One of the easiest ways to ensure job security is to become an expert in your field. It is also a great way to build credibility for your organization. In fact, the term “expert” carries a tremendous amount of authority, trust, and credibility—the things that reduce the risk of people not buying what you have to sell—and goes a long way in ensuring your job security.
Here are 3 steps to help position you and/or your business as the go-to expert from your friends at Dale Carnegie Training of Edmonton:
1. Focus On A Niche — Instead of trying to sell or market yourself to everyone, you are better off narrowing down your focus to specific industries or job functions. Doing so will help you develop certain skills, buzzwords, and contacts. It will also position you as the resident expert. Find your niche and you will eliminate any sales obstacles or job issues.
2. Write About Your Industry Expertise — After reaffirming your niche, you need to begin the process of writing about your area of expertise. You could write weekly e-tips, newsletters, books, articles, training manuals, new processes, and techniques; your options are endless. You can even create your own website and design it as a way for people to access your information. If you can, write about things that teach people about your expertise and what you do. Once you start sharing your knowledge and experience or marketing yourself on a proactive basis, you will become recognized as an expert in an industry or within your organization — even if you have never had any formal education in it. There are times, however, when certification or specific training is needed to truly be considered as an expert.
3. Become A Speaker Or Presenter As Often As You Can — If you are proactive in networking and publishing articles, you will find that people will ask you to speak at conferences, chamber meetings, and industry associations, or even make presentations within your own organization. Sure, most of us get nervous about speaking in front of a group, but keep this in mind: You will gain instant trust and credibility when you do it.
Start today by thinking of niches in which you could become an expert. After that, write down ways you can network, including association meetings or trade shows, as well as targets of opportunities. The key here is building up a database of names and e-mail addresses. After you build this database, start the process of reaching out to people with e-mails and direct mail campaigns, just make sure the content is relevant to whomever you are targeting.
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