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You’re an Expert (And Don’t You Forget It)

You’re an Expert (And Don’t You Forget It)

There’s this thing that keeps happening.

Not to you. To me. For once, I’m starting a blog post by talking about myself… but only so I can talk about you.

Yeah, you. The one who says you don’t know what you have to offer a client, or what your specialist expertise might be.

It keeps happening. I have conversations that go something like this:

BAFB READER: I recently started freelance writing and I don’t really feel confident asking for money because I don’t know much about anything. I’m not an expert, I’m just a writer. And I’m scared to send any queries in case I get rejected. Or in case I don’t get rejected. Or in case I get writer’s block after I’ve been hired. Or in case I just can’t handle the pressure of a writer’s life and go crazy like Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

ME: Oh. OK. So, um, what did you do before you started freelance writing?

BAFB READER: Oh, I was a professor in advanced examples at the University of Examples. Then I spent a couple of years as an examples artist at the Example Institute for Impressive Examples.

ME [With restraint.]: So… did you ever think that maybe you could get started by writing about… you know… examples? 

BAFB READER: Oh! Well, I suppose I could. Do people pay for that?

*Facepalm*

Yes. Yes they do. People pay for blog posts on almost any topic you can imagine.

Look at Yourself. You Rock.

You're an Expert (And Don't You Forget It)

Seriously, look at yourself. Find a mirror and look in it.

See that?

That’s a freelance blogger with specialist knowledge worth paying for.

I don’t care if you’ve never set foot in the University of Examples and the last time your writing got graded was before you dropped out of high school.

You’re an expert in something.

What do you spend most of your time doing? What have you learned in your career? What did you study at college? Do you think perhaps you know more on that topic than most average people?

There you go. Expert.

If I ever meet someone who isn’t an expert in anything at all, I’ll tell them they’re an expert in living with the lack of expertise. Problem solved.

But I Don’t Feel Like an Expert…

I’ve been paid for posts about sex robots, bricklaying, Australian car insurance, dust mite biology, 3D street art, and live action role playing.

Am I an expert in any of those things? Only the sex robots. 😉

So how did I get hired? Two ways:

  1. I explained my expert connections. Sometimes they were tenuous, like “My fiance’s sister is a qualified bricklayer and I can tap her brain,” or “I know people who LARP.” [For non-geeks: that’s the role-playing thing.] But it works, because there’s a limited pool of bricklayer-bloggers to choose from. If you really want a particular gig and you don’t feel expert enough, go out and find yourself two or three people more expert than you in the topic who don’t mind if you email them a question every once in a while. Then when you contact the potential client, tell them you have access to those experts as well as your own knowledge.
  2. I demonstrated my expert writing and research skills. I got that 3D street art gig because the client liked my writing on another site. I got the car insurance gig because I’d edited posts for that blog before so they trusted me to write in their house style. I can show clients comments and social shares on my published work. And I can show them well-researched posts I’ve written, with hyperlinked source citations and quotes from interviewing expert sources.

Sometimes, you don’t need to be an expert in anything other than blogging. All you have to do is show your potential clients you can write stuff their audience will want to know.

But I Can’t Do That…

Why not?

Unless you’re suffering from some particularly acute form of amnesia, you know stuff that I don’t know.

Hell, if you know how to tie your shoelaces without making two loops, you know something I didn’t learn until I was in my twenties. And if you know how to blow your nose properly, you’re way ahead of me.

[No joke; when I have a sniffle I stuff paper tissue up my nose, pull it back out, and throw it away. Because I do not know how to blow my own nose. Sophie Lizard, expert blogger and nose-blowing failure. How you doing?]

You know a ton of stuff I don’t know. Could you write it up for me, if I asked you to help me understand it?

There you go. Expert.

You are.

Stop trying to argue with me, and go get yourself some gigs.

Image: ** RCB **

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Comments

  1. Sophie, I LOVED this!!! Your advice (as always) is simple, straightforward, and entertaining! It’s nice to know I’m not the only one suffering from expert-itis. Perhaps you could say I’m an expert in thinking of all the topics I don’t quite have expertise in (there. my expertise is in fact lack of expertise. Score!) Anyway! 1. I’m further prevented from feeling like an expert because of insecurities and the assumption that “duhh, there are so many people who know more about that ish than YOU.” aaand #o 2-oh: I want to learn how to decide who to target, and the absolute best aiming techniques for a killshot. BLAM!

