3 Ways To Establish Authority In Your Market

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3 Ways To Establish Authority In Your Market

Sales for Life Admin
Sales for Life Admin

When people think of sales strategies, outbound prospecting methods usually come to mind. Cold calling, cold emailing, LinkedIn networking, direct mail—all these tactics have been proven to generate positive results.

But these aren’t enough to turn you into a leader in your field.

The world’s best sellers have established a great inbound prospecting strategy. They don’t just seek out potential customers—they’ve also found a way for people to seek them out.

They’ve become lead magnets, attracting clients even in their sleep.

Their secret? Brand authority.

Why is it important to build authority in your industry?

The thing about outbound strategies is that they only work while you’re actively doing it. If you don’t send emails or make cold calls or reach out to your social networks, nothing will happen.

However, being known as an expert in your field will change the game.

Always remember that, in order to succeed in sales, it’s not enough to know that you’re selling a great product. Think of it this way: You might be great at what you do, but it doesn’t matter if no one knows it.

It’s not enough to do the things that authorities do. You also need to do them incredibly well, and you also need your efforts to be known.

Basically, you’re competing in a market not only to sell, but also to be known as an authority. 

Establishing authority strengthens your personal brand, increasing the level of trust that both your clients and potential customer base have in you and your business. It drives conversations and accelerates customer conversion. 

Here are three ways you can establish your authority as a seller.

How To Build Authority In Your Market

1. Go to where the people are

As a seller, you should know where the people in your market are. Where are your ideal clients now, and how is the competition in the space they occupy? And where will they be in the future?

In the context of digital selling, the playing field across all channels is exponentially more crowded now than ever before. Just a little over a decade ago, you can easily get a web page on the front page of Google by stuffing it with keywords. You can’t do that now, and even if you could, the competition is extremely fierce.

But it’s never too late to adopt and adapt.

Take a look at the platforms where your clients do marketplace research and seek recommendations and answers. Are they spending most of their time on LinkedIn? Are they on Twitter or Facebook? Are they watching videos on YouTube, or listening to podcasts? 

By spending time on the platforms your clients inhabit, you’ll be able to identify knowledge gaps in your industry. Capitalize on these, and use these angles in your content to set yourself apart from your competitors.

2. Get associated with the other authorities in the industry

Who are the foremost thought leaders in your field? Look for them and take note of what they’re doing. How did they gain their reputation? What are they doing that others aren’t doing? And most importantly, what are they doing to establish their credibility?

What’s interesting is that you don’t necessarily have to be the best in your field for other people to consider you as the best in your field. Perception is reality. Take a look at the most notable names in your industry—you might be surprised by the number of people who are seen as an authority in your field despite not having all the professional credentials. 

The bottom line is, you don’t have to be the world’s foremost authority in your industry to validate your claim as an expert in your field. The key is to be known by the right people. Position yourself correctly and take your cues from the established authorities in your field.

3. Make a habit out of content creation

If you want to be seen as a leader in your field, positioning yourself as a source of original knowledge is probably the most effective way to do so.

There are so many ways to make your voice heard. You can create a blog, guest on a podcast (or start your own), churn out content on social media, shoot videos, publish ebooks, start a newsletter. Keep in mind what we’ve mentioned in the previous item: the medium should depend on where your target audience is hanging out and consuming information.

What’s important is consistency. Make a habit out of publishing content. Create a publishing schedule and churn out content on a regular basis.

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