| It's safe to say that I was good at my job. Actually, | | | | didn't want the label "commodity" when it meant my |
| very good at my job. I loved working in public relations, | | | | livelihood was subject to the whims of the financial |
| and invested time, energy and money into my career. It | | | | marketplace. |
| showed, too -- my clients were pleased, my | | | | More importantly, I didn't want my personal success to |
| supervisors was pleased, and I was pleased with the | | | | be contingent on the success of the people I worked |
| work I did. | | | | for. Change was definitely necessary and it was time |
| For ten years, that was enough. I spent a decade in | | | | for me to take charge of my own destiny. |
| the industry -- ten years that gave me all kinds of skills, | | | | I made a promise to myself: If my ship was going to |
| valuable industry insights, heaps of practical experience, | | | | sink, it was going to sink with me standing at the helm. |
| and a vast network of contacts. | | | | If no one was looking out for my best interests, it was |
| How much of this helped when the economy took a | | | | up to me to do so. |
| downturn and my employers were forced to | | | | At this point, I decided to take a good hard look at the |
| downsize? None. Not one little teeny-weeny bit. I was | | | | people who were successful -- industry leaders, gurus, |
| out on the street with many of my contemporaries. | | | | speakers, teachers and masters in their professions. |
| Believe it or not, the same thing happened at the next | | | | These highly visible, very successful entrepreneurs had |
| job. | | | | three traits in common: |
| And the next. | | | | - They were all considered experts in their fields. |
| Why was this happening? | | | | - They all made substantial and on-going efforts to |
| It was happening because I'd made the classic | | | | promote their expert identity. |
| professional mistake. I'd become invisible. | | | | - They all achieved their position through hard work |
| I don't mean that I'd become transparent. Physically, of | | | | and smart marketing. |
| course, nothing had changed. But in a marketplace filled | | | | I quickly realized that none of them was born an |
| with a glut of public relations professionals, nothing | | | | expert. Experts aren't born, they're made. Analyzing |
| made me stand out from the crowd. I was one of a | | | | the process of how some professionals achieve high |
| million -- the proverbial tree in the forest. Then, when it | | | | profile success revealed some surprising secrets: there |
| came time to thin that forest, I was one of the first to | | | | are seven integral steps service professionals can |
| go. | | | | take to position themselves as the Expert. |
| Does this sound familiar? Chances are it might. Some | | | | Being the Expert is the most lucrative, prominent place |
| of you may well recognize my situation since it | | | | in any niche market. Having realized that, I had to find |
| certainly was not unusual, nor unique to the public | | | | my own niche. If these other professionals could |
| relations arena. Accountants, attorneys, financial | | | | position themselves as Experts, so could I. |
| advisors, marketing directors, advertising professionals, | | | | But in what niche? I looked at my career. I focused my |
| you name it -- service professionals of every stripe | | | | attention on what areas my experience gave me the |
| face the same issue. The marketplace is overflowing | | | | most pleasure. I had spent countless hours helping |
| with highly skilled professionals who offer top quality | | | | exhibitors be more effective at tradeshows. Much of |
| services, yet the consumer would be hard pressed to | | | | this work included training and coaching staff members |
| recognize one provider from the next. | | | | who worked the show on behalf of their company. I |
| Nothing differentiates one advisor from the next. Can | | | | felt confident advising clients about what did and didn't |
| your clients tell which of a dozen advertising | | | | work on the trade show floor. |
| executives has the insight to handle their account? | | | | The path was clear: For the past twenty years, I've |
| There's a real problem of sameness. The public not | | | | enjoyed a very comfortable existence as the Trade |
| only views the services offered as commodities, but | | | | Show Coach. It's been wonderful: world wide travel, |
| the service providers are also well on the way to | | | | lucrative speaking engagements, work I enjoy. Who |
| destruction - becoming commodities as well. | | | | could ask for more? |
| I don't know about you, but personally, the thought of | | | | Combining my professional skills with my personal |
| becoming a commodity doesn't appeal. I don't view | | | | passions led to the career of my dreams: one in which |
| myself in those terms. I don't believe my expertise and | | | | my success wasn't dependent on anyone else. Being |
| my passion can be interchanged for that of any of my | | | | a Nichepreneur worked for me, and it can work for |
| colleagues and no one would be the wiser. I especially | | | | you! |