  2. I definitely agree – everybody can find *some* area that they are knowledgeable about and can provide some expert analysis in.

    What prevents me from feeling like an expert? Umm….nothing, I already feel like one 😛

    The only thing I’d really like to learn about finding and winning high quality clients is how to tweak things as an international freelancer when my location is NOT being used as an asset – e.g. pitching generic websites.

  3. I’m already signed up for the class. Does that mean if I win I get a refund?

    Loved the post by the way (especially about blowing your nose because everyone tells me I do it wrong).

    1. The thing that prevents me from feeling like an expert is that there are so many other experts out there, and I don’t feel I measure up to the same standards. I’d like to become an expert in blogging and writing, but people like you seem so awesome and experienced that it feels I’m just not there yet. I haven’t ever worked for private clients, so I’m not sure why people should trust my freelance writing advice.

    2. What I want to learn is HOW to find the clients. I want to 1) make the money I’m worth and 2) be able to share my experiences with others and build up my credibility as a freelance writer.

    Thanks for an awesome post. I have started to feel more like an expert lately, but I have a long way to go.

    • Yep, clarification: if you win and you’re already a Masterclass student, you can choose a cash refund or the equivalent value in one-to-one mentoring sessions. 🙂 Thanks, Alicia!

  4. Sophie,

    What usually stops me is that I have worked so long under people in the accounting world who knew more than me about accounting. So, since I was under them, I can’t be an expert, right?

    I am so over that. The big problem I have is with having a CPA, CMA, and Certified Financial Manager, I am concerned that people will see those initials and think I am too expensive. However, that is for the accounting work. I imagine with writing that people would want someone with all those credentials to write for them.

    I am looking forward to the class, and will be looking for ways to leverage all those certifications to find clients who will need someone with my qualifications to give their site/magazine some firepower.

    See you in class!

  5. I feel like I dapple in a million different things, which is actually good, but still prevents me from feeling like an expert in any one thing.

    I would like to learn more about spotting prospective clients all around me. I know they are there, I just need some creative tips about turning my interactions into clients. Thanks!

    • Yep, they’re there. A lot of it is in the way you approach them – and that’s exactly the stuff you’ll learn in the Masterclass! Good luck in the contest. 🙂

  6. I wouldn’t really say I don’t feel like an expert. I, too have been paid to write articles about stuff I know nothing about. It’s called research. Combine facts with your writer’s voice and anyone can pull of appearing to be an expert.

    Now for question two. I need direction and a kick in my marketing pants to find high quality clients. My niche is green living and environmental awareness. I know I can (and should) be contacting food stores that support local farmers, businesses that promote sustainability, non-profits, etc. I need to get over my fear of marketing. Another stumbling block I have is query letters. I haven’t written a single one because I have no confidence in that regard. I have written a few LOI type emails and sent them off, but have not been diligent in reaching the masses, so to speak.

    I suppose, in a nut shell, I need to learn to get over my insecurities and have faith in my talent. I believe in my writing. However,I have no faith in myself as a marketer.

    • Faith is not required, Shauna – just write your queries and send them. If it helps, think of them as practice queries. That way there’s no pressure and it’ll be a nice surprise when you get a response. 🙂

  7. Excellent advice, as always, Sophie! I took my parenting + freelance experience to give my views as an “expert”, ( and I now have an ebook out on Kindle, the Freelance Mum Survival Guide), my chronic illnesses have turned into another ebook – from Bedbound to Badass in Business, and my “portfolio” career has been re-framed so many times it hurts 🙂 But the experience is mine, it’s all uniquely me, and people do want to read about it! x

  8. I can tie my shoes! I’m an expert! 🙂

    So, what prevents me from feeling like an expert? I know more than most people about real estate, but I don’t really think of myself as an expert. On the other hand, I don’t let that stop me from trying to get assignments writing about it. I love real estate. I write about it. I have samples for prospective clients to read. Those samples can help me get more assignments, expert or not.

    I want to learn how to come up with better article ideas and how to write better query letters.

    By the way, this post made me chuckle. Thanks! 🙂

    • I’m definitely going to put together a “how to generate blog post ideas” training this year. 🙂 I’ll let you know when I start to figure out the details!

  9. Heya Sophie –

    First of all, nice post. Oh, and what I do sometimes is hold one nostril down with my finger, grab a tissue and.. deal with the sniffle.

    But anyway.. back to the topic at hand:

    1. Alright, so I’m darn good at computer stuff, technology, simplifying complex material for everyday users.. I guess it’d be technical writing. But also about website content, SEO and library stuff.

    However, without many clips and no recent experience, it makes me *feel* like I’m not an expert.. even though I am. Especially when some clients desire all these specific requirements, like I’m looking for a full-time job again. Combine that with rejection and — poof! — instant feeling of non-expertness.

    2. I’d like to find clients take are willing to pay for professional writing at a professional rate. The other day I saw an ad for a NYSE-listed corporation with nearly a BILLION dollars in sales looking a blogger at $50 a post. Are you frickin’ kidding me?!

    That’s pretty much it. Confidence & expertise concerns are temporary. But finding clients that pre-qualify before replying to e-mail would be muuuuch easier.

    • Find another freelance writer who’s getting gigs you’d like (you can do that by checking the bylines on the publications you’d like to work for, or by looking around on LinkedIn).

      Then Google up that writer’s website and see if you can find any mention of their rates –if you can see they charge at least as much as you want to charge, that’s awesome, but a lot of writers don’t publish guideline rates.

      Next, go through their portfolio and note down the publications they’ve worked for. Then research and send queries to a few of those publications. They’re prequalified to (a) accept freelance contributions and (b) pay a rate that’s worthwhile to a pro freelance writer. 😉

      • Oooh.. that’s clever!

        I guess there’s a bit more research I need to do before trying to put a client in the “qualified” column.

        No wonder why YOU’RE the expert among us experts! 🙂

  11. After my first gig, I am now more comfortable with accepting topics I know absolutely nothing about.

    My first client was a realtor, and I knew nothing about realty – except the process my husband and I went through when we bought our house.

    I have always loved to research. Anything and everything. I love learning about new things that interest me. The only problem is I get into *too* many things and projects, and rarely follow through or finish.

    Anyway, this nerdish research skill of mine really came in handy. I found that I hate writing about realty – I’d rather write about weird parasites or garden insects! – but more importantly, that I could actually write about something I wasn’t interested in and knew little to nothing about.

    I’m able to say I am an expert at researching random topics, but ultimately, I am not an expert in anything specific. Your article eases my fears a little about whether this is an acceptable selling point.

    I would love to learn how to not only find high-quality clients, but also to learn how to sound competent and confident enough to win them. I’m not very comfortable with talking to people. I know this is something I really need to work on if I want to succeed at freelancing.

    I’ve been trying to work on that pitch for you, and *that* is even freaking me out. I am really fighting that urge again to just post it on my blog and go crawl under a rock.

  12. Weird parasites and garden insects? My dust mites client would’ve loved you. 🙂 I’m 100000% sure you’ll find ways to apply your expertise in biology & forensics to freelance blogging. I recently wrote a post [not published yet, or I’d link to it] for Career Attraction about office politics that was entirely based on psychology research using capuchin monkeys. If I can swing an angle like that, so can you!

  13. My problem is knowing where on the internet to go. I don’t doubt that there are people who want my expertise (if you want to call it that), but it’s a big internet out there. As far as what stops me from being an expert, I’m still in college, with a boring degree pending.

  14. Standing ovation (chair creaks)! Thank you for one awesome post, Sophie. I’ve printed out your uplifting words to keep cheering me on. Concerning your questions:

    1. My feelings of not being an expert stem from my technical shortcomings as a blogger. Do I look like one? I’m insecure about not having a self-hosted site, my lack of WordPress prowess and the absence of an organized online portfolio. For show and tell, I “tell” much better than I “show.” My gift, so to speak, needs a box, paper, bow — details to put the package together.
    2. I’d love your class as a way that could beef up my HOW and WHY skills. How do I negotiate a fee, once I’ve found someone who likes my skills? Why should a client who’s never hired a blogger before choose me as their first?
    Again, thanks for this online inspiration. Happy First Birthday!

