If you’re an independent service professional, you had BETTTER be an expert, especially if you want to charge $100 an hour or more for your services. Whether it’s the web, the law or real estate, if you’re a solo entrepreneur chances are you’re selling your expertise in a subject matter as the basis of your business.
So you’re an expert. Congratulations. Now what?
Well, the next step is that you need to communicate this expertise. After all, that will be the foundation of your marketing message.
There are a lot of ways you can communicate your expertise. You can:
- Declare your expertise on your logo/business cards/business letter head, etc
- Write a book on the subject area of your expertise
- Launch a blog on the subject area of your expertise. Post frequently on the topics in the subject area of your expertise.
- Deliver speeches and talks on topics within your area of expertise.
If you’re smart, you’ll focus upon steps 2-4 and possibly skip step 1.
Step 1, declaring your expertise, is probably the least effective way of communicating your expertise. From your prospective client’s point of view, it’s "easy" for you to declare you’re an expert. The next thought in your prospective client’s mind when they see or hear you declare that you’re an expert is usually, "Prove it!" That’s what steps 2-4 are all about.
Steps 2-4 are all ways in which you’ll prove your expertise. For example, when you write a book, you are instantly awarded a certain level of "expertise"…. a well written book that is well promoted and sells a lot of copies affords you even more "authority". However, merely getting your book published no matter what the quality of the content is usually enough to get you points in the "expert" category. Being able to say to a potential client, "Here, read my book" is a great tool to demonstrate your level of expertise.
Launching a blog where you post frequently on your subject matter area is another GREAT way to DEMONSTRATE your expertise. Many authors actually pull their book content from their blog posts and vice versa. Blogs are an expert’s best marketing tool.
Finally, speaking frequently on your topic is another way to demonstrate your expertise. Do you speak better than you write? Then video tape yourself and post those short videos to your blog!
In any case, communication is key in demonstrating your expertise. Potential clients must be ASSURED of your expertise before they’ll pick up the phone and call you. That’s why blogs are GREAT marketing tools for indepdendent service professionals. Your blog allows your potential clients to "test the waters" without taking a HUGE leap of faith and contacting you, whether by phone, mail or email.
That’s why I HIGHLY recommend blogs for clients who want to demonstrate their expertise.
