Its been said a million times before,

“Be seen as the expert in your field.”

When people see you’re the expert, they’ll trust you, and they’ll buy from you.

Good enough advice, but does it still hold water?

Does it still hold water when the “economy experts” have sent the biggest economy in the world in to a financial tailspin?

Does it still hold water when your “financial expert” has sent your 401k, superannuation, or other retirement plans so low that you’ve put retirement off for a decade?

And does it still hold water now in an age where anyone can declare themselves an instant expert on the Internet with a web site and some fancy marketing jargon & copywriting?

In some fields, where people are already battered and beaten — where people roam the virtual streets armed with “disbelief daggers” and “skepticism submachine guns” (hello Internet marketing!), the term “expert” is flung around so much it has lost all meaning.

So what do we cling to when our coveted “expert” status is slowly eroded by those around us?

Some ideas:

1. Show your human side. Some guru’s & experts seem to carry the lofty “better than thou” image of royalty with them whereever they go… and I think its hurting them. Be “real”, “human”, and show yourself. 

2. Actually return to the real world where real people walk, talk and interact. Get contacts there, and get known. There’s nothing like speaking to someone face to face for 10 minutes to show them who you are.

3. Give of yourself and your time. Helping others is a huge credibility builder. The whole human race is built on helping each other… and helping for nothing can’t be beat. I help train new speakers and market my local Toastmasters club (and they help with MY speech making skills, too!)

4. Treat your readers/prospects/clients like an old friend you haven’t seen for a while. Not too friendly, but happy, intrigued, and interested in them. Or maybe you just want to land a hug on them? See point 6.

5. Just plain don’t call yourself an expert. One of my favorite writers, Wil Wheaton (best known as the young Wesley Crusher from Star Trek, The Next Generation) calls himself, “just a guy, ya know?”. Is he popular, successful, and LOVED? Oh my yes! Do people trust him, believe him, and love to hear his every word? Yes, yes, YES.

6. In the words of my Mum, “just be yourself Jonny”…

Stop saying how much of an expert you are, and start engaging with people as only you can.

What do YOU think?