10 ways to position yourself as an expert
November 1, 2011
Lots of people claim to be experts. In a crowded marketplace they point to the letters after their names, the places they have worked, or their education. But most of us looking for experts want demonstrated credibility (at least I do). How do you create that?
First of all, BE the expert.
Do a great job and get references and referrals. There are no shortcuts or ways around this one. It is the first and most necessary thing to succeeding in business, especially a professional service. How you deliver is part of what you deliver.
If you stumble or fall on your face, you have an opportunity to get closer to your client if you own your mistake(s) and work hard to fix them. When you do that, you show your integrity. If you get defensive and don’t solve the problem, you burn bridges with your client and risk their grumbling about it to others. That kind of word of mouth is difficult to contain and reverse.
Be professional. Stay up to date with your discipline, technical developments, legislation, or whatever is relevant to your profession. Be conversant in the trends and issues going on within your industry and your niche in particular.
Second, the BIG idea: create content and share it. This gives others something to pass along to other people who may be looking for your kind of expertise. Read the rest of this entry
Social media for the reluctant
October 13, 2011
I was at a networking lunch recently. When asked for a show of hands about half the room was not using social media, or even sure what it was exactly. That inspired me to create this basic overview.
The constantly changing world of social media can quickly become overwhelming. There are expressions, abbreviations, and ways of communicating unique to the milieu, Facebook has Likes and Twitter has hashtags (#), for example.
If you want to dip your toe into social media, I encourage you to explore. I had to experience it before it made sense. Choose just one thing, be clear about what you want to get out of it, and start exploring.
That one thing could be reading a blog. (Hey, you’re doing that right now!) The next level of experience might be leaving a comment on the blog. (Just keep scrolling and you’ll be there. Go ahead, leave a comment. I’ll answer.) You might find links to other blogs on similar topics of interest. (There are two links in this post you could visit.) Over time, you get familiar with blogs, commenting on blogs, you might even feel you know the bloggers you have been reading. This applies to any of the social media platforms. Now rinse, and repeat. You’ve started. Read the rest of this entry
How Seth Godin inspired this post
September 15, 2011
This summer I had the opportunity to see Seth Godin in person. I loved him. Not only is he one very smart guy, his values and integrity shone through everything he said. Hear him talk about his most recent book, Poke the Box, an 85-page call to action. I highly recommend it.
Seth Godin’s recent post “Talents and Vendors” struck a chord with me that resonates with my clients as well. Even before the recession, some of my professional service clients felt pressure to sell their services as a commodity, for the lowest price. This is heartbreaking for someone who has devoted their career to practicing high value services such as engineering or architecture. Read the rest of this entry
AEC marketing survey
September 14, 2011
In January as I read economic forecasts and industry surveys I got curious, and decided to create and conduct my own. I wanted my colleagues’ perspectives about the AEC industry in the Puget Sound region. Read the rest of this entry
LinkedIn for business-to-business marketing
May 12, 2011
The most used social media platforms are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Some would say that YouTube is quickly joining that trio.
I am often asked about using social media for business-to-business (b2b) marketing. “Do I have to use Facebook and Twitter?” they moan.
There are two parts to the answer.
First, when you are networking on behalf of your business, you want to go to where your prospective clients are. The same applies to social media. If your clients are on Facebook and Twitter, then go figure out how to be there in a meaningful way. Read the rest of this entry
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As a 25-year veteran of marketing professional services, Barbara Breckenfeld is a strategist and a storyteller. She helps helps businesses grow as a consultant, marketing coach, and seminar leader.
