I’ve had hundreds of coaching, sales, and just casual conversations with solopreneurs this year about their businesses. I hear fresh questions all the time, but there are certainly some I hear more than others.

This week I’m sharing 1 sentence answers to 15 of the common questions I get asked about productizing, marketing ,and selling your expertise as an online entrepreneur. 

 

How can I package my expertise to make money online?

Find the intersection between what you love doing, what you’re better than most people at, and what people will pay for.

 

How do I know when I’ve niched down enough?

When you can read an audience’s mind and write copy that makes them say, “This person knows exactly what position I’m in.”

 

How much should I charge for my services?

The best pricing strategy is to clearly understand the value of the outcome you help deliver and price relative to that.

 

What’s the most common mistake people make going out on their own?

Selling their time instead of selling their expertise or results.

 

What’s the best way to get leads?

Attract them with good marketing so you protect your credibility and authority as an expert.

 

What’s the biggest mistake you made?

Waiting to get some success from doing the wrong things to make investments into learning how to do the right ones.

 

What is productizing?

Creating systems and processes to reliably solve a specific problem for clients that gets easier for you to deliver over time.

 

What’s the difference between people that “make it” on their own and people that don’t?

The mindset of inevitable success and whatever it takes vs. I’m going to try and see how it goes.

How do I build a funnel?

Create an asset someone wants, ask for their email (or other digital “currency”) to get access to it, and send your email list something valuable periodically to stay top of mind.

 

What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve heard offered to people starting out?

A tie between “figuring it out on your own is ‘part of the process’” and “start with discounted rates and work up.”

 

Can I build my consulting business on LinkedIn alone?

Depends, but I’ve driven more than $800k in client revenue from LinkedIn without spending a penny on paid ads.

 

What’s been the biggest unlock for solopreneurs you’ve worked with?

Moving into selling expertise instead of just selling fulfillment of them.

 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve heard offered?

Every business is perfectly designed to get the results it’s currently getting.

 

How do I convince prospects to hire me without an hourly rate?

Offer them a better alternative, like a clear deliverable or future state you can help them accomplish in a set period of time.

 

How much should I be concerned about scalable systems?

Very little until you’ve established product-market fit, then a lot.

Have a question you’d like answered? 

Comment below.