025, Substack accidentally sent a push alert promoting one of the pro-Nazi publications on its platform. In an article on Engadget, Substack apologized for the error and noted that the relevant system was taken offline until the problems were addressed.

The next day, Casey Newton of Platformer responded to the story: “[B]ecause the platform invests heavily in social media-style growth hacks, it was inevitable that Substack would actively promote Nazi blogs across various surfaces.”

Substack continues to stand by its decentralized approach to content moderation. Their laissez-faire approach, when combined with the platform’s social network and algorithmic recommendation engine, means that it still permits, promotes, and profits from hate speech. It also still relies on readers to decide what they read and writers to decide what they write.

So, how do you choose a newsletter platform?

When Substack started, it was the only subscription-based newsletter platform designed for those who wanted to adopt a paid subscription model. That’s no longer true. Today, you have options. To determine which option is right for you, ask yourself these five questions:

1. Do you want your newsletter to be a source of revenue? It may sound like a great idea to turn your newsletter into a source of revenue while also using it as a marketing tool, but doing so requires you to build out a second business. A subscription-based publication is a different business model from consulting, and it takes time, energy, and effort to build an audience large enough to ensure that your newsletter is self-supporting. If paid subscriptions are not essential to your business model, you can always stick with a traditional email newsletter service like SendFox, Kit, or Aweber.

2. Do you prefer decentralized content moderation? If you want your newsletter to be a source of revenue, and you prefer to be on a platform that espouses rigorous debate and practices decentralized content moderation, consider Substack. Just be ready to explain your rationale should anyone challenge your decision. Many people have only heard positive things about the platform, while some know only that it is associated with hate groups and right-wing influencers. Few have looked closely at the underlying debate about content moderation and free expression.

3. Do you prefer more robust content moderation? If you want your newsletter to be a source of revenue, and you prefer to be on a platform with a more robust content moderation policy, consider Patreon. Popular with artists, video creators, game developers, and musicians, Patreon is now gaining traction with writers as well. It has robust Community Guidelines and a team of content moderation specialists. Another option to consider is beehiiv, but it’s important to review their Acceptable Use Policy first, especially the sections on content violations and prohibited content. While beehiiv, like Patreon, explicitly prohibits content that “incites violence, spreads hate speech, or uses dehumanizing language to target individuals or groups,” it also categorizes any content that “disparage[s] beehiiv or our partners, vendors, or affiliates” as a content violation.

4. Do you want sole responsibility for content moderation? If you want your newsletter to be a source of revenue, and you want to own the platform and be fully responsible for content moderation, consider Ghost.

5. Do you prioritize growth over the debate about content moderation? If you want your newsletter to be a source of revenue, you’re neutral about content moderation, and you want to be on a platform that makes setting up a subscription-based newsletter easy, consider Substack and beehiiv. If you prefer to build your audience through content marketing methods, beehiiv is the better option. If you prefer to build your audience through social networking, especially with other writers on the platform, Substack is the better option.

Regardless of which tool you choose for your email newsletter, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of their business models, content moderation policies, and approaches to growth. In addition to those core questions, make sure you can move off a platform (and take your subscribers with you) should you choose to do so. Also, review any policies related to privacy and copyright.

Your business is built on your reputation and your intellectual property. Protect those assets fiercely.

* * *

Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications. An authority development consultant, she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. An authority development consultant and strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication, writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

Are You in Danger of Building the Wrong Reputation?

Erica Holthausen — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:11:21 GMT

What are you known for? How do other people introduce you? Now, what do you want to be known for?

Building a reputation as an authoritative expert takes time and a focused, consistent effort. But before you put in that time and effort, you need to know exactly what reputation you want to build. You need to know exactly how you want others to describe you and the work you do, even when you aren’t in the room.

Once you’ve clearly defined the reputation you intend to build, you can use it as a filter. Everything you do — every article you write, every presentation you give, and every offer you make — either enhances or diminishes your reputation. As a result, it’s remarkably easy to inadvertently confuse your audience and diminish your reputation.

The good news is that you can always get back on track.

Not every opportunity is an opportunity.

Many of us got into consulting because we want to be of service. But if you’re not careful, your desire to be of service can erode the reputation you seek to build.

The erosion of your reputation starts innocently. A client or a colleague asks you to do something that is not core to your work, but is tangentially related. Because you know you can help, and you value the relationship, you say yes.

That leads to another request related to the first, but even less related to our core work.

Before long, most of your time is taken up doing work that is far removed from the work you want to do. And the grateful client or colleague you helped? They eagerly refer you to others so you can do more of the work you don’t want to do.

You’ve built an excellent reputation. But it’s the wrong one.

Several years ago, a colleague asked me if I would step in after a last-minute cancellation to facilitate a conversation with her community of emerging business leaders. Because she was in a jam, and I value our relationship, I wanted to help. She shared that several members of her community were feeling trapped into doing work that was neither part of their job description nor what they wanted to do. I’m quite familiar with that challenge, so we decided to focus the session on how to build and maintain a reputation that advances your career by knowing when to take on outside tasks and when to pass them along to colleagues.

We had a great conversation.

Two weeks later, my colleague invited me to join her and her planning committee to discuss having me speak at a digital summit for emerging leaders. In the email, she raved about the session I led for her community and shared some participant feedback. I was flattered and nervous. She clearly thought highly of me, but for all the wrong reasons.

Where you focus matters.

While it is easy to be led astray by our own good intentions, that’s not the only way to diminish our reputations.

As a consultant, your work is multifaceted. Each facet is part of a cohesive whole. The interconnected nature of your work allows you to tailor each engagement to meet the client’s needs. The facets of your work thus come in and out of focus during an engagement, with one more important at the beginning and another taking priority toward the end of the engagement. That ebb and flow is expected. But when you emphasize one element and fail to balance it with the bigger picture, you risk becoming better known for that part than you are for the whole.

When generative AI hit the mainstream in 2023, it was heralded as a panacea, especially for consultants. With a well-written prompt and the click of a button, you could generate social media posts, articles, client reports, legal briefs, graphics — anything you need. It’s like having a team of associates at your beck and call.

Or so we were told.

I never bought into the hype, but because my work is centered on writing, I am often asked about generative AI. From the very beginning, I have encouraged people to proceed with caution. In many spaces, especially in those heady early days, I was one of only a handful of voices asking that we pump the brakes. As a result, I was getting a reputation as a generative AI curmudgeon.

I don’t mind being thought of as a curmudgeon, but I was becoming better known for my stance on generative AI than I was for the work I actually do. Generative AI is a useful tool for the work I do — it is neither a panacea nor the devil in digital form. But it is only a tool; it isn’t my work.

So, when I stumbled across a Forbes article on generative AI that made my blood boil, I had to stop and take a deep breath. If I reacted to the article, I would further enhance my reputation as a generative AI curmudgeon. In so doing, I would diminish my reputation as someone who equips consultants with the tools they need to write articles for high-visibility publications and use those articles to achieve their business goals.

Recalibrate to get back on track.

When you realize you’re in danger of building the wrong reputation, it’s time to stop and take stock of everything you are doing so you can rebuild the reputation you intend to build. How you recalibrate depends on how you got to this point.

If your reputation eroded over time as a result of agreeing to do something only tangentially related to your core work, it’s important to shift your thinking. Not every opportunity is an opportunity.

Sometimes what appears to be an opportunity is really a distraction.

When I was asked to speak at the digital summit for emerging leaders, I was hesitant. I could certainly speak to emerging leaders about building their reputations through thought leadership, but I’m not qualified to talk about traditional leadership topics. And since this wasn’t a paid speaking opportunity, I had to evaluate whether accepting this invitation would help me get in front of the right audience. The more I learned about the summit, the more I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me, and I wasn’t the right fit for them.

I declined the invitation to speak at the summit.

But just because this opportunity was not a good fit for me, didn’t mean it wasn’t a perfect fit for someone else. I introduced my colleague to my friend, Kristen. A leadership coach who had risen through the ranks of corporate America, she could provide valuable insights to the emerging leaders attending the summit.

And she did.

When you are faced with an opportunity that is really a distraction, think about how you might turn that distraction into a gift. Who do you know who would appreciate such an opportunity? Who do you know who would be the perfect fit for such an opportunity? By making that connection, you not only protect your reputation, you also serve the person who extended the opportunity to you and the person you recommend in your place.

Accepting opportunities that are not directly related to your work is only one way to inadvertently diminish your reputation. The other? Focusing on one element of your work at the expense of the bigger picture.

When I first read the Forbes article about ways to improve your ChatGPT prompts “according to science,” I wanted to hop up on my LinkedIn soapbox and go on a full-throated rant. The article weaponizes science, implying the results of a single study are incontrovertible. (That’s not how science works.) It also explains that ChatGPT generates better responses when users lie and threaten punishment. It thus trains its users to be deceitful bullies in their written communication.

I love the dopamine hit that comes with a good rant, but I needed to take a step back.

I decided to share the article, my thoughts about the article, and my internal debate about whether I should or shouldn’t write about it on LinkedIn with my colleagues on a private Slack channel. The thoughtful exchange on Slack helped me clarify how and when I talk about generative AI. It also served as the genesis of this article.

When you find that you are spending too much time and energy focused on one element of your work, take a step back. What do you want to be known for? How important is this particular element to the whole of your work? Does it really warrant this much attention? If you are particularly energized about this part of your work, can you find a private outlet for conversations around that piece? How can you give the people you are here to serve a more complete picture of the work you do? By answering these questions, you can bring balance back to your body of work and build the reputation you want to build.

Building a reputation as an authoritative expert takes time and a focused, consistent effort. While you cannot control how your audience regards you and the work you do, you can choose what you share with them. And if you find that your audience’s perception is something other than what you want it to be, you can change course.

Your reputation is your most valuable asset.

Protect it.

* * *

Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. An authority development consultant and strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication, writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

How to Exponentially Increase Your Impact

Erica Holthausen — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:40:32 GMT

If you want to increase your impact, expand your community, narrow your focus, and equip others with the tools they need to do the work you are uniquely suited to do in a way that is uniquely suited to them.

Many consultants work on specific projects within specific industries. They may work on one project for months or even years. If that’s true for you, it may be hard to see the extent of the impact of your work. While you can see the difference your work makes to that client, you might not see much impact outside of that sphere.

Some consultants are content to work with a handful of clients for their entire careers. They get to know those clients well and see projects through from beginning to end. They are part of a team, and for many folks, being part of a team is immensely satisfying. It can also feel safe and familiar.

But if you limit yourself to working with a handful of clients, and don’t take the opportunity to share your wisdom and insights with a larger audience, you are limiting the scope of your impact.

Create a vision for the future.

You got into this business to make a difference in your corner of the world. But you cannot create what you cannot see.

If you cannot see a vision for the future or how your work helps bring that vision to fruition, it’s almost impossible to create that future and incredibly easy to get mired in the day-to-day work of consulting.

Yes, you have bills to pay, invoices to send, networking groups to attend, and clients to serve. But you also have important work to do — work that makes a difference. And if you are focused on the minutia, it’s hard to see what you are working towards or why it really matters.

Take some time to envision the transformation you seek to make in the world, especially as it relates to the work you do with your clients. What would you like your clients to know? What would you like them to do differently? What skills and resources do they need to operate that way? What gets in the way and keeps them from making the necessary changes? What have they tried before? Why hasn’t that worked?

By answering these questions, you will more clearly define your BIG idea — the bold, insightful, and galvanizing idea that serves as the foundation of your business and your reputation. Your BIG idea is a guiding principle for your business; it will define the services you offer, the topics you talk about, and the subjects you write about. The more intentionally you focus your work around that one overarching idea, the easier it will be for you to build your reputation around and to become known for that idea.

Build a community with a shared vision.

If your professional inner circle is currently smaller than you would like it to be, that’s okay. Even a small inner circle can provide you with a strong foundation. As you share your vision for the future with the people in your inner circle, including your clients, colleagues, and partners, start to build a community around that vision.

A strong inner circle is a great place to stress test and refine your vision for the future. The members of your inner circle who are most engaged with your vision can add to it, point out areas of weakness, and help you refine and strengthen it. The stronger your vision for the future, the easier it will be to share it with a larger audience.

As you start to expand your community, think about who else might share your vision and who you will need to collaborate with to make your vision a reality. Is your vision focused on a specific industry or people who serve in a specific role? What do those who share your vision have in common?

Remember that you don’t need to share your vision with everyone. Think of your community as a series of concentric circles centered on a shared vision. As you share your vision with your inner circle, your reach expands along with the size of your community.

One of the best ways to share your vision with people you don’t yet know, but who would be interested, is to write for high-visibility publications. When you write for the right publication, you are able to share your vision with a well-established, targeted audience.

But that’s not all. Writing for high-visibility publications also allows you to enjoy the imprimatur of the publication — their editorial team vetted you, and by publishing your work, they are signaling to their audience that you are an authority in your field. You are effectively borrowing the publication’s reputation and relationship with its audience and using that social proof to build your own reputation and relationships.

As you build a community around this shared vision, others will add their perspectives and experiences to it — they will start taking ownership of the vision and actively work toward implementing it. That may sound frightening, but it’s the only way your vision will ever be realized.

While it may have started with you, a shared vision isn’t actually yours — nor was it ever meant to be. But you still have a crucial role to play in realizing that vision.

Define how your work contributes to the shared vision.

How does your work contribute to this shared vision? Which part of that shared vision are you uniquely suited to address? Which part energizes and inspires you?

Everything we do has ripple effects. But it’s hard to see the effect those ripples have on others, and easy to believe that the impact we have is smaller than it is. When we can’t see the impact we’re making, it can be tempting to expand your focus. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Expanding your focus and taking on even more work — especially work that isn’t particularly interesting — is a sure-fire way to spread yourself too thin and burn out.

Not all of the work that needs to be done to realize a shared vision is yours to do.

So, what work is yours to do? What is your greatest gift to give? What work belongs to someone else (even if you aren’t sure who that someone else is)?

Knowing what work is yours, and what work belongs to someone else, will help you focus on where you can make the biggest impact. It is possible to scale your impact even as you narrow your focus. Writing for high-visibility publications and speaking to other people’s audiences will help you accomplish this goal. More sophisticated tactics include developing a signature method so you can serve more people at once and licensing your expertise to enable others to do the work you do.

Creating change is hard, and you cannot do it alone. You need others working alongside you doing the same work and spreading the same message. And you need them to be able to bring their full selves to that work. Not everyone who needs your help will want that help from you. It is impossible for you to serve everyone who needs your help, and the truth is, you won’t want to serve everyone who needs your help.

If you really want to make a difference, you must share your perspective with others. You must build your community around a shared vision for the future, and you must allow, and even celebrate, others doing the same work you do.

Once you are clear about the change you want to see and the work that is yours to do, use it as a guide for everything you do. Your focused efforts will have a profound ripple effect.

* * *

How (and Why) to Edit Other People's Work

Erica Holthausen — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 16:08:57 GMT

We aren’t taught how to edit other people’s work, so we tend to focus on grammar and commas and spelling. Or we end up rewriting someone else’s work in our own voice because it just didn’t quite sound right to our ears. But editing is a skill anyone can learn, and becoming a better editor makes you a better writer and better communicator.

The key is to start with what is often referred to as a developmental edit, which focuses on the structure and organization of a piece, before moving to a copy edit, which looks at the grammar, language, and structure of each sentence. Because the developmental edit is often overlooked, we’ll focus on that piece of the editing process. Here are three steps to follow when editing someone else’s work:

First, embrace these five principles.

Good editing requires good communication and a heavy dose of compassion. Offering editorial criticism in a way that is both useful and kind requires a great deal of intention and thought. Embracing these principles is a good place to start:

Offer critiques from the reader’s point of view, not your own. When editing someone else’s work, keep the reader top of mind. Your goal is to help the writer communicate their ideas clearly to the intended reader. Center your comments on the reader. For example, “There’s a lot of jargon in this article that could be confusing. Will your readers understand it?”
Point out the particularly good elements, not just the parts that need work. It is always helpful for writers to see what really works about a piece. Let them know when you find something particularly insightful or well-crafted. For example, “I really like the way you took this very technical neuroscience research and made it actionable. Not only does that help me understand how such a big concept applies to business, but it positions you as an expert who really knows her stuff.”
Give the writer a reason why you think something should be changed. Whenever you suggest a change or highlight a possible problem, let the writer know why you think a change needs to be made. For example, “I had to read this sentence a few times before I really understood it. While it appears to be technically accurate, I’m afraid readers might not take the time to understand it, and it’s an important point. Is there a way to say this more simply?”
Propose a solution whenever possible. The writer has invested a lot of time in this piece, and may not be able to see problems that are obvious to you. When you identify a problem, offer a solution to help the writer understand the problem you identified. For example, “Perhaps it would help to break this sentence up into two or three sentences and really walk the reader through your thought process.”
Respect the writer’s voice. Just because you would make the point differently, doesn’t mean that the way the writer expressed themselves is inaccurate or inappropriate. When you encounter a question of voice or style, note it once and explain your concerns. Then move on. For example, “I know you swear in conversation, but it lands a bit differently to me when it’s in writing. Will your readers be okay with cursing in an otherwise formal piece?”

As an editor, your goal is to help the writer articulate their thoughts in a way that the reader will understand. But remember that you are merely making suggestions. The writer gets to decide whether to adopt, adapt, or ignore those suggestions. After all, the writer’s name is the one that will go on the piece.

Second, evaluate the editorial quality of the article.

To evaluate the editorial quality of an article, make sure you understand who the intended audience is and what the writer intended the reader to take away from the piece. Then, read the entire article for context and evaluate it based on the questions presented by the CORD Framework:

Cogent. Does the piece present a compelling case in support of a specific position or point of view? Is it useful to the intended audience? Does it provide enough context for the audience to understand its importance?
Original. Does it have a strong voice and clear point of view? Is it insightful? Does it add to the conversation? Does it build upon the writer’s experience?
Researched. Are the insights presented based on evidence? Are assertions grounded in facts and experience? Is the data accurate? Is research presented with sufficient context? Are cited sources trustworthy?
Deep. Is the piece well written? Does it leave a lasting impression? Does it dive below the surface and offer insights not found elsewhere? Is it relevant? Does the writer discern fact from opinion?

A high-quality article meets each of these criteria and positions the writer as an expert in their field. Look for places where the writer satisfied these criteria, and where the writer fell short. Point out any places where they could build their authority by improving one or more of these areas.

Third, look for and address common challenges.

While every writer has different strengths and a distinctive voice, there are certain challenges we all struggle with from time to time. By looking for these challenges in other people’s work, you’ll find it easier to identify them in your own writing. Here are some of the most common challenges and how to address them:

No clear point. What is the main point of the piece? Is it clear and obvious? Can you state it in one sentence? Does the writing ever stray from that point? Is every piece of information in the piece relevant to that point? Or can some parts be cut? If you can’t state the point clearly and succinctly, it means the writer has a bit more work to do. Let them know that the main point isn’t clear and identify those places that seem to go off topic or add confusion.
Burying the lede. Does the writer get to the point quickly? Is it clear from the beginning of the piece? Or does is the writing setting the stage for the first few paragraphs? Burying the lede is very common, and it is deadly in business writing. If the reader isn’t sure what the point of a piece is from the very beginning, they aren’t going to stick around long enough to find it. If you discover the lede a few paragraphs below the start of the piece, identify it as such, and remind the writer that their audience wants to know exactly what they’re getting themselves into before investing their time into reading anything.
Unclear audience. Who, exactly, is the audience for this piece? Does that stay consistent throughout? Or does it shift? A shift between “we” and “you” can work; but a shift from “you” to “them” rarely does. In business writing, the most powerful pronoun is “you” because it is clear and it speaks directly to the reader. If the piece you are editing seems to be speaking to several different audiences, identify where it shifts and bring that shift to the writer’s attention.
Muddled thinking. Do you get lost in the piece and find you have to read a sentence or paragraph a few times to understand it? The two most common reasons writing fails is because the writer hasn’t thought through it enough or the writer is trying to cover every possible scenario. Long sentences and rambling paragraphs offer cues that the writer is still clarifying and simplify their thoughts. Point out any problem areas and let the writer know where you had a hard time following their thinking. Shorter, simpler sentences are often the first step towards a solution.
Questionable logic. Does the writer make any leaps of logic not supported by the words on the page? Do they offer their opinion and make it sound like a fact? Does the writer refer to studies in support of their argument but fail to cite the actual study? If you were tasked with discrediting the writer, where would you poke holes in the argument? It is incredibly difficult to fact-check your own work. As an editor, you can do a real service to the writer by pointing out where their argument doesn’t hold water or where they fail to take alternative viewpoints into account.

The relationship between an editor and writer requires a great deal of trust. It is collaborative and constructive, which means it sometimes requires difficult conversations and honest disagreement. Editors must be cognizant of how they deliver their criticism. Writers must endeavor not to take that criticism personally. Both must approach the work from a position where respect and care for the reader is paramount.

When you edit someone else’s work, not only do you help the writer improve their skills, but you improve your writing skills as well. To put this into practice, consider joining the Writing Practice community. Or recruit a colleague. If each of you commits to writing one article each month by a specific date, you can then come together and edit one another’s work. Not only will you both improve the quality of your writing, but it will be a lot easier for you both to complete your writing projects.

* * *

Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication, writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

From Huh? to Aha! 3 Real Pitch Makeovers

Andy Winig — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 20:38:45 GMT

Last week was a pitch-slinging, message-polishing, clarity-boosting bonanza.

It’s like running a messaging repair shop – pitches roll in and we tune them up one by one.

From clients and prospects to Pitch Lab participants, we cut through the clutter, unearthing and polishing the hidden gems behind the confusing intros.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at three examples to show you how small changes can make a big difference.

Example 1: From Technical to Tangible

Original Pitch:
I help business owners use AI to solve marketing tasks they hate.

What’s missing:
This one sounds clever, but it’s too vague to land. “Business owners” is way too broad, and while “AI” is a hot topic, pairing it with “marketing tasks they hate” doesn’t paint a clear enough picture of the problem being solved. There’s no hook, no urgency, and no specific person that comes to mind to refer you to. Without clarity on who it’s for or what it actually does, it’s easy to gloss over—and that means missed connections.

Next Iteration:
I help CMOs improve email marketing conversions using AI.

Why it’s better:
Now we’ve zeroed in on a specific audience (CMOs) and a measurable outcome (email conversions). This version is way more grounded, and much more likely to catch the attention of someone in that role. But when we dug deeper, we realized it still wasn’t hitting the emotional target.

Final Pitch:
I use AI to help CMOs prove to their CEO that their marketing works.

Why it works:
This one hits the nerve. It speaks to the real fear and daily pressure CMOs face: “Can I show that this is working?” It passes the Pillow Talk Test—it’s what a CMO might worry about first thing in the morning. It’s also benefit-driven, emotionally resonant, and sets up a compelling follow-up conversation.

Example 2: From Broad to Believable

Original Pitch:
I guide individuals at mid-career level to suitable jobs so they can pursue fulfilling careers.

What’s missing:
This one sounds nice… but it could apply to just about anyone. It’s an accurate yet broad generalization of the work she does, and people don’t engage with general. She does help people find a “fulfilling career,” but that’s too vague to spark curiosity or connection. The result? No emotional hook, and no specific referral comes to mind.

Next Iteration:
I help graveyard shift workers find daytime weekday work.

Why it’s better:
Now we were getting somewhere. She visibly relaxed, then broke into the most radiant smile. “This is language that resonates with the people I want to serve,” she beamed. The pitch came straight from a real success story—one of her clients who made the leap from overnight shifts to daytime work. It’s specific, visual, and easy to repeat. You can feel the impact—nights and weekends free is life changing. And if you know someone stuck on the graveyard shift, you’ll instantly know to send them her way.

Alternate Version (Equally Strong):
I help immigrant professionals get credentialed to work in the US.

Why it works:
This one came straight from her own story—she was a teacher in Uganda who had to navigate the complex process of getting certified all over again when she moved to the U.S. It’s personal, purposeful, and crystal clear. If you’ve been through it, or know someone who has, this pitch hits home.

So which pitch should she use? Honestly—both are great. I recommend trying each one out for a couple of weeks and noticing which one gets better reactions, follow-up questions, and introductions. The best pitch is the one that sparks productive conversations.

Example 3: From Blah to Aha

Original Pitch:
I offer low disruption process improvement.

What’s missing:
This one falls flat because it doesn’t solve a clear problem. “Process improvement” could mean anything—from manufacturing to HR to IT—and without context, “low disruption” sounds more like a sales objection than a hook. There’s no pain point, no urgency, and no clear audience. It’s too safe to spark interest.

Next Iteration:
I work with COOs to shift from departmental goals to enterprise performance.

Why it’s better:
Now we’re speaking to a specific role—COOs—and pointing to a meaningful shift. It hints at the bigger picture and makes you wonder, Wait, are we too focused on departmental goals? It’s intriguing, but still a bit conceptual.

Final Pitch:
I help COOs stop measuring what’s easy and start measuring what matters.

Why it works:
This version cuts through the noise. It’s sharp, memorable, and makes you think. It takes what he’s best at—fixing how organizations track success—and wraps it into a clear, educational insight. If you’re a COO and this hits a nerve, you immediately want to talk to him. It doesn’t just describe his service—it reframes the conversation.

Why These Pitch Shifts Work

Each of these transformations delivered a little aha! moment—not just for the person saying the pitch, but for the people hearing it. That’s the real goal. A great pitch doesn’t just explain what you do—it sparks interest, invites follow-up questions, and gets the right people thinking, “I know someone you should talk to.”

When your pitch is too broad, too vague, or too clever, it makes people work too hard to understand—or worse, they tune out entirely. But when your pitch is specific, clear, and emotionally resonant, it starts conversations. And conversations are where opportunities begin.

So whether you’re helping immigrant professionals re-enter their field, showing CMOs how to prove their value, or helping COOs measure what actually matters—your pitch is more than a tagline. It’s your first step toward connection.

Ready for Your Own Aha! Moment?

If reading these pitch makeovers has you thinking, “I could use a little help with mine…” you’re in exactly the right place.

Book a free 30-minute Perfect Pitch Consultation and we’ll untangle your current intro and find the words that actually get people interested.

Or, if you want a place to test, tweak, and workshop your message with a fun crew of fellow professionals, join us in the Pitch Lab—live every Monday at 1pm Eastern.

Your pitch is closer than you think. Let’s make it clear, compelling, and conversation-starting.

Andrew Winig is an Elevator Pitch Coach. He works with consultants who want to monetize their expertise. He wrote the Elevator Pitch Handbook and publishes a weekly Elevator Pitch Tips Email Newsletter.

How to Build a Successful Consulting Business

Laura Burford — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 20:16:26 GMT

When you started out as an independent consultant, your business boomed! You felt confident that your decision to go out on your own was the right move.

But now, well, the story is different. Despite your experience, expertise, and commitment, you’re struggling. New clients aren’t coming in consistently, revenue is unpredictable, and the strategies that once worked no longer seem effective. You’ve tried different approaches, yet you’re not connecting with the right people. Simply, you’ve hit a plateau.

The worst part? You’re exhausted, frustrated, and know you can’t continue down the same path. Something needs to change.

Does the story sound familiar? How about this story?

While searching for a new position, a former employer reached out with a problem they knew you could solve. Although they couldn’t offer you a full-time role, they could bring you on as a consultant. You agreed, thinking it was just a temporary solution. Then something unexpected happened.

You realized you enjoyed the freedom of being your own boss and taking charge of your own future. However, as the engagement wrapped up, you faced a new challenge: finding your next client. You knew that if you wanted to succeed, you had to figure it out that next step—fast.

If either of these stories sound familiar, you’re not alone. I’ve been there. I know many other independent consultants have been faced with the similar challenges.

But all of us had one common driving force. We all wanted to be successful and that meant we needed to change if we wanted to not only survive but become known as the “go-to” expert in our field.

Change meant each of us needed to simplify what we were doing and eliminate or stop doing anything that was not absolutely necessary. It required following a “less is more” approach and implementing realistic, repeatable techniques and tactics that fit each of us and met the needs of our ideal client.

Change also meant we each needed to take a step back and find a consulting framework that worked for us. Then we needed to adapt that framework to work for us and our clients.

When I started my own business years in 2002, I used a framework that I knew. It was a big four consulting framework that really didn’t work for an independent consultant or smaller consulting business. It was too much. Oh, make no mistake. To this day, I use numerous aspects of that big four framework in my business.

What ended up happening is a several years ago I create a framework known as The Consultant’s Blueprint^©. The Consultant’s Blueprint is my Point of View, my approach, to helping independent consultants and smaller consulting businesses.

The Consultant’s Blueprint is a framework that is based not only on my years of consulting experiences, but on the feedback and advice received from numerous successful consultants, struggling consultants, and consultants who simply gave up. Since its initial publication, the framework has also evolved thanks to feedback from my clients to where it is today.

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The Consultant’s Blueprint^©

Pillar 1: Clarify Your Business Core (The Foundation for Success)

Pillar 2: Build Awareness (The Marketing of You)

Pillar 3: Develop Trusted Relationships (Become Known as the Expert)

Pillar 4: Obtain Engagement Commitment (Turn Interest In You into Clients)

Pillar 5: Deliver with Excellence (Client Satisfaction Transforms into Long-Term Trusted Relationships and Repeat Business)

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It is great to have a framework that I can personally use and one that helps my clients, but in an effort to help anyone who can relate to either of the two stories mentioned in this article, I recently created The Ultimate Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Business. This guide is a 12-page resource that explains the five pillars of the Consultant’s Blueprint. Included is an overview diagram, short explanations of each pillar, and an “ingredient list” for each pillar to help you focus on what truly matters to succeed.

The philosophy behind the Consultant’s Blueprint and this guide is simple:

>The best consulting businesses follow a “less is more” approach.

>You don’t need to try everything or chase every recommendation that comes your way. Instead, you keep to the fundamentals. You refine, add, and eliminate as needed to build a business that fits you and your ideal clients—leading to the right clients for you, consistent revenue, and more freedom.

Here is a download link to the guide: The Ultimate Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Business.

_______________

Laura Burford helps independent consultants and smaller consulting businesses create the right clients leading to consistent revenue and time to enjoy life on their terms. She is the founder of Laura’s Consulting Guide, host of a YouTube channel, and is known for her Consulting Mastery program.

Published Articles Are Business Assets. Put Them To Work.

Erica Holthausen — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 16:42:46 GMT

Published articles are valuable business assets, especially for consultants, but few people use them to their advantage. Instead, most people write and publish an article, promote it on LinkedIn and through their email newsletter, and then let the piece sit in an obscure corner of the internet gathering dust.

Writing for well-known publications like Harvard Business Review, Inc., or TD Magazine is a valuable and effective authority building tactic. But publication alone is unlikely to result in a flood of phone calls and inquiries. In the rare cases where an article does get a lot of attention, that attention is short-lived.

The true value of published articles is realized over the long term. Published articles are tools that help you build awareness, increase visibility, establish trust, and differentiate yourself from your peers. But how you use those tools depends on the type of article you’ve written and your business goals.

Categorize your articles by purpose.

Different types of articles serve different purposes. A mix of all three types of articles gives you access to a multipurpose toolbox designed to help you build your authority, differentiate yourself from your peers, and attract more of the right-fit clients.

Every article you write should provide the reader with actionable insights, but how you use each article depends on which type it is. Before you make a plan for using your articles, review each one and put it into one of the following three categories:

General Articles. The purpose of general articles is to raise awareness about you and the work you do. These articles are informational, widely applicable, and stay relevant over time (evergreen). They explore topics that are frequently discussed in your field and offer practical advice.
Foundational Articles. The purpose of foundational articles is to generate interest in working with you. These articles are narrow, deep, and evergreen — they offer the reader insights into the work you do, how you do that work, and the values that shape your work. They explore topics directly related to the reputation you are building and make your position crystal clear. These articles often allow readers to determine whether your worldview is aligned with their own.
Specialty Articles. The purpose of specialty articles is to nurture a particular lead. These articles are nuanced, deep, and situation-specific. Sometimes written in response to a conversation with a potential client, they demonstrate your understanding of the prospect’s industry by exploring a current challenge and offering keen insights to help address that challenge.

After you categorize your articles, make a plan for each category. You will create an awareness plan that applies to every article you write. In addition, you will create an interest-generating plan for foundational articles and a lead-nurturing plan for each specialty article. In some cases, an article may be categorized as both a specialty article and a foundational article. That’s okay; the label you assign to a particular article is much less important than the way you use it.

Build awareness with general articles.

The vast majority of the pieces you write will be general articles. These are the bread and butter of your awareness, visibility, and authority-building initiatives. To make the most of these articles, create an awareness plan that includes a mix of promotion, repurposing, and syndication.

