How Wide Is Your Reality Gap?

Peter Winick

The Reality Gap

Content that the market buys.

Content that a thought leader or author creates.

REALITY GAP

Suggestions for Traction1) Don’t create in isolation. • Creative process need not be a solitary • Collaboration is better while you are developing content. • Pull from a variety of constituents

– Other thought leaders– Potential clients– Past clients– Like-minded thinkers– Potential end users of your content

• Clients that are involved in creating their own solutions are far easier to retain and they have a vested interest in your success

Suggestions for Traction2) Fail often and fail fast • There are more tools available today than ever before

for creating and deploying content effectively• Far too many authors stick to the formats

or modalities that they know best • Try as many things as you can• The faster that you are able to fail

the quicker you’ll learn what isn’t working and be able to adjust andtry again

• Not failing doesn’t mean you’re succeeding, it means you’re not trying a wide enough variety of alternatives

Suggestions for Traction3) Only do what you love and what you’re great at• Reality gap exists is because the thought leader knows what

they know relative to their work better than anyone else• Not nearly as gifted when it comes to:

– Sales– Marketing– Business Development– Social Media– PR– Product Development– Client Relationships

• Work with experienced experts that have the specific skills that you lack will close the gap

Suggestions for Traction4)Know what the actual impact of your work is on

your clients• Often thought leaders think that the value of their work

is X when in reality is Y• Be sure you are effectively

communicating to end users • Understand how they are actually

benefiting from your work • Real-time feedback = Better understanding

of the actual work value • Top dollar is paid for content that drives a behavior change

that moves a key business metric and therefore has a measurable ROI

Suggestions for Traction5) Monitor your competitors• Learning from others successes and mistakes

is cost effective much easier to do today than ever before

• The first one to market with the “newest” gizmo, gadget or trend is not always the winner

• In the world of content “first mover” advantage is typically a fallacy

• Understand the trends in your space • Make sure you are not being left behind by innovations in

marketing or technology

If you’re only offering keynotes and workshops and your competitors are taking market share with e-learning or video-based content, you’ll

eventually fall too far behind to catch up.

About Peter Winick Peter Winick has over twenty years of experience working with a variety of thought leaders, authors and gurus to help monetize their content through books, keynote speaking, consulting, and the creation of training services, products and assessment tools. From the strategic stage to the creation of sales and marketing solutions, he helps companies use thought leadership as a strategic marketing tool that drives business results. Visit www.thoughtleadershipleverage.com for more info.