| One of the best ways to separate your business | | | | help? Well-written case studies help answer both |
| from the others is to position yourself as an expert. | | | | these questions as they build your credibility. We are |
| Experts charge more, work less, and are highly | | | | all, generally, more likely to believe that something will |
| regarded. Experts regularly experience an inflow of | | | | help us if it's helped other people who are just like us. |
| interesting opportunities. They attract business easily | | | | A well developed case study file can shorten your |
| and regularly. | | | | sales process. |
| Assuming that you do, indeed, possess expertise in | | | | 6) Teach workshops or seminars. |
| your chosen field...what are some ways to showcase | | | | A fast way to build your expert status is to teach |
| this expertise so others see you as an expert, too? | | | | on your topic. This can be done in person, or on the |
| 1) Build an expertise focused website. | | | | phone. When you teach on a topic, you are almost |
| Ideally, you will have focused your expertise in one | | | | automatically seen as an expert on the topic. Plus, |
| particular niche. Build a website to showcase your | | | | teaching classes or workshops can be another way |
| expertise in this niche. Include client lists, press | | | | to meet more people, add to your contact list, and |
| releases, and demonstrations of you speaking or | | | | develop another revenue stream, all at the same |
| teaching on your topic. | | | | time. |
| 2) Publish a book (or at least some articles!) | | | | 7) Present on your topic. |
| Even in this age of lightning fast e-publishing, there still | | | | Offer yourself to relevant groups and associations as |
| exists some recognition and esteem for authors of | | | | a guest expert, panelist, or conference speaker. Use |
| published books. It doesn't matter if you self publish, | | | | these speaking opportunities to refine your |
| publish on demand, or go the traditional publishing | | | | knowledge, polish your presentation, and to build |
| route, there is almost instant credibility and | | | | areas for possible lateralization. Public speaking also |
| recognition when people say, "Oh, she or he wrote a | | | | offers you another way to build your contact list and |
| book on it." | | | | gain recognition at the same time. |
| If you can't get yourself to write a book on it, at | | | | 8) Hang out with other experts. |
| least write some articles and distribute them regularly. | | | | If you spend time with other experts, you will, by |
| 3) Build a focused newsletter around your expertise. | | | | association, be seen as more of an expert. If you |
| You may already have a newsletter, but is it focused | | | | belong to an association or professional group, make |
| around your expertise? If not, it might be time for | | | | contact with the leaders of this group. By spending |
| some repositioning. When you do this, you'll find that | | | | time with the leaders in your field, you will be more |
| your newsletters actually get easier to write, | | | | easily seen as one of them. |
| because it's always easier to drill down into one topic | | | | 9) Refer to yourself as an expert. |
| than to develop multiple new ones. Also, this focused | | | | For some, this might be more difficult than it seems. |
| newsletter can be a great hand-out for prospective | | | | Expert status is not just given, it must also be |
| clients, and can be a way of articulating your expert | | | | claimed. If you are an expert at what you do, there |
| position on relevant trends in your field. | | | | is absolutely nothing wrong with identifying yourself |
| 4) Seek publicity regularly. | | | | as one. If you're not, do what it takes to become |
| This may be in the form of writing effective press | | | | one. Authenticity and integrity are powerfully |
| releases or being quoted in industry journals or | | | | effective marketing tools. |
| magazines. Just find some way of regularly getting | | | | 10) Commit to regular actions to build your expert |
| your name and expertise mentioned in print. There | | | | status. |
| are many resources on how to write effective press | | | | As you build your expert status, you will find the |
| releases. Aim to send out at least one press release | | | | flow of opportunities come faster and more easily. |
| per quarter or to attain two magazine or journal | | | | When this happens, continue to take regular actions |
| mentions each month. | | | | to keep building your expert status. Once gained, |
| 5) Build a file of successful case studies. | | | | expert status must be maintained. |
| Most people will have two questions when they learn | | | | Try these strategies to build your expert status. |
| of you. One: can you help? and two: how can you | | | | Your business (and bank account) will benefit. |