How legitimate are you to position yourself as an expert?

[00:00:00] The time is now episode 313. Have you ever felt like a fraud or an imposter syndrome when trying to market yourself as an expert in your field? Have you ever heard that nagging voice in your head that says, but there's so much that I still need to know, or who am I to call myself an expert? Well, on this episode, I'm going to bring down exactly what qualifies you as true expert.

[00:00:27] We'll debunk some of the myths and I'll give you the four step process to own your authority with unshakeable confidence. Welcome to the Time Is Now the podcast show designed to take action and stay on top of your game to make a bigger impact with your business while creating more freedom and purpose in your life.

[00:00:49] This is your host Amel Derragui. I'm here to help you get the clarity and the action plan. You need to position yourself as the go-to expert in your [00:01:00] field and grow a business that is aligned with your needs. This is your time to create more growth, alignment, and impact with your business. In my previous solo episode, episode number 311, I have been sharing with you the importance of positioning yourself as the go to expert in your field and being very clear about what is your area of expertise, especially if you're a consultant, a coach or service provider saying that you're a coach or a consultant in your industry.

[00:01:37] Is not enough. It is so important that you're very clear about stating that area of expertise. So I shared with you how to do that. In fact, owning your expertise and confidently positioning yourself as a go-to authority is absolutely crucial for the success of your business because when you do that.

[00:01:58] You are then [00:02:00] able to, first of all, attract more clients. There are high value clients requests for the rates and the fees you deserve. And also elevate your credibility and your influence as well as make an impact and make a difference with your work because people are recognizing you as the expert. So for that, you need to define what is that area of expertise, but also own it by talking about it and making sure that people know what you're an expert of.

[00:02:27] So don't hesitate to tune into that episode number 311 or dive deeper into this. However, there's one point that I wanted to come back to you to, which is something that I've noticed with some clients who come to me at the beginning of their journey, but also some of them who are much more advanced, who struggle with that specific task of positioning themselves as the go-to expert.

[00:02:54] Yes, calling yourself an expert in a specific field [00:03:00] can indeed feel very, very uncomfortable and know that you are not alone. There are many reasons why this might happen. First of all, culturally, depending on how we were raised and the culture where we are, it can be sometimes seen as being very obnoxious to say that we're an expert in on something, and also pretty much inauthentic.

[00:03:21] So. I do understand you and I know how important it is to be authentic. That's one of the things that I care the most about for myself as well as the clients that I work with. But it is important to not confuse being unauthentic with not owning your zone of genius, not owning your specialty, and not making sure that your marketing is being very clear about what you are an expert of.

[00:03:48] So know that you're not alone to feel uncomfortable. Many people do. And I had this idea while I was, uh, of this episode while I was in a session with a client after having had like, at least like [00:04:00] three, four sessions in a row where this. Topic came up with different clients, so I thought, I really need to make an episode for this.

[00:04:08] And like with every client, I always try to dig deeper behind any belief that we have or any struggle that we have in our business where we feel stuck. There's always underlining reasons, reasoning behind them. I. So here is one of the answers that I got from one of my clients that represents pretty much what a lot of people have been sharing with me when I've been asking, okay, what is the reason why you don't feel comfortable saying that you're an expert and here is what the answer was.

[00:04:35] For me, saying I am an expert is very unauthentic because it means for me that I'm supposed to know everything, that I don't want to improve myself anymore, and that I know with all, and that others don't know anything. That is what, for me, it feels like to be an expert and even when I watch on TV discussions, when people call themselves an expert, I [00:05:00] feel like it feels very icky.

[00:05:02] It almost annoys me when people call themselves an expert. Do you resonate with that? Do you also feel so icky when you hear somebody call themselves an expert or when you feel like you should do it, but you're not comfortable doing it because you don't feel legitimate, then let's tackle that. Right now, because as I said, you need to be able to do that so that people want to come to you.

[00:05:27] You need to make them know what they should come to you for, and therefore you need to define your expertise. Which leads me to the first point of this episode, redefining what? Expertise means what being an expert means. So let's tackle that right now. But before I talk about this real quick, I wanna pause here and mention something that I feel can be very interesting for you along your journey.

[00:05:52] Whenever you feel triggered by something that's been said by somebody, or a behavior that somebody is having [00:06:00] question what that means. About your beliefs and your as systems. Very often when we start judging other people, it has more to do with how we feel about ourselves than anything else. So please pay attention when you feel triggered and ask yourself, what does that mean for me?

[00:06:18] But for me here, when I have been working with my clients, I just realized that so many people have a misconception about the definition of expertise and specifically what is an expert. Therefore, many consultants and coaches and service providers don't dare to call themselves an expert for those reasons.

