Eben Pagan explains how information has become the most valuable commodity in the 21st century and outlines the massive opportunity for entrepreneurs to build profitable businesses by packaging their expertise into information products. He reveals how to identify your valuable knowledge and position yourself as a 'modern guru' in specialized niches.
Your Big Opportunity To Help Others
How to identify your valuable expertise for information products -- A systematic approach to discovering what knowledge you possess that others would pay to learn
Stop Selling Yourself — Sell the Result
The biggest mistake when selling information is trying to sell yourself instead of focusing on the specific results and benefits your customer needs
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Stop Me Marketing — Put the Spotlight on the Customer
The biggest mistake is trying to sell yourself instead of focusing on your customer's needs. Avoid 'me marketing' and instead put the spotlight on the specific results and benefits your customers want to achieve.
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Information Products Sell from Twenty Dollars to Twenty-Four Thousand
Information products can be profitably sold across an enormous price range, from $20 books to $24,000 coaching programs, with value determining price rather than format
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Information Products Stay Recession-Resistant with Long-Term Viability
Information products perform well even during economic downturns, making them recession-resistant businesses with long-term viability
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Information Products Can Be Made from Anywhere
Information products offer unprecedented freedom and flexibility since they can be created, marketed, and delivered from anywhere with basic technology
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How to identify your valuable expertise for information products -- A systematic approach to discovering what knowledge you possess that others would pay to learn
Information Products Thrive Even During Economic Downturns
Information products offer exceptional business advantages: they can be created and delivered from anywhere, perform well during economic downturns, and tap into the growing $400 billion information industry as society values knowledge over physical possessions.
Mass Nicheification and the Rise of Micro-Specialists
The economy has undergone 'mass nicheification' where businesses need specialists for increasingly specific problems. This creates high-value opportunities for 'modern gurus' who master micro-niches rather than trying to be generalists.
Stop Me Marketing — Put the Spotlight on the Customer
The biggest mistake is trying to sell yourself instead of focusing on your customer's needs. Avoid 'me marketing' and instead put the spotlight on the specific results and benefits your customers want to achieve.
Information Products Sell from $20 to $24,000
Information products can generate substantial revenue across a wide price range. Products can sell from $20 for books up to $24,000 for high-end coaching programs, with value determining price rather than format.
What Counts as an Information Product
Information products include books, ebooks, video trainings, podcasts, webinars, online classes, coaching programs, CDs, DVDs, and any format that packages knowledge to help others achieve specific results.
Focus on What People Already Seek You Out For
Focus on what others already seek you out for. Ask yourself what you know how to do that people come to you for help with, and what problems you can solve that deliver real relief or results to others.
Information Has Replaced Physical Goods as the Most Valuable Commodity
Information has replaced physical goods as the most valuable commodity in the 21st century, creating unprecedented opportunities for knowledge workers to build profitable businesses
Information Products Sell from Twenty Dollars to Twenty-Four Thousand
Information products can be profitably sold across an enormous price range, from $20 books to $24,000 coaching programs, with value determining price rather than format
Mass Nicheification Drives Demand for Micro-Specialists
The mass 'nicheification' of the economy has created demand for modern gurus who specialize in solving very specific, granular problems in emerging micro-niches
Information Products Can Be Made from Anywhere
Information products offer unprecedented freedom and flexibility since they can be created, marketed, and delivered from anywhere with basic technology
Identify Expertise by What Others Seek You Out to Solve
To identify your valuable expertise, ask what you know how to do that others seek you out for and what problems you can solve that deliver real relief
Stop Selling Yourself — Sell the Result
The biggest mistake when selling information is trying to sell yourself instead of focusing on the specific results and benefits your customer needs
Information Products Stay Recession-Resistant with Long-Term Viability
Information products perform well even during economic downturns, making them recession-resistant businesses with long-term viability
Universities Won't Survive — Distance Learning Is Here
Universities won't survive. The future is outside the traditional campus, outside the traditional classroom. Distance learning is coming on fast.
Stop Trying to Sell Yourself — Put Customers First
Stop thinking you're selling yourself. Stop thinking that you're trying to make yourself look more attractive and interesting.
Modern Gurus Sell Results Not Information
Modern gurus succeed by offering results and solutions. It's critical that you offer your customer what they want to buy.
Humans Value Knowledge More Than Physical Possessions
We humans value knowledge more and more and physical possessions less and less as time goes on.
Information Is the Most Valuable 21st-Century Commodity
Information is now the most valuable commodity in the twenty first century.
Concepts
Questions
Canonical Teachings
Eben explains how information has become the 21st century's most valuable commodity, replacing physical goods as the primary source of economic value. He presents evidence from the $400 billion information industry and Peter Drucker's prediction about the death of traditional universities.
The concept of 'mass nicheification' has created demand for specialists who can solve very specific problems in emerging micro-niches. Eben uses internet marketing's evolution from generalist to specialist roles as evidence of this trend creating new opportunities.
Information products can command premium prices based on value rather than format, with successful examples ranging from $20 books to $24,000 coaching programs. The key is matching price to the value delivered rather than the delivery mechanism.
Eben provides a framework for discovering what knowledge you possess that others would pay to access. The focus is on what people already seek you out for and what problems you naturally solve that deliver relief to others.
Claim: “Universities and traditional classroom education are the primary path to valuable knowledge and career success”
Reframe: Distance learning through specialized information products will replace traditional universities as people want targeted knowledge on-demand
Claim: “Physical possessions and manufacturing represent the most valuable economic opportunities”
Reframe: Information and knowledge work have become more valuable than physical possessions as society shifts to valuing expertise over material goods
Claim: “You need to be a generalist to succeed in business and marketing”
Reframe: Specialization in micro-niches creates more opportunity as businesses need experts for increasingly granular, specific problems
Coaching Strategies
Business Frameworks
Common Mistakes
