Trying to become an expert slows me down

[_donut_]

I've read books where they say you should become an 'expert' at whatever you are wanting to start your business in. So every time I've looked into a business and try to start the path of becoming a 'expert' on that subject, I realize that its no easy task, will take perhaps years and quite a bit of money to accomplish and at the end of it, all I'd really be is a qualified employee and not a business owner who hires experts instead. It's almost like a form of action faking, where you are learning something and feeling like things are being accomplished, but no business is being built and at the end, you are an expert in that narrow niche field, but not even one brick of a business foundation has been laid.

 

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[alexkuzmov]

I've read books where they say you should become an 'expert' at whatever you are wanting to start your business in. So every time I've looked into a business and try to start the path of becoming a 'expert' on that subject, I realize that its no easy task, will take perhaps years and quite a bit of money to accomplish and at the end of it, all I'd really be is a qualified employee and not a business owner who hires experts instead. It's almost like a form of action faking, where you are learning something and feeling like things are being accomplished, but no business is being built and at the end, you are an expert in that narrow niche field, but not even one brick of a business foundation has been laid.

If you are going to become and expert at something, become an expert of selling and marketing.

However, I'm curious, which books do you mean? Will you list them?

 

[kommen]

I've read Start From Zero by Dane Maxwell (he's been in this forum too, btw) he wrote about why you DON'T want to be an "expert". Not saying you don't need skills.

Also, as @Andy Black says, stop "building" stuff.
Regarding hiring people, this might help once you got some clients down the road.

View: https://youtu.be/7KLnXjqKL5g


Just think who can you help this week, go help them and learn the skills as you do. Before you know it, people will perceive you as an expert without actually being an "expert".

 

[Stargazer]

It's obvious you don't need to be an expert. Especially when starting.

You have to, in general, know more than your client, be competent at what you do and target the correct audience for your current stage.

A one man band accountant is nothing like having KPMG as your accountants. The one man band is not targeting Vodafone and KPMG is not targeting a sole trader hairdresser.

A local tennis coach in a local tennis club knows the rules of tennis, how to play, how to teach and how to take a novice from zero to a certain level. The novice customer doesn't need the coach to be an 'expert' in the way you are thinking expert.

Dan

 

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[Boy Muhammad]

Its quite true to an extent, if you already have an idea, it'll make more sense to just jump in and learn on the go, but if you are still figuring out what to do, you might as well pick a skill and be an expert at it instead of wasting of time.

 

[Andy Black]

You don't become an expert then help people. You become an expert *by* helping people.

Also, you don't need to be better than your clients. Sometimes people hire someone to help them because they don't want or don't have time to do the work.

HOT! - MINDSET - You don't need to be an expert

You don't need to be an expert People typically underestimate the value they can add. Often they feel they need to be an expert to help someone. That's not the case. In this video I talk about how I got started in my current business, before I'd even heard of AdWords. (Transcription below.)

www.thefastlaneforum.com

NOTABLE! - What if you already know enough?

The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer. A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free”...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

[Andy Black]

I knew I'd posted something similar recently on Facebook.

I'm starting to become an expert at helping people become an expert at helping people. And I'm doing it by helping people.

 

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[SEBASTlAN]

will take perhaps years and quite a bit of money to accomplish

BS. You can consume a handful of books and courses (for next to nothing) over a weekend and be more knowledgeable than 99% of the population on almost anything. That's all you really need to get started and be perceived as an 'expert', which is an ambiguous term to begin with.

 

[kommen]

I'm starting to become an expert at helping people become an expert at helping people. And I'm doing it by helping people.

View: https://youtu.be/eYZQztEdRwM

 

[kommen]

become an expert of selling and marketing.

Slight disagreement, selling and marketing requires the crucial skill of deep listening, so be an expert at that.

 

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[Jeix]

From my experience, I started a business in a field (collectible card games) that I had been playing in as a customer for over 10 years. In other words, I became an expert at it while doing other stuff in my teenage life and now I'm taking advantage of that knowledge to help others with my store, having seen from the customer's point of view how other stores operate, succeed and fail.
I didn't need to stop doing everything else to become an expert, I did multiple things at once and I kept going on the ones I was passionate about.

 

[RicardoGrande]

The other posters hit it out of the park with discussing you just need to have a way to help someone.

