How do you stand out at the individual level in a world where everybody is trained to dress the same, get the same qualifications, read the same books, and use the same buzzwords?
It used to be a degree – but these days everyone has one.
Yes, you can promote yourself to the moon and back, but trying to stand out through basic marketing and advertising is like trying to have the hottest beach body on Ipanema. You’re by no means the first, let alone the only.
In other words, the question is how do you become an “authority” in your field?
According to Anna David, You write a book. Not just any book but one that people actually care about.
Most authorities get to be authorities because somewhere along the line, they had a big INSIGHT about something game-changing that mattered to someone else. And they cared and focused on it enough to write an entire book about it.
Think Tim Ferriss, Robert Kiyosaki, Michael Gerber. There are thousands, if not millions, of Silicon Valley dudes, real estate investors, and researchers out there who may have some of the same ideas but don’t have the authority those people do because the others haven’t written The Four-Hour Workweek, Rich Dad Poor Dad and The E-Myth.
And you don’t have to write to make the New York Times Bestseller’s list. With the right promotion of your book and a strong understanding of your target audience, the book alone can build the authority you need to reach your customers. As Chris Voss says, “Even if the only people that actually pay for copies [of your book] are your parents, there’s no better marketing tool or calling card than a book. It becomes the most viable business card you’ve ever had.”
That’s because it takes a lot of effort and focus to write an entire book on something (or at least it should).
Your book says to the world, THIS is what I think is important. THIS is what I’ve got to say. THIS is my legacy. The other nice thing is you don’t only have to have one thing to say.
Arianna Huffington was the wife of a politician, then a liberal pundit, and now a wellness expert. What has she done at every stage? Written a book about it.
[Anna David is a NYT bestselling author and a Friend of Gapingvoid who has a new book out, “On Good Authority”]
