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9 Ways To Be An Expert Without Being An Ass

I know many of you hate the term “expert”. It’s like the frustration-filled cry of the internet, second only to “down with Comic Sans”.

But we all strive to excel at something, and be perceived as doing so. The trick is how you demonstrate expertise and accomplishment without being christened with titles like “douchebag”. If you’re good at what you do, there are ways to communicate and exemplify your good work without having to rely on a flashy few words and adjectives to convey it.

And when you do it right, you won’t need to call yourself an expert, because other people will do it for you.

Here’s my list, but I’d love to hear from you, too.

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When To Go Ahead And Have Your Brain Picked

Okay, professionals. We get it. No one really likes to work for free.

And yes, it’s really important to set boundaries for yourself and for your business so that you don’t undervalue the work that you do, or undermine the qualifications you have as a professional. Anyone who has been in business for any length of time will tell you that you have to value your time and expertise and be willing to draw the line at giving away too much for free.

Enter the “No you can’t pick my brain” theme across the internet. Undoubtedly you’ve read one of those posts or three. There might even be one here lurking in the archives somewhere.

The problem in this discussion, as with many other things, is lack of context. Is giving away your knowledge for the price of lunch or a cup of coffee a sound business strategy? Not in a sustainable sense, no.

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Read This Book: The $100 Startup

As a matter of practice, I don’t do book reviews.

There are a bunch of reasons for that, but I just don’t do them. And I’m totally breaking that “rule” because I think each and every one of you reading this can get something out of Chris Guillebeau’s new book, The $100 Startup.

[Full disclosure: Chris sent me an early copy to read. He didn't ask for a review. He didn't send me a pony or even a cup of coffee. There was absolutely no quid pro quo, it was just here's my new book, hope you like it. I know Chris from the online world, but we've never spent time together in person and don't know each other personally all that well. So lest you think this is one of those "oh, he's just her buddy so she's pimping his stuff" things, it isn't. Now then.]

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