Alastair McDermott: How to Get Clients without Relying on Word of Mouth Referral (#026)

My guest today Mr Alastair McDermott.  I've known Alastair since about 2007 or so, we even had a business project together for a few years and even to this day he's very much who I call on for a different perspective and his very valuable insights.As it happens, he also did a fabulous job on the recent upgrade to almcbride.com. Known as the websitedoctor, he more recently focused in on what he was doing for years already, which is marketing for consultants.Alastair helps independent consultants to generate more leads consistently so they can eliminate their dependence on referrals, and get out of the feast-famine cycle. He does this by helping them create and execute a simple, effective marketing strategy that works for their business and client base.He is a former software engineer, now marketing consultant. He built his first website on GeoCities in the before-time of 1996, and he was been hooked on websites ever since. He left a "safe" corporate job in early 2007 to start and grow his first business during the worst recession in modern history - that was a wild ride. Along the way he co-founded several start-ups, some of which were mildly successful, and he has written a book called "Running a Website with WordPress: A Quick Guide for Business Owners".Topics explored:The risks of action and more importantly inactionYour website is not for you, it's for you clientThe dangers of word of mouth referralReplacing word of mouth referrals but not replacing the trustContent marketing; educate and entertainHow to start becoming an authority in your nicheEverybody gets imposter syndromeThe Dunning-Kruger effect; why experts are less confidence in their knowledge than beginnersThe Specialization AdvantageThe downside of the platform specialistHorizontal specialization in the problem or outcome rather than the customer / clientWhy choosing a vertical specialization is most advantageous The rolodex momentHow to start creating valuable content for your niche audienceEnlightened self interest and fiduciary responsibilityWeb design as a translation project: search for the underlying, unspoken needsIf you're interested in more visit ▶ https://almcbride.com/minicoursefor a free email minicourse on how to gain the psychological edge in your negotiations and critical conversations along with a helpful negotiation prep cheat sheet.If you enjoyed this episode of Dealing with Goliath Podcast, hit subscribe to hear about our latest episodes.