We all know people that we consider to be experts. These are the people who we would call if we needed advice or to ask a question about a subject. I know that when I was starting the process of having my knees replaced I called my brother who I think is an expert on the subject of knee replacements.
Now I want you all to think about a person that you consider being an expert. Do you have them pictured in your mind? Now ask yourself this, what did they do to become experts? Some of these people went to school to become experts. Some have worked in a field for a long time and have gained the knowledge through experience. Others may have a combination of both. My brother for instance has both. Not only has he been an Orthopedic Surgeons Assistant for over 40 years and has done more knee replacements then most doctors will do over a career but he has been to dozens of classes that specifically talk about knee replacement and have trained him on the newest methods.
My idea of what it took to become an expert was shattered several years ago with one piece of data;
IF YOU READ ABOUT A SUBJECT FOR JUST 30 MINUTES A DAY FOR A YEAR, YOU WILL BE AN EXPERT.
Now think about this for a moment, in as little as 10,950 minutes, 182.5 hours, you can be considered an expert on any subject. Do you realize that is less than 8 days? That’s crazy. Or is it?
What makes someone an expert? Usually it is having more knowledge of a subject than anyone else you know. My brother would fit this category. So in this case the word expert is a relative term used in connection to others you know. Sometimes being an expert means that the person is the best there is in the area. Now the scope of opinion is broader than just people you know and is a general thought of most people in the area. My orthopedic surgeon falls into this category. Finally an expert can be of national or international acclaim and is considered by everyone to know as much or more than anyone else. Dr’s Gunston and Marmor would fit in this category; they are the pioneers of knee replacement.
Now that we know how to define an expert, and we know what it takes to be considered an expert, we just need to decide what we want to become an expert in. Maybe you want to focus on a certain type of customer so you can become an industry expert and help all your customers in that industry with their problems. Maybe you want to break into a new area and want to become an expert so you can call on these businesses with confidence. Maybe you want to become an expert in the industry you work in so you can supply better solutions and help ALL your customers. It doesn’t matter, especially now that we know how to become experts we can master one subject and then move onto another, constantly building our knowledge and expanding our base of business.
30 minutes a day for a year. Not a lot to ask of someone to allow them to do more for their customers than anyone else does. There are no rules to the 30 minutes either, it may be 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night. It can be broken up anyway you need it to be so you can fit it in.
Let’s look at another piece of data that I have acquired along the way. It takes 21 days to form a habit. This means that if you start reading 30 minutes a day today, by September 21st you will have formed the habit of reading 30 minutes a day.
Put these two pieces of data together. Starting today you will have the habit of reading 30 minutes a day by September 21st. You will also be considered an expert on the subject you have been reading about by August 31st 2011. On September 1st 2011 you can then start reading about the next subject you want to master and become an expert in. You could be considered an expert in as many subjects as there are years remaining in your career. What do you think that will do for your business?
While we are on the subject, signing up to follow this blog and reading it as part of your 30 minutes of reading a day, will help you become an expert in sales in one year. Don’t your customers deserve to buy from no less than an expert sales rep?
Lorin
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