Written by: Vickie Sullivan | January 22, 2019
Why Brilliant People Can’t Get Paid
One of the biggest myths in the thought leadership space is that those with the best ideas win.
This Medium article is a great example of what I see a lot: brilliant people solving problems that, yes, people care about but won’t pay money to solve.
Move past the tech start-up details. This scenario (great solution, loads of positive attention, then dodging and finally … cricket chirping) happens to a lot of us, too. The big question: Why do many great solutions go for free? Two reasons:
• The problem isn’t important enough. Yes, folks say they want your solution. At 30,000 feet, buyers recognize the problem and the ripple effects. The real challenge: The other solutions are competing for the budget. Corporate America calls this “competing priorities.”
Listen: How Your Solution Becomes a Top Priority
• Other solutions cost less (or are free). Example: free speakers. Yes, buyers know many paid speakers are better. They don’t understand the impact of the difference. And in the land of limited budgets, speaker fees look easy to cut when there are plenty of “good enough” options.
This right here is why we all have to look at our contribution strategically and ask ourselves: Is what we are offering worth paying for? And don’t just take your own word for it. Go find out.
Now Read This: