This is one of those posts that can help you no matter what you do for a living. If you’re a businessperson, work for an organization, or collect a government paycheck, this post is for you.

Many people think that being an expert in whatever it is they do will help them succeed. And they’re right. After all, who would you hire, work with, or take advice from … just someone you know. or a person who is an expert?

If you want to be considered a true “guru” in whatever your little corner is of our planet, there’s two things you should do … and two you shouldn’t … that can help you be the expert everyone will flock to when they need help. Or when they want to hire someone for whatever it is they are looking for.

Want to be the gal or the guy? Read on.

Since I like to end blog posts on an “up” note, I’ll start with the negative things:

#1: Watch What You Call Yourself
Never, and I mean never, call yourself a “guru,” “expert,” “ninja,” “sensei,” or anything like that at all. Not in your promotional material. Not on your business card. Not anywhere. It sounds cheesy to call yourself an expert. I equate it to calling yourself a great lover. You may think so, but what about others? And yes, I mean those others.

So, what do you do? Let other people call you an expert or guru. If you absolutely want to see those words in your promo copy, directly attribute them to the person who said it … or better yet, get permission to use a quote as a direct recommendation. Being called an “expert” carries so much more weight when someone else says it about you. Whenever I see someone calling themselves an expert, I only have one thought: Pullleezze.

#2: Don’t be Obnoxious
Whether we’re talking about spam, continuing to call people who have told you in no uncertain terms to buzz off, acting like a self-absorbed ass during a networking event, and so on — just don’t do it. I once tried to emulate a sales guy I know who was very self-absorbed, in your face, obnoxious, etc., and I almost destroyed my reputation because of it. It was only after I left the employ of his company that I found out he had done a lot of damage to his own reputation, too.

Stomp out your obnoxious tendencies. Listen to people — and I mean really listen to them. Don’t be one of those people who listen to others only long enough to size them up as potential prospects. And if someone doesn’t want to hear from you again, don’t call him/her. Pretty simple stuff here.

Now, for the good stuff. Here’s two things you can do to be a top-of-mind expert in the minds of people with whom you want to do business:

#1: Build Relationships
This dovetails nicely off of the “don’t be obnoxious” point above. Seek out new relationships. Build on current ones. Don’t be influenced by the number of contacts you have in Outlook/Address Book, the number of followers or connections you have on Twitter or LinkedIn, etc. That stuff is nice, but don’t think success is all about “keeping score.”

You need to talk (whether live, via phone or the electronic word) with people. You need to understand how your contacts think. Most important, you should be offering to help them out however you can, and then follow through with the help.

If you fancy yourself as a “guru,” the concept of helping people is part of the definition of the word. When you don’t actually help people, you’re not a guru. You’re a broadcaster. And we all know where broadcasting is going in our new era of social, interactive media. So interact. Help people. Build relationships. And be the expert.

#2: Educate Yourself
I think the biggest danger in thinking of yourself as an “expert” is that you may be tempted to close yourself off to any new thinking or learning in whatever field you’re in. For myself, I consider myself a “student” at best, when it comes to the areas that interest me (social media/networking, marketing and sales). That’s why I absorb as much as I can about those areas, and especially when they intersect with one another.

Ideally, you’re the same about your chosen field and areas, too. If nothing else, you should keep up with the “new” ideas in your field because others definitely are. You don’t want to be left out of any conversations because of your ignorance, do you?

Following these points do not guarantee success, of course. But they’ll definitely help you in your efforts to have others see you as an expert.

If you have other suggestions, or other “don’t do these” items, please share the wealth in the Comments section.

(Tip of the hat to Mike Mueller and his 2 Things that Dont Make a Social-Media Guru, which was the inspiration for this post.)

Contact Bob Woods at Infonitum.