[00:06:39] So let's start by redefining what it actually means to be an expert. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be the absolute. Best or know every single thing about your field to be an expert, that's an unrealistic and frankly unattainable standard. There's actually nobody on this [00:07:00] planet that knows it all for some reason.

[00:07:02] I think when we are in school, we think that those people exist, but they don't. So it's so important to, first of all, debunk this myth in our head that's been probably indoctrinated since a very young age. In fact, honestly, I have been through that myself in my early journey, and it's one of my mentors that completely shifted my perspective on this.

[00:07:26] Who has told me Amel, there will always be somebody in the room who knows less than you, and that makes you an expert. And that was a huge relief for me when I had heard that sentence. Being an expert, it's not about knowing everything and being the best. It simply means that you know more than the person in front of you that needs what you have.

[00:07:53] I. In fact, true expertise comes from having specialized knowledge, skills, [00:08:00] and experience that your clients lack as the expert, you are the guide. They can lead them to the inside strategies and solutions they can access on their own, regardless if there are other people who can do it as well or not, you.

[00:08:14] Are able to do it, so therefore, you are the expert. Your expertise is relative to the level of your clients or your audience, not to the level of other people on the market. You may not be as knowledgeable as a world renowned professor or guru in your field, but compared to the people you serve, you absolutely hold the keys that can unlock their transformation and solve the problem.

[00:08:42] That is the key definition you need so that you can finally be able to embrace your area of expertise and share it with the world. This shift will make a huge difference for you. However, [00:09:00] I do know that that's not always enough. The reason is, which is my second point, addressing your imposter syndrome.

[00:09:09] It's one thing to know the definition would. An expert is, it's another thing to not feel like a fraud, even if we know that we're an expert. So if you're still experiencing some doubt, know that you're not alone who has accomplished great things and still feels that it's not enough to feel totally legitimate in calling yourself an expert.

[00:09:32] Many studies have shown that even the most accomplished people on earth, including noble laureates and. CEOs often feel like imposters. You will find in the show notes of this episode a couple links related to these studies as well as an episode that I have specifically on the imposter syndrome with a psychologist.

[00:09:53] Her name is Melissa Parks. You will find these links on. The time is now [00:10:00] do biz slash 313, but. At the core imposter syndrome stems from deep rooted self-doubt, lack of self-worth, and fear that you'll be exposed as a fraud. It's that harsh inner critique, constantly undermining your credibility and making you question whether you have any right to call yourself an expert, and this is why you probably struggle with it if you do so.

[00:10:29] But understand this, your doubts and insecurities have absolutely no base in reality, and we'll show you how to make sure that you prove yourself, that it's just a psychological secret running in your head that's making you constantly question yourself. The only way to silence that bully in your head is through conscious self-awareness and shifting your mindset proactively and constantly, because the one thing [00:11:00] you will learn if you study imposter syndrome is that imposter syndrome never leaves, no matter how high you go in your career and how many achievements you've achieved in your life.

[00:11:10] Impost syndrome. When it's there, it's there to stay. The only difference is your awareness and your capacity of recognizing it and talking to it and quieting your mind. So you have to start recognizing, but also celebrating your skills, your knowledge, and the value you've been cultivating over the years working in your field, but also your own personal achievements that might be a great value into your work.

[00:11:38] So reflect on the struggles and the challenges your clients face, that you can expertly guide them through. Think about the lives and the businesses you've positively impacted as an advisor, as a coach, as a. Consultant as an expert in anything that you actually do in your business. When you tune into that [00:12:00] transformation that you facilitate for your client, it becomes impossible to deny your standing as a true expert and as an authority.

[00:12:08] So make sure to really list those achievements that you have been making happen through these years. Again. Be it professionally, but also personally, your imposter mindset gets replaced with growth mindset when you do that, and then you also develop a humble confidence that you might not know everything, but you know more.

[00:12:35] And enough things to achieve great results for your clients. Building that confidence. It's also by embracing the idea that as an expert, you are constantly learning. An expert that stops learning is actually not an expert anymore because things evolve. So focus on continuously expanding your expertise rather than achieving perfection or total mastery.[00:13:00]

[00:13:00] Seek for continuous improvement, and then you'll suddenly feel more confident because you know that that is what you need to compare yourself to. How much have you been evolving since the past year, the past few years, et cetera, rather than comparing yourself to the top gurus in your field. So embrace that responsibility of being a guide through your unique field with your own vision and your own experience.

[00:13:27] That is what true leadership is about. That is what true expertise is really about. So step into your expertise and know that it requires an important mindset shift from feeling like an imposter to embracing the authority and the stewardship of your role so that your business can flourish. Once you have redefined what expertise means, once you have addressed your imposter syndrome and your mindset shifts, it is important to also factually identify what makes you truly an expert, [00:14:00] and what is that unique positioning that you can market so that your ideal clients come to you.

