BrandYourself! Becoming a Visible Expert: Guidance for Professional Services Executives - Building Your Toolkit (Lesson 5 of 6)

In the previous blog post (Lesson 2 of 6), we explored practical tactics to assess the standing of a professional as a Visible. In the first blog post (Lesson 1 of 6), we looked at the concept of a Visible Experts as well as many benefits associated with being a Visible Expert including but not limited to earning higher fees! In blog post (Lesson 3 of 6), we considered the process of developing your strategy. In the fourth blog post (Lesson 4 of 6), we explore the relationship between the Visible Expert and the firm’s brand. In this blog post (Lesson 5 of 6), we’ll explore the tools needed to implement a Visible Expert programme.

While the specific tools will vary from person to person, there are some common ones that are widely used. Here is the list.

 1. Your expert positioning statement. This is a carefully crafted statement, usually a few sentences in length, that lays out the nature and scope of your expertise. It also positions you relative to competing experts and specifies something of your perspective on key issues. Just as your firm has an overall market positioning, your Visible Expert also has a positioning in the marketplace of ideas and expertise.

 This statement is useful in preparing a wide array of other promotional materials, such as bios and intros, LinkedIn profiles etc. and it influences subsequent content generation. For example, positioning a tax expert as “the insider’s insider” would be very different than positioning her as “the voice of small business.”

 2. Professional photography. Most professionals have a single formal headshot. Often, it is out of date and lacks personality. A well-conceived series of photos that reflect the Visible Expert’s positioning and status is very useful. Use them to promote speaking engagements, in “about the author” segments or as part of press packages.

3. Press packages. An up-to-date and complete press package (or press kit) is very useful in a variety of circumstances. It provides useful background information for reporters, speaking engagements and radio and television interviews. It will contain a background piece based on the expert’s positioning, a bio, photography and a sample of past publications relevant to the subject.

 4. Bios of various lengths. It’s useful to have a series of bios of various lengths — for example, a full bio of 100-200 words and a shorter series of approximately 50, 20 and 10 words each. If they are crafted carefully, each will consistently convey the Visible Expert’s standing and positioning. They can be accompanied by scripted intros of various lengths for speaking engagements. Don’t make the person doing the introduction guess at what is most important or read the bio in its entirety.

 5. Video. Two types of video are most useful. The first is an overview of the Visible Expert’s credentials and experience told through the eyes of others. Filled with testimonials and facts, it can be the most compelling tool in your possession. Have a look at mine.

 The second video is a sample of an expert’s presentation skills and guest appearances. This removes the element of risk as someone considers whether to book you to speak. Make sure these videos are professionally produced and of the highest quality. They will make an impression, good or bad. Have a look at mine.

 6. Issues papers. Where does the expert stand on the issues that matter to potential clients, reporters and other influencers? These are the issues that you have identified (in consultation with the other partners, where needed) in your Visible Expert strategy. Be sure to articulate your positions and perspectives by making available published articles and/or short, internal position papers.

Filled with testimonials and facts, a video can be the most compelling tool in your possession.

7. Robust web presence. There are two components to a strong web presence. One is to accumulate all the relevant information and links on one page on your firm’s website, or even a mini site. The second component is a series of web pages on the relevant issues. Each page should be optimized for SEO to make them findable online.

 8. A consistent and robust social media presence. Apply the positioning, design and copy to the expert’s social media pages, as well. You can expect these to be important sources of activity and engagement with the market. They are every bit as important as your firm’s website and should be treated as such. Branding yourself on LinkedIn with a firm page linked to the firm’s website will further increase the volume of Visible Experts.

 9. A blog. Your strategy may call for a completely separate blog or a series of posts on the firm’s blog (your firm has one, right?). In either case, this is an essential part of any Visible Expert’s online presence, and the expert should be posting weekly. Again, blogging on LinkedIn is strongly advised. If necessary, a professional writer can be used behind the scenes to make this happen.

 10. A book. Nothing says Visible Expert like a book. While not an absolute necessity, it is the crown jewel of expertise. Don’t have time to write a book or commit to a major book deal? At least consider publishing a substantive E-book. Aim the book at the target audience and influencers, not at the expert’s technical peers. It will dramatically improve the impact.

Of course many of these tools are not one-time events.  A blog is an ongoing process, for example. Eventually, you’ll need to produce multiple articles, position papers, webinar recordings and other substantial pieces. Begin figuring out how you can make time for these activities in your schedule.

??????With the basic tools in place, you are now in a position to implement your plan to develop a Visible Expert. We’ll tackle that in the final blog post (Lesson 6 of 6)

Karl Smith specializes in branding and marketing for individuals and professional services firms. Ask Karl to help you to brand yourself on LinkedIn, resume, other portfolios and website copy writing. Contact Karl to help your team to identify and brand your experts. Ask him about his coaching, training, consulting, writing or conference speaking offerings! ???Contact Karl via [email protected]