When you think about becoming or being recognized as an authority in your field, what is the first thing that comes to mind?
Excitement? Pride?
Or is it more along the lines of nervousness… Fear… A sinking feeling that someone will “figure out” that you’re not that big of a deal / not that much of an expert / not as good as they thought?
If you feel a little (or a lot) of the latter, you’re not alone! In fact, research estimates that two out of every five successful people consider themselves frauds. Other studies have found that 70 percent of all people feel like impostors at some point in their lives — even when they are objectively successful.
As a matter of fact, I would bet that almost every single person you see as an authority has felt self-doubt at one point or another — I certainly have! The difference is that those who manage to build their authority in their business have one important thing: The right mindset.
To start your journey toward an authority mindset on the right foot, click here to download my Authority Game Plan worksheet to find out how to get started. It’s normally only offered as part of my Business Class Destination Guide, “How to Increase Your Authority in Your Niche Quickly” — but you can grab it today for free.
Crafting an authority mindset
The most difficult part of starting to mindfully build your authority is taking that first step: allowing yourself to believe that you have the authority you’re eager to cultivate.
You must start with where you are and let that be enough. But there are a few tips and practices that will help you get there:
- Stop comparing
Everyone has to start somewhere. Humans aren’t born fully grown and businesses aren’t born in their best or final version. The point is, you can’t compare your baby business to someone else’s fully-grown business.
Go through YouTube or the Wayback Machine and look at photos, websites, and videos of people you admire. Check out the content from when they first started and compare it to what they’re putting out now. Apples and oranges, right?
Remember that great things take time to grow. It’s a continuous evolution. And just because you aren’t where they are yet doesn’t mean you don’t have something important to contribute. - Climb the expertise ladder
Jay Abraham says, “People are silently begging to be led.” Even if you’re not at the top of the expertise ladder, you’re still an expert to someone lower down. You will always be higher on the ladder than some and lower than others.
And, you don’t know how much you know until you put your knowledge into action! - Let your track record be your credentials
Some people worry that because they don’t have a lot of letters after their name or a bunch of major media outlets on their press page, they won’t be taken seriously.
In truth, if you have a way to serve others and make their lives better, it’s a disservice NOT to serve them. No one can deny results and testimonials — even if those testimonials aren’t from big names.
Do whatever you have to do, even if that means being willing to work for free or low cost at first and raise your prices over time. Then let your results do the work of building authority for you. - Unique is overrated
Too many people waste time trying to put unnecessary bells and whistles on their expertise, trying to make their product or service unique. The truth is, there’s very little in business that’s truly unique — except you!
By virtue of being you, you are already unique! Your unique selling proposition is often you — your stories, experiences and perspective that contribute to the way you naturally serve others. You don’t have to try so hard to stand out. - Trust yourself
If you don’t trust in your ability to serve others, how can you expect others to trust that you can serve them?
The same way trust with others is built slowly over time, you have to build trust in your own authority over time, too. But you have to work to make it happen.
Try taking one courageous step forward outside your comfort zone. What’s the smallest action you can take today to exercise your authority? Could you host a challenge? Do a Facebook Live? Pitch a guest post or cold call a dream client?
Whatever actions you decide to take to build your authority, it starts as an inside job. The more you get used to trusting yourself and not listening to the little voice in your head that worries you’re a fraud, the faster and more comprehensively you will build your own authority in your field.
And the first step is to click here and download our Authority Game Plan worksheet and make a plan. It’s based on the principles I teach inside the “How to Increase Your Authority in Your Niche Quickly” Destination Guide inside Business Class, and it will provide you with a custom roadmap for getting started silencing those critics forever.
