Why is building authority so important when growing your business? Building authority by telling your story attracts attention, communicates credibility, and inspires action. Without authority, your voice is just a whisper. With authority, you don’t have to shout to be heard. People seek you out and consume everything you offer.
So how do you get authority?
How do you go from being a nobody to becoming an obvious go-to person? There are two important pieces—gaining proof of authority and exerting it. Consider two academics—both spend years studying, but only one of them steps forward to appear in public talks, publish in top journals, and connect with media. Only one will become an authority.
That means to build authority quickly, you need to gain knowledge and experience while putting yourself in the right contexts that suggest that authority. This combined with the right psychological techniques can set off a chain reaction that will position you as a respected expert in your field.
So how do you build authority quickly when just starting out online?
I’m going to share with you how we do it. I will share with you a point a day to digest over the next few weeks. The reason I’m doing this is as I wrote this article, it became massive! Hence the decision to break it down into easy to remember tips.
So here we go with the first one!
1. TELL YOUR STORY
We know that people love stories. In fact, they are hardwired for it. People are also innately curious—they want to know where people and stuff come from.
What does that have to do with authority?
When people don’t know you or your business or where you come from, it makes it very hard for you to show up with presence or authority. You’re a shadowy unknown instead of a human being.
That’s why it’s important to share your story. Your story provides true credibility. It’s also a way to reveal your motivations. In other words, why it is you do what you do.
Why does it matter?
As a business, you may not be providing anything that’s new or different and you will face doubt in people’s minds. Imagine you’re speaking to potential customers, and all these questions are racing through their minds.
Are you for real?
What are you talking about and why do you care about it?
What do you want?
Who are you to offer this product or service?
In other words, you are facing doubt, or worse, disbelief and cynicism. These will need to be addressed if your audience is going to hear what you are offering.
HOW TO APPLY THIS TO YOUR BUSINESS
You need to ground your message in what is real and what your audience knows to be true. Take them into your past circumstances to build a bond with them. Explain the story of your struggles, obstacles, or fears and the hardships you have faced. Tell them the story of your search to prove that you are a credible expert. Share the details of what you have gone through to master your craft. Paint a picture of what success looks like to inspire your audience and get them to ask you—where do we sign up?
Stay tuned for my second tip tomorrow – Share your Vision and Mission
Sue Mills is a marketing, sales and digital specialist to the Disability services sector, and the owner of Sassy Marketing & Communications. With over 20 years of experience working for corporate and Disability organisations she shows her clients how to step up and out to be sustainable and thrive in their practices through adopting smart and valuable marketing strategies. Call Sue on 0477 468 888 for a confidential discussion or visit www.sassy.marketing.