Debra Roberts does this quite well. A columnist for Inc.com, she regularly shares practical tips to help business leaders have more productive conversations. In “Master the Art of Definitive Communication,” Debra demonstrates how leaders use ambiguous language and offers scripts to help them make more decisive statements. This practical, broadly applicable piece is a perfect example of a general article. Examining how she might use this piece offers insights into what your awareness plan might look like:

Promoting articles allows you to expand your reach. In addition to promoting articles on social media, Debra can share links to her articles with her email subscribers and online communities. She might also keep a list of articles (with links) on her desktop so she can quickly share relevant pieces with people she speaks with at networking events and during speaking engagements.
Repurposing articles allows you to share your ideas in more ways. Every article can be repurposed to create additional marketing assets. For example, Debra might review this article and come up with a series of ambiguous statements and their more definitive counterparts and share that series as a carousel on LinkedIn.
Syndicating articles allows you to republish your articles elsewhere. Because Inc.com allows contributing experts to syndicate their articles, Debra can republish the same piece (with a different headline) on her company blog. In fact, she can republish this piece on any platform that accepts syndicated content.

Once an article is published and your repurposed assets are created, plan to promote your articles again and again, for as long as they are relevant. Start with a three-month rotation schedule and expand it to six and then twelve months as you build your library.

Generate interest with foundational articles.

Foundational articles are workhorses that offer the reader a deep dive into the work you do and how you do it. To get the most value from these pieces, write your foundational articles after you test and refine your ideas because you will cite them frequently. You only need a handful of foundational articles, so expect to invest extra time to enhance the editorial quality of each one.

Chloé Nwangwu’s first foundational article appears in Harvard Business Review. "Why We Should Stop Saying 'Underrepresented'" makes the case for abandoning the oft-used but imprecise term “underrepresented” in favor of a more accurate term: underrecognized. She sites this article as often as possible — in her blog posts, newsletters, and when she appears as a guest expert on podcasts.

Incorporate your foundational articles into the awareness plan you create for your general articles. Make sure at least one asset from one foundational article is in the rotation schedule every month. These articles provide your audience with the context they need to understand the work you do and how you can serve them. You want to share that message repeatedly because repetition is your reputation.

In addition to incorporating your foundational articles into your awareness plan, create an interest-generating plan. These articles are valuable business assets and should be used to generate interest from prospective clients and partners.

Chloé shares her foundational article anytime she introduces herself to a new contact and references the piece in her professional bio, proposals, and pitches. When her friends and colleagues introduce her to a prospective client or speaking opportunity, they also include a link to this article.

Foundational articles give people a sense of who you are, how you think, and what you do. And that helps you build trust with others before you even meet them.

If a foundational article is gated or only available in print, make sure you have a digital copy you can share with others. Many publications will provide you with a PDF of your article, making it easy to share with prospective clients and partners. Just make sure you double-check the terms of your copyright transfer agreement to make sure you aren’t violating the publication’s copyrights.

Nurture leads with specialty articles.

Specialty articles are often written in response to a conversation with a client, prospective client, or colleague about a specific situation. These pieces aren’t applicable at all times to all clients, but they are still incredibly valuable. Not only do specialty articles build your relationship with the individual who inspired the piece, but they speak to anyone who has grappled with the issue in the past.

When Raman Shah wrote “Starting Simple in Performance Measurement” for the International City/County Management Association, he was responding to an oft-repeated rebuttal to his recommendation that a prospective client implement operational reporting as a management tool. It is a compelling piece that makes the case for measuring output, not just impact.

Like all the other articles you write, specialty articles should be incorporated into the awareness plan you create for your general articles. You will also want to create a lead-nurturing plan for each specialty article. Who was this piece written in response to? How and when will you share it with them? Who else might benefit from reading this piece? Would any past clients see a past version of themselves in the piece?

Raman’s article was written in response to objections brought up by prospective clients, so it is a specialty article. It is also core to his work as a consultant on performance measurement and operational improvement for local governments. So, it may well be both a specialty article and a foundational article.

Your articles are assets. Don’t let them gather dust.

Published articles are appreciating business assets, but those assets only increase in value if you use them as such. While you may worry that you’re promoting your articles too often, the truth is that nobody is paying as much attention to your content as you are, and repeating your message over and over again helps people remember you.

While it is possible for a published article to result in a great deal of attention, leads, and even new opportunities, that possibility is the exception, not the rule. The true value of your published articles is realized over time.

When shared with the right people and in the right ways, published articles not only help you build awareness and increase visibility, but they also help you establish trust with prospective clients and partners.

And that opens the door to new opportunities.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication, writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

What to Write When: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Authority

Erica Holthausen — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 14:25:08 GMT

Should you write a book? Or focus on your blog? What about your email newsletter? Should you focus on that next? Do you need a lead magnet? Or should you write for high-visibility publications? What about social media? How does that fit into the mix?

If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, then you already know writing helps you build your reputation, increase your visibility, and reach the right audience. It is an exceptional authority-building technique that showcases your perspective, insights, and approaches to solving problems. It allows readers to get to know, like, and trust you.

It also differentiates you from your peers.

Over the course of your consulting career, you will use various forms of writing, such as social media posts, email newsletters, blog posts, articles for third-party publications, and books, to share your perspective and demonstrate your expertise. Each form of writing serves a distinct purpose. Understanding how they work together is essential to knowing which to use at each stage of your consulting career. Here, I offer a step-by-step approach to help you focus your writing efforts.

First, write to develop your perspective.

You must develop your perspective before you can share your perspective. If you are an early-stage consultant, or you have recently shifted your focus to serve a new industry or offer a new service, start by posting on LinkedIn and writing for your blog and email newsletter.

Use this time to learn about your audience’s biggest challenges, how they’ve tried to address those challenges, why those attempts failed, and where they turn for guidance. Understand the counsel your audience is receiving and where other experts in your field are oversimplifying or overcomplicating the solutions they offer. Note where you can add some nuance, fill a gap, or offer a different perspective.

According to data on the lifespan of online content compiled by Scott Graffius, a post on LinkedIn receives half of its total engagement within 24.3 hours while a blog post receives half of its total engagement within 1.95 years. GetResponse reports that the lifespan of email newsletters is even shorter than that of social media posts, with half of all opens occurring within the first 8 hours.

Writing helps you interrogate your own thinking, and when you share your writing, you invite others to offer their perspective so you can refine your thinking. These vehicles are perfectly suited to experimentation and the development of your perspective:

LinkedIn. LinkedIn posts have a short lifespan. However, they also have a high likelihood of engagement and great potential for building your network. This makes LinkedIn an excellent place to offer up ideas even when they aren’t fully formed, and to invite and actively engage in discussion. Those types of posts have the potential to help you see your idea from a new perspective, thus refining your thinking, and are great ways to build relationships with others in your field.

Newsletter. Email newsletters have a much shorter lifespan than LinkedIn posts, but go directly to people who have opted-in to receive your newsletter and are interested in what you have to say. You may choose to share ideas in which you have a great deal of confidence, or you may invite the recipients to test developing ideas with you. Because your newsletter community is easy to reach, you have plenty of opportunities to share your thinking as it evolves.

Blog. As is the case with email newsletters, your blog is a platform you own and control, so it is more secure than sharing your ideas on social media. Blog posts have the longest lifespan and greatest flexibility because they can be revised, updated, or deleted at any time. You can also expand the lifespan of a blog post by repurposing it and intentionally sharing it over and over again. Because your blog can be accessed by anyone, you want to have confidence in the ideas you present at the time you present them. Think of each blog post as a snapshot of your thinking at a particular point in time.

Your blog and email newsletter serve as the foundation of your authority-building efforts and are enhanced by your presence on LinkedIn. Regardless of what other forms of writing you employ, make sure your foundation is solid and reinforced throughout your consulting career. A solid foundation will position you for future growth.

Second, write to build your network and authority.

As a mid-stage consultant, you have a strong point of view and experience-based expertise to share. You have an excellent reputation, a strong network, and a steady(ish) stream of projects. However, you may find that your reputation is confined to a small circle of clients and colleagues and your network lacks focus. You may also find that you are doing too much of the wrong kind of work.

This is when you want to consider writing for high-visibility publications.

A high-visibility publication is any publication that allows you to share your ideas with an already-established audience populated by the people you most want to reach. Writing for these publications helps you share your message with more of the right people and expand your audience. It also provides social proof — the publication vetted you and decided you have something important to share with their readers. They recognized you as an expert in your field.

In most cases, your articles will be published online. These articles are similar to a blog post, with a long lifespan that can be expanded by promoting and repurposing the article again and again. It is rarely possible to update these articles, so you want to have confidence in the ideas you present. That being said, these articles are dated, and you can always stop sharing them when they no longer accurately reflect your thinking, and they will fade into obscurity.

Articles written for third-party publications are remarkably flexible marketing assets that offer readers a detailed examination of a very specific topic in a format that is easy to digest. In most cases, you can syndicate these articles, publishing the same piece on your blog with a link back to the original, thus reinforcing the foundation of your reputation-building effort. Unlike your blog and email newsletter, however, writing articles for high-visibility publications provides you with access to an already-established audience, making it easier to build your network.

Third, write to share your hard-earned wisdom.

As an established consultant, you have a strong point of view, extensive experience, and a reputation as an authoritative expert and leading thinker in your field. Your sphere of influence is vast, and your network includes other recognized experts, clients, and emerging leaders. As you start to transition from a mid-stage consultant to an established consultant, consider writing a book to share your hard-earned wisdom.

While you may choose to write a book earlier in this process, keep in mind that writing and promoting a book requires a significant investment of time, money, and effort. You want to undertake that effort when you can afford to focus your attention on your book — when your pipeline is full and you don’t need to worry about where your next project will come. Writing a book can be a fun distraction, when what you really need to do is the hard work of business development.

You don’t need to write a book to build a successful consultancy.

If you do write a book, the return on your investment will probably not come in the form of book sales. Your book is much more valuable as a marketing asset than as a stream of income.

As a published author, you will be seen as an authoritative expert simply by virtue of the fact that you have published a book. If that book stands on its own merits, your reputation as an authoritative expert will be confirmed. If the book lacks insight or is poorly written, it could damage your reputation — at least with those who read it.

A book is a stable marketing asset, and it must stay relevant and resonant over time to be valuable. You have a better chance of writing a book that holds up over time and opens the door to more opportunities if you have an established audience and a solid reputation. Use articles — published on your blog or in high-visibility publications — to test and refine your ideas and make sure they stand the test of time.

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To learn more about how articles and books work together, download my infographic on The Relationship Between Articles and Books.

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Articles and books work very well together. Don’t be afraid to start with articles and use the articles you’ve written as a foundation for your book. Not only is it easier to write a 750 to 1,250 word article than it is to write a 35,000 to 65,000 word book, but those articles can help you build your audience for the book you intend to write.

Once your book is published, you can repurpose your research and writing into published articles that continue to build your audience and generate further excitement for your book. Breaking each chapter of your book into articles is a great way to repurpose your book and reinforce the foundation of your reputation-building effort.

The first step is simple.

No matter where you are in your consulting career, writing will help you build your authority, increase your visibility, and reach the right audience. Whether you focus on your blog, write for high-visibility publications, or start work on a book depends in large part on your current priorities and whether you have a solid foundation in place.

Writing never goes to waste. Even when your writing is not published, writing helps you think deeply and improves your ability to communicate highly complex ideas. Sharing those ideas allows you to refine them even further.

Are you ready to take the first step?

Just write.

And if you’d like some extra support, consider joining the Writing Practice community.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication, writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

Are You Losing Control of Your Intellectual Property by Writing Articles for Publication?

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 14:44:41 GMT

Your expertise is the foundation of your business. When you fix that expertise in a tangible form of expression, such as a book, article, or podcast, it becomes a valuable asset and a type of intellectual property. As Erin Austin of Think Beyond IP says, “Owning and controlling intellectual property is the prerequisite to scaling your B2B expertise-based business.”

As a consultant, it is essential to protect your intellectual property.

But how do you protect your intellectual property when you’re writing and publishing articles? Doesn’t that put your intellectual property at risk? And what should you do if the publication you write for wants to own the articles you write? Doesn’t that mean you are giving up control of your intellectual property?

A primer on copyright law.

To be eligible for copyright protection, a work must be creative, original, and authored by a human (which means articles generated by AI are not eligible). It also must be in a form that allows the work to be consumed and reproduced. Written, audio, visual, and video works are all eligible for copyright protection.

Copyright protection attaches to a work as soon as it takes tangible form. So, as soon as you write an article, that article is copyrighted and you are the copyright owner. You don’t need to register the work with the U.S. Copyright Office. Registering the work provides you with additional protections and makes enforcement easier, but it is not required.

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For information about the legal remedies available when someone infringes upon your copyrights, review Copyright Infringement Damages by Erin Austin.

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As the copyright owner, you have the exclusive right to display the article, reproduce it, distribute copies, and create derivative versions. You may also transfer these rights to others, either permanently or for a defined period or purpose.

Copyright protection attaches to the work — in this case to the article. It does not protect the ideas presented in the article. Copyright protects the expression of your ideas, not the ideas themselves.

You cannot protect your ideas. You can, however, become known for your ideas.

Transferring ownership of your intellectual property.

Copyright law permits you to transfer some or all of your rights to display, reproduce, distribute copies, and create derivative versions of your article. Some publications ask you to sign a copyright transfer agreement, which transfers some or all of your copyrights to the publication.

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Important Note: In the absence of a written agreement, submitting your article grants a publication a non-exclusive license to publish your work. An exclusive license is a transfer of your copyrights, which requires a written agreement.

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Publications seek the copyrights to your article so they can control when, where, and to whom they distribute the article. Many association publications request the copyrights to limit distribution of the article to their members. Your article is a benefit of membership. That benefit isn’t terribly valuable if the article can easily be accessed elsewhere.

Often you will be asked to sign a copyright transfer agreement shortly before the article is published. If you’re not expecting it, this practice may feel manipulative; you may feel you have no choice but to sign the agreement.

Most reputable publications operate in good faith. The practice of requesting a transfer of copyright at the last minute is fairly standard. It is a holdover from the publication’s work with freelance writers. Freelance writers are paid upon publication, and publication is not guaranteed. There is no reason or incentive for a freelance writer to transfer their copyrights to the publication until they know the piece will be published and they will be compensated.

A copyright transfer agreement is a contract. But few people (authors and publishers alike) take the time to read and understand the terms of these contracts. Publications often see these contracts are mere formalities — something that is done because it’s always been done.

It is essential that you read and understand the copyright transfer agreement before you sign it. If the agreement transfers all your rights to the publication, the publication owns your article and can rewrite it or publish it without crediting you as the author.

Determining your next steps.

Before you decide how to proceed, you must first review the contract carefully. These agreements are typically quite short, so take the time to determine which copyrights are reserved to the author and which are claimed by the publication. And remember that the terms of the copyright transfer agreement are negotiable.

One of the most important rights to retain is the right to be credited as the author. If your article includes a chart or infographic, you want to make sure it is identified as a separate copyright owned entirely by you. Finally, understand what rights you have to distribute the article. Many publications will provide you with a PDF of your article that clearly identifies the publisher.

Before negotiating the contract, keep in mind that copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself. Also, there are real benefits to transferring your copyrights to the publication. If someone steals your article and claims it as their own, they have infringed upon the publication’s copyright, not yours. So it is the publication that will have to take action to enforce those rights.

Once you have reviewed the contract and determined which rights you want to retain, it’s time to negotiate. If your editor sent you the transfer of copyright agreement, give them the benefit of the doubt that they are acting in good faith. Frankly, the chances are good that they haven’t read the contract in a long time — they send it out as a matter of course, paying it little attention until someone raises the issue.

Your editor is your advocate. They have invested time and energy into you and the article you’ve written, so they don’t want to see this fall apart any more than you do! If there’s anything you don’t understand about the contract, ask for clarification. Share your concerns and seek a solution that serves both you and the publication.

As the copyright holder, you must take the time to understand your rights and the rights you are giving up when you sign a copyright transfer agreement. You also need to know which rights you want to retain so you can negotiate the terms of the agreement.

This is your intellectual property.

Protect it.

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DISCLAIMER: This article offers general information about copyright protection, and I made every effort to ensure its accuracy. However, I am not an intellectual property attorney. Please consult with a lawyer who specializes in copyright law before making any decisions that will affect your rights. To learn more about what you can and cannot copyright and license to others, take Erin Austin’s free quiz.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication, writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

My Dyslexia Made Me a Better Writer. It Can Help You Too.

Erica Holthausen — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 14:41:55 GMT

I am dyslexic. I was diagnosed in grade school in the 198os, and no one knew quite what to do with me. I was a smart kid, but a painfully slow reader, and I’d often reverse my letters and numbers or make simple spelling mistakes.

Word searches were nearly impossible for me to complete.

I am still a slow reader, and when I’m tired, I reverse letters and numbers and make simple spelling mistakes. I often can’t spell “of” correctly — even though “o.v.” doesn’t look right. Acronyms don’t stick in my head, and it is ‌difficult for me to process written information when it is poorly formatted.

The websites of the early 90s were a nightmare.

But dyslexia also comes with a few gifts, one of which is a remarkable ability to identify and recognize complex patterns, including language patterns and article structure.

The power of pattern recognition.

In high school, I wanted to be a journalist or a lawyer. Because of my diagnosis, my academic advisor told me neither option was realistic.

That was the last time I spoke with my advisor.

I’ve always enjoyed reading and writing, even though I was much slower than my peers. But slow reading helped me study the structure of everything I read. Over time, I understood what made a collection of words stick together. As I discovered writers whose work I admired, I studied their writing more closely. It felt like a game — like a giant jigsaw puzzle of words.

In law school, I picked apart legal briefs, Supreme Court decisions, and journal articles. The structure differed from the novels and National Geographic articles I was used to, but it was there. Because of my understanding of the structure of legal writing, I was awarded a Dillard Fellowship, a teaching assistant position in the legal research and writing program at the University of Virginia School of Law. The following year, I served on the editorial board of one of the law journals.

The first time I wrote for a magazine, I read every article the publication put out in the last year so I could find the patterns. They all followed a similar structure, with slight variations depending on who wrote the piece.

Once I understood the structure, I could mimic it.

As I developed my writing voice, I experimented with the structure, adding my own variations. Once I found a few structures that worked well for me, I rotated between them.

The structure of an article is largely hidden. When no one noticed I was using the same few structures repeatedly, I got nervous.

I felt like I had pulled a fast one over on my editor!

But structure is built into every kind of writing, and my editor was well aware of my preferred variations. But because they fit within the standard structure, my preferences were part of my voice and style, not a trick.

Your reader expects a certain structure, even if they can’t identify each of the elements. And structure helps you, as the writer, get your point across.

Using structure to become a better writer.

Every non-fiction article follows a variation of the same basic structure: there’s an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction works with the headline to tell the reader what you’re going to tell them while providing the necessary context. The body goes into the details, telling the reader what you want to tell them. The conclusion wraps it all up in a nice bow and tells the reader what you just told them.

Variations exist within that basic structure, but that structure is always there. It provides a solid container for your writing.

Because I am dyslexic, I struggle to write in a logical order. Having an outline helps, but when I’m writing a longer piece, or a piece with a lot of research, my process looks chaotic.

I capture quotes and notes and miscellaneous ideas in one big document. I don’t bother looking for a rhyme or reason. I throw everything into the mix. At this stage, the point is to capture my ideas and anything else that might make it into the piece.

Then, I print out the document and grab a pair of scissors. I cut each snippet of text from the page and group similar ideas together. I order the notes within each group, and write one section at a time. I rarely start at the beginning. I like to start with the section that sparks my interest and curiosity.

It’s a messy process, but it works for me. It allows me to honor the way my brain works.

I don’t think linearly, which can be a bit of a challenge. But it can also help me make connections that other people miss. And those connections — those surprising insights — make for good reading (and fun writing)!

It is because of my dyslexia that I understand the patterns inherent in article-writing.

These patterns are things you can learn, and they can help you become a better writer, regardless of whether you have dyslexia.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication, writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

On Crickets, Cheerleaders, and Curmudgeons: How to Know if Your Perspective Resonates

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 20:45:12 GMT

Sharing your perspective with your audience is essential to differentiate yourself from your peers. But how do you know if you are clearly conveying your perspective and if it is resonating with the intended audience?

Building your reputation is a long game, but staying attuned to other people’s reactions to your work can help you determine if you’re on the right path.

What if you share your perspective and no one responds?

Everyone who publishes articles, blog posts, social media posts, or an email newsletter is familiar with the experience of sharing something they believe is particularly important and insightful, eagerly awaiting the crowd’s response, and hearing nothing but silence.

And one lonely cricket in the distance.

What does that mean? Does it mean no one cares what you have to say? Or that your perspective isn’t resonating with your audience? Or does it mean the piece you spent a lot of time crafting wasn’t clear?

Most of the time, you won’t receive any material feedback. Silence is the standard response.

Participation inequality is a well-studied phenomenon. According to the Nielsen Norman Group, user participation in social media and online communities (including blogs) generally follows a 90-9-1 rule where the vast majority of users do not engage with the content — they may read and observe, but they do not like, comment, or post. Approximately 9% of users engage to some extent on occasion. But it’s the 1% who post, like, comment, and stay engaged. And even then, the response they provide may not be valuable.

How can you improve the quality (and quantity) of responses?

Sharing your work on a social media platform or through your email newsletter is unlikely to elicit many responses, and the responses you do get will probably not be terribly valuable. The key to increasing the number of responses is to ask for a response and make it easy for people to respond.

Most people won’t take the time to read your article closely, especially when you share it on social media. To increase engagement, write the post so the reader can comment intelligently even if they don’t read the article. Give them the context they need and ask a specific question that they can answer without further research.

Yes, your goal is to get people to read your work. But that only happens if the right people know about it. When it comes to social media, the only way to get more people to know about your work is to increase engagement on your post. The more comments you get, the more people you reach.

To receive high-quality feedback, you need to make a specific request of specific individuals — and I don’t mean tagging them in a social media post.

If you want someone to put time and energy into responding to what you’ve written, you must put time and energy into crafting your request.

Be clear about the type of feedback you want. Only you know what kind of feedback is valuable to you. A general request, such as “I’d love your thoughts on this piece,” is a big ask. It not only requires the recipient to read the article but forces them to either ignore your request or spend time trying to guess which kinds of “thoughts” you want them to share with you.

If you want good feedback, ask good questions.

In your request, give the recipient a bit of context about the article and why you are asking for their opinion. Then, ask a few specific questions. For example, “This article was inspired by the conversation we had at the conference last month. One of the points you made was that you don’t feel like you have a deep enough understanding of how artificial intelligence works, how it might be deployed in a manufacturing facility, or what red flags you should be aware of as you adopt this technology. I address each of these issues in this article. Did I provide you with the information you need? Does it raise any new questions for you? What do you wish I had addressed but didn’t? I’d be happy to receive your response by email or, if you’d prefer, we could hop on a call.”

Keep in mind that just because their feedback is important to you doesn’t mean it’s important to them. Give them the benefit of the doubt that they have good intentions. Giving meaningful feedback takes effort, so the recipient of your request may not respond immediately. Even with the best intentions, they may forget about your request as they focus on more urgent matters.

Don’t take it personally.

What if the only accolades are from your peers?

It is not uncommon for the article you publish to garner a lot of attention from your peers but absolutely no attention from your intended audience. Your peers know you and have a deep understanding of the topic you wrote about, so it isn’t surprising that they would respond to your writing.

That’s great news!

It means you are adding to the conversation and not to the noise. And it positions you as an expert among experts.

Remember the 90-9-1 rule? Just because your prospective clients aren’t engaging in the conversation doesn’t mean they aren’t listening to it.

Keep that in mind as you respond to your colleagues. Look for opportunities to add more depth to the article and showcase your understanding.

What if prospective clients disagree?

What if a prospective client vehemently (and publicly) disagrees with something you wrote?

Depending on how your client expresses themselves, your reaction can range from defensiveness to anger to curiosity. The most important thing is to remember that even though this one person is the one engaging with you, others are listening.

So, read negative comments carefully. Are you sure you are interpreting them correctly? Might you be misinterpreting something they said? If so, ask a clarifying question. Similarly, if they have a point, acknowledge it. Take this as an opportunity to dig in deeper together.

You can often turn a negative into a positive simply by the way you engage with criticism. Even if you don’t persuade the person you are in conversation with, remember that others are watching, and you may persuade them! Most people online do not engage — they lurk. Sometimes your primary audience isn’t the person engaging with you; it’s the lurkers.

If you’re engaging with someone criticizing your work and they become combative or disrespectful, remember that you don’t have to respond. You don’t owe them anything, and your ability to maintain your composure will be noted by others. An argument requires both people to fuel the fire. You have the right to disengage.

If you are engaging with someone criticizing your work and you decide that they are right — that what you wrote either wasn’t accurate or was missing a bit of nuance, that’s okay. Acknowledge it, and thank your interlocutor for engaging in the conversation with you and sharing their perspective. This will further your relationship with the person engaging with you and show others that you are open to other people’s perspectives and willing to change your mind when warranted.

If the argument stops being productive, simply don’t engage in it. It’s okay to agree to disagree. Again, others will be watching and respect the way you handle it.

Finally, if you lose this prospective client because they disagree with you, they probably weren’t a very good prospect to begin with.

Keep sharing your perspective.

Sharing your perspective with your audience is essential to differentiate yourself from your peers. Your perspective is valuable as long as you add to the conversation and not the noise. Adding to the conversation sometimes means people will voice their agreement. And it sometimes means they will voice their disagreement.

A complete lack of response does not mean that your writing adds to the noise. Most people don’t engage with online content — they read it but don’t necessarily reach out to the author or comment on a social media post. The best way to get a sense of whether your article is valuable is to share it with a specific person and ask that person a specific and relevant question.

Building your reputation is a long game.

Keep going.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication, writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

Your Perspective Is Your Differentiator. Share It.

Erica Holthausen — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:46:31 GMT

Independent consulting is an increasingly competitive industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2022 to 2032, the number of consultants is projected to grow significantly faster than other occupations. Demand for consulting services is also expected to increase, particularly for smaller consulting companies specializing in specific industries or business functions.

The opportunity is clear, but many consultants struggle to differentiate themselves from their peers, and prospective clients often view consultants within a particular practice area as interchangeable.

When prospective clients can’t see the difference between the consultants who can serve them, they make their hiring decision on the one difference they can quantify: price.

Blending in with your peers may be comfortable, but competing on price is not conducive to doing your best work. If you are willing to share your perspective and participate in the conversation around your expertise, you will stand out from the competition and give prospective clients a reason to work with you — regardless of your pricing structure.

The benefits of standing out.

Human beings are hard-wired to belong. As a result, most people (and, indeed, most companies) want to blend in with the crowd. Blending in is not only more comfortable for those whose insights could rock the boat, but it is also more comfortable for the rest of us. We all find comfort in the familiar.

As a consultant, however, you must be willing to rock the boat.

Your work focuses on helping your clients solve sticky business problems. Solving those sticky business problems requires your clients to embrace change.

Your clients can only create the change they seek by taking some risks.

The same is true for you.

The only way to differentiate yourself from your competition is to take a risk — to stand up and share your message, even if some people disagree with you.

Standing out is scary, which is why so few people try. But if you are willing to take the risk and share your insights with a larger audience, more people will hear your message. Some will disagree with you or simply ignore you. But those who see value in your ideas will adopt them, and your ideas will have a much greater impact.

Your business is built on your reputation, which is enhanced every time you provide real value to the people you serve. You deliver that value directly when you work with a client on a specific project or indirectly by sharing your ideas publicly through writing or speaking. When you consistently provide value, the people you serve will go to great lengths to have you on their team.

Developing your distinctive perspective.

Your experiences, insights, and education inform your perspective — the way you think about and approach your work. Your perspective is not carved in stone but will continue to evolve and change as you have new experiences, develop new insights, and gain new skills.

Your perspective, or point of view, must align with your BIG idea — the bold, insightful, and galvanizing idea that serves as the foundation of your business and your reputation.

If your perspective is not aligned with your BIG idea, you will diminish your reputation because your audience (including prospective clients and partners) will be confused about who you are, what you do, and how you can help them.

The first step in developing your perspective is to define your BIG idea.

What do you most want for your clients? If you’re not sure how to answer this question, consider a freewriting exercise. Write the question at the top of a page, set the timer for 10 minutes, and then answer without stopping or editing. When the timer goes off, review what you wrote and try to condense it into one sentence.

The answer you come up with might feel too simple. But if you know it to be true and can feel its truth in your body, you’re probably onto something.

Your BIG idea doesn’t have to be new or provocative. It may not even require a paradigm shift. When it comes to BIG ideas, small can be BIG.

Evaluate your BIG idea by asking yourself if it boldly states your position in favor of a particular outcome, is based on your insights, and will galvanize your clients to create the future they now know is possible.

Once you’ve defined your BIG idea, list the steps your clients will need to take to realize that envisioned future. Your list of steps and guidance about executing each step demonstrate your perspective.

Your perspective is more than just your opinion. Your perspective offers a viable alternative based on your experience, education, and insights.

Sharing your perspective with the right audience.

Your perspective is only a compelling differentiator if you share it with the right audience. When you do, you stand out from your peers because you deliver real value to your prospective clients and partners before you even meet them.

So, who is your audience? Who are the people you serve? How can you reach them? What associations do they belong to? What events do they attend? Who do they follow for inspiration? What publications do they read?

One of the best ways to build your audience is to get in front of well-established audiences of the exact people you want to reach. Writing for high-visibility publications and speaking at conferences are two of the most effective ways to do this so you can share your message with the right people.

These tactics also provide social proof. The publication or event organizer vetted you and decided you have something important to share with their audience. That borrowed credibility helps you break through the natural skepticism we all have when we meet someone new.

Writing and speaking work very well together. One benefit of writing for high-visibility publications is that you can share your published article with prospective clients and partners as long as it remains relevant. The reach of your message isn’t limited to the people in the room as it is with speaking, or to the publication’s readers.

Consulting is an increasingly competitive field, and it’s more important than ever to differentiate yourself from your peers and position yourself as the obvious choice. One of the best ways to do this is to write articles for a high-visibility publication with a well-established, targeted audience. When you share your perspective and participate in the conversations around your area of expertise, you stand out as someone with valuable insights to share. If you do this consistently, people start to remember you, see the value you deliver, and identify you as the consultant who can help them become a better version of themselves.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication, writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

The Power of Writing About Hard Truths

Erica Holthausen — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 17:40:46 GMT

As a consultant, you often have to share hard truths with your clients — truths about the underlying cause of a problem they are struggling with or how they are exacerbating it. Sometimes, the client already knows the hard truth but doesn’t want to face it. But sometimes, you catch them off guard, and they must wrestle with your observations and recommendations. If you’ve been in business for a few years, you’ve probably gotten quite good at sharing hard truths with your clients.

Why is it, then, that so many consultants struggle to write about hard truths?

Articles that tackle hard truths directly and unflinchingly are extremely popular with readers and editors alike. Why? Because these types of articles, by their very nature, add to the conversation instead of the noise. They spark discussion and encourage people to think more deeply.

Many consultants want to avoid courting controversy by writing about a hard truth for fear of hurting the feelings of a current client or turning off a prospective client. Stating a hard truth in writing feels uncomfortable, so many equivocate and over-explain to soften the blow. But doing so simply dilutes the message.

When you share your observations boldly, you will provoke a negative response from those who benefit from the status quo. Sometimes, they will respond publicly and attack not only your argument but also your credibility.

But if you want to work with clients who value your perspective and are willing to work with you to tackle the challenges they face, writing about hard truths will enhance your reputation and directly benefit your business.

Hard truths are born of hard experience.

Your clients hire you to solve problems. Even before you start a new project, you ask questions about the problems your client is facing, what they have done to try to solve them, and where they think the source of the problem lies. This phase of a prospective project gives you a good deal of information — only some of which is accurate.

Once the project starts, you can observe your client in action. Your observations and further questioning help you understand how your client operates and what might be contributing to the problem they hired you to solve. You may also discover problems your client wasn’t even aware of that need to be solved. This process of inquiry and observation is crucial. Only after you understand the challenges at play can you diagnose and treat the problem.

This diagnosis and treatment often require hard conversations with your client.

Years ago, when I worked for a boutique nonprofit consulting firm, we were conducting a feasibility study for a capital campaign. As we spent more and more time with the board and staff, we realized that the executive director’s poor leadership was one of the organization’s biggest challenges. The staff did not trust him (with good reason). Neither did several influential community members. While these community members did intend to maintain their membership, they had no intentions of making a more significant gift so long as the current executive director ran the organization.

