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How To Create Consulting Offers Clients Will Buy With Ash Maurya: Podcast #260
34 segments available
Are you having trouble bringing clients to buy? How should you bring offers to your clients? In today’s episode, the CEO of LeanStack (https://leanstack.com/) , Ash Maurya (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashmaurya/) , sits with Michael Zipursky to share his insights on how you can create consulting offers clients will buy. Publishing valuable content helps move your business forward, but that’s not where the whole discussion ends. Through conversations, patterns begin to emerge, but when you can predict what your clients will say before they say it, you should shift to solution designing and pitching. Tune in to this episode and listen to this insightful conversation to put your business in a perfect position to succeed. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://www.consultingsuccess.com/podcast
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Welcome to Consulting Success
Michael Zipursky introduces the Consulting Success podcast, highlighting its focus on strategies and tactics for building a profitable consulting business. The episode features Ash Maurya, CEO of LeanStack, who shares insights on creating compelling consulting offers that attract clients.
"the Consulting success podcast is powered by the clarity coaching program if you'd like to work directly with the Consulting success team and receive personal coaching and support to optimize and grow..."
Meet Ash Maurya
Ash Maurya, founder and CEO of LeanStack, discusses his background in startups and his journey to creating LeanStack. He shares his experiences working with well-known clients and the development of his book, 'Running Lean,' which focuses on effective business strategies.
"and apply welcome to the Consulting success podcast I'm your host Michael zap perski in this podcast we'll dive deep into the world of elite Consultants where you'll learn the strategies tactics and m..."
The Entrepreneurial Journey
Ash reflects on his early entrepreneurial experiences, including his involvement in startups and the challenges he faced. He explains the tipping point that led him to start LeanStack, emphasizing the importance of learning from mistakes and the influence of Lean Startup principles.
"resources you're also the author of book called running lean iterate from plan a to a plan that works so I thought where we could start today's conversation is really about kind of your early days so ..."
Discovering Lean Startup Principles
In this segment, Ash discusses how exposure to Lean Startup concepts by Eric Ries and Steve Blank inspired him to explore customer development. He shares how this led to the creation of LeanStack and his excitement about solving the problem of building better products faster.
"you and then what was going on kind of in your world I mean you mentioned like I'm wondering in terms of why started at that time in 2009/10 you had been involved in few other startups to that point b..."
Building an Audience
Ash explains how he gained his first clients by openly sharing his journey and insights through blogging. He describes the accidental success of the Lean Canvas tool and how customer interest drove him to develop it further, highlighting the importance of customer engagement.
"your question in 2009 and 10 time frame I got exposed to what eventually became the Lean Startup Eric Ree and Steve blank talking about customer development and those Concepts and a lot of that just r..."
The Power of Blogging
Ash shares his blogging journey, revealing that his impactful post about the Lean Canvas was one of many he wrote. He emphasizes the effort and time invested in crafting each post, which ultimately resonated with a wide audience seeking guidance on Lean Startup methodologies.
"that I did and so I felt this was actually bigger than I thought and I got excited that's kind of why I double down there yeah I definitely want to dive deeper into all the stuff you just mentioned ar..."
The Journey to Success
In this segment, Ash reflects on the challenges of building a successful consulting business. He discusses the importance of perseverance and the learning process involved in creating valuable content that addresses common questions faced by entrepreneurs.
"many blog posts did you publish before before you published that one that kind of caught on fire yeah so I mean we can always go and check but I think it might have been number 10 or 11 in the series ..."
Creating Time for Deep Work
Ash discusses his approach to writing and creating content, emphasizing the need for uninterrupted time to think deeply. He shares his strategies for finding flow in his work, including dedicating mornings to focused writing sessions without distractions.
"just a big outlier of traffic just came yeah I was asking partly because I think very often people focus on like the success that somebody has but don't necessarily look at well like how much work wen..."
Guarding Your Creative Time
Ash explains how he protects his creative time by blocking out his calendar for meetings and distractions. He shares insights on how becoming a parent influenced his work habits and the importance of prioritizing meaningful work over constant busyness.
"to be able to have the time to go deep into you know detailed posts like that how do you create the time and the space to at that level of kind of like depth and detail for your content creation yeah ..."
Guarding Sacred Time
Maurya discusses the challenges of protecting his morning work time from meetings and distractions. He reflects on how becoming a parent shifted his perspective on time management, leading him to prioritize focused work hours. He highlights that the perceived fallout from this practice is often less severe than anticipated.
"some very strong guard rails to protect that time or I mean you know here you are you're running your business things are growing was that ever a challenge for you to guard that kind of sacred time or..."
