Tweet

How To Become An Expert In Your Field

Written by: Laurie Hayes

Article Overview: Want to separate yourself from the rest in your field? Become an expert in a niche. Follow these five basic principles and put yourself at the front of the pack with people seeking you out for your services.

How To Become An Expert In Your Field

Whether you're in home renovation, hairstyling, real estate, coaching, dog grooming, multi-level marketing, or any other type of business, one of the best ways to build a home-based enterprise is to become an expert in your field.

You may be competing with hundreds of thousands online or with a small number in your own community, and if you want to give your business the edge over the competition, you want to become known as the go-to person for the most reliable advice and guidance.

People will pay top dollar and deliberately seek out "experts" to help them solve their problems.

So, how do you establish yourself as an expert?

First, be willing to focus on a very specific niche then commit to learning as much about it as you can. Read books, attend courses, workshops, and conferences, study white papers, government reports and opposing opinions of experts in the field.

One of the best ways to learn is to teach. Join discussion groups, write articles about what you've learned, and post on blogs and online forums where other experts in the field congregate.

If you're a realtor, instead of just selling homes like 90 percent of the others, become an expert at foreclosures, private sales, relocations or selling to a specific group of individuals.

If you're in home renovation, become an expert at custom decking, gazebos and pergolas -- turning the outdoors into an expanded living space of the home. Someone who is a jack of all trades won't be able to share the same creative ideas, best materials for use and pitfalls to watch for as someone who has studied hundreds of designs and built a handsome portfolio of projects with glowing testimonials.

Second, remain focused on your niche regardless of how many enticing ideas and opportunities come your way.

Entrepreneurs are idea people. They can have five new ideas a day and a problem arises when they try to pursue all of them at once. This is known as "Bright Shiny Object Syndrome", an ailment that lures many a business owner down a scattered, non-productive road.

There will always be great ideas you can pursue, but like the Chinese proverb says, "Man who chases two rabbits, catches none."

Focus on one thing at a time. Once you have mastered it, move on to the next.

Third, surround yourself with people you want to be like. For example, if you have joined a multi-level marketing company and want to be in the top ten percent, find out who make up the top ten percent and model them.

Call them up, ask if they would be willing to mentor you or give you some sage advice. Find out what the top ten percent do that the other ninety percent doesn't, then model their actions.

If they go to every conference, go to every conference. If they read four books a month on personal growth or the particular industry they're in, do the same. If they attend three networking functions a month, attend three networking functions a month.

They've proven their formula works, and you only need repeat it.

Fourth, be willing to acknowledge you'll never know everything. As soon as you feel you've learned as much as you possibly can and choose to stop learning, you begin to regress. Everything is in a state of constant change and as long as you remain committed to keep up with change, growth continues.

Fifth, regard yourself as an expert. As the Law of Attraction dictates, you become what you think about.

Muhammad Ali referred to himself as "The Greatest". Was he? He may not have been when he started, but he certainly turned out to be.

Some people consider this lying to yourself. Some people call themselves stupid or not worthy and belief it, but is it true? Not at all. Yet they act the way they believe they should to match their perception of themselves.

When you regard yourself as an expert in your field, you begin to act in ways an expert would act. You carry yourself a certain way, speak a certain way and become who you want to be by playing the part until it becomes a part of you.

Experts in various fields state it takes approximately 10,000 hours of commitment to your craft, sport, or field of study to achieve expert status.

If you're willing to commit to these five basic principles and accept that it's a process and will take time, expert status will be yours.

2008 © Laurie Hayes - The HBB Source

Related Articles
  Be An Expert
  Cash In On Your Expertise
  Personal Branding: It Pays to be the Expert
  FINDING THE RIGHT CAREER!
  I Dont Want PR I Just Want To Be Successful

Article Tags: ailment, best materials, business owner, creative ideas, discussion groups, gazebos, government reports, home renovation, jack of all trades, living space, multi level marketing, niche, online forums, pergolas, pitfalls, private sales, relocations, shiny object, specific group, top dollar



Related Forum Posts
Nana excercise - Nana > answer the following: 1. If you had no chance of failure what would you dream to be your ideal Job or Business? 2. What about this dream excites you? 3. What Field of Study (Major) will get you closer to this dream? 4. What other Field of Study would "compliment" (Minor) your dream to get you closer to it. REMEMBER: there is no wrong answer. I'm hoping this exercise will help place you in a program that makes you excited at a "most probable likely" future. Your answers will help open a dialogue on the forum.
Re: My Favorite Book For Entrepreneurs In 2010 - Lead The Field. By Earl Nightingale. I have read the book more than 7 times, since I bought it in 2008
Re: How can I promote my site? - I think because you have a very visual product you should focus on creating valuable videos and post them to sites like YouTube, Viddler and Expert Village. Some ideas for videos could be an overview of how to create an animated movie, tips for editing, how to find actors ...etc...provide value to your customers and they will flock to you like a magnet. Rachel
Re: Service Or Product? - I agree with starting a Service-based Business in the economy. Here is what I think is critical: 1. Researching that your Service business has a market. 2. Marketing the Service with as much leverage as possible. 3. Product-izing the Service (aka Package Expert Knowledge). This will only help elevate you as "the" expert in your niche and make you accessible to people in different price points.
Introduction - Hi Fellow Entrepreneurs, My name is Rita Cartwright, owner of RJ's Word Processing Services. I am a Professional Administrative Expert offering virtual assistant services. I have been in business for 7 years and specialize in Internet marketing and word processing services. I also offer bookkeeping, transcription services, website design and maintenance, and general administrative assistance. I'm originally from Phoenix and graduated from Arizona State University with Magna Cum Laude honors. My degree is a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing with a minor in Spanish. I look forward to networking with each of you.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Are You Listening?

What Is The Foundation for Your Vision?

E Mail Marketing Campaigns

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.