My colleague and I had to break the news to the board. Not only was a capital campaign to the tune of several million dollars not feasible, but the organization was at risk of losing several valued staff members and even more of its donor base if they didn’t take action. Quickly.

These difficult conversations took place in private meetings, but they brought to light several challenges faced by nonprofit organizations throughout the United States. And we wrote about those challenges publicly. Through our blog and articles written for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, we clarified the purpose of a feasibility study. We stated that if a study revealed a successful capital campaign was not feasible, we let our clients know. Even though it means we lost the opportunity to manage a capital campaign. Moreover, we gave them recommendations that, if followed, would strengthen their organization and put all the pieces in place so they could launch a successful capital campaign.

The benefits of writing about hard truths.

When you write about hard truths, your colleagues, prospective clients, and partners get a ringside seat to your thinking, approach, and willingness to say what needs to be said.

Writing about hard truths also differentiates you from your peers. You will attract attention if you write about challenges in your industry that few people address publicly. That is a crucial first step to building your business and positioning yourself as the obvious choice for specific types of projects.

By being bold enough to say what others want to ignore, prospective clients and partners who value your perspective will identify themselves. They will also feel validated and understood, which will help them see you as someone they can trust, someone who has similar values to their own.

Those with no interest in tackling complex issues honestly, who are unwilling to have a hard conversation or do the work required to address challenges within their organization, will distance themselves from you. And that’s great because you want to work with the people who value you, your approach, and your perspective. You don’t want to work with people who frustrate you.

How to write about hard truths.

As an established consultant, your experience-based expertise is invaluable. But your perspective can only enhance your reputation and help you build your business if you share it. But how? Here are five concepts to keep in mind to help you write about hard truths without damaging your reputation:

Be you. You aren’t trying to provoke the reader. Instead, you are writing about a challenging situation you see regularly and offering your insights. You don’t need to use inflammatory language if that isn’t your style, nor do you need to cushion your message. Show up on the page as you show up at your client’s office.

Bring the receipts. Back up your statements with research, facts, and illustrative examples whenever possible. When that is not possible (and there are plenty of times when that is the case), appeal to reason. Help the reader understand your perspective without making it personal.

Show empathy. Demonstrate that you understand how people came to be dealing with the challenge they are facing. Consider incorporating your experiences, and don’t be afraid to dive into the nuances. Exploring the nuances is a great way to show that you understand their challenges are complicated. Let your readers know that they aren’t alone.

Be bold. While it is essential to show empathy, you don’t want to shy away from the truth. Be clear, definitive, and respectful. If you try to soften the blow, your message may be lost (and that doesn’t help anyone).

Offer actionable insights. Don’t simply point out the problem. Offer a solution or tools the reader can use to start addressing the problem. You might provide a diagnostic tool, a list of questions to ask, or a script. You want your reader to be able to take action toward a resolution, even if the action is small.

To serve your readers, you need to be clear and offer up the hard truths with a dose of empathy and some practical advice. While you might turn some readers off, you will also fire some readers up. Those who agree with your perspective will appreciate that you were bold enough to address the hard truths and go against prevailing wisdom (or the current fad). These readers will see themselves in you and want to engage with you further.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

The Business Case for Writing Articles for High-Visibility Publications

Erica Holthausen — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 17:17:11 GMT

Before undertaking any authority-building tactic, such as writing articles for high-visibility publications, speaking, starting a podcast, or writing a book, you must clearly identify the business case for doing so. As is true for every authority-building tactic, you are unlikely to be paid to write for high-visibility publications. (Indeed, you should expect to invest your time and possibly your money.) You need a reason to engage in authority-building that goes deeper than financial compensation.

Your contributions are crucial to most publications’ business models.

Business magazines profit from your expertise whether you are interviewed by one of their writers to serve as a subject-matter expert for an article or you write for the publication as a contributing expert.

The opportunity to write for publications as a contributing expert arose to satisfy a specific need.

Business magazines rely heavily on advertising revenue. Today, a great deal of that advertising happens online. Online advertising revenue is driven by website traffic. The more traffic the business publication’s website gets, the more advertising revenue it earns. Website traffic relies on search engine optimization (SEO), which is driven by a steady influx of original, high-quality content.

The magazine’s need for content far outpaces its capacity to produce that content.

We may be moving into a post-SEO world. If that is the case, original, high-quality content will be even more important.

The articles you write as a contributing expert help the publication reach its advertising revenue goals, which helps pay for the freelance writers, staff writers, editors, and countless other staff who keep the publication running. But more importantly, your articles help the publication serve its readers.

Today, readers can read articles written by professional writers who incorporate independent research and the perspectives of several subject-matter experts and articles written by working consultants with boots-on-the-ground experience. That’s a potent combination.

You receive real value in exchange for your expertise.

The value you provide to these publications is significant. The value you receive is equally significant — provided you use it wisely.

By writing for a high-visibility publication, you can build your authority and stand out from your peers. Writing for these publications lets you present your ideas and perspective to a well-established, targeted audience interested in your area of expertise. Other authority-building tactics, like writing a book or hosting a podcast, require you to build your own audience.

Writing for high-visibility publications also allows you to enjoy the imprimatur of the publication — their editorial team vetted you, and by publishing your work, they are signaling to their audience that you are an authority in your field. You are effectively borrowing the publication’s reputation and relationship with its audience and using that social proof to build your own reputation and relationships.

If you treat your articles as appreciating assets, you can translate the intangible benefits of reputation and relationships into tangible benefits to your business.

Chloé Nwangwu is the founder of NobiWorks. She has done extensive research on visibility biases and coined the term “underrecognized.” A graduate of my Pathway to Publication program, she published “Why We Should Stop Saying ‘Underrepresented’” in Harvard Business Review in April 2023. As a result of this article and her ongoing promotion thereof, she has been invited to speak at conferences and summits and serve as a guest expert on podcasts. She uses the article to expand her network and start conversations with prospective clients and partners.

Fair compensation is a value-for-value exchange.

A value-for-value exchange only works when both parties value what is being exchanged. The value exchange you engage in when you write for a high-visibility publication is quite different from the value exchange freelance writers engage in when they write for a publication.

Freelance writers provide a different type of value to high-visibility publications than contributing experts. Their ability to find a good story, identify all the angles of that story, conduct interviews, and craft that story so the reader understands every nuanced detail is a valuable skill. They also have the freedom to present a variety of perspectives in one article. They dive deep into the nuances, are skilled at sniffing out misinformation (and disinformation), and don’t shy away from asking difficult questions. They are exceptional researchers and interviewers. And, of course, they are excellent writers.

Freelance writers write about a variety of topics. Writing for a publication isn’t about building authority or connecting with a specific audience. It’s their job.

Freelance writers don’t write to support their business; writing is their business.

It is the craft they have dedicated years of their lives to learning and improving. Unlike consultants and other expert contributors, however, freelance writers only need to know who the audience is to ensure their piece is relevant to that audience. But they write for several publications, which means they write for several different audiences. Access to a well-established and well-defined audience isn’t valuable for freelance writers.

As a consultant, you undoubtedly write a lot. But writing isn’t your profession — it is a tool that helps you convey your ideas to your audience, differentiate yourself from your peers, and build your authority.

Only two authority-building tactics give you access to a tailor-made audience interested in your perspective: writing for high-visibility publications and speaking, whether at industry events, as a guest on a podcast, or at another gathering.

You’re not writing articles to get published; you’re getting published to achieve specific business goals. Whether you are looking to secure more speaking engagements, connect with fellow leaders in your industry, or get more meetings with the right prospects on the books, being invited to engage with an already-established, well-defined audience is significantly more valuable than the small sum offered by the few publications that pay their expert contributors.

Before investing your time in any authority-building tactic, make sure you have a clear and compelling business case for doing so.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

What if I Disagree with My Editor?

Erica Holthausen — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 17:52:15 GMT

If you’ve never worked with a publication’s editor before, navigating the relationship can feel a bit tricky. Every editor has a different communication style, and every publication has different editorial guidelines. What passes muster with one editor may not satisfy another. In fact, the same editor can sometimes send conflicting messages. While they might quickly approve an article featuring one expert, they might cut several paragraphs from a similar article about another.

What should you do if you disagree with your editor? When can you push back? When should you just let it go? And what will happen if you do push back?

Even professional writers get upset when their work is heavily edited and nervous when they have to push back. If an editor has already invested their time and energy into your work, they are unlikely to pull the piece simply because you respectfully disagree. Give your editor the benefit of the doubt and look at your writing from their perspective so you know the best way to address the issue.

Remember that your editor is your partner.

Editors are working with you, not against you. They want your article to be as strong and compelling as possible; most edits are made to accomplish those goals.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy to see your article marked up and torn apart.

The first time I wrote an article for a magazine, you could barely see the words for all the red ink! Sitting in a coffee shop across from my editor, I was mortified. My writing career was over before it even got started. I was also angry. I told her I wasn’t a writer when she first mentioned the idea. Why didn’t she listen?

Before I could spin out further, she told me I did an excellent job with my piece and asked if I would keep writing for the magazine.

I took a deep breath and a closer look at the article. There was a lot of red ink. But by looking at each edit and comment individually, I started to see my piece from her perspective. I realized how a little bit of restructuring would make the piece a lot stronger.

When an editor asks a question, they really do want to know what you think. They are opening a dialogue with you and want to understand your perspective. Their goal is to make sure your piece is crafted well and will reach the intended audience.

The more closely you can work with your editor, the better your article will be. Good editors appreciate a healthy and productive back-and-forth, so be forthcoming with your thoughts, and if you disagree with your editor, let them know why. If you understand the editor’s concerns but disagree with their proposed resolution, offer an alternative.

Understand the competing interests at play.

An editor’s first loyalty is to the reader. Publications exist to serve their readers, and editors will review every article from that perspective. Readers are the lifeblood of every publication. Annoy, confuse, or belittle them, and they will go elsewhere.

One of the quickest ways to annoy your readers is to treat them like walking wallets and publish articles that are nothing more than thinly disguised marketing collateral. If your editor thinks something you wrote is overly promotional, they will cut it (and you should let them). If what they cut changes the tone of the piece, offer an alternative paragraph or two so you still make your point but aren’t promoting your work or someone else’s work.

Knowing what is and what is not overly promotional is more of an art than a science. What is approved and published today might be cut from your next article. Don’t feel bad if you cross the line; keep learning so you can become a more and more valuable contributor.

An editor’s second loyalty is to the publication, which can get tricky.

There’s always been a bit of tension between the advertising and editorial departments of magazines. Magazines have always relied heavily on advertising revenue, so keeping advertisers happy was in the best interest of the publication and the primary interest of the advertising department.

When I wrote for a now-defunct print magazine, some of my assignments were first proposed by advertisers. If they had a good project that fit into the magazine’s editorial calendar, we’d write a piece about it. The problem arose when the advertising department asked the editor to promote the advertiser in the article. In those cases, the editor had to negotiate with the advertising department and the writer.

You aren’t likely to run into this exact scenario, but you will still feel the tension between advertising and editorial.

Traditional business publications with an online presence still depend on advertising revenue. Online advertising revenue, however, is driven by the amount of traffic the website receives. Traffic is driven by search engine optimization (SEO), which is driven by a never-ending stream of high-quality content.

Because SEO is crucial to the publication’s business model, editors may change an article’s title, subtitle, first few lines, and subheadings to make it more compelling. So long as they don’t change the tone of your piece, understand that they are doing it to entice more people to read it. If you can’t stomach a change, contact your editor. Explain your position and offer an alternative solution.

Protect your reputation.

While you want to have a good relationship with your editor, at the end of the day, your name is on the piece, and you have to be able to stand by it. In other words, you are responsible for what gets published under your name.

Choose your battles. Not every edit you disagree with is critical, and editors are busy. If you can let it go, do so. Speak up if a name is misspelled or a factual error has been incorporated into the piece. Editors want your article to be accurate as much as you do, so they will likely rectify the mistake quickly.

When you raise a concern, be polite and respectful. If that means you have to walk around the block before responding to your editor, do it. You want a good working relationship with your editor, and polite disagreement is a sign of respect and shows that you take your work seriously. Be clear about why the edit doesn’t work, and offer an alternative solution.

As a freelance writer, I vehemently disagreed with an editor on only a handful of occasions. Generally, I want to offer my editor as much support as possible because they know I only object when it’s important.

Anytime my editor asked me to promote an advertiser in an article I wrote for the home and garden magazine, I would do my best to help my editor appease the advertising department. But I refused to write an advertorial (an advertisement that looks like an editorial article). As the person with her name on the piece, I got to decide what was overly promotional and what was acceptable.

Only once did I have to stand firm and flat-out refuse to make a requested change. I told my editor that I understood where she was coming from and that the changes could be made to the article so long as my name was taken off the piece. I wasn’t privy to the conversations my editor had, but I know she fought like hell for me. My article was published as written — with my name as the byline.

As a freelance writer, I could take my name off a piece because I would still be paid for it, and my articles weren’t about me. As an expert, however, you always want your work published with your name because it is about you, your expertise, and your perspective. So, while you may not have the option to take your name off a piece, you can pull a piece if you and your editor can’t reach an agreement. Most editors will respect your decision. And once you’ve pulled a piece, you are free to publish it on your blog, as a LinkedIn article, or on another third-party publication.

Navigating disagreements with your editor can feel uncomfortable, but remember that this is a conversation with a colleague, and the publication wants your content as much as you want to write for the publication. A good editor will welcome your questions and concerns and do their best to address them. Before you push back, seek to understand your editor’s perspective. Stay curious, polite, and respectful. And always offer an alternative solution.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

Good Writing Is Born of Deep Thinking

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 10:39:50 GMT

As an established consultant, you are an expert with a deep understanding of your industry. You understand the complexities and nuances others miss and know how they can impact your clients. Given your depth of knowledge, you might be tempted to pick a topic and just start writing.

Writing is not about the ink; it’s about the think.

In addition to thinking about the topic, you must also think about how you will convey your insights and perspective to the reader. This step is crucial and often overlooked. But the more time you spend thinking about the structure of the piece you plan to write, the easier it will be to write it.

Get your head in the game.

Set aside some time to engage in deep work. Minimize as many distractions as possible, set the timer for 10 minutes, and get your ideas out of your head and onto the page. You can do a freewriting exercise, capture your ideas in a mindmap, draw a cartoon, or dump your thoughts onto the page.

There’s no wrong way to do this, so do whatever works for you.

The point of this exercise is to get into the right headspace to get clear about what you want to say. By taking a little time to capture your ideas, you can filter out the head trash and focus on your core message.

Identify the point of the article.

Every article you write needs a clearly defined point. Knowing the topic you’re writing about is the first step. Now, you must decide the angle from which you will approach that topic.

To ensure that every article you write builds your authority, captures your audience’s attention, and adds your insights to the conversations they are having, conduct a SOAR analysis by answering the following questions:

Who does this article serve?
What is the objective of this article? Why should this audience read it?
What action will the audience be able to take after reading your article?
Will this article enhance or diminish your reputation?

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Download a copy of The SOAR Model™ to improve your content.

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Publications are looking for experts to provide their readers with actionable insights. Every article you write must change the reader’s thinking, mindset, or behavior.

Equally important, every article you write, every speaking engagement you secure, and everything you do must enhance your reputation. The only way to ensure it does, however, is to be clear about the reputation you wish to build.

Create a container for your writing.

The SOAR analysis makes the point and angle of your article clear, but you still need to structure your thoughts. A simple outline creates a container for your writing and structures your article in a way that is clear, compelling, and easy for the reader to follow. You don’t need to go into much detail; a brief statement followed by bullet points works fine. An article outline includes:

Working headline.The headline will likely change. Right now, all you need is a simple headline that reminds you of the point of the article.
Introduction. The introduction makes the point of the piece clear to the reader and provides the necessary context.
Subheads. Each subhead is a supporting point. Your reader should understand your point just by reading the headline and subheads.
Conclusion. The conclusion closes the loop and ties the body of your article back to the introduction.

Business articles have a straightforward structure. But that structure is what allows you to unleash your natural writing style. Now, instead of trying to figure out what you want to say next while you’re writing, you can simply fill each container with the appropriate information.

Write your shitty first draft. Quickly.

With a simple outline in place, it’s time to write your shitty first draft. Set a timer for 20 minutes and fill those containers as quickly as possible. Your goal is to complete your first draft within the allotted time.

One of the benefits of quickly writing your first draft is that it shows you whether you’ve given enough thought to the piece. If your thinking is still muddled, it may be that the angle isn’t quite right. If your thinking is clear, but you could make your point stronger, you may need to do more research.

Good writing meets your readers where they are and gives them the tools they need to get value from your writing. It helps your readers understand the complexities and nuances of a specific challenge so they can take steps to resolve it. And it positions you as a trusted advisor and authority in your industry.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

How to Organize Your Research and Capture Your Insights

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 13:19:34 GMT

The most effective way to demonstrate your depth of knowledge is to share your ideas and insights. You can do this through writing articles, posting on social media, publishing a book, hosting a podcast (or being a guest), speaking at conferences, or facilitating a workshop. Your goal is to add to the conversation instead of adding to the noise; to provide real value to your audience.

To accomplish that goal, you need to share actionable insights. And you need to share these insights in slightly different ways again and again and again. Because repetition builds your reputation.

Finding new and interesting ways to share the same old ideas requires you to be intentional. You must look for inspiration everywhere and actively read or listen to material about your industry. And you must capture your sources, quotes, research notes, and insights so you can refer back to them. Over time, you’ll start to see your research notes as a conversation, and you’ll begin to connect the dots in new ways.

Capturing and organizing this information can be a challenge. The best approach to organizing your research and capturing your ideas and insights is the one you’ll actually use. Even if it it’s messy and not terribly efficient.

Keep a research journal.

A research journal is a simple document that captures your sources, quotes, research notes, and insights. Keep topic-specific research journals that can evolve along with your learning. For each source, include a complete bibliography. Next, capture relevant quotes. Finally, write down your thoughts and insights.

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Download a copy of my research journal template.

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Use an online reference manager.

There are several citation managers on the market. While they are available to anyone, they are popular among academics because they can pull information directly from the university’s library. Here are three of the most common:

Mendeley Reference Manager is free desktop software that allows users to organize and store their references, create bibliographies and citations, and share their research with others. (This social aspect is quite popular with researchers.) The built-in PDF reader makes it easy to annotate and organize PDFs.
PowerNotes is a $10/month subscription service that allows users to create notes and organize them by project, topic, or source. It has a built-in citation tool that can automatically format citations in multiple styles and can capture content from across the web.
Zotero is free, open-source desktop software developed by a nonprofit organization. It allows users to collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research. It is similar to Mendeley but easier to learn. It has a browser add-on for Firefox and Chrome.

Customize an alternative platform.

Many people use other online tools to collect and organize their research, ideas, and insights. These tools tend to have a number of features that allow you to customize your experience (which can be both a blessing and a curse):

Evernote is a free note-taking and task-management application that archives and creates notes with embedded photos, audio, and saved web content. Notes are stored in topic-specific notebooks and can be tagged, annotated, edited, searched, and exported. The web clipper is especially helpful.
Notion is a free or low-cost project management, productivity, and note-taking web application with a ton of features, buckets of templates, and infinite flexibility. It organizes information hierarchically, allowing you to nest pages within other pages. It is popular with solo professionals and creative teams.
Walling is a free or low-cost web application similar to Notion. But instead of presenting information in a linear, hierarchical format, it is organized visually with the option to view information linearly. You can use each brick in a topic-specific wall to capture the source, quotes, and notes.

While it is important to capture your research, it’s even more crucial to capture your response to that research — your insights. Your insights are how you formulate your point of view or note areas requiring additional study. It’s where you begin to identify the gaps in the research or poke holes in other people’s conclusions. It’s where you figure out what you can add to the conversation that is uniquely yours.

To unearth your insights, take note of quotes that capture your attention and then explain why they caught your attention. One way to do this is to review each quote and write a statement that starts with “yes, and,” “yes, but,” or “no, because.” Those simple prompts help you dig deeper and bring more nuance to the conversation.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, where she equips consultants with the tools they need to develop a body of work that builds their authority, increases their visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. A strategic thought partner, she guides her clients through selecting and pitching the right publication writing and publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, and using those articles to achieve their business goals. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

So, I Guess We Gotta Talk About Generative AI

Erica Holthausen — Wed, 01 May 2024 17:50:34 GMT

When it comes to generative AI, I follow one simple commandment: Thou shalt not outsource your thinking, voice, or relationships to generative AI.

Generative AI generates media (images, videos, and text) from prompts supplied by the user. Applications like ChatGPT rely on Large Language Models (LLMs), algorithms that generate probabilities of series of words based on large datasets consisting of trillions of words scraped from the internet.

My biggest concern with generative AI is what it takes from us.

When we rely on generative AI, we outsource creativity to an application — a thing, not a person. A thing that cannot think and therefore cannot be creative. A thing that generates media in response to a prompt and deprives us of the joy of thinking deeply about an issue, wrestling with our ideas, and creating something in response.

Relying on generative AI deprives us of our humanity.

My laments for humanity are often dismissed by those who believe I am too idealistic. Others can’t hear my cries over the din of society’s demands to produce more and more, faster and faster. It’s true that I am an idealist. But I’m a pragmatic idealist (and a recovering attorney), so let’s turn to the business case against relying too heavily on generative AI.

The legal implications of using generative AI.

Erin Austin is an IP attorney who helps founders of expertise-based firms build and protect saleable assets. She discussed the legal implications of generative AI on her Hourly to Exit podcast with her guest, attorney Girija Patel. There’s a lot of depth and nuance to their conversation, but here are three key takeaways:

US copyright laws do not protect AI-generated content.
Content you produce with the assistance of AI might be copyrightable. If it’s easy to separate what you created from what AI generated, the portion you produced may be copyrightable. If that division is unclear, copyrightability will depend on how much control or influence you had on the AI-generated output. (Well, that’s clear as mud.)
Consultants, contractors, media outlets, and corporations are adding provisions to their contracts that clarify whether generative AI can be used and to what extent. Use these tools when your contract forbids it, and you’ll be in breach of contract.

The legal implications of using generative AI is a complex and evolving area of law. But the legal implications of using these tools shouldn’t be your only considerations.

Generative AI may negatively impact your reputation.

Your reputation is your single most important asset. When considering whether to use generative AI, and if so, how to use it, you must evaluate it against the potential harm to your reputation. Keep these three points in mind:

Generative AI cannot think. All it can do is use an algorithm to identify words that usually go together and spit out those pairings as sentences and pair sentences into paragraphs. That is why generative AI "hallucinates." If you use it, fact-check it. Always.
As a consultant, your clients pay you for your expertise. AI-generated content is generic; it cannot bring your experience or insights to bear on the challenges your clients face.
Some of your competitors are undoubtedly taking AI-generated content, polishing it up, and putting it out into the world as their own. They will put out a lot more stuff a lot quicker than you. But their work will lack depth, substance, and nuance. You can differentiate yourself by sharing your perspective and focusing on quality over quantity.

Generative AI can be a helpful tool if you use it wisely. And there are smart ways to use it to make the writing process easier, such as the approach shared by Neil Thompson in this LinkedIn post, especially if writing isn't your strong suit. But it can harm your business and your reputation if you don’t use it wisely.

Some will take the shortcut offered by generative AI, and many will get away with it even if their contract forbids it.

The internet is a noisy place. If you churn out as much content as possible as often as possible, you’ll do nothing more than add to the noise. Instead, focus on sharing your experience-based expertise and the insights your clients value most. Let others go after the immediate dopamine hit and burn themselves out on all the socials while you play the long game and build a sustainable consulting business.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Harvard Business Review, Inc., and Entrepreneur. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

How Automation Can Boost Revenue and ROI for Your Consulting Business

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 19:56:18 GMT

I often tell the story of the mild anxiety I used to feel as a new consultant when I read a prospective client’s email. It wasn’t because I wasn’t happy to get the email. It was because I was knee-deep in client delivery mode. I was already working on a client deliverable, had a proposal to create and send, and a few meetings to schedule.

I wanted to respond immediately but felt obligated to maintain the momentum of the task at hand. Far too often, I would respond several days after they made the initial contact and, who knows, maybe if I'd responded sooner, I could have had more clients.

This scenario is what life was like for me as a new business owner who hadn’t yet learned the joy of automating certain business processes to save time, eliminate anxiety, and accelerate sales.

What is automation?

According to the International Society of Automation, automation is the creation and application of technology to monitor and control the delivery of products and services. IBM describes automation as the use of technology to perform tasks where human input is minimized.

In a consulting business, automation can be used for functions such as marketing, customer relationship management, scheduling, financial management, payroll, project management, transcription, and more.

How automation is used in my consulting business

At Grants Works, automation is used for lead generation, lead qualification, lead nurturing, scheduling, onboarding clients and team members, email marketing, social media management, and research. There are other processes I plan to automate as the company grows.

How automation saves time

It’s not hard to imagine how automating repetitive tasks can save time. Creating automations means you can keep business processes flowing while you’re in a meeting with a client, devising plans with your team, or completing on a client deliverable.

How automation increases revenue and ROI

Quite simply, automation increases revenue by shortening the sales cycle. Deskera defines the sales cycle as a series of steps that a company takes to turn a prospect into a customer. So, automation either drastically reduces how long each step takes or may eliminate a step or two in the cycle.

Automation can also increase your return on investment (ROI) because the application can complete many tasks over a shorter period than it would take a person or several people to complete those same tasks. So, instead of paying a person to send a marketing email each time a lead is engaged, the application does it…automatically.

Automation also allows you to upsell or cross-sell products which means--more revenue. It allows you to segment and customize marketing messages and even price points based on what you know about the prospective client.

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Patrice A Davis is the founder of Grants Works Consulting, a government grant compliance consulting firm and the founder of Ready Set Go Consult, a consulting business accelerator for freelance or independent consultants who want to build, grow, and scale their consulting businesses. We teach strategies on how to operationalize their businesses, use their intellectual property, build thought leadership, and more. To learn about the accelerator, watch our free training on the Ready Set Go Consult website.

Are We Putting Too Much Emphasis on Storytelling?

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 18:41:23 GMT

Stories are powerful. But they aren’t the only effective way to share your ideas with your audience. And if you are afraid that you are not a good storyteller or aren’t telling stories the right way, this emphasis on storytelling might be holding you back.

Yes, the power of stories is undeniable.

Stories bring data, facts, and figures to life by giving them context and meaning. They help us connect with our audience emotionally and intellectually, and that connection allows us to get our message across in a way that is not only memorable but persuasive. A good story can capture people’s hearts and change their minds.

But have we taken this emphasis on storytelling too far?

Stories can help, but they can also harm.

When we think about stories, especially within the context of business storytelling, the underlying assumption is that stories are good for our clients, good for our businesses, and good for the world.

But stories are not inherently good; they are merely tools.

A well-told story has the power to engulf our minds. It can help us see the world differently and open our minds to new ideas and possibilities.

When the message the story imparts is positive, a story can make that message clearer to the audience. It can help the reader understand the idea by giving it form and substance. Moreover, it can compel the reader to take action and implement the idea because they see how to do it and know what they expect if they do it well.

But what if that message is not true?

In an interview on HBR’s IdeaCast, the literary scholar and author Jonathan Gottschall raised concerns about the “storytelling industrial complex.” An entire industry has been built around teaching businesses how to tell more memorable and persuasive stories. Many talk about the potential of a good story to “go viral.”

It’s an apt metaphor.

Stories don’t care if the message you wish to spread is true or not. The job of a well-told story is simply to spread the message encapsulated within it. And because stories are so powerful, a good story can inspire good people to do horrible things.

Purdue Pharmaceuticals is the now-defunct manufacturer of OxyContin, one of the highly addictive painkillers at the center of the opioid overdose epidemic. Its marketing strategy was based on an uplifting story about helping those with chronic pain get back to the life they love. This story was bolstered by countless studies, underwritten by Purdue Pharmaceuticals, that claimed the drug was effective and non addictive.

What doctor wouldn’t want to help their patients live a fuller life? What salesperson wouldn’t take pride in helping people live without pain? When the only story you hear is one where you are the hero, it’s hard not to get excited.

Stories are tools, and like all tools, they can be used to help or harm.

Not every article needs a story.

We know that stories are powerful tools, especially when you’re trying to share your message and capture the fleeting attention of your audience.

But many articles don’t need a story.

If you’ve ever looked for a recipe online, you’ve experienced the unnecessary story phenomenon.

All you want to do is make Mediterranean chicken for dinner. But to get to the recipe, you have to slog through a long, pointless story about the food blogger’s entire family, the time they spent in Greece as a college student, their son’s gluten allergy, and their super-picky daughter who, shockingly, loves this particular dish.

Sharing a story before sharing the recipe is not inherently wrong — so long as it is relevant. But many food blogs share pointless stories that are way too long in order to boost their SEO (search engine optimization).

Your reader’s time is worth more than yours.

Always.

If a story doesn’t serve your reader, if it doesn’t add real value, or worse, it detracts from the point you’re trying to make, delete it.

Stories aren’t the only way to illustrate your point.

As humans, we use storytelling to make sense of the world around us. And we’ve been telling stories for as long as we’ve had language.

We all know how to tell a story.

But today, there are countless books, articles, and businesses dedicated to the art of storytelling. You can read about the Hero’s Journey, developed by the mythologist Joseph Campbell, dive into Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework, or check out the framework promoted by the good people at Pixar. And if none of those work for you, plenty more people can teach you how to tell a good story.

But the truth is, we’ve over complicated things.

And that has created a false story about our ability to tell a good story. The fear that we aren’t telling a story the right way and the belief that we are not natural storytellers stops us from sharing our ideas, experiences, and wisdom. And that’s a disservice to those with insights to share and those who wish to learn from those insights.

If telling a story feels intimidating, try reframing it. Focus on sharing illustrative examples, scripts, or case studies that help your reader understand the point you are making in your article. Write about the client you worked with who had the same challenge you’re addressing in the article. What were they struggling with? How did you help them? What was the result? And what can your reader learn from your client’s experience?

Debra Roberts, a conversation expert, regularly writes articles for Inc.com. Because she is teaching her readers how to initiate and navigate difficult conversations, she often shares a simple script or sample dialogue to demonstrate how a conversation can escalate into an argument and how to interrupt the pattern to keep the conversation from escalating. These practical examples give her readers a place to start when fear of saying the wrong thing keeps them from engaging in critical workplace discussions.

Whether you make your point through a story, illustrative example, script, or case study, keeping the reader in mind is essential. Only use these tools when they help your reader and make it easier to understand and implement your ideas. You are writing to serve your reader. Eliminate anything that doesn’t directly serve them — even if it’s a damn good story.

* * *

Gridding: How to Create Multiple Revenue Streams From a Single Article with Minimal Effort

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 15:19:13 GMT

Regardless of whether you consider yourself a writer or enjoy writing, you likely know that it takes a bit of mental equity to put pen to paper. Nowadays, not only has content remained king, but its “kingdom” continues expanding—largely fueled by drivers such as increased consumer demand and the enhanced use of artificial intelligence. As a result, consultants need to explore new avenues to work smarter and not harder while demonstrating their value.

One of our colleagues, Erica Holthausen, has written extensively on how writing can increase your credibility—a fact that writers can further monetize into additional consulting opportunities. But how can you do so efficiently without burning out? Gridding offers one plausible solution.

Gridding is a term I’ve borrowed from my journalism ventures. It describes how you can repurpose one idea, pitch, or concept without significantly increasing labor or workload.

Allow me to illustrate this concept by using an important milestone in my career as an example. In 2019, I wrote an article about sickle cell disease for the now-defunct-yet-still-highly respected Hearst media publication, O, The Oprah Magazine. At the time, the magazine was one of my dream clients.

The piece required me to identify experts and conduct a great deal of research to write the article. Ultimately, I had amassed far more information than I could include into an article of ~1,000 words—regardless of how concisely I wrote. Determined not to let those unpaid labor hours and omitted content go to waste, I pitched concepts based on the unused information to additional publications and organizations that might find it of value.

Doing so successfully required me to understand how to tailor my language and concepts to each organization’s perceived needs. For example, Oprah Magazine was a consumer magazine read by primarily women between 40 and 60 years of age. While the audience included professionals and people of affluence, most readers had limited backgrounds in science or medicine.