As an aside, I have felt for awhile that a big problem now with a chunk of people that read TMF /Unscripted is that they're young (like me) and were exposed to anti-work sentiment or felt that what they were doing sucked @$$ and needed an immediate out. The problem is is that most wont have the depth of knowledge or experience in an industry like a 30/40 year would that could be leveraged in the creation of a product or service. Add on that they may barely have a college education, experience working at mcdonalds, or odd meta/non-transferrable skills (like me), and you have someone perfectly set up for spinning out, action-faking, and despair that they can't have a beautiful CENTS money-machine within a year.

In the end, you have a lot of younger people scrambling for an out and jumping into drop shipping or flipping or getting pulled to money-chasing like crypto. Not the best situation, but this is where people like Fox or Johnny come in to teach about running a service-based business and learning the ropes of entrepreneurship to give them a fighting chance.

 

[Fox]

You can't become an expert without first starting.

So whatever any book is saying - get started and be taking a ton of action.

 

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[_donut_]

If you are going to become and expert at something, become an expert of selling and marketing.

However, I'm curious, which books do you mean? Will you list them?

I don't have the specific names of the books and honestly don't have the time sift through my digital library to find them. Its usually the self help guru books.

I agree, being an expert of selling and marketing is a good thing, but then again, all it sets most up for is just that, being an expert of selling and marketing and becoming a guru on the subject. Its funny when you search these marketing gurus, they don't actually make money doing anything other than selling and marketing and they only create more sellers and marketers to sell selling and marketing, lol. Its one reason why I gave myself the username donut, because all this $#it is a never ending donut circling back on itself, haha.

Also, I hear regurgitated a lot around here is to take action and 'help' people and learn from mistakes along the way. Well, if you are helping people in a professional capacity on say technical subjects where they are paying you and you are making mistakes with them, you probably aren't really helping them.

How many people I have seen who have been harmed by those 'we buy houses' dopes taking 'massive action' and ruining peoples lives while they 'learn the biz'. It's messed up on many levels.

If you think you can read a couple of books, take a few courses and then go out and do business, well I'm sorry, but you are gonna suck and your customers are gonna suffer. The likely hood of a awful reputation building faster than a good one is highly likely given the power of the internet and consumers to spread word quickly about you.

Also, kommen you bring up another point. So many subjects have so many nuiances that there is ALWAYS something before it that you should be very good at. Just very general searches about 'deep listening' brings a whole WORLD of things to get good at. I'd keep going, but quite busy today.

PS: Not trying to be an ahole here, just a fervent discussion, thanks for all to who took the time to reply.

 

[Andy Black]

Also, I hear regurgitated a lot around here is to take action and 'help' people and learn from mistakes along the way. Well, if you are helping people in a professional capacity on say technical subjects where they are paying you and you are making mistakes with them, you probably aren't really helping them.

It's less "learn from mistakes along the way" and more "figure it out as you go along".

Businesses hire problem solvers.

I setup Google Ads campaigns for a friend after a voucher fell out of a book. I'd never even heard of Google Ads much less studied it. I was no expert but my goal was to help my friend so I "figured it out" for him while keeping a lid on his ad spend.

Yes, don't take on as your first client a business spending $50k/mth on ads. Take on a small client and maybe do the work for free while you figure out how to get them profitable.

Then when you've some success you can take on a paid client, and work your way up.

I'd rather hire someone who's done the work than someone who's got all the certifications and never run a single campaign. Now I think about it, I'm not even Google certified.

In my past life as an IT contractor I was paid to figure out wtf had gone wrong with systems and how to fix them. Again, I wasn't Oracle certified and I was only ever asked in one interview and they just shrugged and said they weren't either then promptly hired me.

You become an expert by doing the work not by studying.

And doing the work means solving problems and/or helping people.

My 2c.

 

[_donut_]

You must be real lucky to get hired to do things and they have no idea or even seem to care of your experience. This one time, I interviewed for a entry level position many many years ago with a cable company and grilled me including how to setup a network with windows by memory with no computer in front of me and to list the tabs to go through. This, to them, was base level knowledge. I have had more than one experience applying to companies for technical entry level positions and they all required what seemed like quite a bit of base technical knowledge. Maybe I just need to find dopes who are hiring?