[00:14:08] So now your third step is to identify the signs that you are already an expert and the areas where you are an expert. Like we discussed, you are indeed an established expert. You just haven't fully owned it yet probably, and here are some of the telling signs that signal that you are an expert, but also that can give you some hints on what areas of expertise you shall position yourself.

[00:14:35] So you have a formal education. You want to list that your certifications, your extensive trainings that give you specialized expertise in your field or your niche. You wanna know those and really list them properly and analyze them because they might tell you a lot about where you want to position yourself.

[00:14:53] Also, you've put in the hard work through coursework, apprenticeship, rigorous, professional, professional development [00:15:00] trainings, et cetera. Count those in. You also have years of practical and real world professional or even personal experience that you need to factor in when you think about your areas of expertise.

[00:15:15] You also want to list and analyze the different strategies that you've been IMP implementing in your career. They were unique and that really led to specific achievements, the techniques you might have developed, the methods that you teach or consulted on and developed throughout this years for yourself or for your client.

[00:15:36] Look at all the areas where you have gotten your hands. Dirty. The areas where you have developed your own way of doing things based on the things that you have learned and the things that you have practiced. Clients and customers actively seek you out for your unique skills. You just need to identify them, but also your unique perspective [00:16:00] and your ability to solve their specific problem or achieve particular outcomes.

[00:16:06] They see you as an objective third party expert to rely on, so make sure that you can explicitly know which ones are they. Look at your track records and your successful results. Look at your case studies and the powerful testimonials that you've gotten from people you have helped and your clients as well.

[00:16:30] And again, even if you have not been working in your specific area where you're launching your business now so far, look at where you're drawing expertise from to get to where you are. Now, you want to analyze this very, very carefully because there is a lot of things that you might consider as completely normal, but these are skills and experiences that other people don't have and that they need and that you can bring into your business.

[00:16:59] And that [00:17:00] will help you position yourself in a very unique way. And if by any chance there's an area that really interests you and you feel like I still don't have enough experience, then you know what? You get it. Remember, an expert is in continuous learning. So you feel like you need to fine tune your area of expertise, get the training you need, get the support you need, get the mentor you need so that you can get to the place where you feel fully.

[00:17:28] Legitimate to do it, although, as I said, fully legitimate to do. It can feel a lot of pressure when we looked at the two force points we considered earlier. However, if you're really honest with yourself and factually can look at the fact that you need more expertise, then simply get it. But it doesn't mean that you have to stop from positioning yourself as an expert.

[00:17:48] As while you are positioning yourself as an expert, while you're developing the strategies and the foundations for your business and growing your audience, you can still in parallel get the extra [00:18:00] skills that you want to get to become even better at what you do. Also, don't underestimate the areas where you are fully passionate about things that you can't stop talking about.

[00:18:13] Things that really move you, things that you feel like you want to make an impact on. Look at the areas that matter to you in your industry, but also the. Big problems in the society, in the industry where you are that you feel like you want to tackle. 'cause very often those are really big signs that there's an area where you could position yourself because that is, that motivation and that big vision you have might be your motivation to keep growing and to keep improving yourself.

[00:18:45] Sometimes you might also really dive into your own personal experience, even if it has nothing to do with the specific technical aspect of the business where you are. I'm gonna give you just an example with one of my clients who used to be an [00:19:00] architect, and we really dived into this psychology of. The industry of architecture and how similar it is to highly technical industries.

[00:19:10] So that has helped us to actually position herself in a very specific field related to technology and highly technical fees such as car manufacturing. I know that architecture has nothing to do with car manufacturing, but when we analyzed certain trades of project management, et cetera, which was her specific niche where she was.

[00:19:30] Positioning herself. She realized that she could use her past as an architect to bring in the language and the little elements that can trigger a client to realize this person knows how I feel and how we work in my industry. I. Which leads me to one of the other areas where most of my clients hesitate at first, is when they find their specific area of positioning and their specific industry that is not necessarily the industry where [00:20:00] they've been spending most of their career.

[00:20:02] I can understand how suddenly that can feel very uncomfortable, especially when we start networking and trying to dive into this world. So the key shift here again, is about understanding that being an expert in a specific field doesn't mean knowing everything about that industry, but having the actual solution to solve the problem of the.

[00:20:24] People in that industry, as long as you can ask the right question and as long as you can really understand their challenges, as long as you can really identify where you can make a difference, you do not need to be from that industry to bring real value as long as you have the tools, the experience, and the process to be able to create that transformation for them and solve the problem for them.

