Ready to become the sought-after expert your clients will want to work with and be willing to pay a premium to do so? Do you want to know how you are unique to your clients & how you can stand out in the sea of competitors? Are you the "best kept secret in your market?” If you want to know the shortcuts to build your personal brand and become the go-to expert and the authority in your field, DO NOT MISS this series by advocate Itzik Amiel, bestselling author and international speaker and the global authority on personal branding for professionals.
Have you ever wondered why some professionals seem to garner all the praise and success, while others are overlooked?
Do you think it’s sheer luck – being in the right place at the right time? Or maybe because these professionals work so much harder than others?
The truth is far away from it, as you’ll discover in this part of our special series.
GET RECOGNIZED
In my research for my bestselling book “The Attention Switch”, I found out, not surprisingly, that all of us like to get attention and to be recognized.
In the book “The politics of Recognition” the author Charles Taylor asserts: “Due recognition is not just a courtesy we owe people, but a vital human need.”
I never met any professional (or actually any human being) that does not strive to be acknowledged for her or his efforts.
This acknowledgement is an important part of building and creating your everlasting authority position.
But here are the interesting finding.
There is one asset that can a tremendous influence on your capacity to garner that respect and recognition and help you build your authority faster.
Do you want to guess what it is?
It is – Likeability.
Do you need evidence?
Let’s go back to your school period. Can you recall – if you rate your teachers by your likability?
The university of Hawaii conducted a students survey about course evaluations to investigate the link between liking and learning.
They found that “Students who rate their instructor high in likeability reward that instructor with high rating on overall teaching ability…likeability was the strongest predictor of students’ overall rating of thir teachers; and, as a predictor of rating, likeability had three times the effect of perceived learning”.
The same is also true about the students themselves. Likeable students receive recognition and reach better positions due to their likeability factor as well.
Very interesting, but not surprising.
This is true also in our professional environments. People are emotional creatures, like our bosses, clients, partners , etc.
A likeable professional, that produces positive feelings in others, be it their colleagues, partners, clients or even their boss, will get better annual reviews and opportunities than an unlikeable professional.
And more importantly, the likeable professional gets more sincere feedback from different people, who really want to help them succeed, allowing for continued improvement.
OUTPERFORM
With so many demands on your clients' attention these days, they have to filter and carefully select what they are going to pay attention to.
This is why becoming and establishing yourself as a highly likable authority is so important.
It is quite obvious that without having people paying attention to your message, you will not establish your authority position. Agree?
Your potential clients need a reason to deem your message important enough to sit up and listen to it.
Now, if you're likeable, you've got a better shot at capturing their attention. And, they are far more likely to remember what they've heard and see you as an authority in your field.
Let us revisit again the Hawaii university research.
When the university checked if likeable teachers received good rating because of their like-ability or because they in fact thought well, they found that “students who perceive a teacher as likeable, in contrast to those who do not, may be more attentive to the information hat the teacher delivers, and they’ll work harder on assignments, and they’ll be more receptive to grading, and they will learn more.”
In other words, the positive feelings you invoke in other people, also as a professional, are returned to you.
This is called – ‘the feedback loop’ and it influence also your authority building as a professional.
You probably noticed the pattern in your professional life (and also in your personal life) when you try to give someone advice.
The more likeable you are to the other person, the more positive your relationship with that person, the more she or he seems to listen, and the more you feel your authority position, i.e., you feel more certain that the other person intends to act on your advice.
To emphasize the power of likability in building your authority position as a professional, I will dare to say that a likeable lawyer tends to be skilled in convincing others to act and helping them understand exactly what he needs them to do (internally and externally).
INFLUENCE & PERSUADE
People prefer to say yes to those that they like.
This is the reason why Dr. Caldini describes it as one of the 6 Principles of Persuasion in his classic book Influence, the principle of “liking”.
But what causes one person to like another?
Persuasion science tells us that there are three important factors.
We like people who are similar to us.
We like people who pay us compliments.
And we like people who cooperate with us towards mutual goals.
Actually, it may surprise you to learn that the key to the liking principle isn’t so much about getting others to like us; it’s really about us coming to like them.
Too often people are concerned that building their authority means doing whatever it takes to get people to like them.
It is the opposite.
Please realize that if you genuinely like the person you’re with, that person will sense it and naturally reciprocate (at least in most cases).
The Super Simple Secret
Your likability has an enormous impact on your perceived value.
So what's the straightforward secret to a better and faster route to build your authority?
Just be attentive and present.
We find those people who genuinely give us their full attention to be the most likeable and charismatic.
As I prove I my bestselling book “The Attention Switch” - if you meet someone who is completely attentive to you and actively engaged in the conversation, you are much more likely to find them likeable and interesting.
Why?
Because in that moment, the only thing that seems to matter to them is you. You are the most important person there, and they have gifted you with their most precious asset – their time.
Likability builds your authority position.
As you can see, the vital need to be recognized may be more controllable that you think. Your personality will have as much to do with your recognition and building your authority, as your results or even your luck.
Develop your credibility, establish yourself as an expert, strive to be your most likable self and you'll quickly become the best and most obvious choice for clients to buy from.
From elementary school to school of life and your professional work, when you are likeable, you are praised. You are acknowledged. And you are able to build your authority faster.
And you know that it feels great.
So what are you waiting for? How are you working to become a more likeable authority?
Want to discover what it really takes to become more likeable and build your authority in your field – and the steps you need to take?
Attend our next free training session on Building your authority position or schedule a strategy call here.
You've got to want to be an authority, not just want what authority brings you.
Is it worth it?
Absolutely. If it's right for you.
If you have any specific question with regards to building your authority position and your personal brand, please send us an e-mail and share it with us. I may include it in one of the upcoming articles.
Until next month, keep STANDING OUT!
About the Author
Itzik Amiel is considered the global leading authority on Business Development, Business Networking & Personal Branding. He is a sought-after international speaker, trainer, business mentor, & attorney-at-law. He is also the bestselling author of “The Attention Switch” & Founder of THE SWITCH®, the global community for professionals to grow their practice.
Itzik teaches Lawyers and other professionals to attract and win their ideal clients by becoming seen as authorities in their field and to SWITCH their relations to Referrals+Revenue+Results.
If you want to get in touch with Itzik and to learn how can you build your Authority in your field, you can book a free discovery session with Itzik HERE
More information: itzikamiel.com or connect with Itzik via: info@itzikamiel.com