    • The simple way to get past that tech obstacle is to open a free WordPress.com blog so you can poke around and see how it works on the inside. Once you’re familiar with WordPress.com, you know at least the basics of creating posts and pages in WordPress.org. And for an organised online portfolio, add your clips to your LinkedIn profile and use that until you get your own site set up. 🙂

  15. Another great post. Thanks Sophie.
    Ten years ago I set up a business consulting firm with two business partners and we all had expertise in different areas (marketing, financial management, HR). We hung up our shingle, contacted everyone we knew and waited for the phone to ring. Which it did. But the enquiries were often about a job we knew nothing about. “Sure, we can do that,” we would say to the prospective new client. Then we’d hang up, look at each other and say “how the bloody hell do we do that?” Point is, when you’re hungry enough, you’ll find a way to become an expert in just about anything. We’d do copious research, and talk to the real experts in the field and ‘fake it til we’d make it’. Once we had one or two of these jobs under our belt, we could add that ‘expertise’ to our list. Ten years on, our list had grown, our business was rocking, but we still occasionally found ourselves saying to new clients “sure we can do that,” as we typed the subject matter into Google. I learned there was very little that prevented me from feeling like an expert in all sorts of areas I knew nothing about because most subjects usually boil down to applying common sense, great research and hard work. What I want to learn about is how to stand out in a crowd when you’re targeting new clients. And you’re definitely an expert at that! Mel

    • Ha! I’ve done that before, too. It’s much easier when you have a handful of specialisms to focus on, so that even the parts you don’t know how to do are in a familiar landscape. 🙂

      Standing out is actually more about the client than it is about you. When you identify and align with the right clients, you’ll stand out to them because you *are* the right person for them.

  16. The single thing that prevents me from feeling like an expert…(in reference to being diverse in freelance writing topics) is that I write so incredibly slow!!! What takes an experienced blogger 3 hours to write, I could very easily put in 20,perhaps 40. I fear that I will not make the required deadlines and I keep searching for ways to produce high quality content in smaller time frames.

    In regards to high quality clients…I have this sense of obligation to every single person who demonstrates a need. It’s not just a writing problem…it quite obviously stems from my personal life. Having said that, I have absolutely no clue as to how to decipher high quality and low quality…none…zilch.

    • Have you taken Danny Iny’s productive blogging course? (Affiliate link.) It teaches you to write up to 1000-ish words per hour and keep the quality high.

      High quality clients are the ones who value great content and respect the people who produce it. They understand the benefits of getting top-notch posts on their blog, and they expect to pay you a fair professional rate in exchange. (Easiest way to tell the difference: if they had a $100/month budget, high quality clients would expect one or two good blog posts and low quality clients would demand 10 blog posts because they don’t value the writing.)

  17. This post really touched a soft spot.

    I’ve only been working for three years and I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished anything worthwhile mentioning in those three years. I don’t feel like I’ve gained enough knowledge about a subject to call myself an expert.
    The ‘funny’ thing is that I regularly read posts and think: “I could’ve thought of that, so why didn’t I?”.
    I think that I take the things that I do know for granted and assume that they’re already widely known and thus not interesting to write about anymore.
    It often strikes me how the most “duh!” evoking (to me) posts are the ones that have so much success.
    So I think I need to learn how to define my expertise and really recognize it as such.

    What I would like to learn about finding and winning high-quality clients?
    I’d like to learn how to really target my search. Now I have a doc to which I add publications and potential clients ‘as I come across them’.
    It’s not that I don’t look – I do look! – but I don’t have a strategic approach for it.
    I’d also like to learn how to create a structure that allows me to balance searching for clients with pitching and doing the actual work.

    Can you tell I’d LOVE to win this one?:-)

  18. Expert seems like such a strong word. If you said knowledgeable, I am okay but I am intimidated by the word expert.
    There is a lot I want to learn regarding finding and winning high-quality clients. I suppose the biggest thing is how to start. I’ve read your blog and others and know to some degree how but something is holding me back.

  19. Hi Sophie,
    Fantabulous post!

    What prevents me feeling like an expert?
    Lack of experience.
    What do you want to learn about finding and winning high-quality clients?
    Where do I find them? How do I query them successfully?

  20. I feel like I’m smart enough to be an expert but I’m not sure how to sell it that way. It feels like all my jobs and education have not given me easily marketable skills except for research, writing and analysis. Good skills to have, I know, but I need to figure out how to pitch them for specific jobs. As far as finding clients, I believe the answer is to get my foot in the door. I have great confidence I can show my abilities and that I’m easy to work with; I just need to learn how to get that initial opportunity.

  21. Hehe I love the the nose blowing anecdote.

    1) Hmm…what keeps me from feeling like an expert? I don’t feel like I know *enough* about my non-writing related knowledge base. I guess it’s an enough threshold that I’ve made up.

    2) I’d love to know what to say to clients without looking like an idiot and looking pro.

  22. Sophie you are dropping major knowledge in this one! 🙂

    What prevents me from feeling like an expert is just plain old fear. When I see an opportunity that would be awesome I get happy and then super scared, thinking that I’m not good enough for the job. then I remember that if something doesn’t scares me, I’m not dreaming big enough (then close my eyes and hit Submit!)