The Value of Free Time
In this segment, Ash Maurya explains how his experiences as a parent taught him the importance of free time. He contrasts his previous work habits of long hours with the need for balance, illustrating how this shift has positively impacted his productivity and creativity.
"so prior before kids I would work 60 70 hour weeks my girlfriend who became my wife I would negotiate with her and we would kind of make arrangements for work needs to happen when you've got young kid..."
Evolving Content Strategy
Maurya elaborates on how his marketing strategy has evolved over time. He emphasizes the continued importance of content creation but notes a shift towards using content as a lead magnet to attract clients. He discusses the need to integrate valuable content behind signup walls to enhance engagement.
"really not that bad if anything scarcity creates more opportunity in its own way I completely agree it's like people who really hesitate to take a holiday or vacation for the fear of things exploding ..."
Demonstrating Value Through Content
In this segment, Ash Maurya explains how he uses valuable content to demonstrate expertise and attract potential clients. He discusses the importance of guiding visitors from initial interest to becoming engaged customers, focusing on the onboarding process.
"sure it's still content but I would say that content now behind you can say that the signup wall and not so much paid content but really just getting so the blog is all Anonymous obviously and it has ..."
The Pitfalls of Product Creation
Maurya addresses the common issue of entrepreneurs creating products that fail to resonate with the market. He explains the importance of understanding customer needs deeply and avoiding the trap of falling in love with one's own solutions without validating them first.
"to sign up or to become clients or to inquire is that correct or yeah that's correct and so I would say again where most of the focus is if we start using kind of the top of the funnel type of languag..."
Understanding Customer Needs
In this segment, Ash Maurya emphasizes the necessity of conducting thorough discovery to understand customer pain points. He warns against relying solely on surface-level feedback and stresses the importance of meaningful conversations to uncover root causes.
"happen what's going on when people kind of you know operate in that way yeah so there are definitely a number of factors that come into play the first thing is building good Solutions is just inherent..."
The Discovery Process
Maurya discusses the shift from a validation mindset to a discovery-based approach in product development. He highlights the importance of understanding the customer's current situation and the shortcomings of existing solutions before pitching new ideas.
"trap that we as many of the product folks very quickly fall into and even though it may have started with here is something interesting to go explore we don't do the requisite due diligence to go real..."
The Importance of Context
In this segment, Ash Maurya explains how understanding the context in which customers operate is crucial for successful product adoption. He illustrates this with examples of how existing solutions may fall short, emphasizing the need for a deep understanding of customer workflows.
"far more effective pitches than if you don't do the work so does that mean that if you have a hypothesis or even maybe like you've sketched an outline of a product or something kind of a service or so..."
Getting Feedback from Prospective Buyers
Maurya shares strategies for consulting firm owners to engage prospective buyers for feedback. He emphasizes the importance of leveraging existing networks for referrals and focusing on outcomes rather than solutions to initiate meaningful conversations.
"kids and they're going to school or you're going to work you know pandemic they're going to be things that you are currently using and so my task in the beginning is to go understand in that context w..."
Leveraging Referrals for Client Engagement
In this segment, Ash Maurya shares practical tactics for consulting firm owners to engage potential clients. He suggests starting with referrals and framing outreach around outcomes rather than solutions, which can help disarm potential clients and encourage open conversations.
"of many tactics that we can get into but the very first one that I often tell people to start with is just the sounds very simple and maybe common sensical but it is really just asking for referrals i..."
Posing as a Researcher for Insights
Maurya introduces the tactic of posing as a researcher or content creator to gather insights from potential clients. He explains how this approach can facilitate valuable conversations and help build relationships without the pressure of a sales pitch.
"do but other kind of more advanced tactics could be what I call posing as so you can pose as a researcher you can pose as a blogger you can pose as a podcaster you could actually be a podcaster and th..."
Disarming Clients with Transparency
Ash Maurya emphasizes the importance of transparency in client conversations. He discusses how explicitly stating that there is no sales pitch involved can create a more open dialogue, allowing clients to share their challenges and fostering a collaborative atmosphere.
"not hey it's Michael here and we be right back to the podcast but first are you ready to grow scale and take your Consulting business and marketing to the next level if so our Clarity coaching program..."
Timeline for Service Development
In this segment, Maurya outlines a reasonable timeline for developing consulting services. He suggests a two to four-week period for problem discovery followed by another two to four weeks for building and pitching the offer, emphasizing the importance of thorough research.
"because I'm sure you've seen hundreds if not thousands of these examples that that's an important thing to mention or is it better not to or any kind of thoughts around that yeah I would go and say yo..."
