®

The ExpertClick
Top 10 Ways to
Establish Your
Expert Credentials
10) The news media is now
everyone who can find you
on the Web. Are your ideas
being “broadcast” so more
people find you? Are you
creating new ideas, and
moving
forward
and
bringing those who search
on problems to find your
solutions? Please read that
once more: People know
their problems; they don’t
know your solutions. That’s
the commonality, and why a campaign we’ve
run for a year on the phrase “disgruntled
employees” that was based on an Alan Weiss
news release headline -- “Creating Loyal
Employees” -- has had thousands of clickthroughs. Have you made a list of your clients’
problems? The blogs, comments and news
releases you push via our system, reach the
media, the Internet, syndication – and, most
importantly, your buyers, the public that search
the Internet.

are able to author the book.
A book is a fancy business
card, as most people never
get past the dust jacket.
Want to hire a great dust
jacket person and write four
chapters? Then, be very
careful which chapter you
run first, for consultants
have to listen and come up
with the solution. Speakers
offer a great overview and
insights but often are not
responsible for client success. Trainers help you
with defined problems and offer programs, and
coaches seem caught in a time warp of pay,
based on time not success. What are you
selling? Solutions, ideas, driving lessons or
therapy? If you have a book, it should start
conversations which end in conversions and
business for you.
8) Publish a bio. Make sure it comes up #1 at
Google when your name is searched. Make sure
when people “Google” you they see your bio
and your accomplishments first. Remember this
is very different than #1 where you are creating
a “search phrase” so that people who don’t
know your name can find you.

9) Speak? Train? Consult? Coach? You’ve
bottled a lot of information and experience over
the years. Are you re-packaging it? Sure that
“book as a credential” is what everyone says
you need, and that’s a great welcome token,
give-away or deal sweetener. I’ve left it off this 7) Use Skip’s 20-20 media rule. First, make a
list, for I don’t think “having a book makes you list of your best 20 revenue customers. Then,
an expert.” You have to be an expert before you figure out which media outlets they follow.

 Make up a list of the 20 editors or journalists that
most influence your 20 money makers. Create a
media tip list for those 20 journalists: On an
IRREGULAR basis, only when you have ideas or
things you know they want, sent it to them. Don’t
fall into the trap I saw when I interned at the Larry
King Show decades ago. I asked the producer why
he was throwing away some of mail unopened, and
he said: “I’ve seen stuff with that return address
before and it wasn’t interesting.” Send out good
ideas, not just about you, but as a “cub reporter” for
your list. (Thanks to Skip Weitzen, author of
“HyperGrowth,” for his added advice here.)

do not know exactly what you do, but they deal with
the same kind of prospects. Suggest a referral to
them. Ask them if they know of anyone who can use
your services. You can even collaborate on the work
created. That is how many consultants share big
projects. If you are top-of-mind by feeding the
prospect pipeline for your associates, you can win
big.

3) Give face time. Make sure people know and see
your photo. Do you have an "official" current
photo? Have you plastered it as many places as
possible? I was flabbergasted at a recent association
board meeting when it was asked if you should have
6) Figure out your “needle-in-the-haystack” your photo on your Web site. You are the brand:
uniqueness. Use those phrases as your meta-tags, People have to know who you are.
on your Web site, in your “elevator speech.” It (GlamourShots.com will even do your hair!)
should be two or three word and put it everywhere
-- from your business cards to your vanity license 2) Be seen, and travel. Take clients, current and
plate. Use WordTracker.com and KWMap.com. former, as well as prospects to dinner. You can
Watch my videos at www.WebHandbook.com to listen to what they want, and learn how you can
serve them. Even if people cannot make the event,
learn how.
they are pleased they were invited. One on one, the
5) Get inbound links to your URL: ideas can flow over a bottle of wine. One dinner at
ExpertClick.com has 48,000. Test your count by the Rainbow Room in New York last year has
entering “links: and your URL” into Google. Try it resulted in so much referral business I can’t believe
with both the “www” and without. Ask for text links it. This is just #3 “face time” in person.
with your special words in them. Ask for links from
sites that have better rankings than you have; search 1) Have testimonials available, and check them.
Alexa.com or DMOZ.org to find them. Get and read What do people say about you on “the street”? Find
the Bruce Clay Search Engine book. I spent time out by asking around. Yes, have those mystery
and money to earn Clay’s SEO training certificate. shoppers call your business, and report if someone
trying to book you for a speech can -- ask them to
For $27, you can buy this useful book.
call speaker bureaus and ask about you. Search the
4) Create the atmosphere for referrals and Web. What information do they get? What kind of
collaboration. You have business associates who follow up?
Sincerely,

Mitchell P. Davis, Editor & Publisher
ExpertClick@Gmail.com

Mitchell P. Davis, Editor
Yearbook of Experts
Broadcast Interview Source, Inc.
Washington, D.C.
202-333-5000

Updated: March 2020

Main site: www.ExpertClick.com