Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a self-employed individual who is just getting by and one who is making $100,000 per year or more?

The answer is really simple. Those earning more money understand the need to climb the Pyramid of Success! They may not be aware of what they've accomplished, but they all generally follow the same path.

I recently published an article titled "3 Steps to Becoming an Expert". This article taught the simple process of becoming an expert. Here ware the three basic points without elaboration:

• Determine your general and specific areas of expertise.

• Ensure you know more than 90% of the people in your general area of expertise and more than 99% of the people in your specific area of expertise.

• Simply tell people what you know on your web site or in articles and such.

That article has already been viewed by more than 23,000 people that I know of, and there is no way to know how many people may have passed it on to others. This, just a few weeks after publication to a few web sites on the Internet. It's clear to me that people are interested in the topic.

Let me explain why it is so important to be recognized as an expert and then I'll reveal the Pyramid of Success.

If you are not viewed as an expert in a field, you will not have the credibility that you need to succeed. If people are going to buy "you" they must perceive value in you!

This is where being an expert becomes important. It is also where the Pyramid of Success becomes a factor. Here is the Pyramid of Success:

• Start as a Specialist

• Become an Expert

• Authority

NOTE: To see the graphic which represents the Pyramid of Success, check out the HTML version of this article on the SysEdCo web site:
http://www.SysEdCo.com/library/growth/pyramid_of_success.htm

You will start out as a specialist. This simply means you have decided on the area where you want to become an expert.

It will take you from six months to two years to become an expert instead of a specialist. Once you become an expert and you have started marketing your expertise through public speaking, writing articles, publishing a web site and writing books, you can move into the realm of an authority.

What is an authority? It is an expert's expert. You are the one the experts rely on.

If someone asked me who the authority was in the field of Windows NT (a Microsoft computer operating system), I would tell them that it was Mark Minasi. There is a simple reason. I started learning Windows NT from him with his book titled Mastering Windows NT!

You see what makes you an authority. It is that you have taught the experts.

So... you want to earn more than $100,000 every year? Become an expert. Do you want to earn close to or more than $250,000 every year? Become an authority!