From Discovery to Commitment
Ash Maurya explains how to transition from initial client meetings to securing commitments. He highlights the significance of thorough discovery work and how understanding client needs can lead to compelling pitches that resonate with potential buyers.
"surprising is that irrespective of the products I would say Services products can actually be spun up very very quickly and we'll sometimes even use that as a tactic in The Lean Startup World call it ..."
Creating Irresistible Offers
In this final segment, Maurya discusses the concept of the 'mafia offer'—an offer that clients cannot refuse. He explains how effective communication of value and understanding client pain points can lead to successful sales, even before the final product is built.
"pretty much a picture of a car that could have just been photoshopped and him telling the world we're going to Electrify this car and if you want it put your money down and that's demo cell Bild so yo..."
Commitment and Pricing: Securing the Sale
Ash Maurya explains the significance of securing tangible commitments from clients, such as letters of intent or purchase orders. He discusses how to frame pricing in a way that feels fair and justified, leading clients to ask how to get started, thus moving the sales process forward.
"explain it away versus just saying here's some magic black magic price I'm pulling out of thin air people get it and if it's fair and they see how it's fair pricing they ask you the obvious next quest..."
Breaking the Old Solution: The Switching Analogy
Using the analogy of switching products, Ash illustrates how to position your offering against competitors. He references Elon Musk's approach to marketing electric cars, highlighting the need to convince clients to 'fire' their current solutions in favor of yours, emphasizing environmental benefits and superior performance.
"specifically about how your offer is different from what they're currently using so if they're using company a and your company you know your C you're going to say here's what you're currently getting..."
Finding Common Threads: The Right Number of Conversations
Ash discusses the importance of conducting enough customer interviews to identify common themes and insights. He suggests that while five conversations may suffice for niche markets, broader offerings require at least ten to uncover the top reasons why customers buy, enabling effective solution design.
"yeah and then you mentioned a magic number of five or 10 is that the right number of conversations that you should be having before you can feel confident is like is five enough do you need 10 do you ..."
Frameworks for Problem Solving: Patterns and Models
In this segment, Ash Maurya shares his belief in the value of frameworks and mental models for problem-solving. He explains how frameworks help in analyzing decisions from multiple dimensions, increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes by triangulating desirability, viability, and feasibility.
"enough conversation you should now shift into solution designing pitching yeah that's fantastic okay so I have a question for you from Scott in Belgium and he asks you know a lot of your work Ash is b..."
LeanStack's Evolution: From Services to Software
Ash reflects on the evolution of LeanStack's business model, transitioning from a service-based approach to a software-centric model. He outlines the various offerings, including workshops, books, and software tools, and discusses how the revenue model has shifted to prioritize software as a service.
"much higher than before so it sounds like you yourself use Frameworks in your life and your business to Think Through different questions or opportunities that come your way but you've also developed ..."
Revenue Model Transformation
Ash shares insights into the evolution of their revenue model, detailing how the focus shifted from services to software. He explains the strategic decision to reserve coaching for high-leverage activities and the importance of automation in scaling their offerings.
"you look at your Revenue across the different kind of channels that you have or different offerings how does it break down in terms of where's the majority of the revenue come from is there one that i..."
Daily Habits for Meaningful Work
Ash discusses the daily habits that contribute to his success, emphasizing the importance of focusing on fewer tasks and breaking down larger projects into manageable initiatives. He shares his approach to setting goals and consistently pushing forward on significant projects.
"right so Ash before we wrap up I have just a couple more questions then we'll make sure that people can learn more about you and your book and your work and everything you have going on but when you l..."
The Traction Roadmap Explained
In this segment, Ash introduces the Traction Roadmap, a tool he developed to focus on outcome-driven planning. He contrasts it with traditional product roadmaps and explains how it helps in identifying potential solutions to achieve business growth.
"so carving out time to do it let me ask you so you have the bigger Vision or specific kind of goals that you want to work towards whether that's a new book or a new tool as you said do you reverse eng..."
The Power of Story in Marketing
Ash shares his recent interest in the art of storytelling and its relevance to marketing and pitching. He discusses the book 'Story Grid' by Shawn Coyne, highlighting how understanding story structure can enhance customer journeys and improve product pitches.
"that's great thanks for sharing that and then final question is in the last six months or so what's one book that you have read or listened to that you've really enjoyed and would recommend to others ..."
Where to Learn More About Ash Maurya
Ash provides information on where to find more about his work and resources, directing listeners to LeanStack.com for free tools and subscription-based services. He expresses gratitude for the opportunity to share his insights on the podcast.
"people that want to learn more about you your work your books where's the best place for them to go the best place would be lean stack.com so L an S as I mentioned there's a lot of content that's just..."