Peter Winick argues that experts waste time proving credentials when prospects already believe in their expertise. The real problem is convincing clients the timing is right to act now, not later, when they're drowning in competing priorities and limited resources.
Hi there, it's Peter Winick. I'm the founder and CEO at Thought Leadership Leverage. And here's the idea that I'd like to share with you today, and that's this: as an author, as a speaker, as an expert, as a thought leader, what you need to be thinking about when you're talking to clients and potential clients is what they're thinking about. And what they're thinking about is why you and why now. And I think too often thought leaders focus too much on the why you. Hey, I've written these books, I've been published here, I've got this great expertise, and I developed these models, and they go on and on there credentializing themselves when it's really not about the why you in most cases for most clients. You wouldn't be there having that conversation with them if they didn't believe that you had the ability, the gravitas, whatever the case may be, to help them. The why now problem is a bigger issue. How do you get them to break through all of the other priorities and compete— things that are competing for their time, their resources, and their money to say, you know what, now is the time to engage with you to take on this workflow, to take on this initiative, this project, whatever the case may be. So focus a little bit more on the why now and a little bit less on the why you.
