Being Known as the Expert is Good – Earning Trust and Respect is Better
This article was written by me and published on EzineArticles.com in August 2009.
Many people who embark on Internet Marketing have an intense desire to become known as “The Expert” in their particular niche. This desire is fed by claims that once you are known as the Expert your list will grow exponentially and you'll be able to monetize your list. There is basically nothing wrong with wanting to become known as the “Go To” person in a niche, and in fact, is a very good thing. However, is that enough?
Marketing on the World Wide Web offers endless opportunities and there are countless stories of amazing successes, but as large as the web world is, it is also a small world because it's just as easy to lose credibility as it is to gain it.  Stories abound of questionable marketing tactics like someone pre-selling a product that they had not even begun to work on and giving a deadline that they know will be impossible to meet? What about ordering a product from a well-know marketer and three months later it has not been received? You may be good at what you do; design tools to make it easier to do amazing things on the internet, but what about your reputation? What about your know, like and trust factor?
It's well-known that people do business with people they know, like and trust. They may know someone because of their being known as an Expert in their niche, but they personally have to develop that like and trust for the individual and this comes from their connections either directly or indirectly. Recently I read a quote that said that when people are satisfied with your service they tell three people, but when they are dissatisfied they tell 3,000.
Rather than offering something that you cannot deliver in a timely manner, would it not be more effective to refer your subscribers/followers/readers to another Marketer who can provide just what they need. Some of my favorite Internet Marketers are people who are quick to give praise to others in another niche and refer people to them. As an Expert, you do not need to have all the answers to gain and maintain trust and respect. In fact, people readily show more respect for others who show humility and will like and trust them even more. They'll be happy to do business with such persons and refer others to them.
