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What if you're not an expert… can you still build an online business? Are world-class experts the only people who are doing well? Do you need to be a guru? My answer might surprise you…

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60 Replies to “Do You Need To Be An Expert?”

  1. Hi Jeff,

    I must tell you that this video post is so timely for me, I would like to personally thank you for everything that you are bringing to world. I could not have gotten this far without you. And I know that I’m just getting started.

    Sincerely,
    Kimistry
    aka The Juicer

  2. I love these videos so much. They’re really some of your best work on inspiring us to keep on improving. Thanks Jeff.

    • Les Wiggill

      Reply

      Hi Jeff, I’d like to thank you too for the videos you post. You are an inspiration to me and many others, so please keep going! I read ‘Launch’ 2 months ago, and loved the book … I’m so excited about the “what” you shared throughout the book, but I did not catch the “how”, and determined to re-read the book as soon as I got the chance. That chance is about to happen … as soon as we have finished all the family get-togethers and celebrations. Hopefully, I will discover the missing “hows” when I read the book a second time, but if not, I will request your help. Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas and a healthy, happy and successful 2015.

  3. Thank you for reiterating this important point. I bought your book and plan on reading it over the Xmas holiday weekend. You have a nice easy and encouraging style.

  4. Hi Jeff. I appreciate as always your honesty and ease. It can seem daunting to reach the level of success of your protege’s, I keep reminding myself : one step at a time with a goal in mind!

  5. Thanks for another amazing and inspiring video Jeff, you guys have honestly inspired me to take the leap of getting my business off the ground by following many of your advice and training. You have also inspired me to pass on everything I learn to others, the world needs to honest and helpful marketers like yourself!

  6. Thank you Jeff. I got two standout gems among the many gems you gave us here:

    1) I can gain tidbits of truth from the ‘haters’

    2) I only need to be a bit more evolved than the beginners to help them, not a perfect expert.

    3) bonus: I can look at those at the top with gratitude for paving the way, rather than angst because I’m not as good as them (and sometimes feel I never will be).

    I often think about one time when I asked you about teaching a topic that I was not a master of and you said ‘you will become a master by teaching it’.

    Thanks for that and thanks for paving the way for all of us wanting to master Internet marketing.
    1 2 3 you rock!

  7. Hi Jeff!

    Great video! Your point about people starting off at the beginning not be experts is a crucial factor that people overlook. No one starts off at the top. We have to walk before we run. And the people who continue running go the distance to acheive marathons. Continuing to work at your craft is where experts are made. See you in the space of experts!

  8. Hello Jeff,
    Thank you for a timely pep talk.
    So easy to get overwhelmed by a dozen or so ‘things’ that are needed to get started and simply forget that there are folk out there who would benefit and be grateful to know what we know even though we are not five star experts.
    Thank you again – good wishes for your continued success.

  9. Great message Jeff! Reminded me of what my (now deceased) business mentor drove into my head time and time again …. every shiney “pearl” started out as a small piece of sand…. thanks for your enthusiasm… it is contagious. Hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a safe, prosperous New Year.
    Russb

  10. Thank you Jeff for sharing your great knowledge with me. Your book is just awesome and it’s true that every successful person starts from the bottom.

  11. Five stars and more for encouragements are due. Progress with possibilities is increasing. Your work and generous gifts are helping.
    PS Love those mountains, thanks for the view!

  12. I must tell you that I like to watch all your videos, for one reason that you talk from your heart.
    Thanks Jeff,

  13. WOW….just wow…that book (which I just finished) is my new reference formula for success in online business. Can’t WAIT to finish my first launch!

  14. With all due respect, I think this video completely sidesteps the real complaint of those 1-star reviewers. All three of the examples you talked about ARE experts and gurus in their respective fields. You yourself actually describe Susan Garrett as “a world-class expert in dog agility training” in this video. Will Hamilton played tennis since the age of 5, played in college and coached. I’d say that qualifies him as a tennis expert. You made a big point of emphasizing that John Gallagher was on food stamps as if that somehow means he couldn’t possibly be an expert at anything — but he was a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist for many years before you helped him launch a successful online business. These are all examples of people who have high levels of knowledge and experience in a particular specialty, people who might be considered “gurus” in their own fields, even if they weren’t raking in lots of money and didn’t know how to market themselves online.

    No one is questioning that you can help someone with those kinds of credentials learn to develop a secondary expertise at running a successful online business. The so-called “haters” who gave your book poor reviews are expressing doubt that your methods would work for someone who doesn’t already have (or doesn’t think they have) any particular knowledge or skill that sets them apart. Can you help someone who is starting from scratch, who may have a strong desire to become an entrepreneur but doesn’t have any special prior training or experience that provides them with instant credibility right out of the gate?