Therefore, I had to simplify my writing and focus only on information the readers would find relevant. Any other information was omitted (and I had quite a bit of it). I used the excised information to pitch various on the same topic tailored to medical trade journals. Because those audiences comprised medical professionals, I wrote my pitches (and subsequent articles) using sophisticated jargon typically used in the scientific community. Doing so increased the likelihood the editors would accept my pitches by demonstrating that I understood how to engage their target audience. And, of course, sharing that I’d previously covered the topic demonstrated my credibility and the newsworthiness of the piece.

One of my pitches focused on the ethnic idiosyncrasies associated with sickle cell disease, as it typically affects communities of color. Another article addressed issues with medication access, as the three new medications that the Food and Drug Administration had approved for sickle cell disease that year bore six-figure price tags.

Ultimately, I placed three additional pieces on this topic in separate publications. Not only did this more than quadruple my revenue from what began as a single article, but my increased familiarity with the topic allowed me to write faster and with greater authority. I could pull unused content from interviews, research, and content without doing much additional work beyond writing the article. The pieces also expanded my influence. One reader, who happened to be on faculty at the State University of New York (SUNY), invited me to speak at a global health panel hosted at her institution.

For all its glory, gridding does come with one important caveat. Some writing and consulting projects may have contractual stipulations in which the client claims ownership of all materials created. So, the prudent consultant must review the contract or consult an attorney before making that content work harder. In my case, Hearst required that I receive permission to use unused material, and I was fortunate. Not only was the editor on board, but she showed genuine interest in knowing what other organizations published my articles and the extent of their influence.

That said, gridding definitely gives more weight to the saying, “The riches are in the niches,” doesn’t it?

Frieda Wiley, PharmD is the founder of Medvon Media and Consulting, LLC, an communications and strategic consulting firm. An award-winning writer, best-selling author, ghostwriter, and speaker, her client history includes O, The Oprah Magazine, WebMD, the National Institutes of Health, Pfizer, Merck, and many other notable organizations. Her book, Breaking Crazy: Working From Home Without Losing Your Marbles, is available through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and wherever else books are sold.

How to Determine that One Thing for Which You Want to Be Known!

Laura Burford — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:22:49 GMT

You pick-up the phone and hear…

“I was referred to you. I understand you are the expert, the Go-To-Person. I believe you might be able to help me.”

As you listen your face lights up. You get off the phone. You are ecstatic. The person who called understood your focus, that one thing for which are known and the person who referred you understood your expertise. That is GREAT!

Has this ever happened to you?

*****

I love it when a client calls to say it has happened to them. I can hear the joy in their voice and their face is glowing. They talk about how easy the conversation was and how the next steps include a discussion about a consulting opportunity.

The first step to becoming a successful “go to” consultant is having clarity as to your WHAT, for want you want to be known, and WHY, the reason for doing what you do.

Determining your focus requires self-reflecting, assessing, and evaluating you in three areas:

Understanding who you are and what matters to you.
Leveraging your experience, expertise, and strengthens.
Determining what a client needs, desires, and open to paying for assistance.

Determining your FOCUS, your What and Why, is a balancing act.

*****

But before I discuss each in more detail, let me clarify what I mean by FOCUS.

Focus is your consulting business’ FOUNDATION.

Think about the foundation as the base of a house. Getting the foundation right occurs before a builder can add the frame, roof, and windows. If the foundation is not properly set, the overall structure is weakened.

The same holds true when establishing a consultancy. You want ensure the foundation, your focus, is solid because it impacts just about every major decision you make within your business starting with how you define and find an ideal client to engaging with and building long-term client relationships. Clarity as to your focus helps you find people who want to work with you and for whom you want to serve.

Get you focus right and you can soar. Get it wrong and it is very possible you will struggle or even fail.

*****

When I started my own business, my focus was too board. I was considered the Jack of all Trades, the Master of None. I heard comments such as you have a great business plan; with your experience and expertise you wouldn’t have any problems; and you might want to connect with a ___________ (fill in the blank).

Looking back, I wish someone had pulled me aside and offered hard love questioning my focus because my focus was not that one thing that would make me soar.

Overtime I narrowed my focus down to an area of information technology for which I knew people needed and wanted assistance. I knew they were willing to pay for help but there was one problem. It was not an area of information technology that I enjoyed.

My internal compass was not aligned with the external need and no matter how hard I tried my heart wasn’t into it. There was no joy in running the business.

It took me time to get my focus right. I wish I could say I was unique but I am not. Many consultants struggle with clarifying their focus.

*****

Below is an approach to help you clarify your FOCUS – your What and Why. It is the approach I discuss in the Consulting Mastery program. It is an approach that requires you to self-reflect, assess, and evaluate.

Start by understanding who you are and what matters to you. This requires you to

assess who you are and want to be,
evaluate what matters to you and is important to you, and
determine the effect you want to leave on others

You define who you are not only based on what you have done in the past professionally and personally but also based on what you want your life to look like in the future.

You evaluate what you like as well as dislike to do. Ask yourself what lights up your face when you talk about it. People say to me that when I talk about helping people become successful consultants, my face lights up.

You contemplate how you define success, success on your terms, not someone else’s. So often we define our success based on someone else’s definition.

Understand You is all about you. This is “Your Zone.” It is where everything seems just right for you. Life feels and is comfortable.

*****

Next Build on You. This is not about reinventing who you are. Rather it is about building on what you have already done. Many of us have done things because we needed to do them or people expected us to fill certain roles. As you assess your experiences, expertise, and strengths, you may need to change your mindset.

Start building on you by assessing your professional and personal experiences. Highlight what experiences brought you joy as well as those that you wish you never experienced.

Evaluate your expertise. Has someone put you on a pedestal because of your expertise? If so, why? You might be surprised to learn that the place on the pedestal, is an area you have never considered.

Finally, assess your strengths. You want to leverage your strengths and place your weaknesses on the sideline.

Don’t be surprised if you experience an “aha” moment as you evaluate your experiences, expertise, and strengths. The first time I seriously evaluated them, I did.

*****

Finally, evaluate the Demand and Desire. It identifies what people are open and willing to pay to get your assistance. It is a merger of their need and want. The easiest way to illustrate this area is to describe a scenario which I’ve encountered several times and you may have as well.

During a meeting, a person describes something that they would like or they want. They continue by saying they really need that something and provide a reason. However, the more you dive down and discuss that like, that want, and their need, you realize they are never going to be open to paying for any assistance. You might even realize they will never do anything. There is a need and a want, but no demand and desire to pay.

*****

The Small Sliver

After assessing you, evaluating your experiences, expertise and strengths, and the demand and desire of people, combine your findings. Evaluate everything and look for areas of overlap and mergers. Keep evaluating until you find a point where all three intersect. This intersection is a small sliver of everything you have reflected on and evaluated.

This point, this small sliver, is where you will find your FOCUS.

*****

Key: You could end up with several “things” in that small sliver. If that is the case, and that is common, ask yourself what are you most interested in. Often what you are most interested in is the problem you want to solve or the problem you solved for you.

If you follow this approach, can I guarantee that you will get your focus right the first time? No, I can’t. But I can guarantee you will be closer to determining a focus that you will enjoy, built on who you are, your experiences, expertise, and strengths, and it iwll be something for which people not only need assistance but for which they are will pay.

What I can ensure is that by following this approach will move you closer to determining that one thing for which you become known as the expert or the "Go To" person.

Sara Blakely said it well,

“Differentiate yourself. Why are you different? What’s important about you? Why does the customer need you?”

My question for you: Do you have clarity as to the one thing for which you want to be known?

*****

Laura Burford helps solo-consultants create sustainable consulting businesses. She is the founder of Laura’s Consulting Guide and the creator of the Consultant's Blueprint and Consulting Mastery program. Check out her YouTube channel and sign-up for Consulting Insights newsletter.

Is Your Article Worth Publishing?

Erica Holthausen — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 12:05:00 GMT

High-quality, original articles position you as an authoritative expert. They capture your readers' attention and add to critical conversations about today's world. But how do you know if an article is good enough to pitch to a high-visibility publication?

I developed the CORD Framework™ to help my clients evaluate the editorial quality of their articles. Refer to this framework when you rewrite your article and again during the editing process, and share it with anyone who reviews your work before you submit it. As you review your article, evaluate each of the four elements of the CORD Framework.

Is your article cogent?

Writing is not about the ink; it’s about the think. And a big part of that think is determining the best way to present the information you are trying to convey to your audience. A cogent article appeals to the mind. It is clear, logical, and convincing.

A cogent article presents a compelling case in support of a specific position or viewpoint. It starts by providing the reader with the context they need to be able to understand and apply the actionable insights presented. A cogent article makes it easy for the reader to understand the point you are making and to follow your argument. It is useful to the intended reader and gives them the tools they need to change their mindset, thinking, or behavior.

Is your article original?

High-visibility publications only publish original work, which means work not published elsewhere, including on your website or social media. But the fact that your article hasn’t been published elsewhere is insufficient to ensure it is worth publishing.

Every idea has a lineage, so your article doesn’t have to present ideas that have never before been considered. (That would be a prohibitively high bar.) It does, however, need to demonstrate independent thinking.

An original article presents a strong voice and a clear point of view. It builds upon your experience and positions you as an authoritative expert. It may go against the grain or point out where others in your field oversimplify or overcomplicate the matter.

Is your article researched?

If you want your articles to build your authority, they must be based on more than mere conjecture. While it is not necessary to conduct an in-depth study, it is essential that the insights you present in your article be based on evidence and grounded in fact. To accomplish this, you might conduct desk research and cite other experts in your field or share anecdotal evidence related to your own experiences.

Every project you tackle is an opportunity for you to conduct field research. It is an opportunity to observe the process you and your clients underwent to diagnose and treat the problem. It is an opportunity for you to deepen your learning so you can share that learning with a broader audience.

Is your article deep?

A high-quality article adds to the conversation, not to the noise. It doesn’t skate along the surface of an issue but explores the nuances, offering insights not found elsewhere. Because articles are only about 1,000 words, each piece must explore a narrow issue to achieve any depth. That specificity, however, allows you to approach the issue from several angles, each serving as the foundation of another article.

High-quality articles meet each of these criteria. This type of writing requires more effort and cannot be outsourced to generative AI. But that effort pays dividends. Writing and thinking through your ideas is tremendously valuable regardless of whether your work is published. When you publish your work, it not only helps you build your reputation as an authoritative expert but also creates an appreciating asset that you can reference and share repeatedly.

* * *

Changing Careers in the Midst of Chaos: 3 Tips to Get You Started!

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 17:48:33 GMT

Transitioning to a new career may seem overwhelming, daunting, and even fear-inducing. Even as a solopreneur, pivoting our business offerings and embracing various opportunities to generate new streams of revenue through diverse industries can be challenging. It will take confidence, perseverance, and fearlessness to delve into new territory. However, if you are ready to take charge of your own career path, there is no time like the present! There are three main reasons for changing careers; opportunities that come to us, opportunities that we seek out, or changes imposed upon us. What do these scenarios have in common? You. You have the power to shape and control your career path and to construct what success means to you. If you are seeking a career change, here are 3 tips to get you started!

A) Define What You Want

In the age of information and social media, time is the new high-value commodity. When we think about the notion of time as a commodity, the reality is that many of us work at least 40 hours a week. Wouldn’t it be great if those 40 hours could be spent toward a career that you are passionate about? The pandemic presents an opportunity, if we allow ourselves to see it, to change careers and embrace a new path. This is a great opportunity to think about your dream career.

Start by defining the role you want, and the key motivators for switching careers. Are you motivated by salary, innovation, culture, opportunities for career advancement? Do you enjoy working with a team or as an individual? Defining the descriptors of the role will help to identify the type of work that you are seeking. These elements will help build your criteria and career map for your search.

B) Evaluate Your Skillset

Once you have an idea of your ideal role, it’s time to evaluate your skillset. Analyze your career history and identify transferable skills that can be utilized toward the career you are seeking. Do you require additional education, or do you have enough practical experience (volunteer and career) to put your name forward? Unless you are seeking a specialized role, it’s unlikely that there will be a requirement for additional credentials. However, if you do require additional credentials, invest in yourself! Empower yourself to learn new skills and experiences that will allow you to bridge the gap to achieving your dream career.

C) Network

Network! Network! Network! Be fearless when you are networking and ask for what you want. If you know the job you are seeking, then mention it to your existing network and other contacts that are recommended to you. People genuinely want to help, but they need to know what it is that you want.

The value of networking has been proven time and time again. Consider networking as experience to hone your skills toward relationship management. Rekindle your existing network, and ask to speak to contacts who are in the field that you are interested in pursuing. There is a wealth of knowledge in shared experiences and perspectives, not to mention you will be laying the groundwork for joining the community in the job you seek.

Finding a new career can be challenging. However, once you find one and build a life that you truly enjoy, it is an incredibly rewarding experience. If you are having trouble identifying what your ideal job is, there are resources that can help. Career coaches and mentors are wonderful soundboards to help identify, navigate, and structure your career goals. In today’s job market, ideal candidates possess strengths such as effective communication, relationship management, problem solving and analysis. Your dream career may be closer than you think!

Vanessa Khan is Management Consultant with a focus on IT and a Business Advisor to small enterprises. She is passionate about creating and implementing strategic frameworks to solve complex problems.

Haven't I Said It All Before? How to Keep Writing When You Have Nothing New to Say

Erica Holthausen — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 15:02:20 GMT

You’ve likely written countless blog posts, articles, newsletters, and social media posts to share your expertise. After a while, it can feel like you’ve said all you need to say. Staying energized and engaged in the process can be challenging when that happens.

I get that.

But if you stop now, you will lose the momentum you’ve built. So, how do you keep going when you feel like you’re running on empty?

Repetition builds your reputation.

No one is paying as much attention to your content as you. You feel like you’ve said it all before, but your audience doesn’t feel that way. Yes, you might have people in your orbit who have been around for a while, and they might even remember you saying something similar in the past.

But you are not the only person they follow. And they are not the only person you connect with through your writing. You constantly connect with new people on social media and gain subscribers to your email newsletter. These newcomers are just starting to dive into your work, so they need you to share the wisdom you shared before.

Repetition is what builds your reputation. If you stop sharing your core expertise and start sharing something novel and exciting to you, you risk confusing your audience. And when our audience is confused, they stop paying attention.

The people you serve need you to keep saying what you’ve been saying.

Why?

Because they know your message is important but aren’t sure how to take action on it yet, and they want your ongoing support. That’s why they follow you!

Think about the folks you’ve followed for a while. Does it feel like they’re repeating themselves? Or does it feel like they are providing good, solid information with a handful of reminders and back-to-basics foundational information tossed in?

Your audience feels the same way.

Have you ever read a book or watched a movie and thought it was okay, then watched it again years later and thought it was fantastic? The book or movie didn’t change. You did.

As we grow and change, we receive the same message differently. Your job is to share your message and meet your audience — the newcomers and those who’ve been around for a while — right where they are.

Finding new ways to talk about the same old idea.

When I say repetition builds your reputation, I don’t mean that you should just share the same article again and again and again. That won’t serve you or your audience. Instead, I want you to share the same ideas in new ways.
Here are five tips to help you find new ways to talk about the same old ideas:

1. Collect and share illustrative examples. Think about the experiences you’ve had in your life. Which ones illustrate a point you make when working with your clients? These examples may come from a project you worked on, a speaking engagement, or a podcast interview. But they might also come from a visit to a museum, a book of poetry, or an art class. Each example you have (even if they illustrate the same point) can serve as the foundation of a new article. Different examples will resonate with different audience members.

2. Segment your audience. Your audience is not a faceless mass of humanity. It is made up of individual humans with different life experiences, needs, and desires. Whether your audience includes people across the corporate hierarchy, from executives to managers to employees, across sectors, from business to nonprofit to government, or across skill levels, from experienced to novice, each segment needs something different from you. Write articles that speak directly to the needs of each segment so you can meet every member of your audience where they are.

3. Consume business content with intention. Be an active consumer, whether reading a book or listening to a podcast. Look for statements that illicit a reaction. What is that reaction? Do you strongly agree or disagree? Is the statement oversimplifying something or overcomplicating it? What is the author or speaker missing? Write a piece responding to that content; don’t be afraid to dive into the nuances. That’s what sets you apart.

4. Revisit old material. Read blog posts, newsletters, and social media posts (paying particular attention to the comments). You grow and change, too, so this can be a rich resource for new articles. Read your work critically. Has your thinking evolved since you wrote that piece? Is there more you can share? Can you dive a little deeper into it? If so, write about it.

5. Take time to refill the tank. Read books and articles, listen to podcasts, watch movies, take a class, or visit an art museum. Allow inspiration to come from unexpected places.

It may feel like you’re repeating yourself. But that’s because you know your stuff! You, my friend, are the expert. Your audience isn’t. Don’t make them work hard to learn from you. Keep sharing your wisdom!

* * *

“Never Fear, Magic is Here!”: 3 Entrepreneurial Lessons Learned from Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 17:03:29 GMT

In November 2020, I attended a virtual conference which featured Earvin “Magic” Johnson as a keynote speaker. Magic began his career as a pivotal force on the basketball court, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Upon his retirement from the sport, he traded his jersey for a suit and tie when he embraced becoming a businessman. Presently, Magic is a successful Entrepreneur & Philanthropist, and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises. How did he make the successful transition from the basketball court to the boardroom? Over his career, Magic built a professional and recognizable brand as a dedicated and passionate athlete whose influence is still felt on the game. After retiring, he took a risk and applied his recognizable brand to the business world by becoming an Entrepreneur. Here are 3 lessons that Entrepreneurs can learn from Magic Johnson.

A) Mentorship & Coaching

Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s multi-faceted career is exemplified by his two passions, basketball and business. Already a prominent force on the court, Magic pondered his career post basketball and accepted opportunities off the court to nurture and expand his knowledge in business leveraging career coaches and mentors. His determination and passion in entrepreneurialism has allowed him to build a successful company known as Magic Johnson Enterprises.

The value of mentorship and career coaching has been a proven factor for entrepreneurs and corporate employees alike. Similar to a professional coach of a team, a career coach will push their clients to challenge themselves by expanding their comfort zone. Coaches understand the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the potential and value that their clients have to offer. They provide the necessary clarity and focus for their clients on how to achieve their goals. Most importantly, as we tend to be our worst critics, coaches are there to help us refocus and reiterate the power of our potential and presence when we fail.

B) Understand Your Customer

A key piece of advice that Magic Johnson shares is to understand your customer. It is this defining characteristic that helped him build an empire. Learning from his own experiences while growing up, he was able to find success by identifying gaps in markets. For example, watching movies was a favourite past time for him and his friends, however the neighbourhood where he grew up did not have a movie theatre. As the owner of Magic Johnson Enterprises, he opened the first movie theater in that community. Following this move, he opened multiple movie theaters in communities where none previously existed. This successful endeavour allowed his theaters to be acquired by AMC theatres.

With the success of Magic Johnson Theatres, Magic applied a similar strategy of identifying underserved markets and partnered with Starbucks to open additional locations in communities that were previously overlooked. In understanding his customers and key demographic, he also contributed and changed the Starbucks menu to appeal to his customers.

A successful business venture starts with identifying potential markets and understanding your customer. In meeting your customers’ needs, those same customers become your brand ambassadors.

C) The Importance of Diversity in Strategy

Diversity in opinion, experience, and perspectives are key factors of a strategy for any business to thrive. In demonstrating his philosophy of “understanding your customer”, Magic took a risk in opening theatres and partnering with Starbucks to open locations in market demographics that were previously overlooked. Magic challenged businesses to change their definitions of success and embrace a new business model by tapping into underserved communities. Ultimately, in forming partnerships with businesses he was able to provide a voice to communities that did not have one, and in turn allow companies an opportunity to gain market share in overlooked areas. Businesses need to evolve to thrive, and part of that evolution is welcoming fresh perspectives that challenge and disrupt the status quo.

The success of Earvin “Magic” Johnson off the court has been a captivating journey. His strong brand recognition as a professional athlete is a defining characteristic that allows him to provide a voice for equity and inclusion for undervalued communities. With his powerful brand and strategic market savvy, he generated opportunities for investments into communities that were underserved. Another defining characteristic is his ability to take calculated risks. In partnering with businesses, Magic demonstrated success through risk taking and identifying new opportunities for market expansion that benefitted communities. Thank you, Magic, for challenging and disrupting the status quo.

Vanessa Khan is Management Consultant with a focus on IT and a Business Advisor to small enterprises. She is passionate about creating and implementing strategic frameworks to solve complex problems.

How To Make More Time for Your Writing

Erica Holthausen — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 13:26:49 GMT

None of us have enough time, so we’ve got to make the best use of the time we’ve got. If you want to make more time for your writing, you’ve got to be intentional — both with the time you set aside and how you use it.

Writing abides by Parkinson’s Law. In a 1955 essay in The Economist, British naval historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson wrote: “It is a commonplace observation that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” He wrote the essay as a criticism of the British Civil Service, but that first line resonated deeply with his audience and became the basis of several articles, a book, and a robust speaking career.

Parkinson’s Law is well known to writers because we’ve all experienced it. That simple article you’re writing? Well, it will take up as much time as you allow.

That’s good news and bad news.

The bad news is that if you set aside an entire day to write a 1,000-word article, it will take the entire day to write it. The good news is that if you only have an hour, you’ll get the piece written in an hour. So how can we use Parkinson’s Law to our advantage?

Five steps to developing a robust and sustainable writing practice.

One of the best ways to take advantage of Parkinson’s Law is to start a writing practice. Developing a writing practice will get you used to writing quickly, imperfectly, and on a tight deadline. Your writing practice is a practice. It must become part of your routine to be effective. Sticking to your practice is the only way to make it part of your routine. Set yourself up to succeed by following these five steps:

1. Start small. If you don’t already have a writing practice, start with something easy — something that fits in with how you work best. Don’t start by promising to write at least an hour a day because you’ll get frustrated with yourself and quit. Instead, start with a 10-minute writing session every day or a 30-minute writing session once a week.

2. Experiment to figure out your natural writing style. Some writers do best when they have big chunks of time set aside for writing. Others prefer short, intensive sprints scattered throughout their day. Others adopt a hybrid approach. Take the time to discover what works for you and build your writing practice around your writing style.

3. Honor your schedule. What other responsibilities do you have to make time for? Which are most important? If your writing practice interferes with another commitment, you won’t stick to it. Build a practice that fits into your life, whether you’re writing first thing in the morning, late at night, or on your lunch break.

4. Keep your commitment. Once you’ve scheduled your writing practice, stick to it. It’s much more important that you show up for yourself and your writing when you say you will than that you produce a certain number of pages. And if you feel a lot of resistance, know that it’s normal. Sit with the resistance and refuse to give up, even if that’s all you do that day.

5. Forgive yourself when you miss a session. Even the most disciplined writers miss a writing practice. When that happens, forgive yourself and pick up where you left off. You don’t have to make up the missed practice — that can snowball out of control quickly and add unnecessary pressure to your writing practice. Just get back to work and remind yourself why you chose to do this.

Give yourself the time and space you need to make your writing practice a part of your routine. As you get comfortable with a short practice, you can build upon it and start adding structure and definition to each writing session.

Make the most of the time you have.

To make the most of the time you have available for your writing practice, embrace the shitty first draft. Not only will this make you a faster writer, but it will make you a better writer and a deeper thinker.

By writing your first draft as quickly as possible, you get all your ideas out on the page without interrupting yourself and stopping the flow of your thoughts. Once you capture your ideas on the page, you can refine and polish them until they are ready to be shared publicly.

The key to establishing a writing practice is to be intentional and create a practice that fits your schedule and suits your writing style. The more you write, the easier it will be, and the more you will enjoy the process.

To get started, schedule some time on your calendar right now. Commit to writing a shitty first draft of an article, email, or LinkedIn post. And then keep that commitment to yourself and your writing.

* * *

How To Become a More Effective Self-Editor: The Substantive Edit

Erica Holthausen — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 12:56:55 GMT

If you read the introduction to this series on becoming a more effective self-editor, you know that writing and editing are two distinct processes. While many people edit as they write, you will be a better and faster writer if you separate these two processes. Similarly, editing has two phases. You must focus first on the developmental edit, which improves the structure and organization of a piece. Once the structure is sound, you can focus on the substantive edit.

Three steps to completing a substantive edit.

The substantive edit is a line-by-line edit intended to make your writing clear and compelling. If your writing is confusing, complicated, or wordy, your reader will abandon it. To complete your substantive edit, follow these three steps:

1. Trim the fat. Look for opportunities to tighten up your writing. Read your article aloud. If you run out of breath, your sentence is too long. If you have to reread it because you're not sure what you were trying to say, you might be making that sentence work too hard. Try to eliminate 10% of the words on the page. Clear and concise writing is compelling. Writing bogged down with redundancies, multiple adjectives, weak verbs, and filler words is a slog to read.

2. Strengthen the language. Strive to be clear, not clever. Minimize jargon, eliminate clichés, and use hyperbole sparingly. Use the passive voice when you wish to emphasize the action or when the actor is unknown, irrelevant, or obvious. While the active voice (where the individual or entity taking action is the subject of the sentence) is often more direct and compelling, it can result in a tortured sentence structure.

3. Sweat the details. Start each item in a list with the same form or a verb, and ensure numbered lists are presented in the proper sequence. Read the article backward to catch spelling errors. Pay close attention to homonyms so you write right.

The more time you can allow to elapse between the writing phase, developmental edit, and substantive edit, the easier it will be for you to identify and correct your mistakes. Every writer relies on crutch words or phrases. These are particularly difficult to recognize when you're evaluating your own writing.

Self-editing is hard, but it is also a skill you can improve. Download and use The Substantive Edit Checklist the next time you need to edit your writing. The better you become at editing your work, the more compelling and authoritative your writing will be.

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How To Become a More Effective Self-Editor: The Developmental Edit

Erica Holthausen — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 16:30:07 GMT

As discussed in the introduction to this series on becoming a more effective self-editor, writing and editing are two distinct processes. You will be a better and faster writer if you treat them as such. Similarly, editing has two phases: the developmental edit and the substantive edit.

The developmental edit improves the structure and organization of a piece of writing. It focuses on the audience, clarifies the purpose of the piece, and makes sure it has a consistent tone and perspective. Before turning your attention to the substantive edit, make sure the structure is sound.

Use the CORD Framework™ to enhance the editorial quality of your article.

The CORD Framework serves as the foundation for much of the developmental edit and ensures the editorial quality of your work. Take a break after you finish writing to gain some perspective, and then read your article and ask yourself the following questions:

Is it cogent? Does it present a compelling case in support of a specific position or viewpoint? Is it useful to the intended reader? Does it provide enough context for the reader to understand its importance? Could the reader share the most important information with another person?

Is it original? Does it present a strong voice and clear point of view? Does it add to the conversation by focusing on insights, not simply information? Does it build upon the writer's experience and position them as an authority? Do analogies and anecdotes help the reader understand complex concepts?

Is it researched? Are the writer's insights based on evidence? Are their assertions grounded in fact? Is the data accurate? Is it essential? Can it be simplified? Are cited sources trustworthy? Is the research cited appropriately and presented with sufficient context? Where the ideas get complex, does the writer slow the pace?

Is it deep? Is the piece well written? Does it leave a lasting impression? Does it dive below the surface and offer insights not found elsewhere? Is it relevant? Does the writer discern fact from opinion?

Review and improve the structure and organization of your article.

Once you've ensured the editorial quality of your article, it's time to improve its structure and organization. Read the article aloud to identify places where the rhythm, flow, or voice doesn't quite work. Mark the areas that need adjustment and then reread it, asking yourself the following questions:

Is it striking? Is the headline strong? Does it grab your attention? Does the deck support the headline and make the reader want to learn more? Does the first paragraph get right to the point, or is the lede buried a few paragraphs down?

Is it focused? Does the article maintain its focus, or does the writing stray from its purpose? Does the writer make their point clearly and succinctly, or do they say the same thing in slightly different ways? Does each section of the article support the main point? Are there any darlings to murder?

Is it authoritative? Where does the article present opportunities for the writer to increase authority by adding detail, examples, or further evidence?

Is it skimmable? Do you get the general idea of the article simply by reading the heading, deck, and subheads? Are there any long sentences or paragraphs that can be broken down? Does the writer use bullet points and lists where appropriate?

Is it targeted? Is the intended audience clear throughout the piece? Does the tone of voice shift or stay consistent? Are such shifts intentional and easy for the reader to follow?

It's not just about grammar and spelling.

Editing is about so much more than grammar and spelling. To be a good editor, you must start by looking at the big picture. You have to put yourself in the reader's shoes and make sure that it is clear and easy to follow. Only after the structure is sound can you focus on the details.

In the next installment of this series, we'll dive into the substantive edit. This line-by-line edit looks at grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It seeks out confusing, complicated, and wordy sentences and makes them clear and compelling. I'll give you a checklist you can use to make the process easier so you can become a better writer, a deeper thinker, and a clearer communicator.

* * *

How To Become a More Effective Self-Editor: An Introduction

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 13:03:05 GMT

Good writing is the product of good editing. Working with a good editor is incredibly satisfying. A good editor takes your words and turns them into vehicles that convey your thoughts and ideas. A good editor takes what is clear to you and makes it clear and compelling to the reader. Here’s how you can capture some of that magic and become a better self-editor.

Writing and editing are two distinct processes.

Editing is not writing.

Writing captures fresh thoughts, ideas, and expressions on the page. It is a process that results in several drafts. The first draft is written quickly and without referencing your notes. Its purpose is to get the ideas on the page so you have something to work with.

It’s a lot like a jigsaw puzzle.

You’ve got to get all the pieces on the table and right-side-up before you can find the edges and start putting together the picture.

Once the first draft is done, you start the rewriting process. You are no longer writing for yourself — now you’re writing for the reader.

This is when you clarify your ideas, add structure to the piece, and incorporate details from your research.

This is when your piece starts to take shape.

You may rewrite, rework, and refine your piece a few times before you feel like you’ve captured everything you want to share with the reader. Only after you complete that process are you ready to start editing your work.

Editing takes everything you’ve captured on the page and makes it clear and compelling to the reader.

But you can’t switch from writing to editing immediately.

Give your work room to breathe.

The more work you’ve put into a piece of writing, the more time you need to allow the piece to sit before you start editing.

When possible, let the piece sit overnight so you can come back to it with fresh eyes. If that isn’t possible, print the piece, close out of your word processing program, and take yourself for a walk. At the very least, make yourself a cup of tea and putter around for a bit.

Then you can come back to your work with a bit more perspective.

Embrace a systematic approach to editing.

There are two phases of the editing process: the developmental edit and the substantive edit.

Once the structure is sound, you can focus on the nitty-gritty details during the substantive edit. This is the line-by-line edit that most people think of when we talk about editing. It includes grammar, punctuation, and spelling but goes deeper. It identifies and eliminates confusing, complicated, and wordy sentences that cause readers to tune out and move on to the next thing on their list.

Becoming a better editor helps you become a better writer. That, in turn, enables you to become a deeper thinker. In the next installment of this series, we’ll dive into the developmental edit, and I’ll give you a list of questions to ask that will strengthen the foundation of your work. In the final installment, we'll look a bit more closely at the substantive edit, and I'll give you a checklist to help you tighten up each sentence.

* * *

How to Give an Engaging Presentation - Even If Your Topic is Boring

Rick Pollak — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:24:07 GMT

Have you ever tried to give an engaging presentation on a boring topic? No, it’s not impossible. In fact, it’s easy to do with a small shift in your perspective. This article will show you how to apply proven techniques to capture and keep the attention of your audience, even if your topic is mundane.

Boring is in the Eye of the Beholder

If you’re an expert in your field, you’re passionate about what you do. Your audience probably doesn’t share your passion or care about what your business does. Talking about what you do from your perspective can quickly put your audience to sleep.

If you want to engage your audience, present your topic from their point of view instead of yours. Giving them a reason to care is an effective way to get your audience to show interest in your topic. When they can see your product or service helping them solve a problem, they’ll no longer be bored. If you explain how you can solve problems for people like them, you’ll capture their attention.

Pick the Target, Find the Trigger, Lose the Bullets

I’ve been giving presentations on technical topics for over 40 years. The biggest mistake I used to make was not understanding who was in my target audience. My early presentations had slides with bullet points listing every feature my product had. My engineering colleagues paid attention, but my non-technical customers were bored to tears. My talks were so dull, I even had one person start snoring in the middle of my presentation!

When I planned my presentations for a non-technical target profile, my talks transformed from boring to engaging. Losing the boring bullets made sure the audience listened attentively to benefits and results instead of dozing off during features and specifications slides.

The right trigger words will help you attract interest in your topic. Let’s say you’re an accountant giving a talk about recent changes in the tax code. If your target audience consists of small business owners in Maine, they’re going to be bored if you focus on the details of the new tax laws. If your trigger phrase is something they care about, you’ll have an excellent chance of grabbing their attention and interest. A trigger like “Three things you can do today to save on your business taxes” will resonate with your audience will keep them intrigued throughout your presentation.

