The dictionary defines ‘expert’ as having, involving, or displaying special skill or knowledge derived from training or experience. All of us are experts at something, even if we have not been publicly established as such. But becoming a publicly recognized expert in a given field is actually easier than you may think. And there are plenty of benefits to doing so.

“If you are proactive in establishing yourself as an expert in your field, it will usually bring rewards,” explains Sarah Gilbert, the director of sales at Lulu (www.lulu.com), a self publishing company. “Most experts bring in more business, earn more money, and enjoy being known as an expert in their particular area.”

Here are 5 ways to establish yourself as an expert:

1. Teach. Those who teach others what they know are quickly established as expert on the subject. Look for ways to teach what you know to others, through classes, seminars or online teaching opportunities. Even mentoring opportunities will work for gaining some teaching experience.
2. Speak. Becoming a speaker will quickly establish you as an authority on a subject. There are plenty of speaking opportunities at meetings and conferences. All you need to do is make it known that you are willing to speak. You can do this by offering a list of topics in your niche that you can speak on. If, like many others, you fear public speaking, consider joining your local Toastmasters International, where you will gain speaking skills.
3. Source. Being a source for articles, radio or television segments, or other media outlets, is a good way to be seen as an expert. Either work with a public relations agent to find these opportunities or try contacting the media sources yourself, to let them know you would like to be considered as an expert source for their segments.
4. Blog. One of the reasons so many people blog is because it helps establish them as an expert. You can either create your own blog or you can provide guest posts on other relevant blogs. Just contact the blog owner and ask if you can provide a guest post.
5. Publish. Those who have written a book in their field are usually seen as experts. You can easily write and publish your own book, through Lulu, in order to establish yourself in your field. If you are not a writer, use your expertise to work with a ghostwriter in order to get the book written and published.

Experts in their field may find that they are able to gain more sales, better positions, and additional benefits. Following some of the tips above, or all of them, will help establish expertise and credibility.

“It is also important to be patient in working toward becoming an established and recognized expert at something,” adds Gilbert. “If you keep at it and are consistent, you will in time be considered an expert. And that’s a great feeling!”

Lulu provides a self-publishing format that gives authors the ability to publish everything from their own books and eBooks to cookbooks and calendars. The service is provided free, and authors retain all rights, as well as 80 percent of all profit from sales. To learn more about using Lulu’s publishing tools, log onto www.lulu.com.

About Lulu

Lulu.com, founded in 2002, is a company that specializes in open publishing. Founded by Bob Young, the company has 1.1 million creators and has 20,000 titles added to their collection each month. They offer their free service to authors in exchange for a small percentage of profits from each sale. Lulu provides anyone with the ability to publish books, eBooks, mini-books, photo books, calendars, cookbooks, and travel books. To learn more, visit the website at www.lulu.com.