    • Walker teaches marketing and he does a good job of that, however his background wasn’t in marketing.

      To get help with finding a product or service to market, you might check out Brendon Burchard’s older videos. One of my absolutely favorite guys is Tim Ferris. In his book “4 hour work week” he has a section on how to become a guru. You can also borrow expertise from others via interviews. There are so many ways to create a helpful product or service I think folks like Walker assume everyone knows this and knows how to go about the process of discovering from which to choose.

      You are right in that without a product to market, marketing instruction is worthless . That simply means step 1 is a process of discovery. You can sell other people’s stuff as an affiliate. You can create your own stuff to sell. You can partner with a person that has expertise in an area. You can develop guru status in many areas. Picking from the thousands of options available is somewhat daunting, but it’s a lot of fun. Think of it as an adventure.

      Good luck in all your future endeavors.

    • Will was a college tennis player, then a tennis coach after college. He was living with his parents when he started. There are thousands and thousands of tennis coaches – I don’t think that qualifies you as an expert… and yet Will now has the top tennis instruction site online. He just went ahead and started.

      John was NOT a licensed herbalist or acupuncturist. He was going to school to become an acupuncturist. He was receiving food stamps when he started out, using a borrowed lap top and borrowed wifi. He just started.

      Here’s another example… me. When I started out publishing about the stock market (which happens to be one of the most competitive markets there is), I had zero credentials. I wasn’t a stock broker, financial advisor, commodity trading advisor… and anything like that. I had never worked in the industry – I didn’t know anyone in the industry. I simplY started.

      The deal is, you can keep on inventing and rationalizing constraints – but the people that have success are the people who simply start.

      • Klaus Pankrac

        Reply

        I fully agree with YOU Jeff….also video are awesome. .I enjoyed the book..
        Thanks,Klaus

    • Thanks Jeff for another great video. I totally agree that the very act of putting together a program around a topic you choose, and teaching it (after doing some market research) will add to your knowledge and expertise. My clients write books, and the same thing applies. To those questioning the value of Jeff’s expertise – it is your own responsibility to learn something/educate yourself/find someone with the expertise you lack and work together – then use Jeff’s ideas to create something special. That’s his part of the equation – you take care of the rest.

    • Amy,
      Jeff didn’t say these people weren’t experts in their fields. He merely stated they weren’t experts at marketing until they followed the steps in PLF.

    • If you read Jeff’s book -and I recommend not JUST reading it, but studying it and referring to it FOREVER- anyway, if you read it, there are “AHA!” moments that make you realize that the process of creating the product MAKES you an (ever-growing) expert by the time you have conducted your first launch! If you feel you have NOTHING, first off, you’re probably wrong about that, but let’s just say you still don’t know where/how to begin. In addition to simply summoning up a bit more faith in yourself, even if you’ve experienced failure, here’s what I suggest:

      1. Simply start with a topic/subject you are interested in and/or passionate about, Google it.

      2. Read articles, blogs and Facebook Pages around the topic that you’ve found performing your Google search.

      3. Participate in online conversations on the topic in those places, by asking questions and leaving comments -better still look for other people’s questions you may help answer. (Make it an exercise; decide to involve yourself to the degree you answer a certain number of questions in this manner per day for a week. This little exercise will add to your expertise.)

      4. Join Linkedin groups around this topic or in this industry. (Obviously, if you aren’t a member of Linkedin, you’ll need to join. I can’t begin to tell you how valuable this is, here, but it can be a major secret weapon for you.)

      5. Make connections though all these resources, communicate with individuals and exchange e-mails. As a matter of fact, set a goal for yourself to build 200 or so personal “connections.” That’s a solid start, the accomplishment of which will empower you greatly.

      6. (OPTIONAL) Conduct basic keyword research (Google that too if you don’t know how) for more info and ideas.

      7. Name your idea and secure a dot come domain for it. (Conducting the keyword research can help you with this, but isn’t mandatory).

      With the exception of number 3, you can perform one of these steps per day, and be empowered on the road to “expert” within a week. Or, you could perform all the steps in a few days, or several hours; these preliminary steps are so simple, it is up to you.

      NOW, you’ve gained enough knowledge to put together your concept for Jeff’s Pre-prelaunch which causes you to actually ASK your marketplace precisely HOW to develop what they need and more importantly, want and will buy. JEFF’s SYSTEM IS ONLINE MARKETING PERFECTION!!! (At least that’s my opinion… and I’ve got two more chapters to read!)