Since we’re talking about targets and triggers, here’s a word of advice about using bullets. DON’T! A barrage of boring bullet points will transform your audience from wakefulness to sleep. People remember stories and forget bullet points. A story about how a local business owner saved money on her taxes is more memorable than slides full of bullet points explaining the tax code.

Understand, Care, and Remember

I help TEDx speakers make their “idea worth spreading” exciting and memorable. Here are three techniques that work for both TEDx talks and business presentations. They’ll help you transform boring into engaging.

Make sure your content is easy to understand. Distill your content into a “big idea” and “call to action” (CTA). If your information doesn’t support your big idea, leave it out of your presentations. A confused audience will quickly lose interest and become bored.
Give the audience a reason to care. Show them why they should care about your big idea and let them know what’s in it for them. Stories are more effective than bullet points in getting an audience to care about your big idea.
Make your CTA easy to remember. What do you want them to do when you’re finished with your presentation? Don’t give them so much information that they can’t remember your CTA.

The Cure for Boring Presentations

Answering the questions on my planning worksheet will help you structure an engaging presentation that will keep audience interested in your topic. The PDF worksheet can be filled out and saved on your computer if you have a current version of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can also print out the worksheet and write in your answers by hand. You can download the planner at no charge at https://presentationmedic.com/worksheets/.

Rick Pollak is president of the Society of Professional Consultants. He’s also the founder of Presentation Medic, a consulting company specializing in curing boring presentations. He coaches speakers for investor pitches, product presentations, and TEDx talks. To learn more about delivering engaging presentations, follow Rick on LinkedIn.

On Inspiration, Ideas, and Deep Thinking

Erica Holthausen — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 19:13:57 GMT

To write for high-visibility publications, you must consistently identify, develop, and share insightful ideas with the publication’s readers. For many, the process of presenting new ideas month after month after month feels daunting. As someone steeped in your work, you understand the challenges and solutions within your area of expertise. That clarity and depth of understanding might lead you to underestimate the value of your knowledge, experience, and insights.

But you are not your audience.

While information is widely available in our digital age, practical insights born of knowledge and experience are rare. But how do you discover and develop ideas that you can turn into shareable content?

Five steps to developing and sharing impactful ideas.

Like any worthy endeavor, developing and sharing impactful ideas is a skill you can learn, develop, and practice. And the more you develop and practice that skill, the easier and more enjoyable it becomes. Here are three steps to developing and sharing impactful ideas:

1. Follow your curiosity.

When something attracts your attention, pay attention. Dig into it. Allow yourself time to play and explore. And then, ask yourself what sparked your curiosity. Explore that too.

2. Capture your ideas.

Write down your ideas, and synthesize new ideas constantly. Note anything that captures your attention. Whether you’re reading, listening, watching, or experiencing something new, do it actively. Don’t just capture the facts. Capture your ideas about those facts. A simple yes, and, yes, but, or no, because will help you capture insights. And the value lies in your insights.

One way to capture your insights is to use a research journal that allows you to note the source of the idea, capture quotes, and add your insights. Download a research journal template here.

3. Carve out time to think.

You can’t think deeply about an idea when you’re interrupted every few minutes. You have to concentrate and turn the idea over and over again, examining it from all sides. You have to identify and question your assumptions. Commit to deep work. Let your mind wander a bit — make associations, draw connections, and surprise yourself. Be open to the magic.

4. Share your ideas.

Once you’ve developed your idea, you have to put it in a format that allows you to share it with others. You might share your idea in a blog post, article, newsletter, podcast, short video, or LinkedIn post. Sharing your ideas allows you to test them, see how others respond to them, and identify gaps in your thinking.

5. Refine your ideas.

Even the most narrow idea has deep, interconnected roots. The more you explore a single idea, the more nuanced your understanding will become, and the more easily you’ll be able to identify related ideas. Capture and develop these as well, and you’ll find you have an inexhaustible well of ideas.

There is something almost magical about ideas. If you hold on too tightly, they slip right through your fingers, and you lose them. You have to dance with your ideas; otherwise, they might not stick around.

Ideas are woven into the fabric of the universe. It’s as if they are waiting for us to give them form and substance. Our job, then, is not to create ideas but to recognize them when we see them. The best ideas don’t exist in a vacuum. They dance with one another and with other people. The more you share and refine your ideas, the more impactful those ideas become, and the more new ideas invite you to dance.

* * *

Seven Questions to Ask Before Responding to a Trending Story

Erica Holthausen — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 13:42:36 GMT

Responding to a trending story can be satisfying, especially when the issue at hand is important to you. But it can also backfire. Those who disagree with you may push back on what you have to say or question your authority, credibility, and integrity. Others may simply stop paying attention to you because they no longer believe your values align with theirs. That can be a good thing, so long as your response to the trending story is thoughtful and deliberate. Before you respond to a trending story, ask yourself these seven questions:

1. Is my commentary on this issue related to my experience or area of expertise? If the issue is not directly related to your experience or expertise, you may want to respond as a private individual instead of a professional. If it is related to your area of expertise, consider bringing the weight of your professional experience to bear on your response.

2. Why should other people care about what I have to say about it? Everyone has opinions. Why should the reader care what you have to say about the issue at hand? What makes you qualified to have an opinion on this matter?

3. Am I adding something of value to the conversation? What does your commentary add to the conversation? What gaps does it fill?

4. Why do I want to share my opinion on this issue? What purpose will sharing your opinion on this issue serve?

5. Is this the best way to achieve my purpose? How can you achieve that purpose? Is this the best way to do so? Or is another tactic better suited to your purpose?

6. Is my purpose clear to the reader? What other purpose might a reader attribute to your commentary? How can you ensure that the reader understands your underlying purpose?

7. Does my commentary include anything I do not know to be true? Typically, a trending story is still developing. Some facts and circumstances are not yet known. If you respond to a trending story, clearly indicate where you are getting your information and make it clear to the reader when you’re speculating. You want to be able to stand behind your opinion even if new facts and circumstances come to light.

Before you share your opinion, especially if you're fired up about it, make sure that how you share it doesn't damage your reputation. Reach out to a trusted friend or colleague and share your backstory, goals, and commentary. Ask them to help you identify your blind spots, and listen closely. Your reputation is your single most valuable asset — it takes time to establish but can be destroyed in a matter of seconds.

* * *

On Newsjacking, Hot Takes, and Opinion Pieces

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 18:22:03 GMT

When a story starts trending, a video goes viral, or an event takes over the news cycle, sharing your thoughts on the matter can be tempting. In some cases, speaking up in support or opposition to an issue that is important to you is part of how you stay in alignment with your core values. In other instances, you may speak up to increase your visibility and demonstrate your expertise.

Three tactics you can use to respond to a trending story.

When a trending story strikes a chord with you, you must decide if you want to respond to the story and, if so, whether you want to respond as a private individual or as a professional. Responding as a professional means that you are lending the weight of your business experience and expertise to your response. If you are responding as a professional, there are three tactics you can use to respond to a trending story:

1. Engage in newsjacking.

The term “newsjacking” was coined by David Meerman Scott, the well-known marketing strategist and author. According to Scott, newsjacking is “the art and science of injecting your ideas into a breaking news story so you and your ideas get noticed.” The definition has expanded to include any trending story, whether newsworthy or not. Newsjacking can take several forms, including a tweet, meme, blog, or video. It can poke fun at the trending story or offer a clever counterpoint.

For example, when gas prices surged in April 2022, Krispy Kreme ran a multi-week promotion where the average price of gas dictated the price of a dozen doughnuts. The company shared the news through a press release and its social media accounts. Dozens of media outlets wrote about the Krispy Kreme gas pricing, creating a lot of buzz for the doughnut purveyor.

2. Write a hot take.

According to Merriam-Webster, a hot take is “a quickly produced, strongly worded, and often deliberately provocative or sensational opinion or reaction (as in response to current news).”

A hot take is a type of newsjacking. In some circles, the term “hot take” is derogatory, and there are several memes about the hot take’s questionable value. Social media has made it easy for people to share their opinion about everything, regardless of whether they know much about the subject. But the derogatory connotation of the term “hot take” also stems from the fact that this type of commentary is often provocative — and that doesn’t always sit well.

3. Write an opinion piece.

An opinion piece expresses someone’s beliefs or views. In traditional newspapers, these articles typically appear on the op-ed page, the page opposite the editorial page.

Like a hot take, the writer must quickly produce an opinion piece in response to a trending story. But opinion pieces are generally not as provocative or sensational. Instead, they are persuasive.

When done well, responding to a trending story can increase your visibility and position you as an expert in your field. But when done poorly, it can damage your reputation. Before responding to a trending story, think carefully about whether your response elevates the conversation or simply adds to the noise. Once you've decided to respond, think about which of the tactics above will help you reach your goals.

* * *

Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

How Do You Remain in Touch With a New Network Connection? Start by Providing Them VALUE!

Laura Burford — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 15:25:59 GMT

During a networking event on the best ways to network, I heard comments such as…

“My biggest problem when it comes to networking is following up after the event.” Consultant A

“My biggest problem is remaining in touch. I follow-up right after the event but don’t remain-in-touch even when I know I should.” Consultant B

“I have a stay-in-touch approach but I was told by one person, I stay-in-touch too much and don’t provide the right value. I’m not sure what that means.” Consultant C

***

What is interesting is that this event was only open to consultants and freelancers and over half the people commented on the same challenges. However, the challenges weren’t really about networking. The challenges were about the best ways to remain in touch.

Not following up after an event and not remaining in touch with people you want to build a relationship with are common mistakes. Remaining in touch requires work. It takes time. Remaining in touch requires developing a remain-in-touch strategy.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve fallen down on following up after an event and struggled to remain in touch with people I wanted to build a relationship with more than I can count. It happens.

Don’t beat yourself up over it.

I remember when I first started out on my own as a consultant, I would attend networking events hoping I would meet people who were interested in what I had to offer.

As I spoke with people, I would grab their business cards and jot copious notes on the back. In the left pocket of my jacket or sweater, I stashed the cards of people with whom I wanted to follow up. In the right pocket, I hate to say it, the “ignore unless I had time” cards were squirreled away.

I would rush back to my office and key the information into the CRM system I was using at the time. The follow-up person was added to my email list. I immediately wrote a personalized email message saying it was great to meet you.

DONE.

Boy, did I waste a lot of time? Maybe the person sent an email back saying it was great to meet and we should remain in touch, but for the most part, the only thing I heard was crickets.

Let’s be realistic.

No matter what event you attend there is a good chance you don’t want to connect and build a relationship with everyone you met. However, once you do decide to build a relationship with someone, you need to remain in touch. That requires creating a remain-in-touch strategy. That requires finding the right balance of reaching out and remaining in touch because you don’t want to be seen as a nuisance and you want to provide value.

This is where the 80–20 rule comes into play.

80% of your remain-in-touch strategy should provide some type of value while the other 20% of your remain-in-touch strategy can include shameless plugs about how you can help someone or reveal something about you.

***

The 80%

As a consultant or freelancer, people turn to you because they trust you. People trust your advice and they look to you when they need to bounce ideas off of someone. You are looked at as a reliable source of information and wisdom.

So how do you show value?

You GIVE VALUE.

There are two ways to give value. One way is by you creating value and the other by you curating it.

If you’re creating value, you share your own original thoughts and content. If you are curating value, you share somebody else’s thoughts and content.

There are differences of opinion as to how much content should be your own original thoughts versus the sharing of thoughts of other people.

Here is my opinion.

It is not always easy to create your own content but it is always easy to provide relevant information to people who you are trying to help AND it is always possible to express an opinion. It is also possible to combine creating value and curating value into one remain-in-touch action.

One of the easiest ways to curate value is to share an article, video, or podcast with others. You create value when you add your own thoughts and opinion to the article, video, or podcast that you are sharing. How much you add depends on you but often two or three sentences as to why you are sharing the content or why you agree or disagree with the content is adequate.

But don’t just add your thoughts, personalize the message including personalizing why you are sharing the content. If you want to start a conversation, ask the other person their opinion.

“During the networking event, we discussed setting up your own video studio. You mentioned you were looking for videos to help you. Here are links to a few videos by experts whose opinions I respect. I have found expert A’s advice the most helpful for me because I have a very small space and limited dollars.

What do you think of the experts?”

(If you don’t know how to create a Personalized Message, check out this YouTube video.)

As a consultant or freelancer, you want, no need, to be able to articulate your own ideas and share by giving value.

Here are a few other ways to provide value — whether you are sharing your own thoughts and content or you are curating the work of others.

Quick tips
“How to” documents and videos
Books
Conference document
Interview with an important influential person
Free educational webinar
Social media post with a like, comment, and share

***

The 20%

People want to know about you so that they can decide how to relate to you. Coming across as a “real person” helps people relate to you. People also want to know how you might be able to help them.

But too much of you or too much of how you might be able to help them is just that — TOO MUCH. You don’t want you or your offers to dominate the conversation because people will tune you out. Relationships are as much about them as about you.

***

Recap

It takes time to build relationships and if you don’t remain in touch, a relationship can easily disappear.

Remember the saying, “out of touch, out of mind.”

Remain in touch with the right balance of messages and the 80–20 Rule is a helpful starting point.

My question for you!

Do You Have a Remain in Touch Strategy? If so, do you follow the 80–20 Rule?

***

Laura Burford helps solo-consultants and smaller consulting businesses build sustainable consulting businesses. She is the founder of Laura’s Consulting Guide, publishes Consulting Insights on YouTube, and is known for her Consulting Mastery: A Path to a Sustainable Business program.

How to Tame Writer's Block

Erica Holthausen — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 21:04:19 GMT

You cannot tame writer’s block if you don’t understand what it is or what is causing it. But while “writer’s block” is a common term, every writer’s experience is a little different, and there is no one agreed-upon definition.

The term “writer’s block” was introduced in 1949 by Dr. Edmund Bergler in his book, The Writer and Psychoanalysis. Bergler spent two decades studying writers who suffered from “neurotic inhibitions of productivity.”

Yep. Bergler considered writer’s block a neurotic disorder.

In the early 198os, Yale University psychologists Michael Barrios and Jerome Singer conducted further research to understand what it meant for writers to be creatively blocked and how writers could overcome such blocks.

Writers who made no progress on their main project and felt unable to write for at least three months were categorized as blocked. Barrios and Singer followed their progress for a month, interviewing them and asking them to complete several psychological tests focused on waking imagery, hypnotic dreaming, and rational discussion.

They detailed their findings in “The Treatment of Cognitive Blocks,” published in the September 1, 1981 issue of Imagination, Cognition and Personality. Barrios and Singer found that blocked writers often reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, were more self-critical, and indulged in much more procrastination.

Like Bergler, Barrios and Singer approached writer’s block from a psychological perspective. As a result of their work, Merriam-Webster defines writer’s block as “a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece.”

That’s a bit too heavy.

That type of writer’s block — a creative block that lasts for months — is relatively rare. And as someone who once made her living as a freelance writer, a deep and prolonged bout of writer’s block was a luxury I could not afford. And so I learned how to identify and stop it before it took root.

Identifying and combatting three types of writer’s block.

Every writer goes through periods when they feel deeply unsatisfied with the quality of their writing. And every writer has published something they wish they could have worked on just a little longer and polished just a little more. That’s just part of being a writer. But it becomes a lot more manageable if you understand the three types of writer’s block:

1. You have no idea what to write.

If you don’t have any ideas, walk away from the computer. Take a break and go for a walk. Once you’ve cleared your mind, grab and pen and some paper and do a little brainstorming exercise. Think about the questions your clients, partners, and prospects ask, the convention wisdom you call into question, and the action your clients can take right now to achieve their goals. Try to come up with at least ten questions you’d like to answer.

What if you have the opposite problem? If you have so many ideas that you’re not sure where to start, take a break. Come back to your list of ideas later and choose the one that you feel most energized to tackle today, that you know will help a specific client right now, or that responds to a question someone asked you recently. If that doesn’t work, choose the third idea on your list and start writing.

2. You're stuck.

If you know what you want to write about but are unsure how to get started, try creating a simple outline that includes a one-sentence summary of the point of the piece and a few bullet points. You might also try changing the format. Email is a less formal writing style, so try emailing yourself with an answer to the question the article poses.

Sometimes it’s hard to start because you haven’t thought through the piece enough. Go for a walk and think about what you’re trying to say. Outline the article in your head or capture a few ideas on your phone. Try dictating the first draft of your article or experimenting with an AI writer. It doesn’t matter how you start, just so long as you get started.

3. Your motivation abandoned you.

If you don't feel motivated, examine that feeling closely. Is it really a lack of motivation, or are you just fried? If you're fried, don't try to push through. Take a walk or a nap or do some work in the garden. The only time it is helpful to push through is when you’re nearly finished, and you just can’t seem to get those last few paragraphs done! In that case, set a timer for 15 minutes and write like a fiend. Knock out the first draft, and don’t worry if it’s terrible.

But if you’re having a hard time putting your butt in the seat and getting started, try scheduling a co-working session with a friend or setting a deadline that they will hold you to. You could also try The Most Dangerous Writing App, a terrifying tool designed to help you write the first draft quickly — if you stop writing, your words will start to flash red, and the app will delete your work.

Each type of writer’s block has a slightly different treatment plan. But the best way to become a more resilient writer is to embrace a writing practice. The more you write, the easier it is to keep going, even when the writing doesn’t come easily.

Wrestling the writing dragon is part of being a writer. The only thing that can help with the writing dragon is setting a deadline, sticking to it, and reminding yourself that done is better than perfect.

Yes, you will publish some pieces before you think they’re finished. That’s part of being a writer too. When you finish a piece that requires you to wrestle the writing dragon and publish it even though you’re not completely happy with it, you free yourself up to work on something new.

When it comes to creative blocks, there’s no way out but through.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

How to Increase the Return on Your Investment in Writing for High-Visibility Publications

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 01 May 2023 13:30:41 GMT

Once you publish an article in a high-visibility publication, you’ll want to make the most of that initial success. Writing for publication gets your ideas in front of a new audience, increasing your visibility. It differentiates you so you stand out from the crowd, and it gives you a great deal of credibility with your audience.

But it’s hard to realize these benefits if you don’t continuously promote your articles (and ideas) in several ways. Here’s how to get the greatest return on your investment in writing for high-visibility publications:

1. Syndicate your articles.

Most (though not all) high-visibility publications allow you to syndicate your articles after a short waiting period. Syndication is the practice of republishing an article to other websites, including your blog and third-party platforms like LinkedIn, Medium, and Thrive Global. Syndicating your articles allows you to get your work in front of a lot more people.

2. Promote your articles and your status as a contributor.

Regardless of whether you are allowed to syndicate your articles, it is important to promote your articles and your status as a contributor to your audience. Here are a few ideas:

Share your articles with your email subscribers and online communities, including social media platforms, Slack channels, and other online communities.

Add the article to your list of Publications on your LinkedIn profile.

Share individual articles with other experts in your field, mentors, advisors, trusted colleagues, clients, or prospects — especially if you recently had a conversation about the same topic.

Share individual articles in the chat on a Zoom call if it directly addresses someone’s questions or concerns.

Add the publication’s logo to your website and link it to your author page.

Include the logo or name of the publication in your email signature.

Add the logo or name of the publication to your social media and community profiles.

3. Repurpose your articles.

Although promoting your articles is a crucial step in enhancing your visibility, paywalls and algorithms may impede the effectiveness of your efforts. That’s why it is also essential to repurpose your articles. For example, you might:

Combine a compelling image with a quote and share what inspired you to write about that topic.

Create an infographic that captures the process outlined in your article and share it on your blog and across your social media channels.

Write a series of social media posts that elaborate on each key point you made in the article.

Create a slide deck outlining the main points of your article and share it on LinkedIn.

Record yourself reading a key point of the article and create an audiogram to share across social media.

Use your article as inspiration for a short video, LinkedIn live, or podcast episode, and link to the article in the description.

Combine several articles on the same topic into a short ebook to use as a lead generation tool.

Writing for high-visibility publications is incredibly valuable. One article can inspire a prospective client to sign up for a lead generation offer or a potential partner to reach out and start a conversation.

You can significantly improve your chances of attracting that type of attention by syndicating, promoting, and repurposing your articles so you can share them with your audience multiple times. And if your articles are evergreen, continue to share them over time.

Why not make the most of the time and effort you’ve already invested in writing articles for publication?

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

On Paying the Personal Costs of Change

Raman Shah — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 16:49:40 GMT

We have made it to spring. Spring, in all its blooming optimism, also concludes the season of New Year’s resolutions as those promises, mostly unkept, fade into bitter memory.

To me, New Year’s resolutions represent a cruel, unsustainable notion. They suggest that an infinite well of personal capacity, untapped in our moral weakness, will fuel the habits we want in our lives. I suggest, instead, that we are generally trying as hard as we can — that to embrace a new habit, we must relinquish old habits to pay for it. The personal costs and benefits of the old and new habits must match, not only in quantity but in kind. I find that when a change is paid for in the sense of personal capacity, it can be surprisingly sustainable.

(Unsustainable) Change as a Moral Crusade

My interest in how to pay for change comes from a few places. At a personal level, I simply feel intimidated by people who seem to have strong willpower, because I don’t. I’ve spent much of my life substituting cleverness for willpower.

Professionally, I measure operations. I spend my days bringing some of the precision of finance — budgets and ledgers, every penny like every other — to the realm of service delivery, built of far less interchangeable human efforts.

Other times, I’m called when a large technology initiative goes sideways. Technology projects look suspiciously like New Year’s resolutions: the organization will buy some exciting new software, the software will make the organization more productive, and everyone will benefit.

Right?

Unfortunately, difficulties inevitably arise. Reality’s complexity is typically underestimated; the software’s capability is typically overestimated. Leaders I admire — good people who have often dedicated their lives to service — start to double down on the initiative. In doubling down, they eventually inflict callousness and cruelty upon their teams. These leaders often lose key personnel as well as the hearts and minds of many more, gutting the human capital needed to accomplish anything good at all.

I believe this tragedy reflects something inside people. I notice leaders tend to have an impressive track record of crushing personal obstacles through sheer will. For leaders, I fear that a lifetime of waging moral crusades against their own limitations can turn moral crusades into an instinct. When the chips are down, the instinct can spill out and start to crush entire teams.

(Sustainable) Change as Capacity Accounting

The assumption behind the New Year’s resolution seems to be that personal capacity is unlimited — that anything is possible if you try hard enough. New Year’s resolutions can be seductive in temporarily confirming this assumption before blowing up. Trying anything new is a pleasant placebo. You can borrow extra energy from the future — for a little while.

I suggest the opposite assumption: that personal capacity is fixed. And further, that there are categories of personal capacity that don’t substitute. For example, you can’t raise your capacity for empathy by doing less physical lifting. You can’t stop relaxing with your friends and solve world hunger in its place, even if you think both take four hours a week.

Personal capacity fluctuates, particularly with health, over a lifetime. But assuming it’s constant opens a kinder, more pragmatic route to change. The costs of a proposed new habit must simply match the costs of old habits to relinquish. For example, to embrace a new habit requiring significant project management, you need to jettison another habit requiring a similar amount of project management. Conversely, if you give up a habit with benefits — like rest or social connection — you must take up new habits that offer the same benefits.

Two Personal Examples

Here is one mundane example from my life of what not to do. When visiting my doctor, he told me to improve my blood pressure by cooking at home more.

Great. Now how will I pay for it? The fridge inventory, the grocery trips, the cooking time, the dishes? Unable to fund the planning and logistics, I borrowed some energy from the future and just tried harder. My diet improved briefly. The initiative imploded within weeks. After an especially overworked winter, I’m not sure I want to measure the restaurant food I eat in a typical week.

Here’s an example of what can work. In 2020, I read a book that suggested that everyone has a “tribe” of roughly 150 relationships. It suggested that networking is about nurturing these connections regularly. I developed and gave away an open-source spreadsheet to implement the book’s suggestions. If you are in my tribe, a 16-week period never passes without hearing from me.

When I mention this, people assume I have superhuman willpower. They are wrong. This change was sustainable partly for technical reasons — I crafted the most efficient possible algorithm to keep this promise.

But more profoundly, I figured out how to pay for the change. I quit Facebook.

Facebook’s main costs in my life were empathetic — caring about what was going on with other people. Its main benefits were social — feeling connected and listened to. My relationship algorithm comprises a tiny trickle of ongoing bookkeeping to record whom I talked to each day, then about one extra email or text a day to whomever is about to fall through the cracks.

In its personal costs and benefits, the relationship algorithm was a drop-in replacement for Facebook. Yet it represented a huge improvement — I replaced shallow, distracted connections with too many people with a smaller number of high-quality connections. Paid for, the change has had startling staying power. As I write this, I’ve kept my 16-week promise to my tribe of 170-odd people — without exception — for about three years.

Sustainable Change From the Inside Out

I gave up on New Year’s resolutions long ago. I find change too important to put on a schedule. If a morsel of capacity accounting will improve my world, I embrace it immediately. If the calendar runs out without one showing up, that’s okay.

Whether you make New Year’s resolutions or not, I encourage you to articulate how to pay for the habits you want. Your proposals will take deeper analysis (intellectual exertion which, itself, must be paid for). They will sound more convoluted. You’ll attempt fewer of them. Yet you may find that surprisingly large improvements start to take root for yourself and loved ones, not for mere weeks, but for years.

Then — when time comes to lead a big change on behalf of your organization — you’ll have the instincts to pleasantly surprise your team and customers alike.

This post was initially published by Engaging Local Government Leaders in its Morning Buzz series.

A Workflow for Syndicating Published Articles

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 20:36:28 GMT

If you're thinking of writing for high-visibility publications, and you're wondering whether it's a good use of your time, there's one thing you should know: While most high-visibility publications require original content, many allow you to syndicate the published article after a short waiting period (typically 10 to 14 days).

But what does it mean to syndicate your published articles?

When you syndicate an article, you republish the same article to other websites, including those high-visibility publications that accept syndicated content.

Some publications require you to change the title of the original article before publishing it elsewhere. Almost all request that you link back to the original article. Here is a five-step workflow for syndicating published articles:

1. Confirm your right to syndicate the original article.

While most high-visibility publications allow you to syndicate articles you wrote for their platform, not all do. Double-check the guidelines to confirm your rights and the publication’s syndication requirements.

How long do you have to wait before syndicating your published articles? Does the publication recommend using specific language to link to the original article? Can you use the original title, or do you have to change it? Are there any other requirements?

Not all high-visibility publications have guidelines. Even those that publish guidelines don’t always address the question of syndication directly. If you have any doubts about the requirements, ask your editor.

2. Publish the article to your blog.

Once the waiting period is over, syndicate your published article to your blog. If you want to include an image, you’ll need to find your own. (Just make sure you have the right to use it.) And even if it isn’t required, link back to the original article:

“This article was originally published on [Publication].”

The words “originally published” link back to the original article, not the publication’s homepage.

Why? Because that link back to the original article helps build credibility with those who visit your website. They not only see what you wrote, which gives them a better sense of how you think about your area of expertise, but they see social proof. Another publication vetted you and published your work because they found it valuable. That tells the visitor that you have something to say that is worth listening to!

3. Share the article with your community.

Depending on how you share the article, this step might be categorized as either syndication or distribution. Either way, make sure you share your article with your email subscribers and online communities, including those on your preferred social media platforms. The people you reach through these platforms have already expressed interest in what you have to offer. Sharing your work with them not only builds your relationships, but it just might help them find a path forward.

4. Publish the article to third-party platforms.

There are a ton of third-party platforms that allow you to syndicate your published articles. Consider posting your work on Medium. You might also consider researching outlets that syndicate published work, such as Business 2 Community, Thrive Global, or BIZCATALYST 360. If you belong to a membership association (like this one), you might also be able to syndicate your article to their blog. Just check with them first!

5. Syndicate the article in your LinkedIn Newsletter.

LinkedIn has always allowed you to publish original or syndicated articles on their platform. Now those articles can become a LinkedIn newsletter that you publish on the schedule of your choice. The benefit of LinkedIn newsletters is that your work reaches an entirely different audience than your blog or email newsletter — and because the article is republished in full, the algorithm doesn’t interfere (as much) with your reach.

If you’re writing articles for a high-visibility publication that allows you to syndicate your content, do it. You’ve already invested time and effort into writing an article for publication. Syndicating the content gets the piece in front of a lot more people for a small amount of effort.

And you don’t have to take all these steps — nor do you have to do them all at once. You may publish a new article every two weeks and decide to publish a newsletter on LinkedIn every month. So long as the articles you write are evergreen (remains relevant over time), you can make a plan that fits your schedule and gives you plenty of room to breathe.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

How to Pitch High-Visibility Publications

Erica Holthausen — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 13:26:18 GMT

Many publications have specific guidelines about how to pitch your ideas. Some want you to pitch an article, some want you to pitch a column, and some want you to submit a completed article for consideration. Others offer no guidance at all. But every pitch incorporates the same core elements.

To determine which publication to pitch, you first need to develop a pitch strategy. The pitch strategy will help you create a series of filters based on your business goals and objectives so you can narrow down the list of potential publications to pitch. Once your publication roadmap is in place, you can evaluate the shortlist of publications to determine which ones complement your writing style.

Once you’ve identified your top-choice publication, you can focus your efforts on crafting a pitch that editors will love. But you’ll need to do a little research first.

Familiarize yourself with your top-choice publication.

Does your top-choice publication have guidelines? Do they want you to pitch a specific editor? Or do they have a form they want you to complete? Do they want you to pitch an article or a column? Review their contributor guidelines, style guide, and media kit so you can understand as much about the publication (and its readers) as possible.

If the publication does have guidelines, follow them. Exactly. Failure to follow their guidelines will likely result in your pitch being rejected. Not all publications have contributor guidelines, and those that do, don’t always make them easy to find. Use the publication’s search bar and look for terms like “contributor guidelines,” “contribute,” “write for us,” or “submission guidelines.”

Subscribe to your top-choice publication and search for articles about your area of expertise. Review the headlines and notice how the articles are categorized. If most articles appear in a specific section on the website, look closely at that section. These articles are part of the conversation you want to enter, so read them carefully and look for places where you can add to the conversation.

Develop your idea for an article or column.

Your article or column must add something to the conversation about your area of expertise. What are the gaps in the conversation that you can fill? What is missing from the conversation right now? How can you give the publication’s readers a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the topic?

If you’re pitching an article, you need an attention-grabbing headline and a few key points that show the editor how your article adds to the conversation. If you’re pitching a column, you’ll need to come up with several article ideas.

Download the editorial calendar template to help you capture and develop your article ideas.

Craft your pitch.

A well-crafted pitch gets right to the point. It isn’t cute or clever; it’s clear. In a few short paragraphs, you must show the editor that you’ve done your homework, will be easy to work with, and will provide a ton of value to the publication’s readers. Unless the publication’s guidelines say otherwise, you will pitch your idea by email. Here are the seven elements every pitch should include:

1. Subject. Keep the subject line of your email simple and clear so the recipient knows what to expect. For example, “Pitch: [Article Title]” or “Pitch: Column on [Overarching Idea].” If you’re pitching a column, spend some time developing the overarching idea for your column.

2. Salutation. If pitching an individual editor, make sure you spell their name correctly! Keep the greeting formal and professional. Unless you know how they like to be addressed, it is often best to address them by their full name.

3. Hook. Grab the editor’s attention with a strong first sentence. The hook is the same kind of lede you’d use in an article. What is your article or column about? Why should the publication’s readers care?

4. Beat. What are you going to write about? If you’re pitching an article, give the editor the key details in a few sentences. Include a working title and a summary that explains how the article will unfold. If you’re pitching a column, explain how it adds to the conversation and why the publication’s readers should read it.

5. Credentials. Explain why you are qualified to write this article or column in one paragraph. What are your credentials? Have you written for other publications about this same subject? Have you been featured in other publications? Have you worked with well-known clients? Were you trained at a prestigious institution? The editor wants to know they can trust you to give their readers solid, actionable advice.

6. Clips. Links to three relevant clips (writing samples) that show you are a good writer and strategic thinker. Ideally, these links go to analogous publications, but they can also be links to your blog, Medium, or an article on LinkedIn.

7. Close. Thank the editor for their consideration, and (unless the guidelines dictate otherwise) let them know that you will follow up in 10 days.

