In How to Convince People You’re An Expert With Integrity, I’ve shared guidance to discover, develop and convey your expert status to others.

The rules apply whether you’re a career professional or have ventured into the world of self-employment and business.

An employee will use Executive Presence as a tool to market themselves within their organization and LinkedIn to showcase their knowledge via group discussions, updates and posts.

The self-employed professional or small business owner will need to market their services not only to establish their expert status but do it like an expert.

I’m sharing some tips based on my own experience of marketing my coaching practice helping me transition from the 9 to 5 workforce to running my own business.

I’ve broken it down to 3 sections which are required in that very order if you want to become proficient at showcasing yourself to the right audience and potential referral partners.

Shift your Mindset to that of a successful business person

Your mindset is your most important weapon for success. Without it, your visibility and credibility efforts will go for a toss.

It’s also an area where many of us fall short. The point to remember is the rules that applied to us as employees change.

For sure we still need to deliver results and services, but we also need to see our business for what it is.

Our business that requires us to create a vision of our end goals.

What we want our new venture to be like and take the risks of applying different approaches to achieve our end objective while staying in integrity and delivering on our promise.

You have to start thinking like a winner

Use whatever technique or modality works for you to keep you going on the journey of entrepreneurship. My favorites include affirmations, creative visualization and tapping.

Make sure you exude confidence. Not the fake it till you make it kind but genuine confidence because when you’re sure of yourself, people are inclined to trust your professionalism more than someone who seems timid and unsure of himself.

This means presenting yourself with poise, professionalism, and ease. Always maintain confidence in the offerings of your business and your ability to succeed as an independent professional.

A friendly word of caution is required here.

Flying solo is not quite as glamorous as it sounds. There are going to be days when one feels alone and disappointed. When the pitches we make don’t get us a project or a prospect decides they ‘can’t afford us’.

We’ll start to wonder where our head space was to venture out into self-employment.

I’ll never forget one incident from my early days that led to my deciding never to offer free coaching again.

It marked my deciding I wanted to run a business from a place of service but without undermining the value I brought to the table.

I had to get my hours for my certification and asked a former colleague if he could get me some prospects to help build my hours. One of the referrals loved my work and a few months later, contacted me because she wanted to speak to me urgently.

By that time Karmic Ally Coaching had come into existence and I was booking paying clients. Our chat turned into an hour of her gushing about how I had inspired her to get out of her comfort zone – so far so good.

Then she told me about how she had invested in a coach and how wonderful that coach was. Of course there were some problems.

She now wanted to discuss with me for free since I did free sessions!

Stumped as I was, I explained it would not be fair to professionals who were investing in my services or to me. I guided her to my website, offered my services and shared the cost. I left the decision to hire me to her.

After the call, I decided on the spot never to allow my services to be perceived as low value by offering free coaching.

Even though there are coaching gurus who preach otherwise, and it seems to work for some.

The decision was furthered strengthened by an important realization.  Many of my coaching calls that followed this ‘free, give them a taste to whet their appetite’ model never brought me any business.

Even if they agreed to a coaching engagement, my emails went unanswered. In other words, I was ghosted.

I know of others who’ve had the same experience and while it is comforting to know I’m not alone, it is not acceptable.

Learn to own your worth!

I can laugh about it now and in a recent challenge, was brave enough to load a video about it to my Facebook Business Page which was well received (you can watch it below).

It was a major mindset shift for me.

Taking ownership of my value made a difference in how I approached my business and the quality of clients who came to me after that.

This is all part of the journey to becoming an authentic business owner who offers their expert services to people who need and want it.

It is temporary and to complete the shift from an employee to a business owner. With time you will hit your stride and find you have more work than you bargained for.

Need inspiration? Think of Disney, Ford and read up on successful business people who faced challenges before getting it right.

5 Basic Marketing Strategies to show you know your stuff on the back of your hand

Once you’ve got the mindset piece sorted out, it’s time to claim your sacred space under the sun. This requires taking strategic decisions so your actions and tactics are not a waste of time or random acts of marketing.

Strategy 1 – Create a 1 sentence introduction that gives the listener a clear message about what you do

It’s called an Elevator Speech or Pitch.

This precious 30 second introduction should answer the essential questions of who you serve, what you do and how you achieve the results or goals for your client.

You’re going to need this in every bit of marketing you do to demonstrate you’re an expert in your craft. You’ll need it in your networking, social media marketing, your website and in fact anywhere you intend to share your services.

Before someone can decide if they may need your product or service, they must first understand what you’re saying. It’s so important I wrote an entire post with a template to help develop your elevator pitch. 

