In business, establishing yourself as the expert or go-to guy in your field is the difference between mediocrity and world-class success. Think about any business, industry or expertise, and there is at least one, but more likely a few competing, experts, trying to vie for the official or unofficial top expert in the field.
Why Be The Expert?
Why is establishing yourself as an expert important if you are pursuing your passion as your business? Whether you are a musician, inventor, artist, or coach, your impact is only as good as how far your message will reach and how credible it is perceived to be. Establishing yourself as the expert and go-to guy in your field will mean that not only you will get greater financial reward, your message is spread to the most number of people as possible. The change, impact that you desire and have defined to be your purpose, is accomplished as you see it, or even surpasses that vision.
A great example of a passionate expert is world-renown speaker and author Anthony Robbins. Starting out very young from a destitute background and working his way for over 30 years, under some of the biggest names in the world, he went out to challenge experts of his time, won over audiences with his message and intensity, and produced amazing results with world-class people. As another famous speaker once said, “Tony is the guy you go to if you want to solve any problem.” Can you imagine how powerful your message and your brand would be if people saw you as the answer to their problems? Here are a few ways to establish yourself as the expert.
1) Engage the Best
If you want to be the expert in your field, you have to work with the best people in your field and all related fields. This includes partnering other experts in your business or joint ventures, enlisting the best coaches or consultants to produce the best results, and most importantly having the best in class mentoring you.
Oprah Winfrey, the most influential person on American television famously said, “You are who your closest friends are.” That is not to say that you cut off ties with your family and existing friends, but to move yourself to a position that is world class, you will need to work with, and indeed associate and be friends with, those who are world class.
2) Challenge Status Quo
When Anthony Robbins was establishing himself as the expert in personal transformation and peak performance, he once went on radio and challenged any psychology or psychologist to bring their most difficult patients, the patients that they could not help despite years of diagnosis and treatment, and that he would be able to change them after spending an hour with them.
Challenging the status quo means that you question the way things are done, and that often involves controversy. When you challenge the way the system is run you are bound to ruffle the feathers of existing people in the business, and challenging them, and winning them over, as well as all the observers, is part of your challenge to be the expert.
In my business, I challenge that you do not have to choose between wealth and passion, you do not have to choose between making an impact and making profits. All can be done, if you choose to be abundant and wealthy in your mind set and how you operate. Your own passion, expertise and personal mission, is the key to your own success.
3) Produce Results
Nothing speaks more for your expertise than a brilliant track record. Going back to Anthony Robbins, when challenged what qualification he had to claim to be the best, he said, “I have a PhD in RESULTS.” In your business or field, go through what it takes to master it and produce the results, and the lessons and stories that you gain are the priceless treasures that will lead you to your success in changing the world.
4) Leverage All Mediums To Spread Your Message Like Wildfire
Before the advent of the internet, business was not a level playing field. It required a lot of capital and connections to create buzz and spread the word of your brand, and this was locally. To get yourself to world-class, you would not see it till years later.
Today’s world is vastly different. The internet is an equalizer and with a minimal investment you can get your presence out to the world using your website, strategies such as e-mail marketing, search engine marketing, video marketing and social media. Many people consume information online these days and having your article, interview or video on a blog, online magazine or website that they follow brings a huge boost to your credibility and your status as an expert.
To fully leverage the online space, you will have to seamlessly connect them into a campaign and merge them with your offline campaigns, such as speaking at industry conferences, television or radio, traditional print media such as the newspapers and magazines, and other tools like conducting book tours or talk tours.
Build Your Expert Status Now
Many people do not realize that you do not suddenly become an expert overnight. Anthony Robbins spent more than 30 years, and is still going, to build and maintain his reputation as the leading figure in personal development and peak performance. Whether or not you believe you are at world class yet, you can utilize the strategies listed and start building your expert status today.
Mohamad Imran is a speaker, coach and author of “8 Things You Need To Know Before You Start Your Own Business.” He runs Passion-Entrepreneur.com, the online resource to do what you love, change the world and set yourself free.
