Do you have bragging rights?

There’s been an image going around Facebook recently that says: “If I do a job in 30 minutes, it’s because I spent 30 years learning how to do this in 30 minutes. You owe me for the years not the minutes”. Food for thought in my view.

So often, we forget the value of what we know, how long it’s taken us to learn something that feels easy, and the experiences we’ve been through that have led us to this point in our lives.

We sit down to write our books, share our knowledge, but often forget to share the things that may be important to prospective readers and clients.

Ultimately they are our ‘bragging’ rights.

If you look at the dictionary definition of bragging, you’ll see something like “proud and boastful about one’s achievements”.

Whilst I think we should all share what makes us different and unique, I appreciate that the boastful bit may well put you off, especially in the UK where we tend to playdown our achievements.

But when you know what makes you different and shine up as your authentic you, it will help you to stand out. Whether you want to perfect the words on your back cover, in your ‘about the author’ section in your book, on Amazon and other online bookstores, and your bio for talks or on your website.

If prospective clients are choosing to work with you or buy your book rather than someone else, sure they’ll need to resonate with you personally, but if they don’t see your credibility shine through the information you share on your book and online, then they may never contact you in the first place.

Here are some examples of ‘bragging’ rights.

If you’re not sure what makes you different, here are some examples of bragging rights…

• The number of years’ experience you have in your industry – this may set you aside from your competitors as well as showing your level of experience and expertise.
• The number of clients you’ve worked with and the results they’ve achieved – on a personal note, as you’ll see in my new book, I love to share client successes and stories as they will inspire others (with permission of course).
• The types of clients you’ve worked with – and their names if you are able to share or generalisation in terms of sector or type of client if not.
• Your specialism and what you do well – the experiences, stories or expertise that make you unique.
• Awards and accolades – like being a TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and specific awards you’ve won or been shortlisted for which are relevant to your clients, or perhaps the number of reviews you have.
• Memberships of awarding bodies which are appropriate to your sector.
• Anything else that may be relevant to your prospects and clients, which may also include high profile book reviews on the cover or inside your book.

It’s all about becoming an authority.

In Kate Barrett’s book, E-telligence, she lists some of the companies she’s worked for. This firmly puts her in the authority camp.

When Steve Judge launched Don’t Lean on your Excuses, he received some rave reviews from some amazing names in the business industry and speaking community. Being a gold medal winning para-triathlete also puts him in the authority arena.

On Emma Heptonstall’s website, she’s got links to all the publications she’s been featured in since she launched her first book a couple of years ago. Another nod to her credibility.

Claire Brumby shares her experiences of being on Dragons’ Den and a whole host of accolades in The Winning Mix.

There are dozens of more examples like this in my new book, Becoming An Authority.

And on a personal note, I was recently updating the bio on my website with the details of my new book, and I reviewed my own bragging rights. For example, I’m a Member of the Association for Coaching and a partner member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. I’ve got a link to my TEDx Talk, as well as the clients we’ve supported, and 102 reviews on Amazon. I believe this shows prospective authors how committed I am to my craft, expertise and the knowledge I continue to gain on my journey.

What are your ‘bragging’ rights?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Are you ready to assert your bragging rights?

Let’s chat and get you focused on writing your authority building book!