      I hope this helps someone. I believe if you make no excuses, there won’t be any, but I also understand the power of -and need for- step-by-step instructions, which is what I’ve informally helped my business friends and colleagues with for years. Again, I hope this benefits.

  15. Many people simply get misguided by trying too hard to be experts but you are right, 80% people are just the beginners.

  16. you are a true inspiration! i just bought your book, but have already seen some of your videos and have your launch-blueprint AND i’m already busy to launch my own business, and i love it. will tell you, how it worked out for me. thank you for your input, the inspiration and the reinforcement!

  17. You are the guy Jeff! And I believe in you, and you give us so much that I can only believe that this guy that gave you the review is just to afraid to try. And I’m sure that if he tries, well, there is no way he won’t succeed . There is no way on earth that people that help others and bring value to one another lives won’t be good in teaching it, and this is you! And I bet you are not and Expert in everything you teach, but you mastered in a way that works so this is what matter. And for me you are THE EXPERT! Can’t never thank you enough Jeff

  18. It’s begining to look a lot like Christmas. You and your family have a great Christmas Jeff and keep helping those who want your expert help.
    Steve
    Oz

  19. “If you want a reason why something will fail or not work you’ll always be guaranteed to find it”. I love that quote, it sums it all up. As Henry Ford said all those years ago “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t. Either way, you’re right.” Amazing why so many people still don’t get it.

  20. Cristian B-H

    Reply

    I bought the book for some good friends and just left the following review:
    “When first discovered Jeff Walker’s life story and ideas we were at the end of the rope. Was a major turn in our life and reason for hope. For people not sure about his main product (very well introduced in the book), well, it is the “bible” of most of the Internet Marketing guys making money today. And it is not only a “must read” but also makes sense all along the lecture.”

  21. Jeff, like its said, ‘better done than perfect’. Start and you have your first success. The journey itself is small success steps to the big goal. Like you say, ‘if you know a little more than the other you are an expert in their eyes. Thanks Mate for a great post1

  22. Good stuff Jeff, read your book this summer and are in your plf class. Very pleased with everything. No problem with getting inspired!

  23. Thanks Jeff. I needed this gentle kick in the ass to get moving forward.

  24. The comment saying Jeff sidestepped the question of do you need to be a guru missed the point. Yes, these people had skills, but they probably had no idea how to market themselves. Everyone has a unique skill set, and it’s easy to discredit our own abilities. I know I do it all the time. I’ve been using my ineptness with technology as an excuse, but no more. I’ll use what I know now and build on it every day until I achieve my goal. What’s ordinary to us is extraordinary to someone else. Keep up the great work, Jeff!

  25. as usual content interesting but too long winded- i dont need 3 or 4 variations on a point – i sit watching for the next point

  26. Thank you Jeff. Great job!

    Reminds me of this quote by Henry Van Dyke:
    “Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent
    if no birds sang except those that sang best.”

  27. Hi Jeff
    Thanks for: your inspiration…I read your
    book three times over and took lots of
    notes..a page turner.
    I’m in the process of: setting up a web
    site for a B2B online freelance copywriting
    business, and intend to follow your formula.
    I do however, agree with: Amy’s comments.

    Thanks again
    Regards
    Larry

  28. Amy, I get what you’re saying. But if that person is “someone who doesn’t already have any particular knowledge or skill that sets them apart.” then surely they don’t have a business!
    A strong desire to become an entrepreneur not enough, they’ll need a business idea too. And if they don’t have something that sets them apart and which exploits and unmet need then probably buying an existing business or franchise would be a better way for them.

  29. Jeff –
    Thanks for the great video and perspective. I am in the process of finishing up the Launch book. The book is a very good read for most of the book, where I have notes written all over it… It then crosses over into a Great read once I got toward the back of the book and read the strategies for launching with a small list or no list. That was where the value really came for me – to meet me where I am. And at the same time I am in the process of working with a client in the same position. It caused lots of ideas for flow out of the pages for me. Thanks!

  30. Phyllis Rowan

    Reply

    Thank-you for this video, Jeff. I admire your common-sense. True. We don’t need to be experts before sharing what we know with those who know less. We just need to be further along the path. A problem arises when those who knew less catch up and find no-one qualified to take them to to their destination! This is when we need an expert as a guide. For me, you are the expert I needed to reach my online marketing goal. Like Brit, I read your book and was inspired to join your PLF programme. I am making progress in ways I never knew existed. My journey is in small steps. Others have had a head-start and are able to leap ahead. To compare myself with them is meaningless. We are all stars, but we shine differently. The point is that I stumble less and go faster than expected. It is worth the effort.

