Book Yourself Solid, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER 5Becoming a Likeable Expert in Your Field

All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth comes only from the senses.

—Friedrich Nietzsche

Have you heard the expression, “It's not what you know that's important but who you know”? There's some truth to it but, if you're a professional service provider, consider the importance of “Who knows what you know and do they like you?” If you want to establish yourself as an expert in your field, a “category authority,” potential clients as well as marketing and referral partners need to know that you know what you know…and they need to like you.

Even before we discuss how to position yourself as an expert within your field, let's get down to the nitty-gritty—the standard credibility builders. The standard credibility builders are the things that you need to do and have in place to appear credible and professional. Once you have all your basics covered, then and only then can we discuss how to establish your reputation as an authority in your field and look at how your likeability influences your ability to get booked solid.

The Standard Credibility Builders

The standard credibility builders may seem obvious, but without them you won't be taken seriously, so they're worth reviewing:

• You must have a professional email address: Preferably one that includes your domain name. [e-mail] doesn't qualify. Neither does [e-mail].
• Either [e-mail] or [e-mail] ...