Are you an expert at what you do? Is your professional competence what defines you? If so, then get ready to change.

In an increasingly flat-lined and matrix managed world it’s not enough anymore to just be an amazing technical expert - we must also be compelling influencers and communicators.

It’s not enough to continue to lead with values of competition and control we must now also invoke more powerful influential values of collaboration, synergy and empathy.

In the near future AI (artificial intelligence) will provide the expertise to get the job done but the ability of skilled human influencers to provide empathy, engagement and care to lead, to build trust, advise and to inspire is already becoming a much sought after skill-set.

Silicon Valley’s greatest challenge is not more experts – it’s experts who can communicate in a compelling way.

I often see competent experts failing to successfully win (or retain) clients, build businesses or failing to get promoted as leaders because they are poor at the brand building, networking and influencing skills that other colleagues excel at.

Experts in ICT, accounting, law, media, financial services etc. who have always prided themselves on delivering the best expertise to their clients are starting to struggle now that - while expertise is still important – clients and key internal stakeholders want to work with people that they know, like and trust.

For startups led by technical experts – their challenge is influence not expertise. Influence wins investment, clients and the right staff at a crucial stage of their growth.

Put simply, people are caring less about how good technically you are because if they don’t like you, know or trust you they won’t give you the chance to deploy those amazing technical skills.

Today smart experts are recognising the value of learning the skills of what it takes to be powerful and compelling influencers. They understand that in a world where client and stakeholder attention spans have been radically diminished, where trust and not just expertise commands a premium and where ‘share of attention = share of wallet/influence’ that what was once dismissed as ‘soft skills’ are now the tools of ‘soft power’.

Today the core competencies of being successful as an influential leader or business developer/advisor are:

1. Being able to network successfully and non-intrusively in any room and getting qualified access to key stakeholders and client meetings

2. Being able to connect, involve and influence all kinds of personality types

3. Being able to manage and control any and all client and staff meetings in a way that is not seen as ‘pushy’ or intimidating and

4. Being able to present and speak with power and compulsion.

If you want to learn the secrets of just how to move from being an Expert2Influencer to build your business profits or your leadership career then just click on the link and join us for a new networking and workshop series for experts and professionals starting in September in Dublin.

Then register you or your team online and let’s begin the journey.

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