As an expert - as somebody with ideas to share with the world - you can no longer rely on authority alone. Certainly not positional authority. You're no longer an expert because you say you're an expert. You're an expert because we say you're an expert.

You're not respected as a conductor because you've got a baton. You've got the baton because you're respected as a conductor.

So how do you prove your authority through community?

Use the principle of "social proof": People are influenced by others just like them.

One of the simplest - but most powerful - applications of this principle is through testimonials. Testimonials from clients. Testimonials from meeting planners. Testimonials from audiences. Get them. And use them.

For example ...

Here are a few examples of how some of our clients are using testimonials on their Web sites

* Max Hitchins, The Hospitality Doctor, hospitalitydoctor.com,puts a changing testimonial right up at the very top of every Web page.

* Penny Burke, Essence Communications, essencecomms.com.au, puts a random testimonial just below the menu bar on the left-hand side of each page.

* Bill Carson, Perform Solutions, performsolutions.com.au, does something similar, except he's positioned it at the top of the main text of each page.

* Anne Riches, keynote speaker, anneriches.com.au/keynotes.html, drops in relevant testimonials on the Web pages promoting her services.

There's a lot more to the world of social proof, but at least get started with using testimonials more effectively.