Whether you are looking to start a blog or find a skill more attuned to your freelance sensibilities, you have to become a Subject Matter Experts or SME. We can argue that it’s far more difficult for entrepreneurs to become experts these days, when the market dictates that we have to be a jack of all trades. But it’s important to become an expert in one thing.
Being a Subject Matter Expert can be a financially lucrative for freelancers. But, how can we achieve this?
Immerse Yourself in the Subject
Immersion is vital because it helps you to develop an understanding of all aspects of the subject. You start from the beginning and learn as much as you can. Also, you should stay abreast of what’s happening with that subject today.
Educate Yourself
You need to continually educate yourself. If you have a passion for the subject, this becomes second nature. Mentors can help reduce your learning curve. Ultimately, you want to become the Subject Matter Expert that becomes an influencer in your field, the main “go to” person on that topic.
Become an Ambassador for the Subject
To become an ambassador for the subject requires you to promote yourself and the topic. Networking and volunteering on a local level will help you become known as an authority within your community.
From there, you can be the expert that news networks come to for professional opinions and then cast your net further out. This is a very organic method and one that is more controllable. As you gradually increase your role as an SME, you can enhance your own knowledge at the same time. The more you develop your knowledge, especially when viewed as a local expert, positive word-of-mouth increases and recommendations for your services will increase.
Push Your Credentials
When you are freelancing, you need something in your promotional material that highlights why you are an expert in that field. When working with businesses, qualifications are the first port of call. For example, in the modern business world where health and safety is essential but hard to monitor, if you are the person in your community that has the WLU safety management degree, business owners will naturally make a beeline towards you.
But it’s not just about the credentials; it’s also about accolades and service. It’s easy to get hired when you are considered top in your field, or have recommendations from the right people.
Be Humble
Being an SME can make you feel somewhat special and entitled. As you become the person that everybody wants, it is easy to become arrogant or have others work around you. And while there are so many sharks in business, we can feel that to keep afloat we need to be like that as well. You don’t need to be difficult or abrasive.
In the early days of becoming an SME, you have to network constantly. However, there will come a point where you are in demand and won’t need to promote yourself as much. When this happens, you have to be careful to avoid a sense of arrogance.
Wrapping Up
Becoming an SME is an ideal way to carve a niche out for yourself. As you learn the ropes of self-promotion and gradually become an influencer in your field, you will find that this is a very lucrative opportunity because there are so many businesses that need people with expert knowledge. You will also find that being knowledge in one topic will pay off over time.
What About You?
Do you consider yourself a specialist or generalist on your topic? Is that profitable for you?
Image credit: rawpixel.com/Pexels