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I’m An Expert. How About You?

I’m An Expert. How About You?

I tell consultants all the time to call themselves “experts.”

People want to hire expertise, not merely a consultant. People don’t buy drills to have drills, they buy them because they need holes.

In the speaking profession, the dumbest question in the history of the world is, “What do you speak on?” (I speak on a stage or a floor, how about you?) What you speak about is not terribly important as compared to: “How do you improve your audience and your client?” The second stupidest question, “What’s your message?” was last used correctly by a clerk in a Western Union Telegraph office in the late 19th Century.

Whether you’re a coach, facilitator, trainer, consultant, speaker or combination thereof, no matter what you think you need on your business card (which is very little and NOT your photo), learn to refer to yourself as an expert on….

If you can’t fill in that space left by the ellipsis, you have a major problem, since apparently you’re speaking, coaching, and consulting on nothing at all (perhaps not even a floor).

How is your client better off once you walk away? Not because you’ve consulted or coached, but because you’ve somehow improved their condition. THAT’S your expertise.

And please don’t tell me your expertise is on “motivation,” since motivation is intrinsic, you can’t motivate me. But you can surely demotivate me if you begin delivering your message, soliciting applause, and waving your smile-sheet ratings in my face.

© Alan Weiss 2012. All rights reserved.

Written by

Alan Weiss is a consultant, speaker, and author of over 60 books. His consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc., has attracted clients from over 500 leading organizations around the world.

Comments: 3

  • Kriukas

    September 11, 2012

    Alan, could you please to post your own business card here like an example how proper business card should look? Image is worth a thousand words.

  • Alan Weiss

    September 11, 2012

    Logo

    Company name
    You name and title

    Phone, Fax, web site, blog, Skype
    Email

    Formatting is up to you. Nothing on the reverse.

  • RatanKK

    October 30, 2013

    How is your client better off once you walk away? Not because you’ve consulted or coached, but because you’ve somehow improved their condition. THAT’S your expertise.

    A lucid explanation of being an expert!
    Thanks

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