Top 5 Benefits of Becoming a Specialist in Your Chosen Field

1. Specialists have opinions

As you become immersed in your area of speciality, so you develop strong opinions. As a Solo Entrepreneur these opinions may be about a particular area within the scope of your work or they may be about the circles within which you operate. If you're a retailer of products, your opinion may be about what you sell, issues concerning the people you sell to, or issues to do with being a retailer.

The point is, opinions matter. People value your opinions - your customers; your contacts; your network; the media. Speak up about your views and before too long you will be approached for opinion.

Ponder for a moment: Your customers; your contacts; your network; the media......approaching you. How does it feel?


2. As an aid to generating referral

In simple terms, for referrals to be generated, people need to know what you do and who you do it for. I admit there's more to it than that, but now's not the time.

By establishing yourself as a specialist in a given field, you make it easier for acquaintances, friends, fans and advocates to talk about you.

Got trouble with your feet? Need work on your gums? Who you gonna call?


3. Helps maintains focus

Focus is fabulous. Henry David Thoreau had it right all along. So if you'd like to 'meet with a success unexpected in common hours' you'll give it your attention. By becoming a specialist, focus moves from being an optional extra to standard equipment. You simply have no choice.


4. Specialists command a premium

Recently, in a crisp little surgery with art on the walls and James Taylor playing on the stereo ('When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand.') a very nice man in white Birkenstock sandals spent 40 mins prodding around in my mouth. It cost me $500.

I am not complaining; I'm merely illustrating a point: If you dedicate yourself to your area of speciality and over time, truly become a specialist you can charge a premium for your work.

Quick Quiz: What were the two most important words in the last paragraph?

(Answer: 1. Dedicate 2.Truly)


5. You'll open a door to serial-specialism

Once you have tasted the benefits of becoming a specialist, you're likely to see opportunities for more. A good place to start is to look at your current client base and search for specialised commonalities in the work you do. A valuable exercise can be to ask the question of clients: What do you get from working with me that you did not anticipate at the outset?