How To Become An Expert In Your Field

Whether you're in home renovation, hairstyling, real estate, coaching, dog grooming, multi-level marketing, or any other type of business, one of the best ways to build a home-based enterprise is to become an expert in your field.

You may be competing with hundreds of thousands online or with a small number in your own community, and if you want to give your business the edge over the competition, you want to become known as the go-to person for the most reliable advice and guidance.

People will pay top dollar and deliberately seek out "experts" to help them solve their problems.

So, how do you establish yourself as an expert?

First, be willing to focus on a very specific niche then commit to learning as much about it as you can. Read books, attend courses, workshops, and conferences, study white papers, government reports and opposing opinions of experts in the field.

One of the best ways to learn is to teach. Join discussion groups, write articles about what you've learned, and post on blogs and online forums where other experts in the field congregate.

If you're a realtor, instead of just selling homes like 90 percent of the others, become an expert at foreclosures, private sales, relocations or selling to a specific group of individuals.

If you're in home renovation, become an expert at custom decking, gazebos and pergolas -- turning the outdoors into an expanded living space of the home. Someone who is a jack of all trades won't be able to share the same creative ideas, best materials for use and pitfalls to watch for as someone who has studied hundreds of designs and built a handsome portfolio of projects with glowing testimonials.

Second, remain focused on your niche regardless of how many enticing ideas and opportunities come your way.

Entrepreneurs are idea people. They can have five new ideas a day and a problem arises when they try to pursue all of them at once. This is known as "Bright Shiny Object Syndrome", an ailment that lures many a business owner down a scattered, non-productive road.

There will always be great ideas you can pursue, but like the Chinese proverb says, "Man who chases two rabbits, catches none." 

Focus on one thing at a time. Once you have mastered it, move on to the next.

Third, surround yourself with people you want to be like. For example, if you have joined a multi-level marketing company and want to be in the top ten percent, find out who make up the top ten percent and model them.

Call them up, ask if they would be willing to mentor you or give you some sage advice. Find out what the top ten percent do that the other ninety percent doesn't, then model their actions.

If they go to every conference, go to every conference. If they read four books a month on personal growth or the particular industry they're in, do the same. If they attend three networking functions a month, attend three networking functions a month.

They've proven their formula works, and you only need repeat it.

Fourth, be willing to acknowledge you'll never know everything. As soon as you feel you've learned as much as you possibly can and choose to stop learning, you begin to regress. Everything is in a state of constant change and as long as you remain committed to keep up with change, growth continues.

Fifth, regard yourself as an expert. As the Law of Attraction dictates, you become what you think about.

Muhammad Ali referred to himself as "The Greatest". Was he? He may not have been when he started, but he certainly turned out to be.

Some people consider this lying to yourself. Some people call themselves stupid or not worthy and belief it, but is it true? Not at all. Yet they act the way they believe they should to match their perception of themselves.

When you regard yourself as an expert in your field, you begin to act in ways an expert would act. You carry yourself a certain way, speak a certain way and become who you want to be by playing the part until it becomes a part of you.

Experts in various fields state it takes approximately 10,000 hours of commitment to your craft, sport, or field of study to achieve expert status. 

If you're willing to commit to these five basic principles and accept that it's a process and will take time, expert status will be yours.

2008 © Laurie Hayes - The HBB Source