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There is an old saying, "Those that can, Do; and those that can't, Teach." Where these old sayings come from, I have no idea. Any self proclaimed expert, making the circuit and teaching how to do something they've never done, will not draw me to their seminars, no matter how organized and well presented their information might be. Inversely, someone who has done it but may not present the material well, has something to teach, but won't share the information well.

Learn it well, do it well, then teach it well; now you have a marketable package. But, how do you market it? Establishing yourself locally may be easy, since you are a known commodity with a good reputation. Make yourself available to newspapers, trade magazines, radio, television, and don't forget the internet.

Establishing yourself nationally or internationally may be a bit more difficult, since the world is a big place. Two things to remember are:

You can build on a local reputation and expand it outward, having learned you lessons on a smaller scale. It's just the same only larger.

Locally, you're just a neighbor. A hundred miles from home, you're an expert. If your promo material reads, "Joe Schmoe from Anytown had a successful career as a know-it-all and is now sharing that expertise in an exciting and informative presentation at our convention center in Luckytown this coming week," your neighbors might think you couldn't have been very successful or you would live in a better neighborhood than they do, while the locals where you will travel will think they are privileged to have an opportunity to hear you speak.

I once had a radio show on natural health issues. I established my reputation as a leader in the field of natural healing by asking experts to come on the show and share their expertise and asking them questions and taking calls from listeners. I seldom imparted my knowledge on a subject, but made the show about my guest's area of expertise. Week after week, though, my reputation as an expert grew, until I was so busy I didn't have time to do the radio show any more; funny how that happens.

Learn more about this author, Will Kester.
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