Once you’ve crafted your pitch, you will want to refine it. Make sure it is as short as possible and easy to read. Incorporate some white space and use a bulleted list for your clips. If you have difficulty explaining your article or column in a few sentences, you may not have thought it through enough. Once you’re happy with your pitch, double-check your grammar, triple-check that you’ve spelled the editor’s name correctly, and then hit send. Make a note on your calendar to follow up with the editor if you haven’t heard back from them in 10 days, and then get on with your day knowing that you’ve done everything you could.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

How to Structure an Article for Publication

Erica Holthausen — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 11:09:42 GMT

Every article follows the same basic structure. It’s like a recipe. The more familiar you are with your ingredients and the more knowledgeable you are about how to combine them, the stronger a writer you will be — and the more you can play with the recipe.

If you’re new to writing articles for publication, it might help to stick to the recipe for a while because it will help you convey your ideas in a way that is clear and compelling. Because readers are also familiar with the recipe, it makes it easier for them to follow along and understand your idea and how to apply your insights to their experience.

Articles are comprised of seven foundational ingredients.

Business writing is practical and efficient. Your readers don’t have time to meander through a story that sets the stage — they want to know what they will learn from your article before they even start reading. So get right to the point and use examples along the way. Here are the seven ingredients to a successful article:

1. The hed. The headline or title conveys the promise you are making to your reader. It should be specific and easy to understand. When possible, it should capture the spirit of the story. It gives readers a taste of what’s to come — and it does all of that in fewer than 15 words.

2. The dek. The deck or subtitle allows you to expand on the headline and give your reader an idea of what's to come. Not all publications include a dek.

3. The lede. According to William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well, the lede, or lead, is the first sentence (or paragraph) of your article and is the most important: “If it doesn’t induce the reader to proceed to the second sentence [or paragraph], your article is dead.” The lede tells the reader what the article is about and uses a hook to get them to sit up and take notice.

4. The nut graf. The nut graf is the paragraph or paragraphs that follow the lede. It transitions the reader into the body of the article and tells the reader where they are headed and why they should continue reading. It builds on the lede — revealing the point of the article quickly and all at once so that even if a reader goes no further, they know what the story is about.

5. The subhed. The subhead or subheadline appears in the body of an article and divides it into sections. Most articles have at least two subheads that outline your main points in an easy-to-scan format.

6. The body. The body of your article is where you fulfill the promise you made to the reader in your headline.

7. The close. The close is the conclusion of your article. It circles back to the lede and summarizes the key takeaways.

Every article follows some variation of this structure. From journalistic magazines like The Atlantic to business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Harvard Business Review, you’ll see this same structure used repeatedly. Even industry trade journals, which are much more research-focused, use this basic structure.

To help you get more familiar with this structure, analyze an article published on your favorite business magazine’s website. See if you can identify each of these elements. Then use this structure to outline your next article — you’ll find the structure offers plenty of room for creativity. And once you’ve got the structure down, you can start to experiment. You’ve got to know the rules before you can break them effectively!

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

The World Needs Your Voice

Erica Holthausen — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 14:20:28 GMT

Quiet brilliance doesn’t earn you a reputation as an authoritative expert.

Early in my career, I worked with an extraordinary researcher at a non-governmental organization in Washington, D.C. She was smart, insightful, and warm. Her colleagues respected her intellect and relied on her to edit and fact-check articles, reports, and speeches. But she never took the leap and shared her own research. When it came time to select the lead researcher for a new project, she was not even considered.

This story is all too common.

So many brilliant people want just a little more time to refine their ideas and make sure they are perfect before sharing them publicly. But perfection is an unachievable goal.

And the pursuit of perfection is holding you back.

There’s never been a better time to share your ideas.

Fifteen years ago, it would have been difficult for a consultant or business coach to get a byline in Inc., Entrepreneur, or Fast Company. But these prestigious business publications now rely on experienced professionals to share their insights with their readers.

Your perspective is invaluable to the publication’s readers, but it is crucial to the success of the publication’s business model. Let me explain:

Magazines rely heavily on advertising revenue.

A great deal of that advertising happens online.

Online advertising revenue is proportional to website traffic.

Website traffic relies on search engine optimization (SEO).

SEO requires a steady influx of original, high-quality content.

High-visibility publications need a tremendous amount of original, high-quality content. Their need for that content far outpaces their capacity for creating it. In fact, many of these publications would go out of business if they had to pay their staff writers and freelance writers for all the content they needed to produce.

As an expert, you can help associations, trade journals, and business magazines meet the need for original, high-quality content. In return, you get to share your ideas with a well-established audience, demonstrate your credibility, and build your community while increasing your visibility and opening the door to new opportunities.

The readers win.

The publications win.

You win.

It’s not enough to be great at what you do. If you want to make an impact, your voice needs to be heard. Writing for high-visibility publications is one of the most effective ways to share your ideas and build your reputation as an authoritative expert.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

How to Write for High-Visibility Publications

Erica Holthausen — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 13:15:03 GMT

Writing for high-visibility publications is one of the most effective ways to build your reputation as an authoritative expert. It allows you to share your ideas with a well-established audience, demonstrates your credibility, and opens the doors to new opportunities and coveted speaking engagements.

Building your reputation as an authoritative expert takes time and a consistent, focused effort. The options and advice can feel overwhelming. Even if you know that you want to write articles for publication, you still have to figure out which publications accept contributed content, how to choose the right publication, and what goes into a pitch. The good news? There's a recipe for writing for high-visibility publications.

The PEACEFUL Publishing Method™

The PEACEFUL Publishing Method is a step-by-step approach to help you identify, pitch, and write for the right high-visibility publications and get results as quickly as possible in a way that minimizes the risks and the time, money, and energy you invest.

Building your reputation as an authoritative expert requires you to play the long game. There are no shortcuts. But the eight steps of my PEACEFUL Publishing Method will keep you focused and moving forward. It will save you a tremendous amount of time and help you develop a plan that fits into your workflow.

Prepare Your Roadmap. The publication roadmap identifies and prioritizes your business goals, specifies your intended audience and their desired outcomes, and determines how writing for publication will fit into your existing workflow.
Elucidate Your Idea. Clearly define your BIG idea and point of view (the things you want to be known for in your industry), identify the major themes you will write about, develop your article ideas, and establish an editorial calendar.
Assess the Options. The assessment requires you to choose a strategy, compile a list of publications, evaluate each against the roadmap, and select a publication that helps you reach your goals while complementing your voice and style.
Craft the Case. To make the case, you need to get to know the publication so you can persuade the editors to publish your work. You’ll need a contributor bio, writing samples, and article ideas that demonstrate how you will add value.
Examine the Structure. Analyze the structure of the publication’s articles so you can write a compelling headline, craft the lede, and align your writing style with that of the publication. Tailor your writing samples to the publication’s structure.
Fashion the Article. Commit to a writing practice, outline your ideas to minimize writer’s block, write the first draft quickly, rewrite and revise your article, and edit and fact-check your article before submitting it for publication.
Understand Your Role. Understand the publication's guidelines so you can craft a perfect pitch and tailor your articles to the publication’s readers. Understand when to follow up and what makes an article work or why the editor rejected it.
Leverage Your Success. To leverage your success, you must review your goals, promote your work, foster your relationships, expand your opportunities, and repurpose your article for maximum exposure.

If you want to increase your income, expand your influence, and magnify your impact, you must invest in building your reputation as an authoritative expert. Writing articles for publication is one way to accomplish that goal. As a strategy, it is most effective if you already know your audience, have experience working with them and getting them the results they seek, and feel compelled to share your message so you can make an impact as well as a living.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

How to Fact-Check Your Work, so You Don't Damage Your Reputation

Erica Holthausen — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 10:30:03 GMT

Your reputation as an authority is your most valuable asset, and it is up to you to protect it. Years ago, almost every publication had a team responsible for fact-checking every article. Most large media outlets had teams of specially-trained fact-checkers, while smaller publications required the editorial staff to check the facts of each article they edited. But today, most outlets rely on the writer to fact-check their work and attest to its accuracy.

As an expert, the responsibility for fact-checking your work lies entirely with you. Scrutinizing your work to find errors is not easy, but with a little practice, it will become easier. Here are five steps to help you fact-check your work so you can maintain your credibility with your readers:

1. Prepare to fact-check your work.

Collect all of the backup information you collected as you worked on your piece. If you interviewed someone, make sure you have their contact information. If you conducted desk research, note the author, title, date, link, and publisher for every book, article, video, or podcast episode.

2. Step away from the piece.

Fact-checking requires you to look at your work from the perspective of a cantankerous reader. To get into that mindset, give yourself a little time and space between writing and fact-checking.

3. Review your article and shore up any areas of weakness.

Read the entire article slowly. If you were tasked with discrediting the author of this piece, where would you poke holes in the argument? How do you know that a particular claim is valid? Are all of the cited sources reputable? What doesn’t ring true about the piece? Now, how can you address each of these concerns?

4. Print your article and identify items to check.

Read the article again, backward. Highlight proper nouns, underline facts (including superlatives and opinions masquerading as facts), circle numbers, and put a box around citations.

5. Verify the information.

Verify the spelling of proper nouns, statements of fact, numbers, and citations. Pay close attention to superlatives because these claims are rarely accurate. Double- and triple-check any discoveries that you find especially exciting or disheartening because our emotions can cloud our judgment, and things are seldom as straightforward as they seem. When stating your opinion, make sure it’s clear to the reader.

Fact-checking is a skill. Anyone can be a better fact-checker, but it takes practice and must be done with intention. Download and use my fact-checking checklist to make sure you don’t miss anything.

The better you become at fact-checking your work, the more your work will add to your credibility and authority as an expert in your field. And that is worth the extra effort.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Insider. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

The Trouble with Thought Leadership

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 11:50:14 GMT

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term "thought leader" first appeared in writing in 1887. But it didn't take hold until more than one hundred years later when Joel Kurtzman, editor-in-chief of Strategy & Business magazine, started a column profiling thought leaders of the day. "A thought leader is recognized by peers, customers, and industry experts as someone who deeply understands the business they are in, the needs of their customers and the broader marketplace in which they operate," said Kurtzman. "They have distinctively original ideas, unique points of view, and new insights.”

As experts in our fields, we all aspire to be thought leaders. But that honorific may not work out the way we expect it to. Consider the evidence:

1. Thought leaders must be anointed by others.

The term "thought leader" first appeared in an 1887 book written by Lyman Abbott about his predecessor, Henry Ward Beecher. A prolific writer and public speaker, Beecher was a Congregationalist minister, abolitionist, and champion of women's suffrage, temperance, and Darwin's theory of evolution. After defending his friend's memory against ongoing rumors that he committed adultery, Abbott assured the reader that "Mr. Beecher retains his position as the most eminent preacher and one of the great thought leaders in America."

Henry Ward Beecher was very well known, as was his sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. But he wasn't referred to as a thought leader until after his death. The lack of that honorific during his lifetime did nothing to change the scope of his impact.

2. Thought leaders don't always get the brightest spotlight.

You are probably familiar with Steve Jobs, the visionary genius and co-founder of Apple. But does the name Edwin Land ring a bell? Land was the founder of Polaroid, which was once the hottest technology company in the world in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. In a 1985 interview in Playboy, Jobs referred to Land as a "brilliant troublemaker." He modeled Apple after Polaroid and himself after Land.

Edwin Land was a true thought leader. But it was his protege, Steve Jobs, who received the accolades and recognition that lasted well beyond his lifetime. Land's contributions are not quite as obvious to the general public as Jobs's contributions, but that doesn't diminish their impact.

3. Thought leaders are often ridiculed and ostracized.

On the cover of the August 1997 issue of Nature, the term "wood-wide web" was used to refer to Dr. Suzanne Simard's article about the power of mycorrhizal networks. Her findings called into question the established wisdom espoused by veteran foresters — beliefs based on the Darwinian theory of the survival of the fittest. Her work was met with enthusiasm, followed by harsh (and baseless) criticism. It nearly ended her career.

Dr. Simard's research was groundbreaking, but she paid a steep price for daring to disrupt her industry. She had to fight for her findings and funding to continue her research for ten years. Today, she is a respected forest ecologist, author, speaker, and professor.

To be regarded as a thought leader, you must build your reputation and have the title bestowed upon you. But you have no control over others' opinions of your work and ideas, and those who confer this coveted title may not be the people impacted by your work.

The truth is that you don't have to be a thought leader to make a difference. You don't have to be a thought leader to be an expert. And you don't have to be a thought leader to be a thoughtful leader.

Instead of focusing on other people's opinions of your work, focus on the things you can control. Show up, provide value, and be your full brilliant self. If you end up being regarded as a thought leader, that's great. That is certainly a cause for celebration. But then get back to work. Because recognition isn't what matters.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Insider. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

Do You Have Credibility? Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Sure Did!

Laura Burford — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:18:53 GMT

The best consultants work hard to build trusted relationships but to build a trusted relationship a consultant needs to be seen as credible. The challenge is how does a consultant show a potential client that they are credible if they don’t already have credibility with them?

Credibility is a quality given by a client and not bestowed to a consultant overnight. Not only does it take time to be deemed credible, a consultant needs to continually work on enhancing and retaining credibility. It is also easy to assume you have credibility with a client when you don’t. This means as a consultant, you need to continually evaluate if there is trust between you and another person.

Credibility is fickle. It disappears faster than it is achieved. One wrong move can destroy your credibility for years, or a life-time. Think of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscar Awards or President Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal or Prince Andrew and his association with notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The credibility of each individual was shattered in all three scenarios. Nixon never regained his credibility; time will tell for Will Smith and Prince Andrew.

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While working at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), I was taught that there were three basic ways to achieve credibility: reputation, transferred, and earned. Most of us only contemplate the third way of gaining credibility, earned. However, consultants should not overlook the other two ways and their impact on building relationships.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II gained credibility by reputation, by transfer, and by earning it.

In October of 1940 when at the age of 14, Princess Elizabeth gave her first public radio address to the children of the Commonwealth. Listeners deemed her credible by reputation because of her membership in the royal family.

Princess Elizabeth gained credibility by transfer when she ascended to the throne in February 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II earned credibility by keeping until her death a promise made to the public on her 21st birthday:

"I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong."

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Credibility by reputation is achieved by association. If Princess Elizabeth had not been associated with the royal family, her speech to the children of the Commonwealth would not have had the same impact. When I walked out the door on my last day with PwC, my credibility by association disappeared. I quickly discovered the impact of not having the backing of the “association.” Credibility by reputation for many people is temporary, coming and going based on with whom we are associated.

Credibility by transfer is achieved by assignment. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was next in line for the throne after her father died. Although gaining credibility can be positional, a common way to gain credibility is by receiving an introduction from someone you trust to someone they trust. When a satisfied customer recommends you to a colleague of theirs, the customer transfers their understanding of your credibility, their trust of you, to their colleague. As a consultant, your referral strategy is instrumental in helping you gain credibility.

The best way, even though it is perhaps the most difficult, is to gain credibility by earning it yourself. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II never faltered when it came to her life of service promise. When there was a misstep, she embraced the misstep and worked to regain trust.

Earning credibility is between you and the other person. It is doing what you say you are going to do, delivering on your promise, and showing you are genuine and reliable. Missteps happen that make credibility fickle. It is how you deal with the missteps that impact your credibility either positively or negatively.

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If you have been following my articles or videos, you’ve heard me refer to 10 Consultant Credibility Essentials or Elements. The essentials are tactical in nature highlighting your experience, expertise, and intellectual property as well as your professional presence.

• Can you explain your Point of View?

• What do others say about your expertise?

• Are you able to be found if someone performs an internet search?

These essentials help display credibility and help support you, but they do not replace your actions, words, or how you make people feel. They don’t help you earn credibility. They help support your credibility once it is earned. If you don’t do what you say you will do, delivering on your promise, the 10 Credibility Essentials provide limited, and sometimes, no value. (If you are interested in 10 Ways to Display Credibility, here is a link.)

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Conclusion

Are you being seen as credible?

There are three basic ways to gain credibility: reputation, transferred, and earned. The best way is to earn it yourself by building a trusted relationship with a person. This requires you to be cognitive of your actions, words, and how you make people feel as you not only deliver on your promises, but, when possible, exceed expectations.

A consultant never stops working on gaining and retaining their credibility. It takes time to build credibility and if not careful, credibility can disappear overnight and that is something no consultant wants to happen.

My question to you – What actions are you going to take to ensure you are seen as credible?

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Laura Burford helps solo-consultants and smaller consulting businesses clarify their CORE (focus, ideal client, point of view and services), build relationships, and get clients. She is the founder of Laura’s Consulting Guide, publishes Consulting Insights on YouTube, and is known for her Consulting Mastery: A Path to a Sustainable Business program.

How Do You Unearth Your BIG Idea?

Erica Holthausen — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 13:04:52 GMT

If you want to be regarded as a leading expert in your field, you need to have a BIG idea — a bold, insightful, and galvanizing idea — upon which to build your career and reputation.

Five questions to ask to discover your BIG idea.

Some people seem to be born knowing their BIG idea. But for most of us, unearthing, recognizing, and embracing our BIG idea takes time and focused effort. If you’re not sure where to start, or if you’re in the midst of the process, consider these five questions:

1. What is something you see happening in your field that makes you want to grab a bullhorn and rant and rave?

2. What are the underlying assumptions in your field? Are they really true? How do you know?

3. Who are the leaders in your field? Whom do you admire? Who is overrated? Why?

4. What experiences have you had that others in your field have not? How do they shape your view of the work you do?

5. What is important to YOU about the work you do? How does your work deliver value to your clients?

A simple exercise to help you develop your BIG idea.

Developing your BIG idea requires you to take some time for thoughtful reflection and deep work. But you can get started now, with a simple 10-minute freewriting exercise:

1. Grab a pen and a piece of paper. Choose the question above that resonates with you most and write it at the top of the page.

2. Walk away from your computer and phone, and find a quiet place to work without interruption.

3. Set a timer for 10 minutes and answer the question at the top of the page as quickly as possible. Don’t edit yourself, and don’t stop writing. If you get stuck, write, “What I’m trying to say is . . .” and keep going. Even if it’s awful, keep writing as fast as you can.

4. When the timer goes off, you can stop writing. Of course, if you’re in the flow, I recommend that you take advantage of that flow state and keep writing!

5. Read what you wrote aloud and circle those insights that resonate with you. You can use those as prompts for future freewriting exercises.

Your BIG idea has the power to shape your corner of the world. It may start as just a spark of an idea based on experience or instinct, but that’s all you need. You’ll develop your idea further as you explore it. And one of the beautiful things about a BIG idea is that you will always be learning and deepening your understanding of your topic.

Take some time to develop your BIG idea, and then share it. But don’t wait too long. You’ll never know everything there is to know about your BIG idea, so take us on that journey of discovery with you. The more you share your thoughts on this topic, the more your audience will see you as someone who has ideas worth sharing.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Insider. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

Lost touch with a Connection? How to Apologize and Graciously Rebuild a Relationship!

Laura Burford — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 13:13:32 GMT

You’ve identified a great prospective client but you don’t know the person and the only person you can find who might be able to connect you is an ex-coworker you’ve not spoken to in years.

The situation presents a dilemma for you. What do you do?

One option is to not try to connect at all. You take the prospective client off of your list of potential clients.

Another option is to send a personalized message to the prospective client. If done right, a personalized message is extremely powerful and you’ve had success with personalized messages.
However, there is a third option and that is reaching out and asking the person you’ve not spoken to in years for help. This is also the best option because a solid introduction from a trusted person adds a level of credibility to an initial introduction and helps with building a mutual relationship.

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No one is to blame for the disconnect between you and the ex-coworker. You simply lost touch with them because of limits on your time, demands of your professional and personal life, and daily paths no longer crossing. Losing touch happens.

Whether you are new to consulting or been consulting for years, it is common to need help from someone with whom you’ve not connected with in quite some time. Reaching out to that person can be awkward and feel uncomfortable.

I remember the first time I needed to reach out to an old connection. I hedged to ask for help because I didn’t want to be seen as the person who only reaches out when they needed something. But a good colleague reminded me that the worst thing that could happen is the person ignores the email or they say no.

Most people, no matter how long it has been since you corresponded, are open to helping a person. But it also means you, the consultant, needs to be sensitive to the situation and be apologetic.

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Re-establishing a Relationship.

Here is my process for reestablishing a relationship.

Start by communicating with them using their preferred communication method. If they prefer email, use email. If they prefer phone calls, call them.
Send an email (or call) acknowledging the fact that you have fallen out of touch. In the subject line, I’ve used words as “Mea Culpa. I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch.” or a simple “Are you open to reconnecting?” I’m not the best with humor, but if your relationship is informal, consider using a use a humorist quote such as “Boy, time sure flew. Where has it gone?”
Apologize for being out of touch. Provide a brief update to let the person know what has been going on with you professionally. If appropriate, don’t hesitate to provide a personal update.
Ask if they are open to helping you but also provide them with an out such as “I’m sure you are busy. I understand if this is not a good time.” Then, explain your reasons as to why you are asking them for assistance. Don’t hesitate to say that based on your research, you believe they might be able to help you with an introduction (or maybe it is background information on a person, an industry, or an event.) Be confident in your ask but be respectful of them and their time.
If they say YES, make it easy for them by providing what they need to help you. If you are asking for an introduction, write the introduction email message for them. Better yet, before you even reach out, write the message.
Try to reciprocate by asking what you can do for them. The ask could be as simple as “What can I do right now that is helpful for you?” If they respond with a “nothing right now” let them know that they shouldn’t hesitate to reach out in the future.
Never forget to thank them for their time and help. The thank you can be a hand written thank you note or a small gift. Additionally, thank them by letting them know how their help helped you. Did that introduction to that great prospective client materialize into the creation of a proposal?
Finally, the most important last step—add them to your Remain in Touch Relationship Strategy. You don’t want to fall out of touch again.

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Conclusion

Reaching out to a person that you’ve not spoken with in years and asking them to help you can feel awkward and uncomfortable. There is no way around that feeling.

But, it is important for you, a consultant, to learn how to put the discomfort behind you and reconnect. Reconnecting is part of networking and the better your network, the easier it is to grow your business. However, reconnecting requires, you to be sensitive to the situation, be apologetic, and gracious in your approach. It also requires you to take the time to ensure you and your “ex” don’t fall out of touch again.

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Laura Burford partners with solo-consultants and boutique consulting businesses helping them clarify their CORE (focus, ideal client, point of view and services), build relationships, and get clients. She is the founder of Laura’s Consulting Guide and offers a free weekly Consulting Insights focused on providing tips, techniques, and thought pieces for consultants at all stages of their business.

Evaluating the Publications on Your Shortlist

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 11:01:42 GMT

Hundreds of influential blogs, trade journals, and business magazines seek contributed content. But not all of these publications will help you reach your goals. Before you pitch your idea for an article or column, identify the publications that will help you reach your goals. That will give you a shortlist to consider.

But how do you narrow down that shortlist?

Your pitch strategy must be grounded in research and a deep understanding of your goals and objectives. Once you have your shortlist, you must evaluate each option to make sure the publication’s style is compatible with yours.

We are judged by the company we keep. Industry leaders, colleagues, and prospective clients will make assumptions about your ideas, skill level, and credibility based on your affiliation with a particular publication. Make sure the publications you affiliate with reflect your personality and values.

Three elements to review to determine a publication's style.

Every publication has a particular writing style. The way the message is crafted influences the reader’s impression of the message. Style includes diction, tone, and voice. You want your style to complement the publication’s style. To determine the publication’s style, evaluate these three elements:

1. Diction. Diction is the choice and use of words and phrases in speech and writing. Pay attention to the positive or negative connotation around the words and phrases that appear in a publication’s headlines. Notice how the choice of words and phrases also influences whether the publication sounds formal, academic, or casual.

2. Tone. By paying attention to word choice, you also get a sense of a publication’s tone. Does the article you’re reviewing sound objective or subjective? Logical or emotional? Intimate or distant? Serious or humorous? Formal or casual? Respectful or irreverent? Enthusiastic or matter-of-fact? Think about the tone of a specific article. If the tone is serious, could it have been written as a humorous piece? Ask yourself why the writer chose to write in this tone. Is this the dominant tone across all of the publication’s articles? Or did the subject matter require this particular tone?

3. Voice. A publication’s voice can be difficult to put into words. Voice makes an article recognizable as one published in a particular media outlet. A publication’s voice is its personality. Think about BuzzFeed and Harvard Business Review. What makes these publications so different from one another? Voice. While tone varies depending on the situation, voice is consistent.

To get a sense of a publication’s style, you’ll need to study each one closely. Read several articles from the last year, and pay attention to the headlines. Headlines are where a publication’s voice shines. If a publication’s headlines, graphics, or topics of interest elicit a scowl or eye-roll, it’s probably not a good fit — no matter how popular the publication.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Insider. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

How Do You Know Which High-Visibility Publications to Pitch?

Erica Holthausen — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 11:05:44 GMT

Before you pitch your idea for an article or column, you need to select the publications that will help you reach your goals. Hundreds of influential blogs, trade journals, and business magazines seek contributed content. And each one has a different set of guidelines.

You may have a few publications on your list already. Some of the most popular publications include Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, and Inc. These are well-respected, prestigious publications with loyal audiences. So they should be on your list of publications to consider. But don’t be surprised if not all of these publications stay on your list — or that none is your top choice.

You want to be recognized as an authoritative expert, and you want to raise your profile by publishing articles that build your authority and increase your visibility. But to be effective, your pitch strategy must be grounded in research and a deep understanding of your goals and objectives.

Create your pitch strategy by answering these five questions.

Writing articles for third-party publications is one way to share your ideas with a broader audience, demonstrate your credibility, and cultivate your community. But knowing which publication to pitch requires you to think more deeply about your goals. To create your publication roadmap, answer these five questions:

1. What is your primary purpose for publishing on third-party platforms? Are you publishing articles on third-party platforms because you want to promote your business and inspire readers to signup for your newsletter, download a resource, or register for a webinar? Are you publishing articles to get more backlinks to your website so you can improve your SEO (search engine optimization)? Are you publishing articles to share your expertise, build your authority, and increase your visibility? You may be publishing articles for all three of these reasons, but what is your primary purpose?

Knowing your purpose helps you establish filters so you can choose the right publication. For example, if your primary purpose is to improve SEO or inspire readers to signup for your newsletter, you want to look for publications that allow you to have a contributor bio and backlink at the bottom of each article you write. Entrepreneur and Inc. only offer a simple byline with a link to your author page. But Harvard Business Review includes a contributor bio and backlink at the bottom of each piece.

2. Whom do you want to read your articles? Who is your primary audience for your articles? Are you writing to connect with prospective clients, colleagues, or industry leaders? What publications does your intended audience read regularly? If you’re trying to connect with prospective clients, you might want to consider industry trade journals and association blogs.

3. What do you want to write about? Do you want to share your insights and expertise? Or do you want to interview other experts and incorporate their perspectives into your articles? Writing for a third-party publication can help you secure an interview with people you admire, but not every publication welcomes these types of profile pieces. Entrepreneur prioritizes your stories and lessons learned. They allow you to quote other experts, but only if they are well-known business leaders. Other publications, including Inc., are more flexible and are happy to accept actionable and informative profile pieces, so long as they are not overly promotional.

4. How often do you want to publish articles? Do you want to publish articles regularly or more sporadically? Some publications request that you pitch an idea for a column. For example, Inc. asks contributors to make a six-month commitment and encourages them to publish an article every two weeks. Entrepreneur also allows you to have a column, but you don’t need to establish a schedule. Harvard Business Review requires you to pitch each piece individually.

It’s worth noting that while most publications require original content, content that has never been published to your blog or another outlet, many allow you to republish your article (with a link back to the original) after a short waiting period. Keep this in mind as you seek to balance writing for publication with writing for your blog, newsletter, and social media.

5. How many publications do you want to be affiliated with? Do you want to write for one publication? Or do you want to write for several publications? Or would you prefer a hybrid approach, where you write primarily for one publication but occasionally pitch articles to others? Finding the right balance can be tricky. Pitching articles takes time, and not everyone enjoys the process. So choose a strategy that fits your personality and plays to your strengths.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you can create a shortlist of publications for further consideration. You’ll want to study each of these publications closely, reading several articles and reviewing their contributor guidelines to determine which ones are a good fit. You’ll find that each publication has a particular personality — a voice and tone that is unique to that publication. Industry leaders, colleagues, and prospective clients will make assumptions about you based on your affiliation with a publication. Your reputation is the most critical asset you have in this business, so make sure you protect it.

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Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Insider. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

Should You Package or Productize Your Consulting Services?

Laura Burford — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 19:33:37 GMT

Three Common Offerings with Real-Life Examples

"Joe isn’t a consultant because he provides a package solution.”

That is exactly what a new consultant said to me. But guess what? Joe is a consultant. Just because he is providing a package, doesn’t mean he isn’t a consultant. In this scenario, Joe is offering clients what some practitioners referred to as a “market-focused consulting service” in addition to an overall customized solution.

When it comes to providing services to clients, consultants and freelancers have options. Consultants and freelancers can follow the traditional service offering path by providing a customized solution that helps a client achieve what they want and need to achieve. But they can also provide a package approach which you might hear referred to as a productized consulting service. Or they can provide a combination of services as Joe is doing — a package and customized solution.

As more people have become consultants, freelancers, and other types of independent workers providing a package or productized consulting service has become quite popular. It is an option that works well for some consultants but not all consultants.

But what is a package or productized consulting service offer?

Simply, a consultant identifies a high-value but narrowly focused portion of their overall service offering — their how — and then integrates that expertise into a standardized product or service.

There are quite a few benefits associated with providing a smaller fixed price package to a client. Consultants are able to

work on developing a strong relationship with a client as they obtain a better insight into a client’s needs before proposing on a larger initiative.
deliver a top-notch client experience providing not only value but a quality product or service.
open new doors and attract new clients with a low-price high-value offer.
shorten the “selling” and proposal process with the help of a minimalist engagement letter that might be a simple e-commerce online purchase agreement.
scale their business by hiring people to assist with package support freeing the consultant enabling them to spend time growing the business.

Clients also benefit. A low-price, high-value product or service for which there are clear expectations provides a low-risk way for a client to get to know a consultant before the client spends funds on a larger initiative.

There are three common types of packages or productized consulting services: market-focused, product-focused, and service-focused.

Market-Focused Approach

Consultants often think of a market-focused service as the “foot-in-the door” or “let’s get to know one another” approach. The consultant provides a selected high-value service to the client at a reasonable price. Each person gets to know one another and build trust. A key characteristic to a deciding on the right market-focused service is that the service should position the consultant for future work with the client.

For example: A network consultant who focuses on helping smaller mid-market businesses with their technology might offer to perform an assessment of the business’ network. The client receives a standardized report with findings and recommendations. The client can use the report and discuss it with other technical consultants or they may ask the network consultant if they are interested in helping them implement the recommendations. The help might be first the development of a technology strategy and later assistance with the strategy’s implementation. The network consultant displays the assessment as a service on their website.

Product-Focused Approach

Deciding on a product-focused approach requires a consultant to analyze the work frequently asked for by clients and determine if there is a typical scope, average timeframe, and a standardized deliverable. If that is possible, a consultant can create a fixed price package with fixed product deliverables. The package must provide value and specify what the client can expect for the price they are paying.

For example: A writing consultant who focuses on helping authors write books realizes inspiring authors frequently ask about how to market books. The consultant decides to offer a marketing package that includes such “asks” as a press kit and website. A website displays the product offer that includes information such as what is included, the fixed price, and a link to schedule a time for a consultation.

Service-Focused Approach

The final package approach is a service-focused approach. There are routine needs in every business that clients do not want to concern themselves with but the work needs to be done for the client to be successful. In some cases, that same recurring work is necessary for the consultant to be successful. If it is possible to identify a recurring service and determine how long it takes to complete the work as well as the deliverables to be produced, a consultant might want to create a service-focused package.

For example: An accountant focused on helping small business owners with financial decision-making offers a bookkeeping package to their small business owners. For a fixed price, the bookkeeping needs are taken care of and financial reports created. The bookkeeping package offer is displayed on the accountant’s website as a service but the service is only provided to clients for which the accountant is a trusted advisor.

In Conclusion

In every example provided above, the package or productized consulting service augmented the consultant’s customized solution. In all scenarios the consultant made it easy for the client to hire them and work with them. The package created provided a high-value product or service which helped the consultant as well as the client get to know one another.

I believe the benefits of packages far outweigh the negatives for some consultants. For a package offering to work, it must be repeatable and continually provide value to clients. The best packages are based on a consultant’s experience-they help highlight the expertise of the consultant and help them be seen as the “go to person.”

