Suzanne Bates, president and CEO of Bates Communications in Wellesley, Mass., specializes in how to make a name for yourself as an entrepreneur or broker. She offers the following tips on how to set yourself apart from a plethora of others in your field.
Write a book. This is the quickest way to be considered an expert in your field: "You have instant credibility," she says. It's thirdparty validation of your expertise. Place the book or article on chairs at a seminar and before you've even started, the audience has an idea of your background in the field.
Become a public speaker. Learning to become a phenomenal public speaker makes all the difference. Reading books on speaking, getting a coach or going to a public speaking class are all methods recommended by Bates. It will be useful to your audience and give you a comfort level and connection with your audience. It also will help you pack as much relevant information in as possible.
"The more you simplify the concepts, the more it solidifies you as an expert," Bates says.
Online newsletters. Bates has a monthly newsletter and she finds it's a great way to stay in touch with clients. She suggests making the newsletters "information-rich and not salesy. People get a lot of e-mail, but they will read it if the information is valuable." She often uses information from presentations in her newsletters. This further cements you as "the voice of leadership."
For more information about the services the boutique firm offers, visit www.bates-communications.com.
