If you want to become an expert in your field, then you need to become the voice and make it clear what it is you stand for.
As Jonny belted out in the famous Aussie song lyrics, “You’re the voice. Make it loud and make it clear.”
To be visible you need to be seen and heard. What do I mean?
I mean share your expertise regularly so you become an authority in a specific niche. Find a way to stand out and make it obvious and clear what your key message is.
What do you want to be known for?
How do you want to be seen by your peers and clients?
How can you shout it out loud where your target audience can hear it?
To become the voice or authority in your space takes time. It is like Pantene – it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen (that commercial is stuck in my head for eternity).
It is the small actions you take daily or weekly that make a big impact at the end of the year and beyond. Small incremental steps!
What can you do to get loud?
📣 Consistently show up where your audience is. That might be on LinkedIn or at an industry event. Being seen is being noticed and over time you build a reputation of being that ‘go to’ person for advice (which can translate into $$)
📣 Don’t be afraid to ruffle feathers – having a unique voice often means you are going against industry norms or the accepted narrative. It is perfectly fine to have a different perception or angle for your messaging or opinion.
📣 Share a different perspective – as a professional, you might have a different way of viewing a topic or approach to doing something. Share it. Accountants, marketing pros, and lawyers often have different ways of doing things. Doesn’t mean one way is the absolute way. Different is good.
📣 Expand your reach through collaboration – getting your message in front of many of your core audience through a relationship. Your collaborative partner puts your expertise in front of their audience and you get exposure to your ideal market – win win!
📣 Make your LinkedIn profile Rockstar – if you are a B2B business, there is a strong chance you are on LinkedIn which is another important shop front for your personal and business brand. Your profile needs to shine and sparkle so do the work because it does get judged and you can win or lose new business from it.
📣 Put yourself up for stuff – approach people to speak at events, be interviewed on podcasts, or write guest blog content. The more people you reach through collaboration or guesting, the more potential clients get to hear and see you.
Being a wallflower doesn’t win you any points. Be the voice, be loud, and be clear, and not only will you get noticed, but you will also be ahead of 90% of people who are afraid to put themselves out there. Be bold and take the steps to be seen. It will pay off.
