Business Solutions

Almost everyone has ideas, but very few actually decide to take some action about them… now. Not tomorrow, or next week, or next year… but today. The truest of entrepreneurs is an achiever, not just a dreamer.

Attributes of Successful Entrepreneurs – Become Known as the Expert

Become known as an expert whom when someone has a problem that needs to be solved, and they seek an expert in the field to help solve their particular problem, you are the go-to expert. Obviously, they want the most accurate information and valued assistance that they can get. It is natural for them to seek an expert to help solve their problem. They contact a plumber when the hot water tank leaks, a real estate agent that’s an expert when it’s time to sell their home or a dentist when they have a toothache.

As a result, it only stands to reason that the more you build a strong reputation and become recognized for your expertise in your business field, the more consumers in the market will actively seek you out for the purpose of tapping into your valued-expertise, thus creating more promotion and recommendation opportunities. The truth is that in effect, being known as an expert is another method and tactic of marketing for new business, only in reverse. Instead of finding new prospects to sell to, they actively seek you out for your highly-valued expertise.

To become known as the one to go to for relevant press stories, speaking events or other high profile events, and make yourself and your brand stand out in your space in the market, starts with building your reputation as an expert.

Some may think it’s an easy task, because they are an expert. But, if that’s the case, you’re already well down the road to where you need to be. Now, it’s great to have a high-level of confidence about your knowledge base, but now your sharpened-focus should pivot to moving others to see you in the same light.

Here are a few highly-effective tips for doing so.

Start calling yourself an expert, even though it’s something that you are naturally hesitant to do, because we all fear that others will perceive us as bragging, or that there’s some magical threshold we have to pass through before we can ever be considered an expert. That way of thinking is just wrong! The simple fact is that if your confidence is strong enough to put your name out in the market, and speak about a particular market segment, industry or issues, feel the strength of your confidence and tell people that you’re doing so.

Always be on guard to recognize opportunities for you to actively contribute to conversations… no matter through social media or relevant industry and community groups.  In addition, start to build strong relationships with a targeted niche of bloggers or journalists by making them aware of both your specific areas of expertise, and your willingness to contribute if and when they need a specific quote, facts or data.

Always share generously, as you have interesting industry or market news to share… no matter if it’s about a specific trend you’re seeing, or highly-relevant and up-to-the-minute information you’ve gathered to let people know about it. Consider blogging about it, as well as emailing industry influencers about the information… and maybe even think about preparing a press release.

A common question business owners have is whether and how much they should share… they consider their knowledge is their ‘secret recipe’. But, you should understand that when it comes to building your brand, the very application of that knowledge is what counts.  It is a substantial fact that many business owners can understand the same topic to the same level of expertise… the real issue to address is who will become known as the “go-to expert” in that market space.

Stay clearly focused to maintain your knowledgebase, skills, and relevancy as a “leading expert.”  When everyone is calling themselves an expert, the market can be “flooded” or “saturated” with them. But, that doesn’t mean you should avoid the exchange of ideas. Rather, it’s a strong-incentive to be really, really clear about your skills and how you want to be known.

For example, telling you I’m an expert in a generic field doesn’t really tell you much. However, informatively enlightening you that I’m an expert in helping high-growth businesses stand out from the crowded market through extremely-powerful content and promotional platforms should provide you with a clearer and more concise picture of my field of focus.

Finally, making yourself known to industry influencers (i.e. the media and beyond etc.) is an ongoing effort that never stops.  It takes time and constant close-attention. But, you should clearly understand that in today’s noisy world of distractions, there’s no short cut in making yourself and your business visible in your market space.

It’s okay to be naturally curious about people, but save your strongest curiosity about ideas.