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Building Your Brand
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The Expert Advantage: Why It Pays to Establish Yourself as an Expert
Copyright 2005 UpLevel Strategies
Have you ever felt a jolt of envy to see a competitor - or even
a friend - grinning up at you from a newspaper or trade
publication?
It kills you, doesn't it?
And you know why: you need to become that authority. Prospects
will gravitate to the authority on a subject they are interested
in.
If you can establish yourself as an expert in your industry,
qualified prospects will be attracted to you. Why?
Everybody wants to do business with an expert.
As an entrepreneur, a majority of your focus is always on
securing new customers. While it is true that your repeat
clients are the backbone of your success, you need to add new
clients to your existing client base if you want your business
to grow.
You must learn to sell yourself as an expert. When potential
buyers see you as a knowledgeable professional whose opinions
and guidance truly matter, they are more likely to hand over
their hard-earned money.
There are several ways to position yourself as an expert in the
eyes of the public. The first thing you have to do is:
Be Confident in Your Expertise
Stop taking your skills for granted. You know a lot more than
you think you know.
It's self-confidence that plays a large part in determining your
happiness through life.
And self-confidence is a necessary ingredient for success
because it sells. It's something you can sense about a person
upon entering a room. It's evident through body language and
speech. If your confidence is lacking, try these tips:
Set goals and create a plan to achieve them Use powerful
affirmations such as "I am the expert;' "My information is
valuable;' and "People desire to work with me.' Practice
confidence by emulating others. Take a look at the people who
you think are the most confident. Try to find things they do in
their body language and tone of voice to mimic until you find
your own style. Be prepared. Create a Powerful Brand
In an overcrowded marketplace, if you're not standing out, then
you're invisible.
The best way to captivate your audience is with an authentic and
powerful personal brand. The benefits of a strong personal
branding will give you an edge over your competition and enhance
your value in the global marketplace.
Branding identifies and differentiates you, your business and
your products and services so you stand out from the crowd and
get noticed.
Once you have a powerful personal brand, the next step is to
consistently communicate it through your brand identity: logo,
business cards, letterhead, web site, invoices and any other
outward communications you have.
Put it in Writing
We have all heard the saying, "If a tree falls in the forest and
no one is around, does it make a sound?' If you are sharing your
expertise and no one hears it or reads it, does it make a
difference?
There are several ways to build your reputation just by writing
about what you know best.
Articles
Whether you're telling readers how to grow gargantuan tomatoes
or how to stay out of trouble with the IRS, "how to' articles
are an excellent way to call attention to your talents and
establish yourself as an expert. They give you dozens of column
inches that you might not be able to afford if you had to pay
for an ad. They draw traffic to your web site. And if your
articles are compelling and convincing, they can lead to
thousands of dollars in sales for your products or services.
People love solutions so try to start with quick tips sheets.
For example, I wrote an article titled "5 Tips to Quickly and
Easily Improve Your Brand Identity'. Then as you become more
comfortable with writing, try a positioning piece where you
comment on an industry trend with your thoughts. Provide your
expert opinion.
EZines
Electronic newsletters are one of the most profitable ways to
build your credibility to establish yourself as an expert. More
commonly known as eZines, they let you offer helpful advice,
market to a global audience, communicate easily with thousands
of people as often as you wish, and promote what you're selling.
All that without expensive postage or printing costs, an
advertising budget, keeping track of subscription renewals, or
other tasks associated with print newsletters.
Your eZine, distributed 1-4 times per month, will become a
portfolio of your work and showcase your expertise.
I highly recommend using an email contact program like
www.emailbrain.com . They are inexpensive, look professional,
and can help you track what works in your campaigns and what
doesn't.
Books
Catapult your business to a higher level by writing a book.
Speakers, consultants, coaches, therapists and other small
business owners are learning that publishing a book is one of
the most powerful marketing strategies available. A book has the
greatest potential to open doors.
There are two routes to go with book writing. The first is the
traditional publishing route. This is a long and arduous
process, however, being published by a well-known publishing
house is like the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.'
The other avenue is to self publish with a company like
iUniverse. If you don't feel like you have the time and energy
to take on a whole book yourself, you can also create an
anthology of works from a combination of authors.
This year I launched my own publishing company Inspiration Place
Publishing ä which published my latest book, an anthology, "
Visionary Women Inspiring the World: 12 Paths to Personal Power.'
Get on Your Soapbox
You may never see your name in lights or dazzle the crowd at
Carnegie Hall. Yet there's no doubt that you can achieve
celebrity status among the people who matter most to your target
market when you start presenting.
This kind of "stardom" means prospects recognize your name as
soon as they hear or read it, you are looked upon as an expert
in a particular area, and your business is 100% referral-based.
The benefits of this kind of business are obvious: extraordinary
credibility that leads to countless introductions and natural,
easy prospecting conversations plus the bonus of knowing you are
truly outstanding in your field.
