1. The sculpture is inside the stone. Don’t just decide to ‘become’ THEE expert on (x). Instead, figure out what you are inherently the expert ON; then position yourself as such.
SO, ASK YOURSELF: What do you know that people would pay money for?
2. Is it WHAT you know, or WHOM you know? Ultimately, the only think you can really be an expert on is yourself. Your experiences. You philosophy. Your unique lens or filter through which you view and process the world.
SO, ASK YOURSELF: If everybody did exactly what you said, what would the world look like?
3. YOU. That’s what people want. That’s what people are attracted to. That’s what people will gladly pay money for: Who you are as a person. Not your ‘topic,’ but the way you think. THAT’s your expertise.
SO, ASK YOURSELF: Are you influencing people through what you know or WHO you are?
4. Perception isn’t just reality – it’s everything! See, it doesn’t matter if you’re the expert. It only matters if you’re the PERCEIVED expert. The obvious expert. The first person that comes to mind. The best positioned person in the minds of your customers, your colleagues and ESPECIALLY the media.
SO, ASK YOURSELF: What does someone have to google to get your name to come up first?
5. Zzzzzzz… OK, so, you’re the expert, right? Big deal. The real question is: Is your expertise relevant? Is it worthwhile? Is it marketable? Is it controversial? And do people even care? See, your challenge is to make your expertise a slice of a slice. A fresh take on an old idea.
SO, ASK YOURSELF: Is your expertise boring?
6. PhD, schmee-h-d. The word ‘expert’ comes from the Latin xperiri, which means, ‘experience.’ So, you don’t need a bunch of fancy degrees or an intimidating job title to be an expert. You need experiences, constant and intelligent reflection upon those experiences, and a platform where you can share what you learned. NOTE: Not what you’ve DONE, but what you’ve LEARNED.
SO, ASK YOURSELF: Are you an expert at learning from your experiences?
7. If you don’t write it down, it never happened. Writing is the basis of all wealth. And if you aren’t writing SOMETHING every single day, it’s going to be near impossible for you to become an expert. So, whether you use blogging, journaling or message boards, take advantage of any available platform to share your expertise.
SO, ASK YOURSELF: What did you write today?
8. UNEED2READ. Whatever topic you’re an expert on, I sure hope you’re read every book (or at least a few hundred books) written about that topic. Period. Experts are readers. Experts are learners. Experts are aware of what the other experts say.
SO, ASK YOURSELF: What did you read today?
9. Access to your smarts. Pretend you’re a consultant. Or a therapist. Or a life coach. Or any other type of listening based, advice-giving professional. And, your first EVER client should be walking into your office any minute now.
SO, ASK YOURSELF: If someone was going to pay you $1000 an hour, what are the questions they’ve got to ask you to get their money’s worth?
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
And what makes YOU the expert?
