Don't Pretend To Be An Expert - Become One!

Experts on the internet are created so fast that
most of us totally discount the title "expert."
We watch people log-in online one day... asking
questions about how to create a link in a webpage.
A week later, this person has written a book
offering to share with you his last five years of
"experience" from operating a business online. I
have actually seen one individual do just this!
He's no longer in business on the net since people
saw through his pretense ;-)

Part of why there's so much mistrust online is that
there are too many "pretend" experts. These are
the people who believe that you should "fake it
until you make it." Don't let this happen to you.
Don't discount the intelligence of your market.
Instead, be honest with them and find something of
value in your knowledge, experiences, training or
RESEARCH.

The problem for the beginner is that he sincerely
believes he cannot be a success unless he comes
across as an expert. He believes that to be
accepted, and to have people buy his products,
he has to "talk the talk." This is true to an
extent. It would make absolutely no sense for
someone to buy a book from you on a topic that you
are admittedly totally unqualified to write about.
So, for the beginner it would appear to be an
unwinnable situation.

Believe it or not, the beginner has an advantage
that the old-timer does not have. He sees things
through the eyes of a beginner. The old-timer lost
the ability to see things through the eyes of a
beginner many years ago. Now he assume far too many
things. He takes for granted things that the beginner
really doesn't understand. That's where the beginner
has the advantage.

One of the most important decisions a person deciding
to build a business online has to decide is "what"
to build a business around. Far too many look at a
niche they think they want to operate in and then
they just copy those already in that niche. What they
should really be doing is looking for holes and
unmet needs in that niche and filling them. The
old-timer will look right past some of these unmet
needs, simply because of his perspective. This is
where I think the beginner should focus.

When you notice a need for a product, or a better
version of the product, you need to pay attention.
Look real hard to confirm there is enough need
for that product... enough demand, and then ask how
you can fill that need. You should reach one of
two conclusions. 1) That there is no real demand for
the product and that's why no one is producing it.
2) There is sufficient unmet need to support a
product and it may makes sense for you to create it.

It sometimes makes sense to find an expert to help
you create this badly needed product.

If you have trouble finding an expert in a given
niche that's even better. Since there is no other
expert on that topic, it's easier for you to establish
yourself as the expert. How? You BECOME the expert.
You do the research and hard work necessary to
become the expert. If everyone else is too lazy to
put in the work and become the expert on that topic
- that's perfect!

Dig up all of the information you can find on the
topic. Do the research. The information may just
be hard to find, or it may be somewhat out of date.
Dredge up what you can and begin compiling it into a
product. If what you find needs updating, find a
way to update it... find a way.

If you simply cannot find the information... if
it just isn't available, now you have a real
opportunity. You need to track down whoever can
help you discover or generate this information.
In the United States this could be a librarian,
or even a congressman. Congressmen have staff members
who are there to help constituents with problems.
Not being able to find information on a given
topic is a "problem." Call and see if your
local congressman's staff can point you in the
right direction.

No matter what topic you're looking for
information on, there IS someone who can help
you. There is someone interested in and probably
doing research on that topic. Your job is to locate
them. They may work in a laboratory or at a
university. They may be in retirement but still
very interested in their old line of work. Your
job is to locate the information and then package
it for the market.

In the process of dredging up hard to find
information that you need, or noticed a need for,
something magically happens. You become the expert.
Since you are now the source of information on
that topic, where very little information was
previously readily available, you become known
as the expert. Since you did so much research,
reading and studying the topic... you are now
the expert. You are not the pretend expert, you
are the real expert. You know more about the
topic than almost anyone most people know.

I personally have seen many people use just
this route to become recognized experts on a
topic. The topics range from how to afford a
house, to how to score higher on test, to how
to protect yourself from degenerative diseases.
Look around you... read the papers... and I am
sure you will see many people who have done
similar things. They validate this path to
becoming an expert. It's a proven path and it's
also a well-known fact that people will pay
experts for what they know.

Now the road map is unfolded in front of you.
You only need to set out to become the expert.
In the process something else magical will happen.
People will recognize you as a "real" expert
because pretend experts are fairly easy to see
through. What are you waiting for? You have
have the road map and only need to get started.