  31. I agree with all of those talking about how timely this is. I’m looking to start a business and was just wondering whether I was thinking to much of myself to think I could place myself as an expert. The truth is, I don’t have to be “the” expert, I just have to offer up what I know.

  32. Hi Jeff,

    I am your fan and like your videos a lot. In addition, I like to listen to german and audiobooks.
    I think there is a huge market for you in german speaking areas. So, get your Book translated and spoken for an audiobook.
    Thank you!
    P.S. How do I know there is a market? You have been copied all the time by german speakers and coaches. 🙂

  33. Hey Jeff,, gr8 video.. i must tell you that your teachings are great and hold lot of weight. but just a question, are they only for single product business or also for eCommerce.

  34. Hello! Is anyone-else 73+/- years old and “techy-less”.
    Somebody loves me! I got two copies of the book in the mail. Read and marked one thoroughly then lost it. Not so distraught though because I kept IPad notes and have a second copy.
    I have a website and my kids books have gone to more than 44 countries but I have plateaued. Just wanting some older company to play this very serious game with…..

  35. Great advice and so true! I personally believe people want to learn from people like them. Being an expert can be an disadvantage. The success of Launch was amazing and I a really amazing read but I was wondering how do you get people to leave reviews! What kind of incentive can you give when you have nobody on your list.!! I sold 200 of my book Active Patience but no reviews?? I’m at a loss.

  36. I have Jeff’s book and find it incredibly useful for getting myself going as an expert marathon running coach online but have a question… If I was to write my own authority establishing book in the marathon running space, how do I prevent it from being the cheap route to the premium material in my online product where customers decide they have all they need without investing further?

    If the answer is just keep the book high level and keep saying there’s more info for 100 times the price, don’t you risk putting out a boiled cabbage book that gets 1 star reviews?

  37. Jeff,

    Great video again! Some people want to get lifted but don’t want to let go that one ton rock they are grabbing. No one can change their business without changing their attitude first. You are great at that, always with a confident tone. Really positive energy which is something one can’t fake! But those people must let that one ton rock go before they can move to anywhere else in their business and their lives. I am trying everything you say and have been experiencing three times more income at my business. Right away. Just like that. Not magic, although it may look like magic for the outsiders. Outsiders? Never found a door closed at Jeff’s so far. I only have but gratitude to your team. Thank you 🙂

  38. Yes you’re right about the expertise thing, expertise is made of good jugement and good jugement are usually the result of bad jugement…. so everyone screw up (or have to) at the starting !

  39. I struggled with this for a long time. While I am an expert, my expertise is in an industry I no longer enjoy. BURNOUT.
    It’s not like we all have multiple ‘expert levels’.
    Here is a secret. Your Federal government publishes a TON of information in many many disciplines. Every publication is non-copyrighted.
    Find an area that you would like to to share information with people and you might know a little bit about.
    Go on a search for materials, specifically training materials that are typically only given to government employees but generally we can all benefit from. You will not only find everything you need to quickly gain expertise but you will fund the actual presentation/training materials that you are allowed to use. You don’t even have to claim to be an expert, you simply tell people this is the training our government gives its employees and wants you to have.

  40. ken ca|houn

    Reply

    you make good points, to help people get in action, movement, to start, and not letting lack of perceived expertise hold them back – very encouraging and down-to-earth; thanks … and happy holidays ahead!

  41. Excellent timing on this video. My husband and I had a conversation just days prior to watching it where he tried to convince me that I’ve got knowledge that others can use. I just haven’t harnessed it yet. Thanks!

  42. You are such a wonderful person and such an inspiration Jeff, thank you. The book is great and I am almost done reading it and will provide a review (5 star!). I am going to do a Seed Launch in the near future and Who Knows!!

  43. Jeff, just tonight I was reconsidering whether the audio program I’ve been working so hard on was good enough to release. Your email with the link to this video has been in my “in” box for a week. I listened again to my first audio session, and I watched this video just now as a final dose of inspiration. Thanks for your enthusiasm and encouragement. I DO know enough to teach beginners, and I will launch my product in January! Have a merry Christmas and blessed new year.

  44. Hey Jeff,

    I’ve been meaning to do this for a while. I just left my Amazon review and results of our very first product launch. Our results speak for themselves. I’m super excited about implementing the launch process for other niche audiences my company works with. Hope you and your family had a beautiful Christmas! Wishing you continued balance and success for the new year!

  45. Great video, Jeff! I think what people miss is exactly what you say, that being an expert is a relative term…. If you know more than someone, then you are an expert to them, so all that changes as you know more is your potential audience; the number of people who Know less than you do. In a day your can take any of a hundred topics and learn more than the average person. Being an expert does not mean being the world’s best. So no excuses! I love it!

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