In my previous post, we looked at why it was more important to have your named dropped rather than just be a name-dropper.

But how do you get that kind of credibility?   I think there are three ways to do it.

  1. Your Expertise. Expertise is something that all of us have in some way. There’s something we do that is unique to us. What would happen though if we really maximized that? I saw a sign once for a veterinary dentist that specialized in horse dentistry. I’m sure horse dentists aren’t that common and if you’re a good one, you’ll probably be paid quite a bit to do a teeth cleaning or whatever it is that horses require. There is also a good chance that someone will drop your name. “Oh you need to take your horse to Dr. So-and-So. She is American Pharoah’s dentist.”

That’s advice for a horse dentist. What kind of expertise can you provide and build upon?

  1. Your Performance. Regardless of what you know, how you perform is something that people talk about. Back when I was in the Navy, we would evaluate some of the sailors that worked for us. We always seemed to identify the high performers first and assign them important tasks. Their performance enabled them to be names that we dropped. Of course we had a few folks we referred to as “dirtbags.” Their names were dropped too. That list wasn’t one you needed to be on!

What does your performance say about you? Would your name be dropped as one of the superstars or one of the “dirtbags?”

  1. Your Connections. Usually, if you’re a great performer and have expertise, you probably hang around with great people. This means others will reach out to you for other experts. One thing I’ve found over the years is that people will reach out to me and ask if I know someone in a particular field or with a certain set of expertise. When I ask why they would even bother to ask me for that, they always replay that “you seem to know everyone.” There’s a lot of power that comes with a network like that. It’s a great way to build relationships and find the best and most qualified people for whatever task you need done. Of course this can cut both ways. If you surround yourself with losers and poor performers, this reflects on you as well.

What do your connections and your network say about you? Are you hanging with superstars or “dirtbags?”

Having your name dropped is way better than being a name-dropper. Take a look at where you stand in these three areas. No better time than now to build your credibility!