How to Market yourself
One Expert is intended to improve access to experts and technologies particularly by people living outside of the major urban centers where most research and technical institutions are located. In the same manner, One Expert will likewise bring the services of any accredited expert located anywhere in the Philippines to clients that need S&T assistance.
And you are the experts.
However, having topnotch skills and experience will not always be enough to get you the job, you must know how to market yourself effectively to really get noticed.
One Expert is a channel. A gateway. A bridge. But, are we connecting the right people? Are we bringing in the right you?
Which leads us to the questions: Who are you? What is your brand? Because a brand is something you are known for. And so, help us to bring you to the country by marketing your brand, by marketing yourself.
1. Know yourself. More specifically, know your unique selling point. Are you a microbiologist? An electrical engineer? Do you specialize in aquaculture? Are you more into field works or research? And it’s alright to point out skills you are not at good at or that still needs to be improved.
2. Know your audience. After establishing who you are, identify which demographics fit into your area of expertise. Research and create detailed customer personas. How old are they? Where do they live? Are good you to fit in with large companies or have the heart to work with SMEs? Will your accomplishments awe people or scare them away? If you want to serve the general public, be prepared to know their demographics and the psychology behind their lifestyle and decision makings.
3. Develop relationships. Your relationships with people will define your branding. You don’t want to end up as the person people will say, “Oh, I don’t want to work with her. She’s rude,” or “No, not him. I find him too soft-spoken and repetitive.” No, you want them to have a good business relationship with you, so that they can hire you, they want to work with you, they want to refer you to their friends. So how’s your relationship with your boss, employees, team, industry peers, clients, DOST, One Expert…
4. Create strategies. For you to promote your brand (yourself and your services), go offline and connect with other industry players. Be in a group, give talks, join seminars, and tell people what your work is and how you operate. Hand in your prints like business cards, brochures and flyers about the consultancy programs. Play with social media and share what you do. The web has made it easier than ever to promote yourself. Update regularly so that your potential clients can see your activities. For ease, place your business life at One Expert, pump up your profile info and share it with others. The site is really for your professional side. And now that most of your potential clients are online, build up your online “resume” at One Expert.
5. Update yourself with the latest happenings in the community. It’s that time again when dengue becomes the talk of the nation, or that of a new virus outbreak. Are there any problems in the community in which you can lend your expertise? Is there a new method or a scientific breakaway that can help you practice your work more efficiently? Keep news of developments to ensure your knowledge is relevant and up-to-date.
How to build your brand or get yourself noticed is essential. Your transaction with a client is business, and you have to mean it in business. Marketing yourself is not just an option. It’s necessary.
