How To Find And Land Opportunities That Most Experts Never Even Knew Were Available

Patrick McFadden • July 23, 2013

The same way that studies show that 80% of available jobs are “hidden.” I think that 80% of the opportunities to get you or your business in front of decision makers are “hidden.”  That’s right, my argument is that up to 80 percent of the available opportunities are hidden, although absolute documentation is hard to come by.

In this post I will share with you three of my best kept secrets on  how to find and land opportunities that most experts never even knew were available .

  1. Go beyond the website.  I have been searching intensely, the past three days for Country Clubs where I can register as a dining club member. My goal is to network and surround myself with CEOs, executives, professionals and entrepreneurs (the people I want to do business with). During this process I started going beyond their website and looking at their newsletters. What I discovered was a massive opportunity. See below:                                              Biz builders forum logo Biz builders forum opportunity      That’s right! I found an opportunity to share what I know and present to this group of individuals, for free.
  2. Join, listen, and ask.  It’s been said, “You never make the sale you don’t ask for.” Recently I joined a LinkedIn interest group called “Greater Richmond Small Business Development Center” which is a partnership program between the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Greater Richmond Chamber. After I joined I started listening to see what was going on and I quickly noticed that classes were being offered to business owners. What did I do? I took initiative and asked for the opportunity. See below:
    The class Wait!!! Did I just get a “two for the price of one.” Yep, I already have been featured in this newsletter  (see left column in link) that reaches over 10,000 small businesses and entrepreneurs in my local area. And soon I will be teaching some classes.
  3. Leave thought-provoking comments.  I can’t tell you have many radio interviews and guest blogging opportunities have come just from me leaving a great comment. Here’s an example of how I got one of my radio interviews:

Hi Mr. McFadden, I noticed that you commented one of the articles on my firm’s blog (—-), so I checked out your blog to see what you were all about. I’m so glad I did!

Would you be interested in interviewing on my radio show one Monday? It’s called “The Learning Curve Radio Show”, and it’s a show that celebrates entrepreneurship, but also is transparent about some of the mistakes made along the way to “success”. I think you would be an awesome guest as you have very valuable nuggets to share in your blog.

Feel free to give me a call or reply to this email, and we’ll schedule some time to talk.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Here’s an email for guest blogging:

Hi Patrick,
I saw the comment that you left on one of our NYC Department of Small Business Services blog post.
If you are interested in guest blogging, please let me know.
Suzy

The majority of these opportunities are not advertised. Successful consultants, coaches, business experts, bloggers and speakers can tap into this “hidden opportunity market” using such search strategies as above.

Question: Do you have a strategy for finding those hidden opportunities?

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Forget “Perfect Workspaces.” Customers Want Perfect Installation Days — Here’s What Happened When One Furniture Installation Company Got That Right

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1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.

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