    What I would like to learn about finding and winning high paying clients is how to sell your experience in a field not related to the client’s. I haven’t had much luck in finding high paying jobs in my niche (beauty and fashion) so I have to look to other areas that I would be comfortable blogging about. I would love to know how to sell my skills and land the job.

  23. An uplifting read, Sophie. Thank you for that!

    What prevents me from feeling like an expert is that a lot of my interests are self-taught, and I worry that those who are professionally trained in the subject may criticize me because of that. Furthermore, I worry my interests aren’t what I’ll be asked to write about, like my love of gaming Youtubers. Although, as you said, there is a market for just about everything.

    I’d love to learn about not only an effective strategy for finding clients and gigs but also how to present my future portfolio to them confidently. Of course, building a portfolio alone is going to be difficult, but I know when I have it together I’ll be far too nervous to sell it!

  24. Hi Sophie,

    I tried posting yesterday but my comment wouldn’t go through, for some reason. Anyway.

    Very nice post showing how everyone’s an expert at something. I also chuckled at the nosey blowing thing. And, thanks for sharing with us something, which most people would keep it to themselves, especially if they fail at it.

    I agree with another commenter who said to hold or press one nostril when blowing from the other. That makes blowing it, easy. Many people in India use a smelly thing – granules – called nausadar in Hindi. Taking it near the nose makes you instantly sneeze out many times. And, you don’t have to do the ‘phoon-phoon’ anymore. So simple. Well, enough nosey blowing now.

    Back to the post, I’ll also say everyone is not just an expert at something or the other, but everyone has a specialty which no one else has. If they can somehow know or understand what it is, they can progress multifold by using it in all possible ways. Many people don’t understand their specialty all through their lives. Something like the SWOT analysis could help us knowing our best.

    Okay, what prevents me feeling like an expert is – I like every thing to be perfect. I don’t like anything which isn’t perfect, which makes me worry more than needed about something. This perfectionist thing is a never-ending tale.

    Finding clients is a new thing for me at this time because I don’t have any at this time and am new in the business. I sure have landed good jobs by using great cover-letters and showing what I’ve achieved and can do for them, but how to get my first client – I’m somewhat unsure at this time. So, my question is how to get my first client, in the first place … other than by just having my blog and website in place? This may not be the answer you’re looking for, though.

  26. I so love, love, love this post, Sophie. Speaks to me and sees through me. I’ve already written a lot of business and work management articles for different business and technology blogs, and I still don’t see myself an expert. It’s this thing they call the “impostor syndrome” that gets to me every time, I think. It’s hard to get past it sometimes, but so far, I manage to do just fine. 😉

    (Bookmarking this post now, so that whenever I get the urge the doubt the “expert” in me, I can easily go back to it.)

  27. Loved this post! Sophie, you are the most uplifting, self-powering blogger I’ve come across. And it’s not even close. All of your posts leave me feeling this way.

    We are all experts on something, we just have to open our eyes and stop being so negative about ourselves and our capabilities. Thanks for the reminders.

  28. I am an expert nose blower (serious allergies since I was a kid). If you’re ever in Australia, I’d be happy to give some lessons….. 😉

  29. It’s the uncertainty about the time needed to write a piece on an unfamiliar topic, that intimidates most people. They are fearful of not being able to measure up to the expectations of the client and earning a poor reputation.

    Procrastination becomes the refuge of such people, and they blame it on lack of knowledge, or expertise.

  30. This is eyes opening and inspiring, but the most important thing: You had me at “Sophie Lizard, expert blogger and nose-blowing failure.” lmao.

    In all seriousness, this did just give me a minor light-bulb moment, only because it made me reflect on things I may be more of an expert at than I’ve given myself credit for. Example: I’m a self-taught guitarist (15+ years) and singer, but because none of that is in “formal” training, nor can I read music on guitar, I didn’t feel like I had anything to write about.

    …And then I realized I’d be an expert on self-teaching yourself guitar and singing. Derp.

  31. Hey Sophie
    I love the way you say straight from heart t to heart.
    Yes, I was the sort you referred in your article. Even having penned about 100 posts for different blogs and mine I was not feeling confident, but only until I went through this post of yours.
    Yeah, now I feel I’m an expert. A real boost this, for bloggers having low opinion of themselves.
    Thanks a million Sophie.