 

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[alexkuzmov]

I don't have the specific names of the books and honestly don't have the time sift through my digital library to find them. Its usually the self help guru books.

Hmmm since this has had such a strong impression on you, one would think that you can say the name of at least one author or book.

I agree, being an expert of selling and marketing is a good thing, but then again, all it sets most up for is just that, being an expert of selling and marketing and becoming a guru on the subject. Its funny when you search these marketing gurus, they don't actually make money doing anything other than selling and marketing and they only create more sellers and marketers to sell selling and marketing, lol. Its one reason why I gave myself the username donut, because all this $#it is a never ending donut circling back on itself, haha.

So by your logic dont become "most".
Become an expert to sell products and/or services or better yet YOUR products and/or services. You can learn to pick locks and become a thief, or you can learn to pick locks and become a locksmith. Its up to you and how you apply your skills, your attitude stinks.

Also, I hear regurgitated a lot around here is to take action and 'help' people and learn from mistakes along the way. Well, if you are helping people in a professional capacity on say technical subjects where they are paying you and you are making mistakes with them, you probably aren't really helping them.

Whats the logic there?
Again its up to you.
Help for free if it bothers you getting paid.
Agree to get paid only for results is another option, then it wont matter that you've made mistakes so long as you help the other person in time at the end.
Help with things that you can help with, its really not that hard. You think someone from NASA is going to come to you for advice on rockets?
At best you can stretch across and up from your current skills while being realistic about what results you can provide.
You can always aquire new skills on your own time and dime and then go help.

If you think you can read a couple of books, take a few courses and then go out and do business, well I'm sorry, but you are gonna suck and your customers are gonna suffer. The likely hood of a awful reputation building faster than a good one is highly likely given the power of the internet and consumers to spread word quickly about you.

There is a lot to unpack here, but I can tell that this is a statement which comes from fear and risk aversion.
First of all people arent as concerned about you as you think they are. The likely hood of people spreading information about you depends on the magnitude of your mistake so try not to go to jail, ok?
Also people are generally forgiving. Honesty, transparency and always being available a.k.a. not hiding is the best way to avoid a bad reputation even if you make mistakes. All people make mistakes so they are generally understanding.
The odd one out who holds a grudge against you is inconsequential.

Finally you "do" business by doing business.
It means doing work, doing actions which move the business forward. You read help books and take courses when you have a probpem infront of you that you dont know how to solve so you read to learn how to solve it.
After that its back to work on the business.

And yea, you are right that a lot of skills are a combination of other skills, so when you peel the layer on a skill you see that you need to learn 3 other things, then you go one level down and you see that each of those skills is a combination too.
It never ends and you'll never know everything, just accept it and move on.

 

[alexkuzmov]

You must be real lucky to get hired to do things and they have no idea or even seem to care of your experience. This one time, I interviewed for a entry level position many many years ago with a cable company and grilled me including how to setup a network with windows by memory with no computer in front of me and to list the tabs to go through. This, to them, was base level knowledge. I have had more than one experience applying to companies for technical entry level positions and they all required what seemed like quite a bit of base technical knowledge. Maybe I just need to find dopes who are hiring?

So many companies offer training, junior programs, memtorship and so on.
Heck even a small time diner will teach you the basics of cooking.
What do you mean lucky?
What do you expect to find?

 

[Johnny boy]

Moron go get some food stamps

 

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[kommen]

I agree, being an expert of selling and marketing is a good thing, but then again, all it sets most up for is just that, being an expert of selling and marketing and becoming a guru on the subject. Its funny when you search these marketing gurus, they don't actually make money doing anything other than selling and marketing and they only create more sellers and marketers to sell selling and marketing, lol. Its one reason why I gave myself the username donut, because all this $#it is a never ending donut circling back on itself, haha.

Also, I hear regurgitated a lot around here is to take action and 'help' people and learn from mistakes along the way. Well, if you are helping people in a professional capacity on say technical subjects where they are paying you and you are making mistakes with them, you probably aren't really helping them.

How many people I have seen who have been harmed by those 'we buy houses' dopes taking 'massive action' and ruining peoples lives while they 'learn the biz'. It's messed up on many levels.

