5 Tools to Position Yourself as an Expert in Your Field

If you’ve got rare disease, you’re not going to rely on a family doctor for treatment. You need someone who knows everything there is to know about the specific disease you have. You’ll pay more to go to a specialist, but you’ll gladly do so if it means getting rid of your pain.

If you’re in a B2B business, you’re selling knowledge. You’re selling your expertise. And if you’re going to get people to hire you or buy from you, you’ve got to convince them that you know your stuff. Here are 5 tools that will help you do just that.

1. Blog posts — Blogging to generate leads requires a little more than randomly sharing your thoughts or posting your latest hire. But if you do it right, you can use a blog to be a showcase of your knowledge. Focus on writing posts on subjects where there's an overlap between what your target audience cares about and your area of expertise. What’s on their minds? What questions do they ask that you could answer? What tips could you provide? The goal isn’t to give them everything they need to know about your industry or service, but to give them a glimpse of how you can help them and show them you’ve got what it takes to do the job.

2. Research reports — If you do original research, you automatically set yourself above your competition. Most people just regurgitate other people’s research. Do your own, and you put yourself in the “expert” category in your prospects’ minds.  

3. Video tutorials — Video is more accessible now than ever. Hire a videographer, or create your own using a service like VideoScribe. You can demonstrate your knowledge through offering helpful tips, offering updates on industry developments, or anything else your prospects would find useful.

4. Workshops/Webinars — If it makes sense for your industry and target audience, you might consider hosting workshops that demonstrate your expertise and give prospects a feel for what it will be like working with you. If your audience is scattered, webinars are an excellent alternative. If you’re screen-shy, you don’t even have to be on screen yourself—you can present using PowerPoint or Keynote, sharing your screen with attendees.

5. Speaking engagements — You can use speaking engagements in a couple of ways. 1) Build credibility by focusing on well-known groups and events. 2) Get in front of potential clients by targeting groups and events that your target market attend.

Any of these tools work well alone. But put them together, and you’ve got a system that you can use to be perceived as an in-demand specialist. The best thing is that it’s not about sales trickery, gimmicks, or sleazy tactics. It’s simply showing people that you know what you’re talking about and you’re the best one to help them.