“You can disrupt your entire industry right now simply by putting out content that others aren’t willing to share,” states Marcus Sheridan, author, keynote speaker, and partner at IMPACT.
In this episode of Endless Customers, Alex Winter and Marcus Sheridan dive into the power of industry-disrupting content and how businesses can become thought leaders. Marcus shares how companies can gain trust and stand out by doing what others aren’t willing to do.
One key strategy Marcus highlights is addressing the elephants in the room: “You’ve got to be willing to talk about that which others are not willing to talk about in your space. You’ve got to be willing to show specifically in this case through video, what others in your space are not willing to show.”
Marcus shares a powerful example from the boating industry: “About eight years ago, I was speaking to all the major manufacturers in the boating industry. I said to them, the day is coming where every single one of you is going to have a built-in price-your-boat tool on your website. They tried to laugh me out of the room.” Despite the skepticism, one company, Sportsman Boats, implemented the pricing tool. Today, 65-70% of manufacturers have followed suit, showing how rule breakers eventually become rule makers.
Reflecting on his experience with River Pools, Marcus says, “One of the simplest things that you can do to disrupt your industry is just say, what’s wrong with my industry? Like, what’s screwed up about it?” He led the industry in addressing misleading fiberglass pool warranties and the standard practice of building pools on sand, setting new industry standards.
Marcus argues that many companies fear disruption due to potential backlash. However, he believes that the customer’s needs should come first: “I’m more worried about the customer, the consumer not getting what they want and not being treated fairly than I am about frustrating a competitor. What matters to me is the truth.”
The benefits of disruption extend beyond immediate gains. Marcus explains, “When you become a thought leader, people and opportunities become attracted to you. Suddenly, you have folks saying, ‘Well, you guys are doing something special. I can’t help but notice.’ This attracts potential employees and business opportunities.”
Creating this type of content isn’t taking the easy road. But if you’re willing to take a risk and be transparent, you’ll become the voice of trust, the thought leader, and the most known in your market. When that happens, the opportunities will present themselves.
Connect with Marcus
Marcus Sheridan is a writer, speaker, and business expert who’s worked with companies all over the world. Marcus is the author of They Ask, You Answer and co-author of The Visual Sale.
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