Professional expertise isn’t as elusive as you may think. There’s actually a recipe for becoming a recognized expert in your field. It requires a well-crafted combination of ingredients that help you gain the recognition you deserve. But, as with every good recipe, you need to start with quality and dedication. Most successful professionals can share meaningful information and insights. So-called “experts” are those who are dedicated to telling their stories. You too can be an expert.
Specialize in Something
To start, focus on your particular area of specialty. Is it technology? Finance? Management? Sales? If your niche is too big or too crowded click here. For now, let’s stick to the macro and consider how best to become a thought leader in your field. The next step is to consider your unique view of that part of the world and what you feel most passionate about.
Read, Write, Connect
Next, you need to read, write, and connect. Reading is the easy part; the most successful professionals keep abreast of daily news and developments in their field. Where’s your industry headed? What’s changing and how? How does your sector evolve with changing needs and expectations? What do you need for future success?
Make Connections
Now the next part – connecting with industry peers. Get out there and mingle… At business conferences and meetings, and social events sponsored by professional organizations. Network. Speak with leaders in your field and ask them what they think. Find out how they “went public” through speaking engagements and published articles. Interested in public speaking? Consider sharing what you believe others should know about your sector via events, seminars, training sessions, or even a YouTube channel.
How to Start Writing
Last, the hardest part for many – writing. If you hate writing or think that you stink at it, hire someone to get you going. I’m not talking a white paper here; you can start with a 500-word blog post or a brief contribution to a trade magazine. Or, you can tap into social media. Share industry posts that intrigue you, and include a sentence or two about each. Tag your colleagues and contacts to start a dialogue via various platforms. It takes seconds to inform people and promote yourself.
Another way to impart your expertise is to write a brief newsletter. Whether it’s quarterly, monthly, or weekly, a newsletter is a fairly simple way to focus on what you think is important in your sector and share it with your peers. To get started, go to MailChimp, a free platform that allows you to email newsletters to all your contacts at once. Yes, you read that right, it’s FREE. Just pick a cool template, and start writing or uploading. And voila! You’ll be done in no time! Click send and you’re public. Then, you can multiply your impact by sharing the newsletter to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Just make sure you decide a schedule and stick to it. Commit.
As much as you may hate writing, you may want to consider developing a book or manual as you get more comfortable with putting fingers to keyboard. Start small, it’s easy to self publish these days. I wrote a book years ago, The Big Sister’s Guide to the World of Work: What Every Working Girl Must Know. Which helped open many doors for me. If you have the drive to create a piece that can help others, it can be one of the best ways to illustrate your individual expertise.