Unfortunately, offering a package or a productized consulting service is not for everyone. If it is not, don’t despair because there are many other ways to help you be seen as the expert.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

Laura

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Laura Burford (Laura’s Consulting Guide) is a strategic advisor for independent consultants and boutique consulting businesses. She focuses on helping them clarify their what, why, who, and how which enables them to build relationships and get clients-simply make money. For tips, techniques, and thought pieces, sign up for her weekly newsletter, Consulting Insights.

5 Ways Writing Helps You Build Your Reputation as an Authoritative Expert

Erica Holthausen — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 11:48:38 GMT

Like most consultants, you want to be recognized as an authoritative expert. You want to build your personal brand, attract more clients, open the doors to more speaking engagements, and earn more media exposure because doing so allows you to expand your influence and magnify your impact.

Writing articles for publication is one way to share your ideas with a broader audience, demonstrate your credibility, and cultivate your community. But you can accomplish that same goal by speaking at industry conferences, getting featured by media outlets, or being a guest on a podcast. So why write? What can writing do for you that other visibility-building tactics cannot?

1. Writing requires you to think deeply.

Good writing requires deep thinking. That’s what makes it so challenging and satisfying. When you start writing an article, you have to think critically about the subject so you can transform your ideas into a clear and compelling concept. There is no room for ambiguity in good writing. You have to know precisely what you want to convey to the reader and then find the best words to explain your idea.

2. Writing fosters creativity and innovation.

Good writing requires deep thinking, and deep thinking requires you to examine your area of expertise from different angles and to be constantly learning. Inspiration comes from the most unexpected places — a book of poetry, a podcast, a conversation with a friend, a ski lesson, or an artist talk. Your job is to capture that spark of an idea in a notebook or on your phone so you can explore it when you sit down to write.

3. Writing formulates your point of view.

When you think deeply about your area of expertise and look at it from every possible angle, you develop a clear, unique, and thoughtful point of view. That point of view and how you express yourself is the common thread through all of your visibility-building efforts.

4. Writing tests and refines your ideas.

Writing makes it painfully obvious when your ideas need further development, prompting you to do more research. It also allows you to refine your ideas as those who read your work share their perspective or ask thought-provoking questions.

5. Writing improves your communication skills.

Writing helps you communicate highly complex ideas more confidently and effectively, whether speaking in front of an audience or being interviewed by a journalist. This confidence enables you to become a better listener and pay close attention to the perspectives other people bring to your work.

Writing, unlike speaking, does not allow you to rely on context, shared knowledge, or body language to convey your message. You must use the written word alone, which leaves no room for ambiguity. Your writing must be cogent, well-researched, and compelling to get your message across. And, because written material can be read repeatedly and analyzed closely, it must be strong enough to withstand a much higher level of scrutiny than other visibility-building tactics like public speaking.

Regardless of whether you write for publication, becoming a better writer will make you a deeper thinker, stronger communicator, and better consultant.

* * *

Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications and a strategic thought partner to consultants who wish to build their authority and increase their visibility by publishing articles in industry trade journals and business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Insider. To learn how to raise your profile, register for Pitched to Published, a free monthly Q+A focused on writing, pitching, and publishing articles.

How Do You Become Recognized as an Authoritative Expert?

Erica Holthausen — Wed, 04 May 2022 15:26:30 GMT

As an expert, you have extensive knowledge of a particular subject garnered through research, education, and experience. This ever-deepening knowledge informs your perspective; it is at the heart of who you are and how you want to make a difference in the world. You are always listening, learning, and taking the time to understand the problem behind the problem.

You've built your career on your hard-earned knowledge and experience. And while you are well-regarded by your colleagues and clients, you still feel like a well-kept secret.

Being great at what you do isn't the same as being known for what you do.

To be recognized as an authoritative expert in your field, you must do three things:

Share your ideas. You cannot build your reputation as an expert if you don’t share your ideas publicly. Giving voice to your BIG idea — your bold, insightful, and galvanizing idea — forces you to think more deeply so you can communicate it clearly. When you test your idea in the marketplace, your audience can evaluate it. The feedback they provide allows you to refine your idea further. Every time you share your idea, you demonstrate your expertise, expand your influence, and magnify your impact.
Demonstrate your credibility. You cannot build your reputation as an expert if you don’t demonstrate your credibility. In a world where everyone claims to be an authority, you can stand out by clearly signaling to your audience precisely what makes you a credible expert. Your credentials may include degrees and certifications, where you studied or worked, testimonials, and public appearances, including speaking engagements, podcast appearances, media mentions, and bylines.
Cultivate your community. You cannot build your reputation as an expert in a vacuum; you need a community. Your community includes the people to whom you wish to be of service. It also includes your colleagues, friends, and collaborators. Your community challenges and celebrates you — and you do the same for them. They expose you to different perspectives and help you refine your ideas by providing thoughtful and relevant feedback. They also help you spread the word by sharing your ideas with their communities.

When you write articles for publication in industry trade journals or business magazines like Entrepreneur, Inc., and Fast Company, you not only share your idea with the publication’s readers, but you demonstrate your credibility. These publications vetted you; they reviewed your credentials and, by choosing to publish your work, are signaling to their readers that your perspective is valuable. You can reinforce that perspective by sharing the most relevant credentials in your contributor bio. By writing articles that provide smart, actionable advice, you build your community even further.

There are many ways to become recognized as an authoritative expert. Still, it is impossible to achieve that goal if you don't share your ideas, demonstrate your credibility, and cultivate your community. The world is a noisy place. By sharing thoughtful and actionable insights, your audience will come to value your perspective, and your voice will be heard.

* * *

To Help You Win at Building Client Relationships, Look to Baseball for Advice. Or, how are you getting to First Base?

Laura Burford — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 21:47:37 GMT

Or, how are you getting to First Base?

Scout: “Why do you like him?”

[Billy Beane points to Peter Brand.]

Peter Brand: “Because he gets on base.” (Moneyball)

Is client relationship building like baseball? I didn’t think so until during the pandemic I watched the 2011 film Moneyball. The film is based on Michael Lewis’ book, Moneyball: The Art Of Winning an Unfair Game.

Background

In the movie, Brad Pitt portrays Billy Beane, the general manager for the Oakland Athletics. The year was 2002. Beane was regarded as an excellent general manager but the Oakland Athletics’ budget was $39,722,689 compared to the New York Yankees budget of $174,457,768*. He simply couldn’t financially compete with the other major league teams bidding for talent and Beane hated to lose.

“I hate losing more than I want to win.” Billy Beane

Moneyball highlights how one person’s drive changed the baseball industry forever. He didn’t do it by himself, but he realized that

“No matter how successful you are, change is always good.” Billy Beane

The Bases are Loaded

So, how is client relationship building like baseball?

When building a relationship, a consultant (or freelancer) needs to get on base if they want clients. They don’t need to have all the money in the world, the best website or the slickest looking brochure to get on first base but they do need to connect, get to know, and build trust with people.

They can’t assume that the first time they connect with a person, they will hit a home run and the person becomes a client. I wish that was the case but it rarely happens.

To build relationships, a consultant needs to concentrate on getting on first base because if they don’t get to first base, they never get to second base and they don’t win.

“You get on base, we win. You don’t, we lose. Billy Beane (Moneyball)

In the Dug Out

It is your turn at bat. You take a deep breathe, evaluate the field, and picture yourself at the plate. You know that if you can get to first base, you’ll be able to get to second base, third base, and finally home. In your mind, you walk through your STRATEGY and GAME PLAN. You’re ready to hit the ball.

Home Plate: The Connect Stage

Connecting can be one of the hardest consultant activities when building relationships because the consultant needs to decide with whom and how to connect. How will the ball and bat connect? The best way for consultants to connect and help people get to know them is with one-on-one strategies such as strategic networking, referrals, and reaching out in a personalized manner.

Can you connect by writing, speaking, podcasts and videos? Yes, but it is like standing still with a bat, not swinging it, and hoping the pitcher throws the ball directly at the bat and they connect. The ball needs to find you and that may never happen.

Here is a link to the entire article.

How in the World Does a Consultant Build Trust?

Laura Burford — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 14:07:07 GMT

Because TRUST is the Glue In a Relationship!

We are constantly reminded that people hire consultants, freelancers, and independent workers that they trust.

But what is trust? Or a trusted relationship?

As I put pen to paper for this blog, I remembered a conversation I had years ago with a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) partner. After meeting with a client, the partner asked for a few minutes of my time. He was concerned that “I was a little too honest.” He felt I needed to be more aware of what it took to maintain a positive relationship with a client.

I apologized to the client, however the client explained to both of us that it was refreshing to work with someone who was “honest and blunt” because blunt worked best in their organization. She had no concerns what-so-ever and it was her trust in me that led to add-on work.

That day I learned several valuable lessons about trusted relationships.

The first being that I wasn’t too honest; however, my style was too rough. I’m softer now when presenting difficult messages, at least I am most of the time, but I’ve never stopped being honest. Trusting relationships require honesty and being able to deliver the bad news in a manner that does not offend. It was that incident and additional conversations with the PwC partner that helped me realize the words I used impacted my credibility and actions my reliability.

Overtime, my professional and personal experiences as well as books such as The Trusted Advisor by David Maister, The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey, and Business Relationships that Last by Ed Wallace impacted how I regard building trusted relationships. Each author’s view on how to earn trust varies slightly but there are common themes starting with the observation that trust is multi-faceted and balances several essential qualities.

When someone asks me what I mean by a trust relationship, I fall back on my earlier training and, just like the authors, talk about the multi-faceted aspects, necessary qualities, and the balancing act of a trusting relationship. The balancing act begins with three common everyday behaviors-talking or the use of words and images to convey a thought; actions and how we behavior in a situation; and our feelings or our ability to be true to ourselves and others. I continue by discussing the related essential qualities for each behavior because it is the combination of the all three behaviors and the related qualities that enable a person to build and maintain trust.

Here is a quick comparison.

Words and Images — Credibility and Competence
Actions — Reliability and Integrity
Feelings — Genuine and Authenticity

Words and Images

Published articles, diagrams, speeches, and your point of view highlight your knowledge helping you build credibility and competence. Words and images assist you with being known as the go-to person but that does not mean there is a trusted relationship between you and another person. Have you ever been in a situation where someone has strongly recommended a person but after you met them you were not sure? You were uncomfortable but you couldn’t put your finger on the reason. Maybe it was because you were unsure of their reliability or you didn’t feel they were genuine.

Actions

Actions is about doing the right thing. It is about making commitments and not only delivering on them when you say you will but exceeding expectations. You build confidence with the other person by being reliable. Not only do you do what you say you are going to do showing reliability but you do it with integrity consistently displaying your values through your actions.

Feelings

Feelings are about being honest with yourself as well as others. It requires a consultant to put themselves in the other person’s shoes and thinking about how you would like to be treated before speaking and acting. Feelings require a consultant to empathize, be genuine, and authentic with the other person. It you make a mistake, you admit. If something you did was not quite right, you admit that as well.

Let me provide a personal example.

A few years ago a speech was not one of my best for various reasons, some of which were in my control and others were not. When asked how I did, openly I admitted that there were aspects of the presentation for which I was not pleased even though a fair number of the audience loved it (and others hated it-very interesting results). I apologized to a few people with whom I have trusted relationships. I was honest with myself: it was not the best presentation I had ever given. I considered the feelings of other people, apologizing to a few, because I believed my actions and my speech impacted by credibility.

Building trusted relationships takes time and effort. Successful trusted relationships require a consultant to be aware of their behaviors and related qualities. As Stephen Covey (not Stephen M.R. Covey) said “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”

Benefits of Uncertainty

Sat, 12 Mar 2022 23:36:53 GMT

The uncertainty you are feeling is an evolutionary leftover. Early in our history as humans, uncertainty protected us. Uncertainty made us cautious, made us carefully evaluate situations and avoid situations that were too tenuous. Fundamentally, the experience of uncertainty encouraged us to avoid situations which might be dangerous or risky in order to maintain our survival.

In our modern times, however, there is less mortal risk when we are feeling uncertain versus us doing things that are uncomfortable or unknown. Uncertainty is less about survival of the fittest at this point on the evolutionary timeline. Instead, it can actually create the opposite experience wherein those of us who learn to control our uncertainty come out ahead.

While there aren't saber toothed tigers outside our front doors, not knowing the details of a situation, what a solution is to a problem, or the timeline of an event (take for example the pandemic quarantine), still produces that emotional experience of a threat. It is this evolutionary residual that gives us a bad perception of uncertainty.

How can uncertainty hurt you?

With uncertainty playing less of a role in our physical survival, there are still ways it can undermine our progress and success.

Functioning on autopilot. Uncertainty creates doubts in regards to how to accomplish tasks and be successful so we fall back on past habits, behaviors and thinking. Functioning on autopilot may be safe, but it hinders our development. On autopilot, we don’t try different approaches. We don’t learn new things. We stop thinking creatively and resort to routine practices. Overall, we stagnate.

Reducing risk taking. We feel vulnerable when we experience uncertainty. The unknown of what could happen increases our insecurities. To reduce these feelings, we fall back on safe ways of acting. We hesitate to the point of inaction. By doing this, we reduce our opportunities because we aren’t willing to take a chance on something different or novel.

Fixating on the negative. In moments of uncertainty, we tend to focus on the bad things that could happen. The “what if’s” our uncertainty creates tend to focus on potential negative outcomes. Once that happens, we unconsciously start to prime our brains to pay attention to information which supports the possibility of negative outcomes. This becomes a characteristic in how we view the world and sabotages our functioning.

What is the role of rumination in your uncertainty?

When we are determining a direction to take, we often consider all options or sides to determine the best step. As our uncertainty builds, however, we continue to weigh all information. We lose our trust in our ability to make the right decision. We might pull in additional input from multiple sources, clouding the process even more. Our “what if’s” start to dominate our thoughts and we vacillate in how to move forward. In other words, we are caught in a cycle of rumination.

Rumination plays a significant role in uncertainty. Essentially, ruminating involves overthinking and obsessing over the same ideas, options and thoughts. A recent client experienced this as she was determining whether to accept a position with a different company. Her thoughts kept flipping between the relationships at her current company, her longevity there, the close proximity to her house and knowing her job responsibilities versus the opportunity for advancement, increase in salary, fun and challenging projects and a downtown office. She didn’t move beyond these; instead, she bounced between the factors sometimes hourly. Rumination like this doesn’t result in a productive outcome or decision and can create an experience similar to getting an annoying song stuck in your head that just keeps replaying over and over. Overall, rumination plays into the uncertainty about the situation, about the decision and about yourself.

What are some strategies you can use to manage uncertainty?

In order to ensure that uncertainty doesn’t unravel your plans for success, there are ways to control it:

1. Identify the thought creating the uncertainty. Since all emotions are generated by thoughts, knowing what the thought is allows you to zero in on the source. Once you know the thought or thoughts creating the uncertainty, you can focus on changing it.

2. Replace the thought with one which reduces the feeling of uncertainty. Replacement thoughts aren't necessarily based on logic because how our brains interpret the "logic" can vary. Effective replacement thoughts are typically based around data, evidence or personal experience. As an example, you might feel uncomfortable due to the uncertainty of whether you’ll get offered a job you’ve interviewed for. In step 1, you identify the thought creating the emotion: "I'm not sure I gave the ‘right’ answers to the interview questions." A replacement thought might be "I gave the answers based on my professional experience and if they weren't the ‘right’ ones, that job isn't likely the one for me." Sometimes it takes several tries before finding the replacement thought that is effective.

3. Create "certainties" and "action steps" regarding the situation. In the scenario we are using, a certainty might be that you gave your all in the interview. Another might be that you haven’t heard back because the hiring committee said the decision would be made within the next several weeks. These certainties create the known boundaries around the situation, balancing or replacing the uncertainties. With that, action steps provide you with a feeling of functional control. Writing a thank you note or email to the hiring committee. Applying to other jobs. Creating a plan for how to handle the situation if you don't hear back by the end of the month - name of the contact person, phone and email information, on what date to make contact.

What are the benefits of uncertainty for you?

Once you apply and use strategies to manage your uncertainty, you can begin to optimize uncertainty towards your goals. Yes — uncertainty can be an effective tool towards success! First, uncertainty provides the space for you to look for different opportunities, new options and overlooked solutions. Second, when you don’t know how a situation is going to turn out, you don’t get locked in to one, specific, end result. Finally, we then get to explore, consider, analyze and identify these other results. This might produce a better path than the one you were originally following.

Ultimately, it isn’t determining the end result or the one solution that is the goal in regards to uncertainty. The goal when faced with uncertainty is learning to be okay with the uncertainty. It is applying the strategies so the uncertainty allows for possibilities not limitations, and your “what if’s” capture the new opportunities that might occur. It’s also adopting the idea that while you might not know the exact result, you will have strategies or plans to address the result, whatever it may be. In this way, uncertainty becomes a superpower rather than your nemesis.

Effective Business Writing Resources

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 13:51:09 GMT

Over the past five months, we have shared tips to give you a solid understanding of effective business writing, practical tools you can apply immediately to improve your written communications, and guidance on when and where to find the help you need.

Below are links to all five tips.

This month we’re sharing a special gift: Erica and Sophie’s Big List of Writing Resources — a collection of 32 of our favorite writing tools and advice to help you improve your business writing. Get your free copy of the PDF here.

Sophie Michals helps talented subject matter experts simplify complex ideas and condense them into easy-to-understand writing that showcases their expertise and resonates with their target audience. She offers high-touch, personalized business and technical writing and editing designed to help clients reach their unique goals. Learn more at (SM) Edits LLC.

Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, a collaborative of writers and editors partnering with executives, consultants, and coaches to transform their ideas into published articles.

How to Control Your Brain for Optimal Functioning

Sat, 12 Feb 2022 14:23:17 GMT

When we are preparing for significant events in our careers, we tend to focus on our physical preparation. If we have a big presentation to do at work, we practice until we are comfortable. If we have an interview for a new job, we research the company and the key players to ensure we have answers to obvious questions. If we have a project deadline, we manage our time and our team to ensure the best results. When we take this approach, however, we are only doing half the work to be effective and successful.

When you are trying to prepare yourself for a successful outcome in your work or career, how often do you take the time to prepare your brain? What do you do to ensure that you keep your brain in the game, not just your body and actions? You might say that physical preparation is what controls the brain but there are specific things you can do to ensure your brain is as prepared as your body for those important career situations.

The role of your thoughts

Many people have the misconception that emotions just happen and we have no ability to control how we feel. This leaves us at the whim of our emotions, reacting based upon our feelings. The problem with this is that emotions are subjective and don’t typically allow for logical or strategic thinking.

The truth is that you can manage your emotions but this starts with controlling your thoughts. Every emotion we experience comes from a thought. The thought occurs, consciously or unconsciously, and then we experience one or more emotions based upon the thought. The challenge you likely have is that you will recognize the emotion but not take the time to identify the thought creating it. This is what leaves you feeling like you can’t control your emotions and you’re right. You can’t control your emotions until you learn to control the thoughts creating the emotions.

In business this can be detrimental at best and dangerous at worst. If you are reacting from emotion, you might not make the best decision or choose the most effective path for optimal results. You might be distracted by your emotions, unable to focus your energy and attention to productive actions. Instead of functioning from your peak performance level, you get pulled into the whirlpool of emotions that leave you feeling out of control and depleted.

To avoid this, you can start with an analysis:

The first step is to clearly identify the emotion that you are experiencing and then asking yourself if that emotion serves your goal. For example, you might experience a heightened level of anxiety regarding a professional presentation. Instead of sinking into the anxiety, ask yourself if the emotion facilitates your goal of doing well in the presentation.
If the emotions don't serve your goal the next step is to identify the thoughts that are creating the emotion. In our example, the thoughts creating the anxiety might include that you don't want to make a fool of yourself or seem like a fraud, or that people will be staring at you and judging you. The anxiety isn’t just because you don’t like public speaking. The emotion is coming from specific thoughts that you have now identified.
Once you know the thoughts, you can take the time to break down these thoughts by replacing them with data. By asking yourself specific questions you can replace the detrimental, anxiety-provoking thoughts with information. You can consider how many times you've given successful presentations. You might also do a quick mental scan of your resume to remind yourself of all your accomplishments, training, and education which makes you qualified to give this presentation. You could consider the people in your audience and identify allies who will support your presentation. When you provide your brain with evidence and facts, your brain doesn’t have to fill in the uncertainty with “what-if’s”. By reminding your brain that you do have the skills to give the presentation and you do have the background to be credible on the topic, your brain will create emotions which align with your thoughts, replacing anxiety with confidence.

The role of your words

As a professional, you are likely very aware of the power of words. Words can be used to motivate or demoralize, strengthen or undermine. But how often do you think about the words that you use on yourself? The words might be the conscious things you say to yourself or the words might be the unconscious or whispered things you say to yourself. Ask yourself, would you say the same conscious or unconscious thoughts to fellow colleagues or to your team? For many professionals, the things that they say to empower others are not generalized to themselves.

The problem is that these words create the thoughts and emotions that are detrimental to optimal functioning. It may be the obvious words like when you call yourself an idiot for making a mistake or tell yourself that you aren’t as skilled as others think. You might catch yourself thinking you are likely to fail at something important to you. These words create undermining thoughts which will generate emotions aligned with the thoughts.

There are also the smaller words that can create an internal climate which sabotages your goals. These words —should, have to, need to and must — create thoughts of you not doing enough, not being enough, or that you are falling behind your peers. They also create the illusion that you are being forced to do certain things. These words then generate emotions which align with the thoughts. You might experience pressure, stress or guilt from words you commonly use when you talk to yourself. Because of this, you might make decisions out of desperation to prove yourself or catch up, which ultimately will not allow you to function in an optimal or healthy way.

To avoid creating an internal climate of negative thoughts and emotions, you can replace these pressure words with power words. Words such as want and will can change the internal dialogue and put functional control back in your hands. For example, instead of telling yourself that you should go into work to review practice for the presentation so you don’t mess up, the internal dialogue becomes “I will go into work to practice because I want to be confident about the presentation.” Changing from the pressure word of should to the power words of will and want, and shifting the focus from making a mistake to building confidence, puts you back in control of your thoughts and emotions.

The role of your brain

Ultimately, your brain is lazy. It will focus on whatever you tell it to focus on. Consider this. The last time you were looking to buy a car, you likely came down to one or two styles you were interested in purchasing. Most likely, you began seeing these styles everywhere you went. Was there suddenly an uptick in the amount of these cars being purchased in your area? Not likely. Then why were you seeing these styles around you when you never noticed them before? It is through a process called priming. We prime our brains to search for evidence and examples of whatever we tell it to. When you told your brain the types of cars you were interested in, your brain found as many examples as possible to support this focus.

How can you use this same approach when it comes to your professional functioning? One way is to decide what perspective you want to have regarding your work. If you tell your brain that you hate your job, your brain will search for and provide you with evidence of why you should hate your job. All you will see will be supporting data aligned with the thought of hating your job. So how do you apply priming so it works for you instead of against you?

It’s true. You might not like your job but you can tell your brain that you appreciate earning money at your job while you look for new opportunities. Your brain will search for examples to support your idea of appreciation and it will search for areas of opportunity. You don’t have to create an inaccurate statement about your job and lie to your brain, but you can decide which aspect of the situation your brain spends time and energy on. This strategy again allows you to function at your optimal level instead of being drained of your focus and power.

The role of choice

Consider this. When you work on a project for your organization, do you plan to complete fifty percent of it and hope the rest will come together on its own? Of course not but it is likely that this is how you’ve been functioning if you only do the physical preparation for your professional role. Overall, how you function is your choice. You can determine what thoughts you want to practice and implement to create beneficial emotions which get you closer to your peak performance. You can decide what words will generate the behaviors and actions which align with your goal attainment. You can tell your brain where to direct your focus and energy in order to get the results you want in your career. These strategies help you control your brain so it is your greatest tool rather than your biggest obstacle.

How Do You Politely Ask a Client If They Want Your Help?

Laura Burford — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 22:10:55 GMT

It is great when a potential client asks for your help, but what do you do when you see the person can use your help but they don't ask.

I’ll admit that I love it when someone asks me to help them because if they do there is a good chance they become a client. It becomes a win for both of us. However, that does not always happen.

Sometimes you need to ask them if they are interested in working with you and that can be hard for many consultants (freelancers.) As hard as it can be to ask, you must.

If you have built a relationship and people are comfortable with you, it can be easier to ask them but for many consultants it is still hard.

Sometimes the person doesn’t want to admit they have a problem or they can’t see that they have a problem.

However, there are other times the person is waiting for you to say “Would you like someone to help you?”

The challenge for many consultants and freelancers is they never think the timing is right but at some point, they need to ask.

It is very easy to keep nurturing a relationship forever and, in the process, build a great friendship. However, on more then one occasion I’ve watched a consultant lose the chance to help a “client” because they never asked the client if they could use some help. The reason the consultant lost out on the opportunity could be as simple as the “client” didn’t think the consultant (freelancer) would be interested in helping them so they never asked.

If it is fear that is preventing you from asking, put the fear behind you. What is the worst thing a person can say? No. But the person could say Maybe or Yes.

This article looks at three scenarios — Yes, No, and Maybe — where a consultant asked a client or potential client if they were interested in someone helping them.

Here is a link to the entire article.

Effective Business Writing Tip 5: Don't Go It Alone

Erica Holthausen — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 20:20:44 GMT

Hiring a good writer or editor will elevate your business writing. But the idea of working with a writer or editor can be scary for a lot of business owners. What if the writer you hire is not very good and you’ve invested time, money, and effort into a project and have nothing to show for it? What if the editor you hire tears your writing to shreds so it no longer resembles what you wrote?

We’ve heard the horror stories, so we know your fears are valid.

But we also know what you should look for when hiring a writer or editor, and why the writer or editor you hire does not need to be an expert in your field.

What Should You Look for When Hiring a Writer or Editor?

Look for active listeners. Writers and editors are curious by nature. Our job is to ask good questions so we understand your business and perspective. Good questions stem from active listening. If you speak with a writer or editor and don’t feel like they listened to you, don’t hire them.

Ask them about their process. Every writer and editor has a process and a slightly different style. To find the writer or editor whose working style is compatible with your own, ask them to share their process with you.

Do your due diligence. Hiring a writer or editor is an investment in your business that directly impacts your reputation. Review their website and published writing samples. Steer clear of marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork that prioritize speed and quantity over quality.

Do I Need to Hire a Writer or Editor Who Is an Expert in My Field?

The relationship between a business owner and the writer or editor they hire should be collaborative. Professional writers and editors want their clients to succeed, so it’s worth taking the time to find the right person. When hiring a writer or editor:

You rarely need to hire a writer or editor who is an expert in your field. In fact, depending on your audience, it may be much more beneficial to hire someone who knows relatively little about your field because they share the perspective of your audience.

You are the subject-matter expert. The writer or editor you hire makes sure that the work puts the reader first — regardless of whether that reader is an industry insider or not.

As the subject-matter expert, you have the information and knowledge that needs to be communicated to the audience. A writer knows how to ask good questions and craft a clear and compelling story based on the information and knowledge you share. An editor knows how to take that written communication and clarify it so the reader understands the point you are making. Together, you make an unstoppable team.

Next month, we’ll share some of our favorite resources, including writing and editing advice, reference tools, and where to find quality freelance writers and editors.

Sophie Michals is a writer, editor, and writing coach who helps subject matter experts deliver clear, concise writing with a consistent brand voice. Learn more at (SM) Edits LLC.

Erica Holthausen is the founder of Catchline Communications, a collaborative of writers and editors partnering with executives, consultants, and coaches to transform their ideas into published articles.

5 Lessons on Leadership from a High School Coach

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 21:38:23 GMT

My daughter’s high school varsity volleyball team won the State Championships in November. It was an amazing experience to watch, even more so because this group of girls are incredible. They support each other, like each other, visibly and audibly have fun when warming up or playing together, and credit their success to being “14 strong”. They worked hard, enjoyed every minute and achieved their goal.

But while I am happy for and proud of my daughter and her teammates, their success came due to trickle down. The team achieved success because of their coach, the leader of this group. It was due to this woman’s integration of powerful leadership skills that the team succeeded.

There were five specific things Coach R did which made her stand out as a leader and brought her team to the championship level:

1. She created a platform of unity. Coach R made sure there wasn’t a spotlight on one or two players. There was no “star” of the team. Those on the bench were as valuable as those on the court. When she was interviewed after winning the State Finals game, Coach R said, “The U.S. volleyball team, their motto is ‘23 strong’. Even though only 12 players went to the Olympics, it took 23 players to get them there. And so that’s the model that we’ve embraced this year. It takes all 14 of us to earn the state championship, even though not every player was on the floor tonight.”

In an organization, this approach is also true. Consider your own organization. Is the success of the organization reliant on one member, or the team? And if the focus is on one team member, what does that do to the organization? The other team members feel devalued. They stop giving their all. They lose sight of the goal. And where does it leave the organization if that one “star” leaves? Left behind is a disjointed, disconnected and dissatisfied group of people. The unity Coach R created became the platform for the team’s approach to the goal.

2. She created a shared mission and vision. Winning the State Championship honestly didn’t seem like the sole purpose of the season. While going to States is a vision for most high school or collegiate teams, it seemed that for Coach R the vision didn’t smother the mission she created with the team. The mission was twofold: play their best and have fun. Watching the team the night of the Championships demonstrated that mission. The girls were singing and dancing the whole time as they waited their turn to warmup. They weren’t letting stress or anxiety get in the way of their fun. They were meeting the season’s mission even in what was the biggest athletic night for them. Coach R made sure the girls knew they didn’t have to do anything different than they did every game. She led her team in this mission which guided them to attain their vision of the state championship.

The same applies to your organization. Ensuring everyone within your organization knows the long-term vision but buys in to the daily mission to get there…and then keeps the mission alive even in the face of the vision.

3. She recognized her players as individuals not just players. This was my daughter’s first season with this coach after transferring to the school. My daughter came home after practice one day and when I asked her what she did to kill time between the end of the school day and practice, she casually said, “I had my 1-to-1 with Coach today.” Huh? I had no idea what she meant. Turns out, Coach R schedules time to meet with every player during the season. She sits with each girl and while she certainly asks about the player’s goals for the season, more importantly she connects with each girl as a person. She asks real questions and they get to ask questions to her. They talk as people, not as coach and player, not as adult and kid, but as women and athletes.

Can you imagine what this creates and what the same practice could do within an organization? Coach R’s players feel a real connection to her and her to them. It builds trust. It builds commitment. It increases performance and retention whether in a volleyball program, in a family or in a Fortune 500 company.

4. She demonstrated the behavior and thinking to support the mission. Coach R never yelled other than in excitement. She never demonstrated frustration. She was either smiling, offering praise, giving motivational talks or offering coaching strategies for players to use towards the team’s mission and vision. Coach R’s team saw this every time they looked at her or heard her. Their coach’s attitude and actions became the standard they emulated. She became the model of how to be and they all adopted that model. There wasn’t room for negativity because it would’ve been an outlier, an anomaly, and in fact when typical issues came up through the season, the team quickly dealt with them and positioned themselves back in line with Coach R’s standards.

As a leader in your organization, you can do the same. Certainly there are times which are challenging, but does expressing anger, frustration or disgust move you close to your vision, or farther away? What behavioral, cognitive and emotional expressions help keep your team on track and focused on the mission and vision?

5. She emphasized trying over succeeding. Of course Coach R wanted her players to succeed but the emphasis was not on succeeding. Coach R emphasized trying. Try a new skill. Try a new approach. Try coming to practice when you'd rather quit. Just try. Because what Coach R knew was that the only way to succeed was to try because in trying, her players learned. They learned what worked or what didn't work. They learned they could accomplish things even when it was hard. They learned that sometimes trying meant failing but that they could learn from those failures in order to grow.

Encouraging people within our organizations to try can achieve this same level of success. If we focus only on successes, people are less likely to take chances. They are hesitant to think outside the box. They stick to safe ways of doing things and this will eventually lead to stagnation. So ask yourself what is more important? To create a culture that only values success or to create a culture which promotes trying in order to foster creativity, growth, learning from failures and yes, eventually, success as an outcome of trying.

Overall, the leadership of Coach R worked for one reason: she led based on her own style. Coach R didn’t try to fit into a prescribed type of leadership. She didn’t base her behaviors on famous coaches in an attempt to duplicate their leadership. She created a leadership style based on her values, her strengths and her vision for her players, not the group’s State Championship vision, but her vision as the leader of a program in which each player grew, personally and athletically, because of the support they gave and received from their team. “It’s the buy in. They buy into each other so hard, it’s ridiculous,” Coach R said. “Their strength is in the group. We work really hard in the gym every day on our skills, but we know at this age level having that cohesion can bring you from a 5 to an 11. They buy into that. They work hard every day, but it’s because of each other … that’s what makes them truly special.” All due respect to Coach R, while it was due to the players’ connection and support of each other, even more it was because as a leader Coach R created and showed what it means to be part of a winning team.

