As B2B sales consultants and trainers we are constantly faced with the challenge of finding new customers so we can drive growth of our firms. A trend to stimulate growth is to do this organically via thought leadership.
Matt Sunshine—the president of LEADG2—defines thought leadership this way: when a business or a person is recognized as a resources and an authority in a specific area or discipline. To obtain thought leadership status requires the thought leader to commit to answering the biggest questions on the minds of the people who are in a specific category or business sector.
When you are a thought leader:
- People seek you out when they need help—this could be a business opportunity for you
- Others use your thinking in their conversations and it leads to referrals back to you
- You are seen as a trusted resource not just a product peddler.
Thought leadership exists in many different forms—here’s a list you and everyone else in B2B sales consulting can use to share thoughts with the masses and become a thought leader:
The world is your oyster when it comes to thought leadership. There is one rule to follow: resist the urge to turn your thought leadership efforts into a sales pitch! Prospective customers will be attracted to you and fall in love with your thoughts more often than a blatant sales pitch!
