And Why Your Business Should Hire Ray Access

For the purposes of this generalist vs. specialist article, a generalist is a person who knows a little about a lot of things. A specialist, on the other hand, knows a lot about one thing. The most-used analogy has to do with medical practitioners. A generalist may diagnose or recognize a condition, but he still sends you to a specialist for treatment.

What’s the difference between a generalist vs. specialist? They both look the same.

It’s common to think about specialists in this way, no matter what the industry. A generalist accountant may be able to handle all your finances, but it may take a specialist in estate planning, for example, to really get the most out of your wealth.

While specialists often do things that generalists can’t, they have disadvantages when comparing generalist vs. specialist. Typically:

• Specialists cost more.
• Specialists only perform the narrow-band service of their specialty.
• You often need a generalist before seeking a specialist.

The Generalist vs. Specialist Debate

And so the debate goes on. For the past decade, business experts (i.e., specialists) encouraged businesses to specialize to gain a professional advantage, differentiate their services, or better target a niche market. And it has always made sense. You can potentially serve your clients better — as well as make more money — by specializing.

But in many industries, the business trends for 2019 point to the opposite side of that debate because generalists’ services are still very much in demand. And, very often, generalists offer services that specialists can’t perform.

Advantages of Being a Generalist

The most obvious advantage is sheer numbers. You can serve many, many more clients as a generalist than you can as a specialist. The generalist vs. specialist client list may exceed a magnitude of 10. But the advantages don’t stop there. Many opine that there are a number of valid reasons to remain a generalist, including:

• It’s better to be competent in many areas than to be an expert in one.
• Generalists can still develop a trusted brand identity, and one that connects with a wider audience.
• The world’s commercial environment is changing as the 21st century develops. Your niche may eventually disappear.
• When it comes to being a generalist vs. specialist, you’re less likely to be pigeonholed by your clients, who may think you can’t handle their changing needs.
• A specialist works with the same tools, doing the same things every day. A generalist gets to work in promising new areas.
• The changing gig economy means you’re more likely to be paid per project instead of per hour. Generalists get more projects.
• Versatility is an asset to many clients. A fresh set of eyes can deliver both remarkable results and new insight in a niche market.
• As the work paradigm evolves, informal business partnerships tie related skills together, meaning specialty services are tied together in ways that weren’t possible before.

Why Ray Access Aligns Itself with Generalists

The Ray Access team has written many medical websites — enough so that it made some sense to rebrand as a medical writing enterprise. But that’s far from the only types of projects we handled. If Ray Access became a medical writing-only firm, these exciting projects would have gone elsewhere:

• Blog posts for an Internet of Things (IoT) business
• Websites for plumbers, roofers, landscaping services, window-and-door manufacturers and accounting firms
• Product descriptions for a prominent pet supply store
• Writing website content and blog posts for website developers, SEO firms and social media companies
• Helping a client in Singapore rebrand its identity and redefine its messaging

Debate all you want about a generalist vs. specialist, it’s just better being available to a wider range of clientele. It’s more fulfilling to be able to help a more diverse set of clients. And it’s more rewarding to work across industries.

Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.