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5 Steps to Becoming One of the Most Authoritative Figures in Your Industry

Sadia Suhail
business.com Member
Aug 15, 2016

Do you want to become one of the most trusted figures in your industry?

A key person of authority is one whose name constantly comees up in conversations, these kinds of people don’t look for opportunities but they rather attract them.

They also earn the most money. This is all because they are regarded as authoritative figures within a particular industry.

They are also the people who command the most respect whenever they are present in conferences or meetings.

For example, Mark Zuckerberg is regarded as a key authoritative figure in the social media arena. He brought about a revolution in the way we interact online via his social media company Facebook.

Given that we are no longer in the 20th century but in an era where technology has literally taken over everything and the rules of the industrial revolution have changed, we have to cope up with the tide hence go digital.

Therefore, you don’t need to have a lot of wealth or fancy degrees to become the most influential person in your industry. You can implement the following top 5 rules to also become a highly respected and dominative figure in your industry.

1. Spruce Up Your Online Profile

You must ensure that a Google search of your name results in your name being on the first page of the search results. However, your profile should also depict a positive image of yourself.

If that’s the case, then you’re truly an influential figure. For example, Brian Dean is highly regarded as an SEO guru and a key person of influence in his field. When you type his name into Google, it will show up among the first few searches and pages.

There is absolutely no excuse to be invisible online. You are what your profile says about you. It reflects your personal brand; it’s your responsibility to update your social media profiles and websites to reflect a perfect picture of yourself. Anything confusing and outdated should be removed. Moreover, research has shown that faceless brands don’t amount to much. Only 33 percent of people are said to trust faceless brands.

Therefore, ensure that that your profile is well polished and reflects who you are so that you may be sought-after and referred to as a thought leader and industry expert.

Related Article: How to Balance Your Professional and Personal Identity on Social Media

2. Hone Your Speaking and Pitching Skills

Having great oratory skills is what sets influential people apart from the others. These people don’t stammer when they speak but rather convey their messages confidently. They can answer questions like, “What do you do and why?” with grit and clarity. This is mainly because they’ve established themselves as thought leaders in their niche and their level of expertise surpasses that of others.

For instance, Adeel Chowdhry is a highly reputed Internet marketer and entrepreneur notable for turning around businesses via his high-end consulting business. He has been able to stand out because he leveraged the art of powerful pitching and is able to express himself thoroughly. cThe best entrepreneurs are also the best public speakers. They ensure that their messages are conveyed to their audience in the most comprehensible manner possible.

Therefore, you have to possess the knack of powerful pitching so that your message can be conveyed in a way that makes people want to work with you and contribute to whatever project you’re working on. We can also pick a leaf from prominent business personalities like Elon Musk and Gary Vaynerchuck who have leveraged the power of perfect pitching to boost their businesses.

If you can’t convey your message to an intended audience coherently, then how would you expect them to back you up and support your ideas? History has proven over and over again that the companies that leveraged the power of great pitching are the ones that have managed to secure funding, build great teams, and scale their products and services to greater heights.

Related Article: Make an Impact: How to Establish Presence and Influence People

3. Build Credibility via Publishing Content

Writing for reputable publications enables you to be portrayed as an authority figure in your chosen field. In this fast-paced global online village, publishing content puts you at the forefront of your field and enables you to create ownership as your name is put on your written work. 

Publishing high-quality blogs, articles, books, and reports will make you look smarter than others and therefore more credible. Remember that published content can be further manipulated to promote your products or services.

4. Build a Worthwhile Product

We all have skills. But what separates key people of influence from the rest is their ability to bank on their skills by turning them into valuable assets. The products you create are obviously the ones that will make your business successful. Although having one product will do, having more than one product will be more instrumental and valuable. For example, you may have a consulting business, in addition to an e-commerce store like The Smart Lad.

However, you don’t need to have a tangible product in order to sell. Even service based products will equally work well. But you need to build something credible of you are sticking to service based products since seven out of 10 Americans say that they are willing to spend more on companies that provide excellent customer service.

Related Article: Not Just LinkedIn: How to Brand Yourself Online When Job Hunting

5. Partner With Others

Partnership plays a key role in putting you in a strategic position in your field. You need to learn how to connect with others to boost your business. You may have heard the saying that “Two heads are better than one.” This quote very much applies to business principles as well.

For instance, if you have business in which you bake cakes, just imagine the multiplier effect that partnering with another person doing the same business shall have on your profits.

Note should be taken that there are already potential customers for the product that you have and there are other people like you looking for partnership opportunities which can boost your brands altogether. Therefore, strive to establish meaningful partnerships whenever possible.

Conclusion

Gone are the times when one had to sweat late nights and own fancy degrees to stand out as an individual with authority in a particular niche or sub-niche. By religiously implementing the above strategy, you can position yourself as a force to be reckoned with in your industry and an individual of influence with whom everyone would want to work with.

Image Credit: Fizkes / Getty Images
Sadia Suhail
business.com Member
Sadia is a content writer and digital marketer with several years of experience. She has expertise in helping companies grow through content marketing, SEO, and PPC. She usually blogs about technology, startups, traveling, and games.