BoomerGirl Diary

Get that certificate framed, finish that article, get yourself on a panel. To make your business soar position yourself as an expert. When your potential clients are deciding whom they will do business with, they are less concerned with price.

As an business success coach working with small business owners I tell my clients over and over, "everybody wants to do business with an expert." If you want to increase your business success, establish yourself as an expert.

There are several things you can do to position yourself as an expert.

• See yourself as an expert. If you do not consider yourself as an expert, then you have two choices: become an expert fast or find a new profession. You know a lot more than you think you know. You may take your skills for granted - why not - what you do is easy for you. No one else will see you as an expert until you first see yourself as an expert.

• Public speaking is a very important way to gain exposure and potential clients. Put together a list of topics you can discuss and send it out to the program chair of different organizations you identify as groups filled with your potential clients. Whenever you are speaking, you can invite potential clients who you would like to hear you speak. Speaking gives people an opportunity to meet you and get to know you before they hire you.

• Do public seminars. You will not make money on these seminars, in fact you may spend some money to put one together. However, there are benefits to creating your own forum for presenting your work. You determine how long you will speak and what the format will be. You can target participation to people you know are potential clients for you. You can do press releases and event listings in publications that lots of people will read even if they do not come. This results will be people saying to you the ever-popular phase "I see your name everywhere." If you are not hearing that, you have not yet established name recognition for yourself. That is a big part of positioning yourself as an expert.

• Write articles. Get articles published wherever you can. Any publication, from your alumni newsletter to your local daily paper or a national magazine can be a good venue for you to get your message across. When writing articles, always ask for a byline and a photo to be included. Reprint all articles you have written. Send them to current clients and potential clients. Your name in print spells expertise.

• Publish your own newsletter. If you can not easily get others to print your articles, print them yourself. A newsletter can be no more than a single side of an 8' 1/2 by 11' sheet of paper. In addition to information on a topic related to your business you can also print a list of services, an announcement about a special event or any other self promoting information you see fit.

• Write a book. Being the author of any book adds credibility to your message. If you can not get a publisher to take your book, consider self-publishing. There are a lot of resources out there to assist people with self-publishing. Also, there is a lot of software on the market that makes the formatting of your book easy.

• Print a booklet. If a book is overwhelming, then consider this simple and easy alternative. A booklet can be nothing more than four pages folded over with information and tips to consumers to consider when working with your industry. You can use this as a leave-behind marketing piece that will continue to state your expertise.

• Get some media coverage. Produce a press kit discussing the topics you would like to speak to. Send out news releases to your local papers, radio stations and TV shows when you are doing something newsworthy. When you are a guest on a show, always ask for a video or a tape so you can use it for other opportunities later.

• Create photo recognition. Have a professional quality photograph on hand so you can seize any opportunity to use it. People who might not remember your name will remember your face. Then, when they recognize you as an expert, you will hear "I see your picture everywhere".

• Teach. If you are teaching others what you know you must surely know a lot. Community colleges, universities and community organizations are always looking for adjunct instructors and special guest speakers to share their expertise with students.

Whatever you decide to do to establish yourself as an expert, recognize that you must regularly continue your professional development. Go to seminars, read industry publications and consult with colleges to keep current on the use of new technologies in your industry. To establish yourself as an expert, remember the most important part is to first be the expert you are capable of being. If anyone is going to be the expert - have it be you.