Tip: Nobody gets it perfect the first time round so don’t be hard on yourself. Instead, run it past a trusted friend or colleague and ask them for an honest evaluation of your description. If it doesn’t, work on this as a priority before you work on any marketing activity.

Strategy 2 – Create a Vision and Mission Statement that is authentic and from your heart, not a cut and paste from someone else’s website or LinkedIn Profile to guide your Marketing Message

It has to be your vision and what you want to achieve through your business that matters. All the fluffy words and good copy writing will come later when you know the message you want to convey.

Getting the Mission Statement right is important because once you know the message you want to convey to your right audience, you’ll find there is a whole universe of marketing tactics that you can use to achieve your goals.

Some of those tactics won’t work for your business or might not appeal to your intended audience.

For example, if you want to work with mid-career women professionals returning to work after a career break, your marketing message must appeal to this intended audience and repel those who are not the right fit.

The marketing tactics and tools you would use will be ones that will help you reach your intended audience where they hang out instead of spreading your message all over the place and not getting heard.

For example, they might be more comfortable in a Facebook Group at the moment than on LinkedIn or other platform.

Strategy 3 – Zero in on your Unique Selling Proposition and share it with consistency

Let me be honest, there are lots of other professionals doing the same work that you do and just like in the job market we are advised to stand out from the noise, you need to do it as a business person.

You know you are the expert on your subject and can get your client the results they crave for but before that, your client has to find you and feel you are the go to person for their problem.

This requires you to use your unique selling proposition (USP) to make your business memorable and take consistent action that establishes your own brand.

It means conveying your USP in your marketing material, whether your website, tagline, logo, lead magnet, blog, social media activity and offline activities with consistency.

For example, if your website name, tagline and content convey you are a website developer extraordinaire, use that theme in your business cards and social media profiles too.

When people Google your name, they should see a consistent image and brand being portrayed across all channels for a unique website developer, not a tarot reader (even if you do possess that skill).

Have you ever done a self-google to see what shows up for you?

Strategy 4 – Create one solid marketing plan and stick to it

If all you do is dream up marketing schemes, you’ll miss the opportunities to implement them. Instead, create one solid marketing plan and stick to it. Tweak your tactics according to your results.

 A marketing plan generally includes several marketing techniques, so choose several of your best ideas and start implementing them today. The faster you get out there and start peddling your business, the sooner you’ll begin to increase your revenue.

Test different techniques. Spread your marketing efforts across a number of different strategies. If one or two tactics are less successful, the success of other marketing efforts will keep your business afloat while you determine what gives you the best results.

Strategy 5 – Network like a pro

Jump at the opportunity to attend networking events related to your industry. It’s one of the best ways to find clients and make industry contacts that may hire you at a later date or recommend you to their colleagues.

You may have to pay a fee to attend conventions or events, but they are often well worth the price. You’re paying to chat with a roomful of your target clientele.

Before I started my coaching business, I worked as an independent consultant for an area of finance where I was a specialist.

A wise friend told me to go to events and set up meetings. In his experience, 10 meetings could result in 1 of them giving me a project. That’s a solid 10% conversion rate which could be improved with practice!

Remember Even one new customer may enable you to earn back the cost and then some.

Always bring a large stack of business cards and prepare an elevator speech. Sometimes, you’ll only get a few minutes to chat with potential big-budget clients. So leave a lasting impression by displaying professionalism and confidence.

Tip: Use the back of your business card to give a link to a free offer that demonstrates your expert status. This 1 action has added numerous new connections to my mailing list.

Post the networking event, invite your new contact to connect with you on LinkedIn and engage further.

I’ve often discovered mutual connections that have acted as good referrals for confirming the expert status of my new contact or even my expertise!

Do a bit of legwork to find out the proper dress code. Obviously, it’s best to be overdressed than under-dressed. Be careful. You’ll feel silly sitting in a room full of people in cardigans and khakis while you’re in a black Armani business suit.

Tactics to establish yourself as an expert in your field

Once you have your mindset and marketing plan worked out, we get to the really fun part of trying new tactic to achieve our marketing and business goals as well as establish ourselves as an expert in our field.

There are different mediums and the ones you choose should play to your strengths and not follow the latest fad.

I remember when Blab and Periscope were suddenly declared the next best thing since sliced bread. They disappeared shortly thereafter.

Google Plus appeared around the same time but didn’t quite catch on for the intended purpose and is now being closed in the coming weeks.

Then Facebook Live was touted as the only marketing tool you needed until Social Media Examiner and others realized that the return on investment of doing live videos on Facebook wasn’t quite what it was cranked out to be.

