One of the easiest ways to drive prospective clients and customers to
your business is to become the expert in your field. The term Expert
carries credibility and prestige that can open many doors for you, and,
oddly enough, the term is relatively easy to acquire. This simple three
step process can help you quickly and easily set yourself up as the
expert in your field.
Step 1: Determine Your Niche
Instead of trying to be everything to everybody, narrow down your focus
to the things that you are really, really good at. A friend of mine set
himself up as an expert at leadership training for water treatment
facilities. When he told me what he was doing, I asked, “Is there any
money in that?” He smiled and said, “Every city’s got one, and I’m the
only leadership expert in this field in the country.” He was frequently
quoted in trade journals and asked to speak at their conventions. Find
your niche, and you’ll eliminate your competition.
Step 2: Write about Your Area of Expertise
After you determine your niche, begin to write articles about your area
of expertise. Every single day, tens of thousands of editors, web
masters, and newsletter publishers are looking doggedly for unique and
information-packed articles. If you can write articles that teach
readers about your industry, you will find numerous places that will
quickly publish your article.
I spent ten years as a trainer before someone, out of desperation,
asked me to write an article for her trade journal. A few months later,
another editor saw the article and asked if she could reprint it.
Before long, I began to get inquiries from companies in that industry,
and a snowball effect began to occur. The more business I did in the
industry, the more of an expert I became. I followed with other
articles, and within a short period of time, I became a recognized
expert in an industry that I had never received any formal education in.
Write a few articles, and you can become a recognized expert in any field.
Step 3: Speak as Often as You Can
When your articles begin to get published, you’ll start to receive requests to speak more often.
95% of the population has some type of nervousness about public
speaking. So when you stand up and say what you want to say, the way
you want to say it, you are doing what 95% of the population wish they
could do. When you speak about your industry, you set yourself up as
the expert on that topic. You gain instant credibility.
If you get nervous when you speak in front of a group, attend a public
speaking class. It will be the best investment of your life, because
the more confident you present your ideas, the more competent you will
appear in front of a group.
Follow these three simple steps and you will become the recognized expert in your specific niche.
Doug Staneart, doug@leadersinstitute.com, is CEO of The Leader’s Institute® (www.leadersinstitute.com).
He is an expert at helping people overcoming the fear of public
speaking, building confident and autonomous leaders, and improving
employee morale. He can be reached toll-free at 1-800-872-7830 x100.