Narrowcasting and Bespoke Thought Leadership | Peter Winick | 335

Leveraging Thought Leadership

Welcome to this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership! Today’s guest is our very own Peter Winick, Founder and CEO of Thought Leadership Leverage, a firm that helps thought leaders of all kinds develop strategies for branding, marketing, technology, and sales.

The episode begins with Peter outlining the similarities and differences between marketing and thought leadership, particularly as it pertains to sales. While some comparisons can be made, thought leadership targets a small, very selective audience, giving timeless advice directed toward specific challenges. Sales, on the other hand, commonly relies on wide reaching, less focused tactics, marketing consumer products to a broad audience and relying on wide appeal.

Peter tells us that the true art of thought leadership means your offerings are unrelated to 99.9% of business problems, but laser-focused on solving the issues of a sharply defined target audience. In that space, your insights and products can deliver solutions that change the client's world. Peter and Bill outline the reasons that seeking a "necessary minority" is important: people who truly need your solutions get maximum benefit from applying your thought leadership. Plus, they discuss reasons that thought leadership practitioners should create touchpoints, low time commitments that display the benefit of their insights, before expecting a potential client to spend valuable time reading a white paper or book.

We wrap up our conversation with some great advice for those just starting a thought leadership journey. From reintroducing yourself, to expanding critical relationships, from asking for help, to finding the right cadence for publishing your content, Peter and Bill share a vast amount of experience on thought leadership and sales. This episode is a beginner's guide — and an expert's handbook, all in one!

Three Key Takeaways:

· Thought Leadership needs to be focused on a small and specific audience where it can truly shine.

· Thought Leadership ideas should be introduced in small chunks, leaving discussion of larger offerings for after the audience leans in.

· New Thought Leaders should reach out to their network and reconnect, explaining their new venture, their offerings, and the solutions they offer.