In the posting, I shared my thoughts and philosophy about setting yourself apart from any other in your field – by becoming the expert…or, the AUTHORITY in your highly targeted niche market.

My teacher Dan Kennedy says it best: “The last thing you want to be compared to is just another ___________.”

You know, “just another salesperson”, or “just another consultant”, or “just another [whatever it is you do].

I shared some of the ways that the most successful professionals use to establish themselves as THE ‘go-to’ people in their respective target markets. If you didn’t see that issue, or you need a recap…

The most successful, highly paid, and sought out professionals do the following:

  • They specifically serve a highly-targeted niche market
  • They write articles, books, and special reports that focus on the problems of that highly-targeted market and provide solutions
  • They design and create programs that specifically address and solve the problems of their highly-targeted niche market
  • They only speak to the groups that this highly-targeted market belongs to
  • They use publicity and PR to their advantage to gain visibility to their highly-targeted market
  • They let the media know they are available when they need an expert for news items
  • They create synergistic profitable relationships with other types of businesses that cater to their target market
  • They use testimonials from happy and satisfied clients in all their marketing materials, and use endorsements from well-known centers of influence
  • They provide unique and innovative services to their clients
  • They communicate with their target market on a regular basis and treat their clients like dear and valued friends.

    • If that’s not enough for you to massively set yourself apart from the rest, here’s another strategy that I learned from Bob Serling that will make you the ONLY person your target market seeks out.

    By the way, I haven’t seen this particular marketing strategy taught anywhere else. But, it’s so simple, you’ll probably be shocked you didn’t think of it yourself.

    The strategy is called “The Resident Expert”.

    Here’s how it works:

    Offer to become the “Resident Expert” for an association, business group, corporation, or any other organization that serves your highly targeted niche market. You simply tell them you’d like to make your services available for free, to their members on a regular basis.

    “Resident” means or implies, “in-house”, “their primary option”, or “the expert the organization endorses”.

    For example, if you’re an accountant, you would contact a large hospital in your area (with a huge staff of doctors, nurses, and other professionals who are excellent prospects for your services) and offer to be the Resident Expert. Tell the hospital administration that you will be available to answer any questions their members have regarding their taxes.

    Offer specific times that their members can contact you on a private line for a brief consultation. This could be from 3pm to 5pm every Thursday – a day that might be normally slow for you.

    You can also offer a series of monthly talks or teleseminars on topics of interest to your target market. Offer them helpful reports or freebees tailored for their needs.

    So, how can YOU become the Resident Expert in your target market’s organizations?

    Well, depending on what organizations your target market belongs to, start by sending a letter to the President or person in charge of benefits to its members.

    Start the letter off with something like:

    “I have a proposal I believe would be very beneficial to your members.”

    Then you might add:

    “I would like to be the ” expert in residence” for your association. I would like to provide free advice both by telephone and in quarterly presentations to your members.”

    The important ingredients following this:

  • Establish that your expertise is what is best for its members
  • Give them a sample of your expertise in the form of an audio, book, special report, or article
  • Give them a list of what the members will receive once they choose you as the Resident Expert
  • Finally, give them a few of your credentials and a list of any clients you’ve served. (The more you can show you’ve helped others like them, the better!)

    • You might be asking, “why am I giving my services away for free to all these people?”

    That’s an intelligent question… one which I have a respectful answer to:

    You must always be giving a little of yourself, your knowledge, your skills, your expertise… to get A LOT of people to seek you out to do business with you.

    In ice cream-speak… my colleague Andrea Lee calls it “pink spoon marketing”. Giving a little taste of the ice cream (or a sample of what’s to come), gets people to want more of it. And, they will pay dearly for it.

    In Craig-speak, it’s called “building your herd”. You are building your list of interested prospects with whom you can force-communicate to whenever you feel like it, offering beneficial and compelling offers that will make their lives better over a period of time.

    So, “What organizations does your target market belong to that you can become the Resident Expert of?”

    Write a list of 5 different organizations you can become the Resident Expert in this week. Write to them. Follow up, if necessary. And, let me know the results.

    Have a super-duper profitable week!

    Craig Valine
    blog@craigvaline.com