To Be Seen As an “Authority” You Have to Create the Perception

Your image is what people perceive and believe. If people perceive you as smart, you are to them. If they perceive you as beautiful, you are to them. If they perceive you as expert, experienced, and an authority, you are to them.

Perceptions and what they mean to each prospect occur at a subconscious level. There is an association with what you value, what you have experienced, and what is meaningful to you. For example, taller men tend to be perceived as more leader-like than shorter men. People who are beautiful tend to be perceived as smarter, nicer, and more fun. Perceptions may or may not reflect reality but we rely upon them for making our decisions. The same is true of your prospects.

Since perceptions begin at a subconscious level and people rely upon perceptions, it makes sense for you to influence those perceptions on the same level. This is not manipulation. It is only presenting information at that level which they might find congruent with the current positive perceptions. The primary way to do this is to demonstrate that you are an authority and the authority your prospects want.

This means you have to know what constitutes the image of “authority” you want and how to create it.

The easiest ways to do this is to significantly increase your visibility and credibility. You want everything you do to shout “I am your accessible educational resource who understands your problem and wants to help you solve it.”

You can start by letting the print media know you have expertise and are available to assist on any topics related to your legal practice. It is especially useful if you can provide article ideas in which you can be noted as a contributing authority. You can write articles yourself and/or provide tips for readers to help them deal with basic legal problems. The print media provide a reinforcement of your status as expert when they write about you or use your words.

But you also want to use TV and radio. These provide a more personal connection with you. Radio provides accessibility as they drive. TV creates more intimacy because you are visible. If you come across as calm, friendly, and knowledgeable, your audience will feel they know you as a flesh-and-blood person.

You do not want to assume that media of any kind already know about you, your expertise, and willingness to share with them and their audiences. You have to see what medium of interest has been doing and how and then send a query to see if they would be interested on something like what they cover but from your helpful perspective. You might write a one-page media release. Then if they contact you, send a list of question to ask you and your bio. Later you drop them interesting legal tidbits once in awhile.

When you see or hear something of interest, you can let the media know about your opinion on it. If your opinion is “contrary,” so much the better. A little difference of opinion attracts audiences.

Everything about you can provide a hook for you. But remember, being perceived as being an “authority” means that everything you do has to be for and about your audience, not your self. Being perceived as an authority is up to you.