I was talking to someone the other day and they mentioned they want to be positioned as an expert in their field. As we all know, Malcolm Gladwell says that’ll take us 10,000 hours. Hop to it!
Expert, Guru, Maven – there’s a variety of ways we can present ourselves as an expert in our field. And I’m hoping to never refer to myself as any of these things. I’m a business owner, who’s found my niche with small business owners, helping them with their newsletter and marketing efforts.
Should I be an expert? Maybe. Should I be on Facebook? Maybe. My ego isn’t at a place where I need you to think I’m the best at something and I have to do ALL THE THINGS to prove it. I have found my success in doing what I like to do, doing it really well and making my clients happy. When I do that, they refer business to me, colleagues refer business to me and I haven’t panicked about where my next client will come from in well over a year.
Are there people who are better at this and have more bells and whistles than I do? Sure. And if that’s what you want, you’re welcome to work with them. I understand. If you want to pay that premium price for an expert who will stick you into their cog, go for it!
I’m grateful to have found my niche and thankful for the clients who want to work with me.
And, when I hire people, this is the method I prefer. I’d much rather you show me how awesome you are instead of tell me.
2. Awkward “From” lines – My newsletter always comes from Elizabeth & Norm. People know that a real person (and real dog) are sending them a newsletter or note. Sometimes your business name is okay, but even then I’d include your name. One newsletter I get sends from their name and business (ie: Elizabeth at Yellow Dog Consulting). I want a real person showing up in my inbox, not a business name I don’t automatically recognize (or do recognize because I know them and wonder why it wouldn’t come from their NAME).
