Becoming THE Expert. John W. Hayes

You’ve even included videos demonstrating the more difficult aspects of the task and high resolution photographs of the finished job.

      After reading this, do you think I’m going to hang my own wallpaper?

      No way! I’m going to pick up the phone and ask you to do it for me. Why? Because you have shown me that you know what you are talking about and are not afraid to put your work under public scrutiny. In short, you are a Thought Leader and I trust you to get the job done right.

      OK, this is perhaps a very simple example – but the complexity could be scaled to cover any industry. In the same way I might not be able to hang wallpaper, I might not have the time to file my own tax returns, have the resources to manage a portfolio of property investments, or the technical knowledge to install a new computer system.

      It is the maverick nature of Thought Leadership Marketing that makes it so accessible to the target audience. By placing an individual at the forefront of an organisation, you can humanise even the most seemingly dreary industries and turn business leaders into household names.

      While most of us will never see international fame, it is entirely possible to become a star in your own niche. Think about it, no matter what industry you are in, there will always be a familiar go-to person who the media (either bloggers, trade press, local or national media) always seem to turn to for a quote, piece of analysis or interview. These people are Thought Leaders and there is no reason why you cannot steal a bit of their thunder with some careful positioning.

      Who are the Thought Leaders?

      Thought Leadership is a diverse and multi-facetted discipline. It offers a number of strategies that can be adopted, regardless of the industry you work in. The best way to demonstrate this is to list ten prominent Thought Leaders who I believe have mastered the practice and who I regularly look to for inspiration (both inside and outside of business). Some of the names in this list will be instantly recognisable, others may be more difficult to place.

      If you want to see how the pros do it, I suggest you seek these people out, learn how they use Thought Leadership to promote their business or celebrity status (remember celebrity is more often than not a front for business activity) and effectively position themselves at the top of their game.

       Jamie Oliver (celebrity chef and campaigner) – uses Thought Leadership via his regular TV appearances and magazine articles to promote the sale of his books and fill his ever expanding empire of restaurants.

       Micheal O’Leary (Ryanair CEO and raconteur) – never afraid of using a sound bite to fill seats on his budget airline.

       Steve Jobs (founder of Apple) – the man who made the computer and mobile telephone industry sexy.

       Marc Benioff (chairman and CEO of cloud computing company Salesforce.com) – the software man who hates software and wants us all to live in the cloud.

       Seth Godin (author and marketer) – probably the world’s most inspirational and popular marketing guru.

       Martin Lewis (broadcaster and editor of Money Saving Expert) – started www.moneysavingexpert.com to help people save money and it made him millions.

       Simon Calder (travel writer and broadcaster) – the go-to person for people on the go.

       Marc Coker (founder of Smashwords.com) – behind the company that is shaking up the publishing industry one book at a time.

       Jeff Bezos (founder and CEO of Amazon) – the man who shaped the way we buy books, CDs, DVDs and virtually everything else online.

       Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas (founders of The Primrose Bakery) – the original UK cupcake entrepreneurs and bestselling authors.

      Are you a Thought Leader?

      To find out whether you have the potential to be a Thought Leader ask yourself the following questions. If you answer yes to them all, you are halfway to Thought Leadership.

       Do I possess a detailed knowledge of the industry I work in?

       Do I have an opinion about various topics within my industry?

       Do I have the ability to communicate my opinion effectively (either written or verbally, although preferably both)?

       Am I able to demonstrate my opinion is worth listening to, using case studies or references?

      It is important you answer these questions honestly. Many people try and position themselves as Thought Leaders without the right credentials. Some even get away with it and make a name for themselves, often at the expense of people seeking quick wins and get rich quick schemes – the internet is full of these. Don’t be tempted to do this yourself – your reputation cannot stand the risk.

      Experience is the only thing that makes Thought Leadership credible. If you’ve got it, then you should go for it. If you haven’t, put this book down for now and pick it up again in a couple of years when you have built up more experience.

      Typical reservations about Thought Leadership

      I speak to a lot of people who tell me they believe Thought Leadership Marketing would benefit their business significantly. They buy into the concept that it could not only help position their business as a significant player in their vertical, but also help to reduce (or at the very least maximise potential from) traditional marketing and sales budgets. But when push comes to shove they fail to engage, normally hanging on to one of the following four excuses:

      1 No time: Time is in short supply and you just cannot find enough of it to invest in building a solid Thought Leadership programme. There is a good chance you identify with this and believe it to be a valid excuse. But before you make this assumption, take a look at your day and ask yourself what you are doing that adds value to your business and what you are doing simply out of habit. How often do you check sales figures or other business related statistics? Similarly, how much dead time do you spend staring out of train windows or drinking coffee in airport lounges? How often do you find yourself updating Twitter or LinkedIn with other peoples’ Thought Leadership? Are you really busy all the time or are you victim of procrastination? It’s a hard habit to break – I know I can be guilty of this at times. Could you find an extra 30 minutes a day to dedicate to Thought Leadership? If you are struggling to find the time, set your alarm clock half-an-hour earlier in the morning and check yourself when you consider hitting the snooze button.

      2 Fear: Like many others, you may be worried that your opinion isn’t valid or your customers and competitors will find holes in your arguments. All Thought Leaders have these moments of self-doubt from time to time. Don’t let this unfounded fear put you off. Instead, you should concentrate on the one thing that validates your position – your experience. Remember, it is highly unlikely that anyone of any importance or influence will single you out for attack or question your opinion. The worst case scenario is that you’ll be ignored. In this case, it’s time to look at your Thought Leadership strategy, re-evaluate what you think is important and reconsider what you believe your target audience is looking for.

      3 No ideas/lack of imagination: This is quite frankly a lazy excuse. Think about it for a minute – where do other Thought Leaders in your industry look for inspiration? The answer is staring you right in the face. Their customers. You speak to these people every single day. You know what makes their lives difficult and how your business can help solve their problems. If you find yourself short of ideas, try speaking to the people who pay your wages.

      4 Lack of presentation skills: Thought Leadership need not be a solo effort. Ideally it will focus on one or two individuals within your organisation but that doesn’t mean you cannot enrol other people to help you out. Perhaps someone in your company has a flair for writing and