Take a Harsh Look in the Mirror

For your passion and expertise to drive your economic engine, you have to figure out what it is that you are going to do and for whom. This is of course a process based on what we have learned from earlier posts. By this posting you are well on your way to:

• clarifying what you are truly most passionate about;
• understanding at what you really want to be best in the world, because clients of professionals seek out experts for “bet-the-company” work and pay more for that work, and because you can only be an expert in that about which you are most passionate;
• defining what “world” you will be best in; and
• establishing a culture of discipline around becoming best in that world.

So fine, you are passionate about X, and you are really driving to be best in the world at X. What if no one wants to pay anything for X?

In my experience and according to all of the literature I have read, if you are best in the world at something, you can make a good living doing it so long as you find your driver, follow up and provide phenomenal service. The best welder in the world does not work on steel buildings, he or she works on high-risk projects that absolutely positively have to be welded perfectly or people will die, or on fine tiny welding that requires incredible precision. These welders make a lot of money because very few can do this work. These welders are truly passionate about welding because it requires incredible skill, training, dedication and is high-pressure work. If your weld fails and people die . . . well you have to KNOW that will not happen.

As a professional, however, you have to be able to articulate what it is that you do so that potential buyers will understand it clearly. The first step is a strong self-evaluation. You must take a harsh look in the mirror.

What are your skills? At what are you dedicated do becoming best in the world? How does that translate into a marketable service? What about your expertise will clients want to purchase for large sums of money? This may take some additional research. You may need to consult partners in the firm, friends in business, journals on the subject, internet website, e-newsletters and the like.

Identify future trends. What will be “hot” in your area? Do not change your expertise to fit into hot areas about which you are not passionate. Uncover the future for the things about which you are most passionate. Be realistic. If you have decided you are passionate about making really great buggy whips, you may want to refocus your passion a bit, though perhaps there is a market for really wonderful buggy whips. Who am I to judge?

You have to face the brutal facts. In addition to clearly defining what you do, you have to clearly identify what do you NOT do and, as important, what do you not want to do. If you do not want to do it, you will not be any good at it. If you do work you are not expert in for a client who has hired you as a high level expert, you will ruin your customer relationship, reputation and the perception of you as an expert even in the area where you actually are best in the world. Reputation is all you have to sell. You cannot lose that by doing things you cannot or do not want to do.

Are these tasks important to providing the service you want to provide? If so, how can you fill those voids? Outsource to other experts in your firm or in another firm? Find juniors who love this stuff and are already good or great? Train juniors to be great in these areas? All of the above or something else. Building your team will be the subject of the next post.

At this point you are looking internally at yourself. As you build your service, you must have in mind what the client will want, but you first have to be honest about who you are, who you want to be, and what you offer as a true expert. The first step is always an honest look at yourself and how you fit in the marketplace.

Take a harsh, honest look in the mirror. What do you see?