Reach for the BOLD

Welcome back to the blog. First, let’s recap. The last time we looked at what exactly a REAL Thought Leader is. The acronym, let me remind you, is as follows:

R eal
E ngagement
A uthority
L ongevity

Now I’d like to look at each of these elements (or chair legs, remember the wobbly chair) so today we are taking a look at Reach.

The Internet is great for making household names in politics, business, the arts and more. But does it really matter if people, who are experts in their area, however small it may be, are not receiving the brand recognition or market penetration they deserve?

Well, if they want to achieve positive change and influence larger groups, then yes it does matter. If they want that, they need a bigger and bolder plan.

Think about it. Imagine becoming a household name, you could command higher fees and attract more business but it’s not always about the money. The passion to get your expertise out there could be enough. And to extend your reach, it’s imperative not to leave this to marketing and PR. Business leaders must own this part of the job and lead your team. That way you’ll get even better results.

So let’s look at where you can extend your Reach.

Extending Your Reach Geographically

Most businesses strive to create larger markets and grow the customer base. The goal is to extend into new territory, even internationally. Roy Palmer, a friend and Book Midwife client, is a great example of this. Roy is an expert in human physiology and a qualified teacher in the Alexander Technique. He’s worked with some elite sports teams and gained a good reputation. With the release of his second book Zone Mind, Zone Body, he started to get noticed in the U.S. This led to more book sales and more business opportunities opened up in North America. On the flipside, you can actively use your book to break into new markets abroad by promoting the book there.

Cross-cultural and Other Factors

When someone is making big changes, that person has managed to cut across several segments of society. They have reached beyond their peer group and extended into less obvious markets breaking the normal barriers of age, gender, religion, education and more.

Moving into new sectors

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and business can go stagnant. Perhaps it’s time to get out of your comfort zone and look into new and different (exciting and new!) sectors. It’s a strategic decision and needs time, money and effort. Undertake this route with careful thought.

Narrow to Just One Sector and Extend Your Reach Within

The power of niching is great. If you become an expert in a narrower field it could mean more recognition and ultimately more business. I speak about this from personal experience. I moved from a general marketing role to follow my passion of writing and publishing. I then moved again to focus solely on business and personal development books, the area I am most passionate about and where I can make a difference. I haven’t looked back.

When you are willing to go deep and narrow into a niche, you can become known as the real thought leader within that niche and achieve that recognition from a smaller but very relevant group.

Redefine a Sector

Look at Apple, once the realm of designers and creatives, the company has launched a multitude of products that have brought this sector to the mass market. Even their Mac computer has become an integral part of the blended work/home/entertainment environment. Apple has managed to transform the world of computing. Now we see a far more glamorous and desirable product in a sector that was once far less appealing.

The Choice

So you need to consider if you go deep or wide, or even both. Do you want to extend geographically and culturally, or will you delve deeper into your existing market? Make this decision according to your business goals and personal aspirations.

Next time we look at HOW to achieve greater reach. There are so many ways, but they essentially fall under these categories; Networking and Social Media, Writing & Publishing, and Public Speaking.

See you next time when we look at each of these methods of extending your Reach.

Taken from 24 Carat Bold by Mindy Gibbins-Klein.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6924568-24-carat-bold-the-standard-for-real-thought-leaders