A Jack of One Trade or a Master of None

Are there things you are happy to be ignorant about?

For me, it is in cars….and perhaps football. When it comes to cars, I admire things like the colors, the fancy seats and the sleek design the car has. Tell me about a certain make and I will stare at you blankly but talk to me about that crimson red car with sexy eyes and we are talking!

My expertise in cars aside, let me tell you about my colleague who bought a hybrid electric vehicle sometime back. In usual Alice fashion, the make still remains unknown, but I did admire the silent engine it had, (take a ride in my baby and you will know why I was jazzed about how silent this car was), the lovely shape and you guessed it, its awesome ashy color. The car had served him well for quite some time until one day it had a problem that needed to be assessed by a professional.

The first mechanic he went to was quick to diagnose the problem and recommend that my colleague buy an entire hybrid battery system to replace his ‘faulty system’. They say you should trust the experts and so, the search for a new hybrid battery system started. The search turned out to be quite an arduous task that was to cost slightly over $11,000 or Kshs. 1.3 Million to be precise as it turned out they needed to have the part imported. His only saving grace was the fact that the spare battery system they needed was out of stock and manufacturers needed quite some time to get it custom-made.

This meant that his not soo old car was now a useless machine that had just become grounded. This is until he met a fellow electric vehicle owner who referred him to a mechanic who only specializes in electric vehicles. This new mechanic took less than a day to diagnose the real issue and quickly note that all the battery system had was a water leakage that needed to be sealed and dried out for the car to be as good as new.

Within 2 days, his car was back in his hands after almost 2 months of hustling around, and all for a mere $ 500 or Kshs. 60,000. And to think he would have spent an unnecessary $11,000+ in the hands of his previous mechanic. Such a tragedy, right!

This scenario has a few lessons for us all. The most important being that in everything, we MUST always ensure we are talking to the right experts.

And how can you tell if you have a partner who has mastered their craft by your side?

When you find yourself dealing with a Master of all Trades; this to me is one of the tell-tale signs that you might be working with someone who may not have fully mastered his art. The first mechanic that my colleague dealt with worked on all sorts of vehicles. He may have been very good, but he probably had not taken the time to master the intricate details behind the newer model of electric vehicles.

Niche experts on other hand are different. They are fully abreast with latest developments in their area of specialization. This for a customer is good news. When in the hands of a niche expert, you not only have peace of mind as you trust in their level of service, but you also save yourself the unnecessary heartache and, in some instances, cost especially in the unlikely event that the generalist is unable to fix the problem in the first place.

If you find a service provider that seems to have all the services in one roof; do take the time to understand his way of operation. Does he have in place the structures and the right experts to support the different initiatives that they have undertaken?

Even as an individual, one of the best ways to develop your personal brand is by clearly defining and building on your niche and area of expertise. This laser focus allows you to build your reputation around the right audience and as intimately as possible.

I have found that a niche expert will take the time to keep up with the trends that are cutting edge in their trade, and this is what eventually makes them stand out from the other players in the same field. This is the value they bring to the table that no one else will.

Are you a jack of all trades or are you a niche expert?

Niche out and and #standout4growth!

Did you get a chance to read our last article on Boss Baby and Marketing: What’s Marketing to you?