Chapter 21
Position Yourself as an Expert
People are valued for their knowledge in today’s marketplace. It’s not just who you know nowadays; it’s what you know. You have expertise in your field; maybe there’s something you know how to do better than anyone else. Maybe you have insights into how others can use what you do to improve their lives. Maybe you have detailed knowledge of industry trends or competitive offerings. Maybe you know marketplace luminaries. Whatever the case may be, there’s no better time or place to share some of that knowledge and expertise than when you want to turn a random encounter into a profitable business relationship.
People are looking for solutions to business, career, and even personal challenges. And even if they are surrounded by resources in their day-to-day position, there’s always room for a new insight, approach, or observation to help them see things in a new or more productive way. Creativity and innovation are in great demand today, but is in short supply.
As a random connector seeking to enhance other’s lives and thereby establish mutually profitable relationships, it all comes down to your credibility and your ability to establish your value by sharing some of what you know. Not everything you know, of course—just enough to show that you have expertise. Your new connection will appreciate and recognize that, and he or she will reward that with interest and a desire to engage you as a resource.
Look for opportunities to make value-added remarks as you listen to your new contact; if opportunities don’t present themselves, create them. Share what you know—not by acting like a know-it-all, but by presenting yourself as someone who has a command of his or her chosen profession. Let the other party know that you are a pro. An expert. A leader.
If the other person is talking about a specific problem, offer a solution. If the person is talking about a personal goal, offer a way to achieve it. If the person is looking for something, help find it.
Did you just meet a new potential customer? Make a point of understanding what business problems or challenges that person has that your product or service might be able to solve. Have you just encountered someone whose company is building a division and hiring expertise like yours? Position yourself as a top talent whose background is ideally suited for the jobs the company is trying to fill. Does this person have connections in a company or organization you have wanted to access? Let him or her know you have something of potential value for that other company and that you would appreciate an introduction. Is the connection particularly well informed on a topic that can enhance your knowledge and therefore your market value?
Make a point of asking as many questions as you can to learn as much as you can, and then be sure to keep in touch with your new connection as a subject matter expert. Is this new acquaintance someone with whom you have much in common and find you enjoy talking with? Make a plan to get together again, just for the pure enjoyment of socializing.
Adding value to the conversation and demonstrating my subject matter expertise helped me turn one particular random encounter into a highly profitable client relationship. While on a trip to New York, I was sitting in first class next to a man who was engrossed in a Sudoku puzzle book. I had no idea what his line of work was, or for that matter, if he even had a job at all.
Not knowing much about Sudoku—and in the name of authentic curiosity and waiting for the right moment when he put the book down—I asked how long he had been doing these puzzles. He told me that it had been a few years, and I pursued the conversation by asking about the game and how it’s played. He explained it was a good distraction from business pressures. Bingo! I found my conversation path: “So what line of work are you in?” I asked. As we began chatting and the conversation unfolded, I discovered that he was the CEO of a large division of a major software company.
As I asked him about his business, his challenges, his goals, and his needs, I kept hearing that they had an issue with customer retention. It was my lucky day; I happen to have a lot of expertise in the subject. So I shared with him throughout the conversation various insights about what constitutes a customer-centric organization, how to build a customer-centric culture, and the internal steps necessary to achieve it. He was obviously impressed and asked for my business card, which I gladly provided. We went our separate ways upon arrival in New York, agreeing to talk again when we both got back home.
As a matter of standard operating procedure, I dropped him a short e-mail that night from my hotel, saying how much I enjoyed meeting and chatting with him and that I would surely follow up per our conversation. My plan was to circle back by the early part of the following week.
Well, as random connection luck would have it, we both ended up on the same return flight the next day. . .and guess where: sitting next to each other in first class! This connection was meant to be. But had I not sent the note the night before, I would have missed an opportunity to build my credibility and show I was serious about following up. This relationship resulted in a six-figure consulting engagement and an opportunity to build new material for my consulting business.
No one likes a show-off; however, playing small doesn’t impress anyone. The key is to walk that fine line between boasting or being showy and demonstrating a confidence and subject matter expertise. After all, if you don’t believe in your ability, how can you expect someone else to? Take stock of what you know, think about how your product or service makes a positive difference for others, and don’t be afraid to express it.