The latest advice is to head back to YouTube and get some Google love in the process.

Call me conservative but we are trying to establish our credentials as experts in our subject matter. Not earn doctorates in marketing and communications.

Marketing is our tool to get the message out that we are here to serve.

Avoid following the herd for the latest fad and take actions that are aligned with your goals, values and skills. Rest assured, you will be seen as an expert.

My pick of tactics to follow consistently to establish expert credentials as part of your marketing plan

Create a website as home base to invite visitors to learn about your work and engage with you. Your website must show the visitor within 10 seconds what you have to offer and if it is relevant to them.

Add a few bells and whistles like videos, live chats and downloads in exchange for their email address to share more information about the problem you solve.

Start a blog with weekly posts on your subject.

Blogging will not only keep your website active but also help you get found via search engines. Blogging has the power to showcase your expert status provided you write relevant content on topics that are of interest to your audience.

Blogs are a form of content marketing and this can be expanded to include creating content such white papers, e-books, free reports, tutorials or social media to educate new and existing clients in your area of expertise. Creating content also gives you an opportunity to mention the services you offer to meet those needs.

Once you’ve created your content, you need to make sure you distribute this content at the places that you had identified while doing the strategy work to showcase yourself as the expert.

Speaking engagements, publication articles and volunteer leadership roles will help label you as an expert in your field.

Marketing your business is an ongoing task that should be addressed regularly throughout the year. The more you market your business, the more you increase your exposure, make a name for yourself in the local community, and meet your financial goals.

Whichever tactics you decide to apply, remember you have to do it consistently with a focus on the target market where you want to be seen as an expert. It takes time but the results are worth it.

Marketing is to your business what food is to the human body; without it, it’s impossible to survive. Begin implementing these tips today to find success in your marketing and increase your revenue to new heights.

How are you creating visibility and credibility as an expert?

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More often than not, the one area of help my clients ask for is for raising their visibility in the workplace and getting those meaty projects that could fast track their climb up the corporate ladder.

Part of the solution is raising their Executive Presence but if you want to stand out from the crowd or competition at work, then you need to be seen as an expert in your field.

This takes action on your part and not just walking around telling people that you’re an expert.

For sure, if you’ve got a professional qualification like being a CPA, people would consider you an expert compared to an accountant and yet during my corporate years, I have worked in companies where the person in the office who was perceived as The Expert didn’t have the qualifications!

This meant that colleagues were comfortable talking to them about their specific technical problems and had confidence in the non-CPA’s expertise and knowledge.

I’ve written about one of them, Rajesh, who was considered a walking encyclopedia  in my post on Self-Esteem Buckets.

In other words, the real perception lies with the observer and not the expert. If people think or call you an expert, then you are the expert. You need to manage perceptions! 

Tips for Finding Your Strengths and Developing Your Expertise

Believe it or not but each one of us is good at something. Expertise doesn’t necessarily require a college degree or professional qualification. It requires a passion for the topic and the willingness to learn.

For example, I have a mechanic who learned his craft under the apprenticeship of his father. When his father first started his business in Khan Market, he was into scooters and motor bikes and then graduated to vehicles.

His son is an expert now in imported cars and has taken the business further by setting up 2 workshops! I often go to him first for a diagnosis of my vehicle’s problem and take his advice before going to the authorized service dealer.

Your strength could be your oratory and motivational speaking or an artistic hand. The key is to figure out your strengths and become an expert at them.

How to Discover Your Expert Worthy Strengths

You can do your own assessment of what you think you’re good at and what you’re most comfortable doing. Here are a couple of ideas:

• Make a list. Think about all the responsibilities of your job and everything that’s expected of you. Now go through that list and put a star next to everything you excel at or enjoy doing. Don’t be modest; be honest with yourself!

• Study your list and meditate on your choices. Really focus your mind on the direction you want your career to take and which skills you need to sharpen to achieve your goals. Focus your attention on the skills that will immediately benefit you.

Discovering Your Strengths by asking others

The second way to discover your personal strengths is to talk to others. You may tend to believe you know what you’re good at, but when you talk to someone who sees you with fresh, unbiased eyes, you’ll get a completely different perspective.

• Don’t be afraid to approach your boss and ask him or her about your strengths. Be proactive! Take control of your career and take the necessary steps to improve your leadership skills and develop your expertise.

• Take additional training and development courses. Does your job or company offer any kind of continuing education programs? Are there training classes that sound interesting and pique your interest? Follow those instincts and register for the class to build upon the knowledge you already have.

