WHY YOU RESPECT YOURSELF 

It seems that we truly respect ourselves only when we feel that we are respected by others, and we will go to great lengths to earn and keep that respect. When we feel that someone respects us for who we are and what we have accomplished, we tend to be more open to that person's influence. TWO THINGS YOU CAN DO 

We can do two things to put ourselves in a position to be respected by others. The first is to develop our knowledge of our field. The more people perceive you know about your subject, the more they will respect you. The highest-paid people in almost every field are those who know more than the average people. They are recognized as experts, and they develop what is called "expert power." Because of their superior knowledge, they are looked up to and listened to, and they are much more capable of influencing others to act in a particular way than they would be if their knowledge level were just average. 

KNOW YOUR BUSINESS WELL 

The best salespeople are those who know their products cold. They deeply understand every aspect of their products and the ways in which their products can be used to achieve the most important goals of their customers. 

DEVELOP YOUR EXPERTISE 

Another way to put ourselves in a position of being respected by others is to develop our expertise. Expertise is closely tied to knowledge, but it is a little different. Expertise is the ability to do, the ability to perform well in your chosen field. Men and women with expertise are those who practice over and over in whatever they do until they become known far and wide as the very best in their field. 

ACTION EXERCISES 

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action: 

First, study your field in detail. Dedicate at least one hour per day to reading, listening to audio programs, studying to become more and more knowledgeable about what you do. 

Second, continually upgrade your knowledge and skills in your field. Identify your weakest important skill and go to work on that. 

Knowledge and know-how are the keys to the 21st century. _____________
Brian Tracy is one of the world's leading authorities on personal and business success. His fast-moving talks and seminars are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that you can apply immediately to get better results in every area. Visit Brian's web site and take advantage of his FREE audio program offer - 21 Success Secrets Of Self Made Millionaires, or 21 Great Ways To Manage Your Time And Double Your Productivity. Go to: http://www.getmotivation.com/briantracy/