10 Simple Ways to Use Your Expert Knowledge
Yes. You are an expert, and you need to recognize that. We get caught up in looking at the areas we need to improve and don’t see what is right in front of us. This is the “grass is always greener” concept and, for us as entrepreneurs, it is also the “shiny object” syndrome.” I mistakenly think I need what you have or what you know in order to succeed. Well, that is garbage! You have knowledge, training, skills, education, and life experiences. Stop talking and start doing. Use what God has given you.
What is an expert? According to FreeDictionary.com, an expert is a person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.
Here are ten simple ways to use your expert knowledge to build your business:
1. Speak it. This could be on a stage in front of an audience of 50 or 500. This might be at a networking event where you have 30 seconds to introduce yourself. Or, this could be in a group of five women, which is one of the ways I got started. When I moved to Wichita Falls, Texas in 2006, I found that the networking scene needed a little help, so I connected with two other women. Together, we started our own Women’s Networking Lunch. I had only been there for three months, but it worked; one person invited another, and so on. That group has been going for eight years now. Be willing to step out and do something new.
2. Write it. This could be in your weekly blog, your ebook, your newsletter, or your book. Get your message out, share your journey, tell your story, give your perspective, and then get that written word out to all people you come in contact with.
3. Teach it. This could be to someone sitting across from you at Starbucks or to the masses on a live webcast. This could be “how to train a dog,” “ways to increase your confidence,” or “how to create a hand-stamped necklace.” Teach your followers how you “do what you do.”
4. Duplicate it. This could be the manual you create on success tips that can be taught to ten people on a group telecourse instead of meeting each individual person. Figure out ways to reach more people by increasing the number of people you can share your information with virtually. Allow them to listen when they can or to go at their own pace. This is exactly what we do at the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs with all of our calls and webinars recorded and archived for the past four years.
5. Broadcast it. This might be on a free online radio show you create. I found out about BlogTalkRadio in 2008 and got started right away featuring other coaches and clients. Find your voice and share online with a live broadcast. Go check out all of my archived and current interviews at www.inspiredwomenradio.com.
6. Record it. This could be on your very own TV network using Youtube or Vimeo. I now have over 100 videos and more than 20,000 video views. Don’t worry; it gets easier the more you practice (if you don’t believe me, go see some of my earlier recordings). I have someone come and help me record my videos, and I often record six short tutorials and inspirational messages in a 60-minute period. Check it out at www.inspiredwomentv.com.
7. Share it. This could involve you being interviewed for a local newspaper or by colleagues on their radio shows. Say yes to any and all features and interviews that can get you in front of a new group or crowd. Share your message.
8. Post it. This is our fabulous free friend, social media. Post your expert info, tweet your knowledge tips, link your words of wisdom, and pin your visual images that help us understand it all! Link your expert info back to your blog and/or website so you can get us to come over and visit you there.
9. Sell it. Take any of these ways I have just listed and make it into a product. Record the interview and sell it. Write the ebook and bundle that for sale along with a video tutorial. Teach the class as an online workshop.
10. Be it. Remember, you are you and God has given you a unique set of gifts, experiences, and knowledge that no one else has. Trust Him and allow His plan to unfold. Be willing to be vulnerable. You will end up being an expert in things that you did not ever anticipate as a part of your life journey. I can now claim that I am an expert in divorce survival, infertility, lawsuit, plane crash survival, and more. Share your story. Be you!
The bottom line: do it. Look at this list and figure out ways of sharing your expert information that work for you. Go from there. It won’t be perfect. Get it out there anyway. If I am not an expert in your topic, how would I ever know?
Diane Cunningham is the Founder and President of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs. She is a “business therapist,” plane crash survivor, author, consultant, speaker, marathon runner, and fun friend. Find out more about NACWE and why 165 women joined in the first year at www.NACWE.org. Connect with Diane on her Facebook page for fun updates, silly videos, and lively conversation.