And doing presentations is lucrative. According to the Internal
Revenue
Service, "Those who speak about their industry earn an
average of 50% more than those who don't.'
Public speaking
Public speaking enhances your credibility and your reputation as
an expert while providing important information to your target
audience. It is important that your speech does not turn into
"sales pitches." Keep references to your company's products and
services low-key while personally projecting your desired image.
The key to successful speaking is making sure that you are in
front of the right audience and then provide value to them.
When you are giving a speech make sure you do the following:
Inform your audience on your subject. Establish yourself as an
expert and a resource for further information. Encourage your
audience to take action. Create a compelling leave behind with
information about your product or service offerings. Perhaps
include an article you have written. Collect their information
through business cards or a raffle for a free hour of consulting
or a product. Ideas for getting the word out that you are
available as a speaker:
Create a speaking resume that includes your bio and three
compelling talks that you can give. You can see a copy of my
speaking resume at www.journeyavenue.com. Send your speaking
resume to professional trade organizations, civic groups or
non-profit organizations. Send announcement letters or network
to let groups know that you are available and which topics you
can address. Hold Your Own Seminar or Tele-Seminar
Another venue to speak publicly is by holding your own seminar
or tele-seminar. Create a program based upon your expertise and
promote it heavily.
While giving the seminar, make sure that you use a system like
Dan Janal's Great Teleseminars (
http://www.greatteleseminars.com/ ) to record the program so you
can turn it into an audio product for passive revenue.
Become a Media Magnet
I worked in publicity for more than ten years and first hand saw
the power of the media. Publicity is mention in the media.
Organizations usually have little control over the message in
the media, at least, not as they do in advertising. Regarding
publicity, reporters and writers decide what will be said. This
can be a little scary, however, this is exactly what leads to
your credibility. And, PR is free, unlike advertising.
When you are quoted in the media it is another expert seal of
approval. Each time you have a story to share or an announcement
to make, consider which of the following media relations
vehicles would be most helpful:
News Release Pitches Bylined Articles Special Events Contests,
Quizzes Seminars/conferences Fundraisers
Ribbon-cuttings/groundbreakings, open houses, etc. New product
launches A news release is your most important publicity tool
for securing story placements. It serves to assist an editor or
reporter in writing a story and should tell your story in a
simple, factual, straight-forward and informative manner
(infusing your personality, as long as it doesn't take away from
communicating your key points and product features).
It's important to pay attention to details when preparing a news
release. In my e-book Profitable Public Relations I detail how
to write an effective news release and pitch it to the
journalist.
Another excellent way of attracting the attention of reporters
and editors is to write a pitch letter. A pitch letter is a
brief letter outlining a particular story angle, or sometimes
several related story angles, for a reporter.
This kind of letter can be sent as a cover letter with a news
release or media kit, but often it is sent alone. The idea is to
grab the reporter's attention by providing a story idea and the
important facts surrounding the story (often bullet points are
used to present information so that the letter is easy to read).
After mailing a pitch letter, it is important to follow up with
the reporter to determine his/her interest and provide further
information.
Working with the media on a regular basis is key to keeping your
name in front of your customers' and prospects' eyes and being
at the top of their mind when it comes to awareness.
Create Promotional Campaigns and Info Products Awards
Awards provide an opportunity to strengthen your reputation and
credibility. If you do not feel comfortable nominating yourself,
ask fellow entrepreneurs, your advisors, your friends or your
family to nominate you.
Special Events
Special events such as charitable fund-raisers and public
celebrations of your company milestones allow you to communicate
your message in an active, participatory manner.
InfoProducts
What is your secret to success? How have you become a subject
matter expert? Success sells, and if you have your own personal
method to getting there, others will pay to hear it.
InfoProducts include e-Books, Audio and Video Projects, Special
reports and books. Did you know that e-books on how to succeed
are topping the sales charts? Put together an InfoProduct and
start collecting revenue while you sleep. I have several
examples of InfoProducts on my site. Check it out.
Are you ready?
When you become known as an expert in your field, whatever your
field, you will find that the world will beat a path to your
door. The tips in this article have merely scratched the surface
of the strategies and tactics you can use.
By being the expert:
You immediately distinguish yourself from the competition You
offer your clients something of value that competitors
can't--and don't--offer You can charge more for your services
You become the first choice Now it is time for you to plan your
road to becoming known as an expert. What actions will you
commit to each month to achieve this? How much time will you
devote? Use the ideas I've given to help you devise a plan that
works for you and become the star in your field!
About the author:
Business & Marketing guru Kelly O'Neil is passionate about
helping entrepreneurs succeed in business through her Business
Mastery Success System™. For more information, or to subscribe
to O'Neil's Arrive! E-newsletter filled with countless tips and
resources for creating more profit in your business, visit
http://www.uplevelstrategies.com . Please contact UpLevel
Strategies at (408) 615-8150 for a Complimentary 30 Minute
Strategy Session.
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