Effective Business Writing Tip 4: Edit, Edit, and Edit Again

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 18:34:57 GMT

Editing and Consistency Are Crucial to Good Writing

Anything you publish for your business is part of your brand image, and sloppy, inconsistent writing can diminish your brand and damage your credibility. Therefore, it’s important to take the time to carefully edit your writing so it reflects well on you and your business.

You should always self-edit to get your writing in the best shape possible. But you should also hire an editor who can bring a fresh perspective and ensure your writing fulfills its intended purpose and is clear and easy to understand.

Can’t I just use a writing assistant tool for that?

While writing assistant tools like Grammarly and ProWritingAid are useful, they’re rigidly rules based and limited in what they can do. For instance, Grammarly will always flag passive voice as being wrong, even though it’s useful and often necessary, especially in technical and scientific writing.

These tools also cannot spot incorrect word use (e.g., complement instead of compliment) or catch when your headline is 11 Ways to Cook an Egg but your list contains only 10 items. They also can't point out that the first two paragraphs are not necessary or that the lede is buried down in paragraph five.

Similarly, these tools cannot read a piece of writing and determine whether it is clear, compelling, and relevant. While these tools are helpful, they cannot replace an experienced human editor.

Editing = Quality Control

Editing is a quality control measure that helps ensure a consistent brand experience for your customers. And there’s much more to editing than checking for proper spelling, grammar, and sentence mechanics. While those things are important, organization, structure, and a consistent brand voice are equally important.

Good business writing should have a clear purpose, make a clear point using specific information, and be logically structured and concise. The brand voice injects personality into the writing and is the key to holding the reader's attention — it’s also what makes your brand stand out.

Keep Track of Your Preferences

My best tip for keeping your writing consistent is to keep track of your writing preferences. Seemingly small things like using the phrases emergency room and emergency department interchangeably or formatting your phone number 555.555.5555 in some places and 555-555-5555 in others can make your writing look haphazard and unprofessional.

Keeping track of your writing preferences will simplify your writing process, reduce conflict over style and formatting preferences, and ensure a consistent brand experience for your customers.

Next month we'll discuss how to partner with a writer or editor.

Sophie Michals is a writer and editor who helps subject matter experts deliver clear, concise writing that showcases their expertise and resonates with their target audience. Learn more at (SM) Edits LLC.

How to Become the BEST “Go To” Consultant - 3 Actions to Help Every Consultant Succeed.

Laura Burford — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 21:58:21 GMT

Before starting any presentation, I listen closely to the pre-session conversations, observe the attendees, and if appropriate, ask questions. During one presentation, an attendee asked if I would mind providing a little consulting career advice. Since the presentation’s title was The Entrepreneur Within, why not!

As she asked her questions, the people sitting around her lifted their heads and chimed in with their comments.

“I’m currently working at a company. My position is not in jeopardy, but I’m thinking about my future. I want to become an independent consultant, but I’m not sure if there is anything I can do now to prepare.

Can I start becoming a consultant while still working within my company?

If so, what do you recommend?”

What great questions!

By the way, my response to starting to build a consulting business while working within a company was a resounding YES!

My response to her question about recommendations is relevant whether you are contemplating consulting, a fairly new consultant, or have been working as a consultant for years. Every person who is a consultant (or freelancer) craves to not only successful but desires to be known as the “go-to” consultant. Or, at least I think they do.

Before I describe my top three recommendations, I must provide a caveat. There is an ACTION ZERO.

This action is for people who are thinking about embarking on a career as a consultant. If you are considering consulting, evaluate you by starting with your personal reasons for wanting to become an independent worker — a consultant. Becoming a consultant is not for everyone.

Action 1 — Clarify Your CORE

This is my top recommendation — Clarify Your CORE.

Sorry - Due to length, it isn't possible to post the entire article here but here is a friendly link with the three action items.

6 Overlooked Superpowers of Introverts in the Workplace

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 22:01:51 GMT

If you are an extrovert, you have an advantage in most Western societies. The stereotype of a successful leader is dominated by extroverted characteristics. As an extrovert, you are comfortable with verbal communication and often dominate a conversation. You like to engage in debate and discussion. You thrive as the center of attention, and your energy builds within these social settings. Your social and professional networks are extensive, and you tend to embrace risk-taking opportunities. Overall, because of your extroverted nature, you are accurately or presumptively seen as a leader.

If you are not in this category of individual, it is likely your actions are often misconstrued because you are compared to your extroverted counterparts. Your quietness might be seen as meekness. Your tendency to reflect on problems to determine a solution is interpreted as indecision. Your preference to work alone is perceived as aloofness. Meanwhile, you might be managing feelings of imposter syndrome because your approach is different from that of many around you.

But as we know from diversity education and training within our businesses and schools, having diversification in our work teams provides perspective and variations in thinking. We acknowledge this when it comes to culture, race, age, gender and sex, but little discussion occurs regarding the benefits introverts offer to a society dominated by extroverted ideals. Consider the valuable characteristics introverts bring to the table.

1. Self-sufficiency

Because of their preference for independent work, introverts won’t tend to need excessive supervision to get a task done. They are used to relying on themselves and their skills to accomplish a goal. Very often, they will work hard to figure out a solution rather than, or before, going to someone to talk it out.

2. Reflectiveness

Introverts aren’t going to talk for the sake of talking. They will take in information and process it before offering a response. This allows them extra time to analyze a problem or project and potentially see roadblocks or alternate options before venturing down a quickly determined path.

3. Effective social scientists

Incorporated into their reflectiveness, introverts use their quiet natures to listen and observe the variables within a situation. Because they are not vying for attention and looking for the next opportunity to talk, introverts pay attention to verbal and nonverbal communication and can use this information as part of their reflection.

4. Connectedness

Introverts don’t like small talk and forced conversations. When they choose to interact with others, it is typically at a more meaningful level than superficial social conversations. They will take time to explore a topic through one-on-one or small-group conversation, integrating their strength in listening to acknowledge others’ perspectives.

5. Self-awareness

Their strengths of reflection and observation also enable introverts to be more aware of their own reaction and feelings. They aren’t distracted by needing to integrate themselves into social situations and are comfortable being alone with their thoughts. While they won’t likely share their feelings in large group settings, it is in the connections they make with individuals that they will comfortably express themselves.

6. Resilience

Introverts grew up in a world that promoted and applauded extroverted characteristics. They were the ones teased or overlooked for a promotion or chosen last in PE class. Introverts learn to live in a world not geared for them and survive. They develop strategies and coping mechanisms, which allow them to function in the workforce, rarely needing constant reassurance or praise to keep them motivated.

Being an extrovert or an introvert is not better than the other. As a team member or a team leader, recognizing the strengths in both is the key variable for success. Celebrating and encouraging what introverts bring to the table benefits the organization, team and individuals who learn they don’t have to fit an extroverted mold in order to contribute. Overall, a heterogeneous mix of both styles can result in more creativity, problem solving and productivity.

Effective Business Writing Tip 3: Write Clear and Compelling Copy

Erica Holthausen — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 16:24:41 GMT

Good writing always serves the reader. It delves into a specific topic and strives to explain it so that the reader understands the issues surrounding the topic of interest. It has logic and structure that makes a complicated subject clear and accessible. Good writing is clear and compelling. It serves a specific purpose and is presented in such a way that it meets the requirements of the platform.

These last two points are vital yet often misunderstood. Below we’ll offer some advice on writing clear and compelling copy and explore how different platforms and purposes impact your writing.

How Do You Write Clear and Compelling Copy?

Clear and compelling copy is relevant and relatable. It focuses on one key point at a time and minimizes distractions and tangents. Clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought — so take the time to think about the message you want to convey and then say it as simply as possible. To write clear and compelling copy:

Write with the reader in mind. Use plain language and prioritize clarity over cleverness. Give the reader the context they need to understand your message. Make it simple but not simplistic.
Minimize jargon and abbreviations. Use jargon and abbreviations sparingly, and make sure both are defined unless you’re sure the reader is already familiar with the terms you are using.
Incorporate research. Data adds credibility and context to your writing. Figures and tables are excellent visual aids to help the reader understand complex concepts. If you’re writing an opinion piece, root your message in research so your reader understands your perspective.

How Do Different Platforms and Purposes Impact Your Writing?

Will your writing be published online, or will it appear in a printed document? Are you writing to persuade someone to take a specific course of action, or are you reporting your findings? Your writing must be responsive to the platform on which it appears and the purpose for which it is written. Before you submit the final draft, you must:

Understand the platform requirements. Writing for the web? Make sure you incorporate plenty of white space by using headings, subheadings, lists, and short paragraphs.
Know your purpose. Persuasive writing presents a logical argument and makes an emotional appeal to convince the reader to take an action or adopt a point of view. Expository writing presents the reader with the facts and educates the reader so they can deepen their understanding of the topic.

Writing is an essential skill that anyone can develop with practice. To start, understand the purpose behind the piece you are writing and determine how it will be presented to the reader. Take some time to think about the message you want to convey and distill it to its simplest form. Finally, write it all down — and then rewrite and edit it until it is clear and compelling.

Next month, we’ll talk about how to edit your work, how to work with a professional editor, and the importance of consistency.

Sophie Michals is a writer, editor, and writing coach who helps subject matter experts deliver clear, concise writing with a consistent brand voice. Learn more at (SM) Edits LLC.

Your business bookkeeping: Important 2021-2022 change to the Meals deduction

Martin Kadansky — Sat, 27 Nov 2021 18:40:00 GMT

Please note that I'm not an accountant nor a tax expert, but I feel that this information is important to share with anyone running a business.

The IRS has temporarily increased the tax deduction for many (but not all) business meal expenses from 50% to 100%.

This change applies to:
- business meal expenses from 1/1/2021 through 12/31/2022
- that are also from qualified restaurants.

The IRS defines a restaurant that qualifies for this 100% business deduction as one that prepares and sells food or beverages to retail customers for immediate consumption, either on or off the premises.

As far as I understand it, this includes the following types of business meals and vendors:
- dine-in from restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, pizza shops, bakeries, etc.,
- take out,
- delivered directly from a restaurant,
- and from restaurant meal delivery services, e.g., Doordash, Grubhub, Postmates, Uber Eats, etc.

A non-qualifying restaurant (for which business meal expenses will remain at the longstanding 50% deduction) sells pre-packaged food or beverages not for immediate consumption, including:
- grocery stores and markets, e.g., Star Market, Stop & Shop, Roche Brothers
- convenience stores, e.g., Store 24, 7-Eleven
- theater concession stands, e.g., Boston Symphony, Roxy Theatre
- vending machines or kiosks, e.g., Leanbox
- specialty food stores
- beer, wine, or liquor stores
- drug stores
- newsstands

The good news

- This will probably lower your federal taxes by increasing your deductible business expenses.
- Since Massachusetts automatically adopts federal changes to business meals and entertainment expenses, this will probably lower your state taxes as well.

For more information, see the IRS web page:
- https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/treasury-irs-provide-guidance-on-tax-relief-for-deductions-for-food-or-beverages-from-restaurants

or google: 100% restaurant deduction 2021

And, if you haven't already, I also suggest that you talk to your accountant soon about this (and the many other recent tax law changes) to find out how your personal and business taxes and deductions may be affected.

Martin Kadansky
Kadansky Consulting, Inc.

Guide to Pricing Your Consulting Services

Laura Burford — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 20:29:42 GMT

Which of the 5 Basic Consulting Pricing Models is the Right Model for YOU?

Boy, I wish when a consultant or freelancer asks questions about pricing, I had a quick and easy answer, but I don’t. I don’t have a secret formula that crunches numbers or a magic wand to flick that displays a number.

I wish I did because just maybe I would never be disappointed when an engagement isn’t as profitable as I would have liked. Or just maybe I wouldn’t struggle to determine the right price to quote.

What I have learned is that when determining a price, it is important to use the right pricing model. There are five basic pricing models from which to choose. Each model has pros and cons and there are variations of each as well.

This article provides an overview of each of the five basic pricing models: time and expense, fixed price, value-base, risk-reward, and retainer. Use the posting as a guideline to help you determine the model or models that are right for you.

OVERVIEW

Some people believe there is one right pricing model, but I don’t agree. I believe a consultant needs to decide what is the right pricing model for them

based on the situation and the consultant’s service offering or approach,
the client’s pricing requests, and
the consultant’s comfort level with a particular model.

Two of the models are cost-based models: time and expense, and fixed price. This means that the price you determine is based on the cost of the services to you. This requires having a solid hourly rate or hourly cost that can be used as a basis for determining a price to quote.

The other three models are service oriented models: value-base, risk-reward, and retainer. You determine the price based on the value of the services you provide to the client.

Let’s dive into each of the models in more detail.

...

This article is too long to post on the Society of Professional Consultants site.

Here is a friendly link to the article.

Real Imposters Don't Experience Imposter Syndrome and What That Means for You

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 15:39:01 GMT

In your professional life, you are successful. You are moving up in the ranks of your organization. Or you are frequently the “go to” person when your boss needs something done well. Maybe you’ve achieved the rank or salary that you’ve always dreamed about. Yet you still feel like a fraud. As if one day, your boss, or your colleagues, or your clients will see that you really don’t know what you’re doing...even though there is no evidence to support this belief. Then there are people you know who clearly don’t know what they are doing in their roles. They pretend to know information. They find ways to make others do their work because they don’t have the skills to finish projects and tasks. They project confidence in regards to tasks that they have no ability to be successful with.

The irony is that imposters rarely experience imposter syndrome.

Read that sentence again. What does that mean for you? If you are experiencing imposter syndrome, guess what? You are very likely not an imposter.

What is imposter syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is a feeling created by thoughts. These thoughts are never based in reality and, instead, grow from insecurities, fears and self-doubt. The thoughts are not supported by facts. Once the thoughts occur, they create the feeling of being a fraud. You question whether you can live up to others’ expectations. You compare yourself to others in unrealistic ways and come up lacking. You doubt your abilities, skills, education, training and background in regards to effectively and successfully functioning in your role.

Once imposter syndrome settles in, it blocks your ability to function at your best. You focus on proving yourself rather than doing a task well. You fixate on how to show others you aren’t an imposter which inhibits logical thinking and creative thinking. You stop trying new things and taking reasonable risks. You might even begin to pull away from people in your life because you are either obsessing over how to do things better or avoiding others so they don’t discover you are a fraud. Overall, you end up feeling stressed, anxious and unsatisfied with who you are and what you do.

Why do you feel imposter syndrome?

In large part, you experience imposter syndrome because of who you are. Individuals like you who are used to setting goals, working diligently towards those goals, learning and growing to challenge themselves and expecting eventual success are the ones prone to imposter syndrome. Why? To start, highly motivated, driven individuals like you tend to work around other highly motivated, driven individuals. When you compare yourself to those around you, it can create self-doubt because the standard is high.

Another reason might be your personality. Maybe you identify as a perfectionist. You are striving to do things to the best of your ability, but then you question whether you’ve done all you could. By setting up these unrealistic standards, you never attain success because the definition keeps changing. Or you might feel inadequate so you work as hard as you can to overcompensate for this feeling. Maybe you are trying to be the expert and by establishing this as your goal, you attempt to learn everything but are never satisfied that you know enough. You tend to downplay your knowledge and your expertise. For many, it is a combination of all three factors which contribute to imposter syndrome. The reality is that if you are feeling like a fraud you’ve had some measure of success in your life. You are either afraid of losing the success or, more likely, you discount the success to luck.

Why don’t the actual imposters feel imposter syndrome?

Those people who don’t experience imposter syndrome are imposters for any number of reasons:

they haven’t experienced success so they have nothing to lose;
they have a delusional perception of themselves, sometimes believing their own lies or twisted interpretations of reality;
they are genuine con artists or narcissists.

Imposters present as incredibly confident. When we are around them, we get sucked into their lies, sometimes never doubting them. When we do question them, they support their lies in stronger ways, leaving us questioning why we doubted them.

Overall, imposters are willing to exaggerate their skills in interviews or on resumes, embellish or create stories about their backgrounds, or put themselves in the spotlight to get the attention and status they want. When they are discovered as the imposters they are, they tend to react in two ways — with aggression or defensiveness, or by disappearing, removing themselves from the situation in which their lack of ability was called out.

What strategies can you use to manage imposter syndrome?

The good news is if you don’t see yourself in that description, you aren’t an imposter. What you are feeling is common in highly intelligent, very skilled, motivated individuals. If you’re feeling imposter syndrome, that alone is a sign you aren’t a fraud.

The next step is learning how to manage your imposter syndrome so it doesn’t undermine your functioning. Imposter syndrome is based on illogical thoughts so to stop those thoughts, give your brain the facts. Consider your education and training. Reflect on positive feedback you’ve received from colleagues or supervisors. These become the evidence to replace the irrational thoughts. Also identify situations in which you’ve been successful. Write these down. Ask yourself what you did to effectively produce in those situations, then do those things again. If they worked once, they’ll likely work again. Write those down, too. Then, define what success looks like to you and, you guessed it, write this down. This becomes your standard. When your imposter syndrome tries to convince you that you aren’t successful, use your definition to keep you grounded in reality rather than trying to achieve perfection.

How can you benefit from imposter syndrome?

By acknowledging your imposter syndrome, and learning how to manage it, you can move on to using it as a tool towards your success. You’ve done the first step by reflecting on what your strengths are, what makes you unique and how you are qualified for what you do. You can even review all these details because you wrote them down for this purpose. Next, use the adrenalin that comes from imposter syndrome to benefit you. Instead of assuming the physiological responses that accompany imposter syndrome are due to anxiety, nerves or fear, think of them as signs of excitement, enthusiasm and preparedness. Finally, imposter syndrome tends to come up in times when you are feeling uncertain or your skills are being challenged — that’s great! It means you are moving beyond your comfort zone where growth can occur.

When you look around and compare yourself to the brilliant, talented people surrounding you, it might be time to realize that you are one of them, rather than seeing yourself as an anomaly. You were selected to be part of the group because you fit in, because your talents were needed and your successes were recognized. And when you notice someone who is grabbing the attention, reminding everyone of their accomplishments and sticking with completely wrong statements, you might take note of the true imposter in the room.

Effective Business Writing Tip 2: Understand Your Brand and Your Audience

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 19:17:13 GMT

Your brand is about more than your company’s logo, tagline, or brand colors. Anything you write on behalf of your business is part of your business’s brand image — that includes emails, blog and social media posts, marketing materials, and client-facing documents.

Write With Your Audience in Mind

Whether you’re writing a blog post or an assessment report, you’re writing for an audience. But if you don’t write in a way that resonates with that audience, they’ll lose interest and stop reading. For instance, when writing for subject matter experts, you’ll likely use different language than you would for a non-expert audience. Or you might use more formal language in an assessment report than you would in an email.

Taking the time to identify your audience segments and understand their needs will help you write relevant and relatable content that will keep their attention. No matter who you’re writing for, consistency and clarity are key to writing effectively and staying on brand.

Keep Track of the Small Stuff

Sloppy, inconsistent writing and formatting can kill your credibility. Your voice and tone and your writing and formatting preferences are as much a part of your brand as your logo, tagline, and brand colors. It may sound trivial, but the little things add up, and consistency is part of what makes your brand memorable.

That’s why you need a writing style guide — a living document that helps you keep track of your writing and formatting preferences, including things like tone of voice, common terms and terms to avoid, how to treat abbreviations, and how to style headings.

Three ways a writing style guide can help strengthen your brand:

It reduces conflict over style and formatting preferences. Everyone has different preferences. If you work with a team of writers and editors, they are bound to disagree over style and formatting issues from time to time. Having your preferences spelled out in your writing style guide helps keep everyone on the same page.
It shortens the writing process. Referring to old pieces of writing to see how you wrote and formatted things or consulting your default major style manual for the same rule over and over adds time to the writing process. Keeping track of your writing and formatting preferences will make the writing process faster and less frustrating.
It ensures a consistent brand experience for your clients. Consistency helps build credibility and makes your brand recognizable.

Your brand is how your company presents itself to the world, so the details matter. Tailoring your writing to your audience and developing and maintaining a consistent writing style will ensure that you present a professional and polished image to your clients, prospects, and competitors.

Next month, we’ll discuss how to write clear and compelling copy, with a look at how different platforms and purposes impact your writing.

Sophie Michals is a writer, editor, and writing coach who helps brainy, image-conscious subject matter experts deliver clear, concise writing with a consistent brand voice. Learn more at (SM) Edits LLC.

Is it Time to Tweak the 5-WHYs Analysis Technique? Yes!

Laura Burford — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 19:33:42 GMT

How changing the form of your questions leads to more inclusive problem-solving and a friendlier approach for everyone.

A key reason why clients hire consultants and freelancers is to help them solve a problem.

As a consultant, one of my favorite approaches for problem-solving is Toyota’s 5 WHYs Analysis. I embraced 5 WHYs Analysis while managing software application projects and have continued to use it as a management consultant. However, over the years I’ve changed the form of my questions and I never realized it.

One day one of my clients said a meeting with one of their potential clients didn’t go well. Actually, it flopped.

In my work, I frequently recommend consultants and freelancers consider using 5-WHYs Analysis and recommend they include it in their “tool box.” But after talking with my client, I realized that I’ve been leading consultants and freelancers astray.

I’m now telling them, “I’ve been WRONG!”

Am I saying that 5-WHYs Analysis is not a good technique? No, I’m not. It is an easy and powerful technique to use. However, I believe a modification in the form of the questions makes the approach more powerful and better accepted.

What is 5 WHYs Analysis?

5 WHYs Analysis works well when the symptoms of a problem are known but the cause or actual problem is not known. In theory, a person asks five (5) why questions continually diving down to uncover the root cause of the problem.

Here’s a scenario illustrating the technique.

Your car doesn’t start so you call the car repair shop.

The Mechanic starts by asking you, “Why wouldn’t your car start?” Your Reply: “The engine wouldn’t turn over.”

Mechanic: “Why wouldn’t the engine turn over?” Your Reply: “The battery was drained.”

Mechanic: “Why was the battery drained?” Your reply: “I think I forgot to turn the lights off.”

Mechanic: “Why did you forget to turn the lights off?” Your reply: “I thought they would turn off automatically.”

Mechanic: “Why didn’t they turn off automatically?” Your reply: “I don’t know. They were set to turn on and off automatically.”

The 5 WHYs Analysis approach was developed by Sakichi Toyoda, founder of Toyota, to help Toyota Industries Corporation uncover manufacturing problems. It works extremely well if there is a technical equipment problem or when a feature or functionality is missing as in a software application or with a business process.

The challenge is everyone involved in the analysis needs to evaluate the situation objectively putting their personal feelings aside.

That is why am I saying, “I’ve been WRONG!”

Why I’ve been WRONG!

For the entire article that includes an example of how I recommend modifying your approach, click on this “friendly” link

Final Thoughts

Consultants and freelancers are problem-solvers.

That is why people hire them — to solve problems.

But before a consultant or freelancer can solve a problem, they need to determine the root cause of the problem. Understanding the root cause of the problem helps the consultant or freelancer get hired as well as assists with determining the right approach to solve the problem.

There are several ways to determine the root cause. One approach is to use 5 WHYs Analysis. However, before you use 5 WHYs Analysis you may want to modify the approach. Before you ask any questions, understand your client and determine the best questioning format for them. Do why questions work or would it be better to ask exploratory and explicit questions?

Yes, I’ve been WRONG! I believe this modification in question form leads to a more powerful and inclusive discovery as well as a friendlier and accepted approach for everyone involved.

5-Steps to Manage Imposter Syndrome

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 14:20:03 GMT

Imposter syndrome is a debilitating pattern of thinking that inhibits optimal functioning. Not only does it undermine confidence, but it also produces a need to prove yourself by achieving unrealistic standards —standards that you, the person with imposter syndrome, create for yourself. In the process, imposter syndrome reduces creativity because the person sees taking risks or trying new approaches as threats to his or her image of being the best. At best, imposter syndrome creates stress and pressure. At worst, it builds to a level of dysfunctional anxiety.

So how can you learn to control imposter syndrome?

Most people believe imposter syndrome is a feeling. It is not. Imposter syndrome is a series of irrational and illogical thoughts. The beauty of this fact is you can learn strategies to control your thoughts and by doing so, you can reduce or eliminate imposter syndrome. Here are five steps to help you think, feel and function at your best.

1. Replace illogical thoughts with facts

Our brains will focus on what we tell them to focus on. With imposter syndrome, our brains are functioning from an illogical belief system and will search for any information to support the imposter syndrome. To eliminate the dysfunctional thoughts, we must replace those thoughts with facts, logic and evidence. Resumes, professional evaluations and concrete accomplishments are all sources of reality-based data to replace the thoughts creating the imposter syndrome.

2. Rely on established practices and strengths

For individuals with imposter syndrome, there is often the belief that they need to create new ways to accomplish tasks in order to be successful. They spend their time worrying about how to do things better or in unique ways to distinguish themselves. The reality is that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Employing skills, behaviors and methods that have been successful in past situations can create success in current and future situations. Why not use validated success strategies rather than creating new ones that have no data to support their efficacy?

3. Talk to a trained professional

In many articles I have read regarding imposter syndrome, a common piece of advice is to talk to someone about your feelings. Often the articles reference talking to your boss, colleague or a friend, and this advice is faulty. These individuals might be valuable when you want to vent, but they are not trained in approaches to help you reduce or eliminate imposter syndrome, nor are they regulated by confidentiality guidelines. Seeking out an executive coach, trained in areas of brain or behavior functioning, will ensure you receive expert support in a safe environment.

4. Let go of perfectionism

Perfectionism is the energy source for imposter syndrome. The idea of being perfect or doing things perfectly creates some of the irrational and unrealistic standards that contribute to imposter syndrome and, ultimately, undermine goals. Some perfectionistic individuals focus so much energy and time on doing things perfectly that they never finish the goal at hand. Doing things well, using your strengths and accomplishing them within the designated time can be your focus and a way to reduce imposter syndrome.

5. Write down your vision of success

Writing down your goals is a strategy towards goal achievement, but it also clearly establishes your measurement of the goal. It creates the boundary to maintain your focus so it does not stray towards something bigger or better. By writing down your goal, it also becomes a tool to measure your success based on the stated goal, not something more perfect. If you compare your outcome to the written goal, it becomes the litmus test for success and can prohibit your brain from spinning in the direction of imposter syndrome.

For many driven and successful people, imposter syndrome is a common occurrence. Recognizing the signs and knowing you can control it allows you to prevent it from blocking your progress. By applying concrete strategies, and refusing to accept the illogical belief system as a habit or norm, you can maintain a level of optimal performance in your personal and professional lives.

Dr. Robin Buckley, CPC, is the owner of Insights Group Psychological & Coaching Services in Rye, NH. Robin is an author, public speaker and certified coach (drrobinbuckley.com). In her work as an Executive Coach and Couples Coach, she helps high-achieving individuals and couples thrive in their careers and relationships. Her proprietary coaching model uses a business framework and cognitive-behavioral strategies to support clients in executing concrete, strategic plans to achieve the professional and relationship lives they want.

Effective Business Writing Tip 1: Acknowledge the Need for Effective Business Writing

Erica Holthausen — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 15:08:34 GMT

We’ve all had to wrestle meaning out of poorly written material. Perhaps it was a report that highlighted a series of problems but failed to provide a clear and actionable path forward. Or maybe it was that email from a client responding to what you thought was a simple question with an ambiguous and only vaguely related answer. Or that blog post that promised a solution but only added to the confusion.

Poor writing costs time and money.

According to The State of Business Writing, a report published in 2016, bad writing costs businesses an estimated $396 billion a year. That has undoubtedly increased along with the popularity of asynchronous communication tools such as Slack. More recently, Erica Dhawan, author of Digital Body Language, found that the average employee wastes up to four hours each week on poor, unclear, and confusing digital communication, most of which is written. As an independent consultant, your writing has a direct and immediate impact on your reputation and income.

There are two types of business writing: traditional business writing and marketing communications. Below we’ll define each type of writing, examine its purpose, and give you a few tips on how to increase the effectiveness of both your traditional business writing and marketing communications.

What Is Traditional Business Writing?

Traditional business writing includes everything you write in the course of business, such as proposals, reports, emails, and messages in Slack. The purpose of this type of writing is typically to convey information about a specific topic. In many companies, traditional business writing is the engine that drives the day-to-day activities of the business. To increase the effectiveness of your traditional business writing:

Write with the reader in mind. Tailor the tone of the message to your intended audience. Avoid using jargon and abbreviations unless your audience is particularly savvy. Be clear, not clever.
Use the right communication tool. Email and Slack are good notification tools, but they are rarely effective communication tools. If you need to convey something important and want to avoid confusion and miscommunication, schedule a phone call or meeting.
Cut the fluff. Keep it short and simple.

What Is Marketing Communications?

Marketing communications is writing that is in service of business development, such as websites, email newsletters, case studies, white papers, social media posts, blogs, and articles on third-party platforms. Its purpose is to demonstrate your unique value proposition to your prospective, current, and former clients. To increase the effectiveness of your marketing communications:

Know your audience. Who is reading your marketing communications? Where are they in the buyer’s journey? Are you writing to the decision maker or to someone tasked with vetting a larger list of prospective consultants?
Focus on what’s in it for them. Why should a prospective client work with you? What does each segment of your audience want? Someone vetting prospective consultants wants to impress their boss. A decision maker wants to minimize their risk and know that they’ve made the right decision. How can you provide them with what they want most?
Show your impact. Your prospective clients care more about the results you achieve than the methods you use. Share examples of how you’ve helped your clients achieve their goals instead of describing your methods.

If you truly want to be of service and improve the effectiveness of your business writing, treat your reader’s time as more valuable than your own.

Next month, we’ll talk about the importance of knowing your audience and dive in to how your brand influences your writing.

5 Tips for Effective Business Writing

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 14:41:47 GMT

Everyone writes. Whether you’re writing an email to a client, putting together a proposal, preparing a report, or crafting an article for publication, your writing reflects your company’s brand and either builds your credibility and authority or diminishes it.

Everyone writes. But not everyone writes effectively.

In this series of articles, we will share tips for effective business writing, including practical tools you can apply immediately to improve your written communications and guidance on how to find the help you need.

We’ll cover one tip each month — and, as a special bonus, we’ll share a list of our favorite writing resources to help improve your writing:

Tip 1: Acknowledge the Need for Effective Business Writing — different types of business writing and the purpose of each type
Tip 2: Understand Your Brand and Your Audience — how your brand influences your writing and why you must know your audience to write effectively
Tip 3: Write Clear and Compelling Copy — advice on writing clear and compelling copy and how different platforms and purposes impact your writing
Tip 4: Edit, Edit, and Edit Again — why editing and consistency are crucial to effective writing and how to establish a good relationship with your editor
Tip 5: Don’t Go It Alone — what to look for when hiring a writer or editor and why the writer or editor you hire doesn’t need to be an expert in your field
BONUS — a list of resources for writing and editing advice, reference tools, and where to find quality freelance writers and editors

Check back in early October for Tip 1: We will talk about the differences between traditional business writing and marketing communications and the goals of each type of writing.

Advice for New Consultants

Rick Pollak — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 01:54:22 GMT

How do you set priorities when you start a solo consulting business? If you focus on these three tasks, you’ll improve the chances of making your business successful.

Building Authority

It’s difficult for a new consultant to compete in a crowded field. Thought leadership activities will help you establish authority and get clients to find you. Creating blog posts, magazine articles, YouTube videos, and newsletters will help position you as an expert. If you produce content that’s relevant to your potential clients, you’ll establish authority and be able to win contracts over more experienced consultants.

Outsourcing

When you start a solo consulting business, you become the director of sales, marketing, finance, contracts, IT, and PM. The more time you spend on these tasks, the less time you can spend providing consulting services. Outsourcing some of these business responsibilities will give you more time to do the consulting work you enjoy. You can end up hating consulting if you try to do all the required operations tasks yourself.

Asking for Help

The Society of Professional Consultants offers networking, mentoring, and education to new consultants from around the world. We’re a diverse group of new and experienced consultants that encourages our members to collaborate, share best practices, and learn from each other. The SPC provides a supportive environment where new consultants can ask questions about launching and growing their practice. You can view our free resources for people considering a career in consulting at https://spconsultants.org/consultant-resources.

Rick Pollak is president of the Society of Professional Consultants. He’s also the founder of Presentation Medic, a consulting company specializing in curing boring presentations. He specializes in coaching speakers for TEDx talks, executive presentations, and technical workshops.