What makes an expert different?

This week, a good friend of mine, Alastair (check out his blog on effective online marketing) , sent me a link to a video of Brandon Burchard.  Brandon is the founder of a series of seminars in which he helps others turn their passions into speeches, books and positive change for the world.  I like his explanation of what differentiates a true expert from non-experts.  This is relevant for anyone who communicates regularly from a position of authority – doctors, scientists, professors...

There are four things that the best experts do:

1. Choose mastery.  Choose continuous learning. Choose to read, to review, to focus intensely on a continuous process of learning and growing in the specific field in which they are experts.  Go deep rather than go broad.
2. Regularly interview other experts looking for patterns and best practice.
3. Create arguments based on four parts:
1. What we should be paying attention to
2. What things mean
3. How things work
4. What might happen
4. Simplify complex ideas with frameworks

There are four further things that can differentiate the wealthy expert from the plain expert:

1. Package their knowledge: Write, speak, record – put knowledge into a form that people are willing to purchase
2. Campaign vs Promote their knowledge – each interaction leads to a further interaction
3. Charge expert fees – charge more than you are comfortable with
4. Focus on:
1. Distinction – Keep studying the competition and keep innovating
2. Excellence – Be better
3. Service – Be helpful and responsive

I will finish with a thought from Charles Handy, the Irish business philosopher who was one of the founders of London Business School.  I read his autobiography thanks to Matt, another newly minted blogger (on creating amazing customer experience) from London. 

“The aim of education is to give someone the self belief that enables them to take charge of their own life.”  I think this is the worthy aim of any expert.