[This guest article was graciously shared by Kelly O’Neil. Please thank her by taking her up on her free MP3 offer: http://www.marketingtomillionairesgift.com]

Have you ever felt a smidge of good old fashioned jealousy to see a competitor – or even a friend – grinning up at you from a newspaper or trade publication?

It kills you, doesn’t it?

And you know why: Not because you don’t want to see them succeed, as much as you know you have the potential to be viewed as the expert! Selling your services to affluent clients enables you to charge premium pricing and gain invaluable referrals to their like-minded wealthy friend. In order to ensure your prospects gravitate to you, you must demonstrate your authority on a subject they are interested in. Why?

The affluent want to do business with an expert.

As an entrepreneur, a majority of your focus is always on securing new customers. While it is true that your repeat clients are the backbone of your success, you need to add new clients to your existing client base if you want your business to grow.

You must learn to sell yourself as an expert. When wealthy buyers see you as a knowledgeable professional whose opinions and guidance truly matter as well as a worthy step above the competition, they are more likely to hand over their hard-earned money. And because you are charging premium pricing with your affluent clients, it is even more important that you are the leading expert.

There are several ways to position yourself as an expert in the eyes of the affluent. The first thing you have to do is:

Be Confident in Your Expertise.

Stop taking your skills for granted. You know a lot more than you think you know.
It’s self-confidence that plays a large part in determining your happiness through life. Interestingly, the affluent are more definitively affected by how you present yourself and your credentials. Mostly likely, they achieve their status through hard work, determination and ingenuity. You are even more attractive to them when you present yourself in the same light.

And self-confidence is a necessary ingredient for success because it sells. It’s something you can sense about a person upon entering a room. It’s evident through body language and speech. If your confidence is lacking, try these tips:

1. Set goals and create a plan to achieve them
2. Use powerful affirmations such as “I am the expert;” “My information is valuable;” and “People desire to work with me.”
3. Practice confidence by emulating others. Take a look at the people who you think are the most confident. Try to find things they do in their body language and tone of voice to mimic until you find your own style.
4. Be prepared.

Create a Powerful Position & Brand.

In an overcrowded marketplace, if you’re not standing out, then you’re invisible.

The best way to captivate your audience is with an authentic and powerful personal brand. The benefits of a strong personal branding will give you an edge over your competition and enhance your value in the global marketplace.

Branding and positioning identifies and differentiates you, your business and your products and services so you stand out from the crowd and get noticed. If you are an expert but your message isn’t compelling with your affluent target, no one will know or care! Your informed affluent reader may gloss over the sell about your sale, but will likely stop in his/her tracks when your special report lands on the desk.

Once you have a powerful personal brand and position anchored on your expertise, the next step is to consistently communicate it through your brand identity: logo, business cards, letterhead, web site, invoices and any other outward communications you have.

Are you ready?

Now it is time for you to plan your road to becoming known as an expert. What actions will you commit to each month to achieve this? How much time will you devote? Use the ideas I’ve given to help you devise a plan that works for you and become the star in your field and reap the lucrative rewards of the affluent.

© Kelly O’Neil 2009

Kelly K. O’Neil, Chief Strategy Officer, UpLevel Strategies, Inc.

Award Winning Strategic Coach and Marketing to the Affluent Expert Kelly O’Neil publishes the ‘Arrive!’ weekly ezine for small service businesses and information marketers.  If you are ready to learn the best strategies to market to the affluent so that you can make more money and have more freedom and fun in your small business, get your FREE audio download “7 Surefire Marketing Strategies to Market to Millionaires” at http://www.marketingtomillionairesgift.com.

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