If you think you can read a couple of books, take a few courses and then go out and do business, well I'm sorry, but you are gonna suck and your customers are gonna suffer. The likely hood of a awful reputation building faster than a good one is highly likely given the power of the internet and consumers to spread word quickly about you.

This all just sounds like this video at 1:50

View: https://youtu.be/JQIcUBd-5fk

Also, kommen you bring up another point. So many subjects have so many nuiances that there is ALWAYS something before it that you should be very good at. Just very general searches about 'deep listening' brings a whole WORLD of things to get good at. I'd keep going, but quite busy today.

Dude, deep listening is just understanding another person's goals, problems stopping them from their goals, their pains and what they've attempted to solve them. It's just being a good friend towards others, it's not rocket science

I just happened to read this today:
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
Philippians 2:3-4 NIV

 

[_donut_]

Lol, you guys are awesome. : ) I'm all out of food stamps for this month. So .. hungry.. :*(

you don't have to help anyone, just buy low, sell high.

 

[Walter Hay]

I have learnt from reading this thread that some people see learning as a means of gaining sufficient knowledge of a subject that they can add a tag to their name: "EXPERT."

Having an inventive streak, I began experimenting at the age of 8, by carving small recesses in a block of wood, and melting some lead in a tin can resting in a small fire, then while holding it with a leather glove that I had found. I poured the lead into the small holes.

The resulting pellets charred the wood, but they were still uniform in size and shape, making them perfect ammunition for my slingshot.

That inventiveness taught me to learn from the customers that I visited when selling industrial chemicals in my first and only sales job. I simply asked how they used the products I was selling, because my employer had given me no instructions other than Product Data Sheets.

The outcome was that when I operated my own industrial chemical business I often saw that the manufacturing problems for which I was being consulted were engineering issues, not requiring a chemical solution.

Explaining how to remedy that problem as an engineering problem resulted in me becoming regarded as an expert, with word of mouth leading to me enjoying a reputation as an expert. That word of mouth somehow spread internationally and I received enquiries from many countries.

The most amazing one was a letter from the Australian Defence Industries (ADI) establishment now known as Thales Australia, requesting my assistance in a project developing a new guided missile.

It didn't interest me, so I just continued with the business I was running at that time.

I never wore the title "EXPERT".

WALTER

 

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[kommen]

Lol, you guys are awesome. : ) I'm all out of food stamps for this month. So .. hungry.. :*(

you don't have to help anyone, just buy low, sell high.

You do realize that nobody here is getting paid to help you right? And your response to us is coming up with excuses to not do it, and then being passive-aggressive and prideful with what you just said here.

If you have the genuine desire to pursue wealth, you wouldn't act like this. This proves you don't actually want wealth.

There's nothing wrong with that. There is no shame in admitting you don't actually want it. Just be honest and admit it.

For now, I wouldn't further respond and I encourage others not to waste their precious nonrefundable time too, so this person can find out what he truly wants in his life. I pray to God to grant this person humility.

You're on your own now, I wish you the best. Good luck.

 

[biophase]

Lol, you guys are awesome. : ) I'm all out of food stamps for this month. So .. hungry.. :*(

you don't have to help anyone, just buy low, sell high.

You joined over a year ago. What have you been doing?

Honestly, it just sounds like you don't like doing any work. So of course you'll never be an expert. But you also won't even be competent at anything either. Maybe you are just cut out to be an employee and have others show you what to do.

 

[Edgar King]

I've read books where they say you should become an 'expert' at whatever you are wanting to start your business in. So every time I've looked into a business and try to start the path of becoming a 'expert' on that subject, I realize that its no easy task, will take perhaps years and quite a bit of money to accomplish and at the end of it, all I'd really be is a qualified employee and not a business owner who hires experts instead. It's almost like a form of action faking, where you are learning something and feeling like things are being accomplished, but no business is being built and at the end, you are an expert in that narrow niche field, but not even one brick of a business foundation has been laid.

I think rather than trying to become an expert, focus rather, on solving the problem.

You can go from zero to an expert in almost any field if you really put your mind to it. But does that really matter to you? What is your grand goal?

If creating a CENTS based business is the goal, focus on filling the problem, learn as you go, in time some may refer to you as an expert. Especially a problem you see the value in solving and that motivates you to solve it. Working/learning can then become like play.

 

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