Of course, you can ask your family and friends to characterize your strengths and weaknesses. They know you better than anyone else, so they’re more likely to be able to read between the lines and help you discover new things about yourself.

Chances are your friends and family won’t want to hurt your feelings by saying you’re no good at something, so instead, ask them to help you pick out your strengths. Or ask an open-ended question such as, “What jobs or skills do you think I have a talent for?”

Make sure you understand your family’s biases before making any big decisions.

How to Develop Your Expertise

Now that you’ve found your strengths, it’s time for you to bolster your expertise and become a true authority. This means you have to seek out opportunities to work on these skills.

For example, if speaking is your strength, consider taking a public speaking class at a local university to improve that skill. Take every opportunity to speak in front of groups, whether it’s a fundraiser, company meeting, giving a toast at a special event, or speaking to your child’s class.

Seek out the opportunities to practice your skill and take advantage of them. The goal is to find ways to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to sharpen your skills.

How to create the impression you’re an authentic expert

Everyone has the potential to be an expert at what they do.

Here are a few simple steps that you’ll need to follow first to be recognized as an expert.

Educate Yourself on the subject of your planned expertise

Once you have developed the expertise in your chosen area you need to maintain that knowledge.

Expertise is another word for knowledge and the onus is on you to keep yourself up to date with information about your topic and if you are in a specialized field like law, accounting or information technology, make sure you’re up to date with the developments in those areas.

It’s not just reading though – you need to know what you’re talking about.

There are 2 ways you can enhance your knowledge:

• Take courses, attend workshops and even seminars to help further your education and keep you up to date on the latest knowledge and technology. If self-paced study is easier for you, look up courses on Udemy and other online learning platforms.

• Read more. It doesn’t matter what you do as a profession, you need to take advantage of the vast knowledge in the library.

That’s why certain professionals like accounting and law require their qualification holders to do a minimum number of hours of study each year to maintain their right to use the title that goes with that qualification.

Own Your Knowledge

By expanding your knowledge you’ll also build your confidence which in turn will give confidence to others that you know your stuff.

I mean, have you ever hear an expert stutter and stammer and say they’re not sure? Of course not! You’ll hear the confidence in their voice and see it in their body language.

Everyone is an expert at something. The problem is, we often don’t realize our own expertise and take it for granted. Some coaches refer to it as your super power while others talk about unique selling proposition or USP.

The key is to discover it and step into it. Think of some knowledge or activity that you find easy to do or perform where others struggle and you’re on to finding your golden gift.

Even then if you have an issue or find it challenging to be confident, take the help of affirmative statements to help your subconscious mind accept you are an expert.

Declare it to the world with your elevator pitch, your business cards and on your social media profiles.

Demonstrate Your Knowledge

It’s one thing to talk about what you know, but it’s something else entirely to actually apply it.

Experts don’t walk around showing off about what they can do; they prove it by taking action and demonstrating their expertise by solving difficult problems and finding viable solutions.

 In other words, be proactive in your approach. Sometimes we don’t know the answer but we do know someone who does. Reach out to that other expert to help find the solution.

A true expert is always willing to learn new things and isn’t afraid to admit that they might not have the ideal solution and need help too. They also act with integrity.

Always Act With Integrity

Demonstrating knowledge isn’t the only thing experts do. They possess qualities of ethics, integrity and teaching. This means avoiding shortcuts and taking credit for things you haven’t done.

Skipping out on doing something the right way doesn’t make you an expert, however, this doesn’t mean that you have to do everything yourself.

There will always be things we’re not so good at. In those circumstances, you have to learn how to delegate those responsibilities to others who have the skills required to get the job done.

Part of being a good expert is seeing the strengths and weaknesses of others and how their talents can be put to good use.

You can and should delegate tasks where required and teach your team using hands on approach.

Wise leaders and the most incredible of experts don’t do everything themselves. They have a talented team around them who have the skills they themselves lack.

Acknowledge your people for doing a good job and where there is scope for improvement, follow the golden rules for effective feedback.

This also raises your stature with your team and co-workers which in turn enhances your Executive Presence.

Learn the skill of Effective Communication  

People have to understand what you can do and why you’re the best one to do it.

This means that you have to understand and foresee the questions and concerns of others, then prepare and articulate the answers and solutions to them.

I learned a lot about getting messages across from my furry family member Miss Coco during the time the Northern Grid had tripped leaving the entire North India region without electricity.

Pick up the effective communication tips from the canine here.

By following these simple steps you’ll become the person with the answers. These are the experts who become irreplaceable and well respected.

Do you convey the message of being an expert with your actions and words?