Becoming an expert in a focused area of your “deep and narrow niche” is a critical element in achieving your success as a solo.
So how can you become an expert?
Here are 10 things you can do:
- Commit to your area of expertise.
- Begin to read about that particular area.
- Join chat groups and interest groups related to your field.
- Find out who else is practicing in that area- in the world of the internet, that means people from all over the world and check out what they are doing on their website.
- Contribute to the conversation. Social Media is meant to be social. Connect!
- Investigate who is developing new techniques, new tools and new approaches. Contact those practitioners and begin a dialogue with them. Offer to guest blog on their web sites; ask them to write on yours.
- Offer to speak at groups whose interest is the same as or in line with your specialty .
- Search out publications that write about your specialty. Ask to submit an article.
- Attend conferences about your specialty. See if you should exhibit at associated trade shows or even offer a talk or a work shop at the convention or show.
- Get some press. Sign up for “help a reporter” HARO and be the expert commentator when there is a related news story. Get quoted. Submit editorial or opinion pieces.
Remember when you become associated with your expertise – be it a topic, a segment of the market place, a particular type of clientele or a technique, an approach or a specific medium that you use- then two very important things happen:
- You can charge more money- because you are the expert!
- Potential clients will wait for you. They will want YOU since you are the expert in your field and they will allow you to delay their project until you can fit it into your busy schedule because they want to work with YOU! (and there are few others who do what you do!)
What things have you done to claim your mastery?? Please share below.