[00:20:50] So being an expert again does not mean that you are an expert in a specific industry, but rather in solving a specific problem, [00:21:00] even if that industry where that problem is experienced is not necessary. Your own background. I shared with you a quote from one of my clients earlier about how she felt about calling herself as an expert once we've been going through this process, redefining expertise, addressing the mindset shift and the imposter syndrome, and really analyzing the areas of expertise where she could hone into to develop her unique positioning.

[00:21:29] This is what she had to say. Now saying that I'm an expert means that I have experience in my area of expertise. I have a process and the tools to help my clients navigate through the problem I solve. I can now see it. I can now believe it, and therefore I can now confidently say it when I present my proposals to my clients and when I market [00:22:00] myself.

[00:22:01] So once you have identified those areas of expertise, where you want to position yourself, then comes the first step, which is actually implementing the strategies to be seen and known and recognized and established as the Go-to expert. I. It's time indeed to start actively positioning yourself as the go-to expert that you already are.

[00:22:26] This expert branding will accelerate your ability to attract your ideal client. It starts with developing a clear, compelling brand message that showcases your. Specialized experience and expertise and your unique value proposition from your unique value proposition, then you can start working on your website, your marketing materials, your social media, et cetera.

[00:22:52] It should all be aligned. It should all be consistent and reinforce why you are the [00:23:00] person to go to and why should your clients follow you and hire you. You need to consistently share your expertise. You can't just say it once. You need to do that so that people start seeing you as a thought leader in your field through your content, your own podcast, your own videos, articles, speaking engagements, et cetera.

[00:23:21] So don't hold back your best insights and your strategies. That's another thing that I see a lot of people want to say, okay, if I share everything in my free content, what are people going to come to see me for? This is one of the limiting beliefs that will stop you from positioning yourself as an expert.

[00:23:38] Make sure to really share your thoughts, because your thoughts and your point of views and your areas of expertise cannot be fixed by just sharing those ideas. If you are a consultant or a coach, you know that just knowing something is not enough to create transformation, people need to be able to practice it, and for that, very often doing it [00:24:00] alone is not enough.

[00:24:02] So don't shy away from really sharing your wisdom so that people can really see why you are legal to expert in that field. Also don't forget to leverage social proof and testimonials from clients so that it reinforces your positioning. I often share with you, you know, some of the stories that happened to me with clients.

[00:24:22] That's also my way to make sure that I share with you real case studies to share that I'm not just inventing this. This comes from real practical experience. Having also third party validation on your areas of expertise can really amplify your credibility as the real deal. So don't hesitate to call in your clients.

[00:24:43] Call in your colleagues, and anybody who has seen you in practice who can testify of it. It can be powerful. When you combine articulating your value freely, giving your thoughts and your tips and your [00:25:00] insight, and also backing it with real results and real proof of results, then suddenly you're taking your positioning to the next level.

[00:25:08] Suddenly, it's hard to deny that you are the go-to expert. So make sure that once you have clarified your areas of expertise to have a clear, solid marketing strategy that helps you really solidify that expertise and implement it consistently. Consistency is the key because if you do it once in a while, it's not gonna work.

[00:25:32] Repetition is the secret and consistency is the magic. So here you have it. In this longer episode than usual, I gave you the full reframing of what it means to be legitimate expert and a roadmap to actually overcome your OSI syndrome and the doubts you face around the idea of saying that you're an expert.

[00:25:54] So just a quick summary. We talked first step about redefining your definition [00:26:00] of what. Expert means the second to address your imposter syndrome. The third to identify the signs and the areas where you are an expert. And fourth, to implement the strategies so that you can be known and seen as an expert.

[00:26:16] I now invite you to take some time to go through this episode and make the time for self-reflection on this topic and the four steps that I shared with you. And if you are struggling to have clear answers to the different questions and the different steps that I shared with you, and if you are really hesitant with what is the right marketing strategy to position yourself as.

[00:26:39] The Go-to expert in your field, then I invite you to schedule a 90 minute session with me. During the session, I will help you assess the area where you feel stuck, identify your unique positioning and the strategies that you can use to attract your ideal clients. So here's what one of the clients that had used this strategy [00:27:00] session has said Before, this strategy, I was not specific and strategic enough with defining my specific positioning.

[00:27:08] I was very much enjoying the natural flow of how I ran my marketing, but at the cost of growing and scaling. At this session, I made a major mindset shift to hone into my true niche. I have a clear direction and insights about the specific pain points that I want to solve for my clients, and I have many content ideas of how to position myself as the go to expert.

[00:27:31] I am even leaving with butterflies in my stomach as I'm feel reconnected with my bigger vision and mission. So if you want to experience this shift for yourself, schedule your 90 minute session now on the time is now biz slash 313. And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out. You'll find my contact on the strategy session page.

[00:27:58] I look forward to [00:28:00] connecting with you and to help you create more growth, alignment, and impact with your business.