Weve already established that by offering a simple route to fixing whatever ails your target, you can begin the process of establishing yourself as an expert. A side-benefit is that using the first, important concept helps deflect any questions your audience may have about your actual credentials. Still, theres more work to be done. Nine more simple concepts to work with, to be exact.

The way it seems to work best for the most successful experts Ive seen, is to get established first, and then build the body of work that supports it later. This is especially true in the self-help field. With that, the bottom line is, no one else really gives a damn, therefore, we have no choice but to help ourselves. And we all know the best way to do that is to pay other people to tell us how.

Even though this is a gem of information, I will not list it as one of the Ten Concepts. Consider it a bonus.

Your targets need to Buy-in to what you are offering. If you present them with the Ten Simple Concepts, they gravitate towards your content before they really get curious about who you are, which, lets face it, could considerably screw up your credibility.

But, even though its Number Two on the Ten Concepts list, a subliminal thing plays a very important role in getting the person to begin to accept you as the expert. From the very get-go, your target must not stumble on anything you provide in your first offering. You have to get them to read your first article on the Ten Simple Concepts, and to do that, you must have a believable name that supports your expertise.

If the name of the author does not sound consistent with the content of the information offered, the reader will question the source. You have to make sure that the name ascribed to the piece makes sense and that no one will go looking for more information about you until after youve hooked him. I use the masculine here because everyone knows guys get easily hooked.

Let me ask you a question: When you read the title of this article, did you question my credentials?

Of course not, for not only did the article offer what you need -- cheap, simple advice written by a man who sounds like he knows what hes talking about. Drew Kittinger must be an expert because, becausewell, Kaplinger, Kissinger, even Derringer and Erlinger have these tones that reek of some sort of knowingness.

Is that my name? What do you think? If I were to put my real name on this piece, youd do an internet search only to find my life is so full of other things how could I possibly be an expert on being one thing, an expert?

Im an expert by virtue of my failures. I dont have the time to explain all that because Im much too busy explaining how you can be an expert. And do you think for one second Im going to say Fail a lot!? If I did, youd check out my name on the internet, see Ive failed a lot, and then probably surmise that when it comes to accepting the advice of an expert, youd prefer someone successful.

In order for me to get your attention, I have to come across as if I know what Im talking about, and if you spend one iota of time wondering about my name, Ive lost you

So choose your name carefully. Remember, its not about picking the right name, its about picking a name that sounds consistent with what youre offering so people wont spend a minute wondering. There are some broad strokes you can follow.

Business or the Media? A solid last name with no more than two syllables. Think Trump, Hearst, Turner.

New Age? Throw in a hyphen connecting the mundane with the mysterious, like Abigail Smith-Pearlview.

Politics? An Everymans name that rings true to a popular product, or common foliage, preferably with a Biblical reference, like, uhBush.

Anything Spiritual; unpronounceably Indian or with no more than three letters (and no vowels) for Asian.

For the sake of completeness, its only right to mention: If its about money or humor, go Jewish; precision, science-like stuff, go German; French for food; Italian for art and British for anything to do with bondage, discipline and spankings. These, of course, are all clichs, but with the power of incontrovertible truth behind them

I think you catch my drift.