Don’t Call the Experts – Become One

“I’m not an expert…”

How often have you heard those words in meetings? They usually come right before someone going ahead and giving their take on the subject at hand, having lowered expectations and played up their own degree of humility. Wouldn’t their contribution come from a much greater place of strength if they began their statement by saying, “As an expert, I think we should do this.”

Given how increasingly complex the world and the media landscape have grown, specialized knowledge of subject matter areas has grown in value. Clients appreciate someone who can cut through all of the noise and point to hard-earned and deep expertise in their skill or issue area.

Indeed, one of the very best ways to become rich quickly is by becoming widely known as a specialist on a particular subject. There are so many different avenues for generating income that will come your way if you can parlay your experience and knowledge to be viewed as a reputable expert.

For example, you can create an information product or e-book on your field of knowledge. Or you might consider starting up your own online training or webinar that you can market to others seeking to break into your field. Just look at all of the examples of experts you see on television programs and quoted in news articles. You’ll often find the same experts quoted over and over again in their field, as there are plenty of repeat business opportunities once you have established yourself as someone who can speak compellingly at length about the topic hat you are an expert in.

However, breaking into this path can seem elusive if you don’t know the steps to become a specialist. You may be drawn to a particular area because of your passion for it or it might arise when you find that your experience gives you leverage and credibility that others in the market lack. Regardless of why you choose a particular area of expertise, there are some steps you can take to better position yourself as an authority to be reckoned with.

A simple idea is to study the people who already are where they want to be. Find the top performers in your industry and examine how they got there. You’ll find that very successful practitioners in any particular field are seldom tied to any specific organization. More often than not, they have leveraged their abilities to maintain maximum mobility. They might consult with some clients, spend time traveling to appear at conferences, and produce editorials and thought pieces. It can seem as though they are actually holding down multiple jobs, though they also will often seem to have far more time and freedom than employees who are affiliated with one single employer. Work back through their resume and history to pinpoint the steps and tactics they were making throughout each step of their careers. Also look to them to uncover the niches in your field that are being unexploited. Perhaps you notice that none of the real estate experts out there also can speak at length about data analytics, or that none of the investment experts you see are familiar with user experience design. Once you have identified what unique point of view you can bring to readers and viewers, you are better positioned to stand out from the crowd.

You should also get out from your computer and head out to events in the real world. Do everything you can to begin attending relevant events and conferences where you can network with other practitioners in your field and get a firsthand look at what types of speakers are invited to these forums. This attendance will be the first step toward earning your own invitation to serve as an expert at events. It may require some fees to attend some of these events, but these should be considered investments in growing your business over the long-term. The same applies for joining professional associations; even if they provide only limited benefits, your membership helps demonstrate to clients that you are seriously committed to your craft. You will also want to do your legwork ahead of time in preparing business cards and a website to help give you greater legitimacy. Many contacts you meet might not have an immediate need for your services, but giving them these resources will help keep you in their memory when a chance does open up.

Also seek out opportunities to teach others. There are plenty of websites and options out there for you to share your knowledge and skill sets with others looking to break into your field. Treat each and every one of these opportunities as gold, providing the very best service to each and every one of your clients, hopefully generating more referrals from them for you to help others learn your craft.

Also continuously be writing and cranking out content to help position yourself as a thought leader. You might maintain your own blog or submit entries to publications in your field. Even if you encounter little reception initially, keep up your submissions; in the meantime, you will have compiled a solid stable of writing samples that you can point to.

The more of these activities that you gain experience in, the higher an hourly rate you will be able to command over time for adding unique value to clients and organizations seeking your insights. The opportunities abound in every field. I’ve met designers who specialize in consulting with gyms on how to better lay out their facilities, salesman who specialize in identifying targeted marketing opportunities, restaurant owners who help newcomers to the business navigate the challenges of opening up new eateries; the list goes on and on. The key element that they all have in common is that they are forever looking for new opportunities to provide their knowledge to clients.

I’ve often written and spoke about the differences between getting rich quickly and getting rich slowly. Many of us, of course, are on the path to achieve neither. We are spending above our means and drowning in credit. But even many of those with more discipline and foresight, we are merely setting ourselves up for a pay off in years ahead. We are keeping an eye on our compounding savings, but they are mostly tied up in retirement accounts or incentive programs at our employers. Even in the financial services and other high-paying industries, there are only so many slices of the pie that you are going to be able to secure for yourself as an employee. You may get wealthy, but it will be very slowly, likely only really paying off in tangible forms and experiences for you when you are in the sunset of your life. I urge more people to consider how they can get on the fast track to wealth.

We refer to “getting rich quick” as a pejorative often, but it doesn’t need to be an insult if you have an ethical and strategically considered path to obtain your wealth earlier. Establishing yourself as an expert is the way to do it. Almost every public figure you can think of, outside of some celebrities who have attained fame for the mere act of being famous, have some specialized knowledge or expertise that they have leveraged. If your wealth is a function of how many others you are helping at any particular time, becoming an expert and offering your counsel to many people is the best and most satisfying way to achieve financial independence.

So how can you get started right away on setting yourself up as an expert in your field? The obvious first step is to commit to an area of your industry that you are the most passionate about or that you can most readily attain credibility in. In my experience, attempting to be an expert in too many industries all at once is a recipe for diluting your message, so try to focus on a single area to brand yourself in. Imagine what you would want your single line description to be when pitching yourself to speak at conferences. It might be something like, “Champion of Protecting the World’s Oceans” or “Tech Visionary with an Artistic Bent”. The more succinctly you can encapsulate the knowledge and skills you have to offer, the more compelling a story you can present about yourself.

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