January 17, 2022

Experts say we’ll have a recession this year.

Experts say housing prices are due for a significant decline.

Experts say that the markets will be volatile.

Yes, experts say a lot of things. That’s what experts do:  talk a lot. And they chatter on with an air of certainty and finality in their opinions.

If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be featured on major media. Our media invariably gravitates to the loudest voices, offering more heat than light, because that’s what draws clicks, eyeballs, and therefore advertising dollars.

Nuance and thoughtful opinions just aren’t provocative enough to make the cut.

Here’s what one wise observer has to say about how to measure expertise:

"If you want to find the person who actually doesn't really know what they're talking about, look for total certainty and look for people who don't admit they don't know things."
–Award winning non-fiction author Michael Lewis (quote source)

I encourage you:  as you think about your business and make decisions, please don’t let your compass be determined by headlines and talking heads. Keep your focus on the facts you see on the ground, and when you consult experts, make sure they’re the ones who offer gray instead of black and white.

By the way, in his Against the Rules podcast, Michael Lewis is doing a series of episodes on the so-called experts who get it wrong so often, and the experts hidden in plain sight who are so often ignored. It’s excellent; check it out!

 

Image from JumpStory

(This blog post was also posted on LinkedIn.)

©Ray Business Advisors, LLC and John Ray

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About me: I help solo or small professional services firm owners with the confidence and positioning necessary to improve their pricing and change the trajectory of not only their business but their life.

I have a podcast called The Price and Value Journey, which features interviews with industry leaders and audio versions of my blog posts. You can find the podcast on your favorite podcast app.

I also have a book coming out in 2023:  The Price and Value Journey: Raise Your Confidence, Your Value, and Your Prices to Grow Your Business Using The Generosity Mindset.

For more information, go to PriceValueJourney.com.