<html> At 07:51 AM 9/24/05 -0400, Phil wrote: <blockquote type=cite cite>I've been following the thread between ssssnn and Dean..and I have to admit to siding with Dean on the expertise side. The longer I am in the business the more I feel people pay me for what I know, not necessarily what I do.</blockquote> That's entirely true for much of our work. From this link: <a href="http://lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/December/cohen.htm" eudora="autourl">http://lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/December/cohen.</a><a href="http://lightworks.com/MonthlyAspectarian/2001/December/cohen.htm" eudora="autourl">htm </a>comes this, which I'm sure everyone has heard before. "A famous story tells of a company that needed a boiler repaired. The manager called in a boiler repairman and explained the problem to him. With hardly a thought, the repairman walked to his toolbox and took out a screwdriver and a screw. He walked to the boiler, opened a certain small door, replaced the screw, and adjusted it. Immediately the boiler began to work again. On his way out, the repairman presented the manager with a bill for $100. "$100?" exclaimed the manager. "All you did was turn a screw." "Yes," answered the repairman. "The bill can be broken down as follows: $1 for the screw; $99 for knowing which screw to turn."" In that column Mr. Cohen also writes: "In your career, attribute proper value to the experience that has seasoned you and your colleagues. When offering your services or negotiating your fee or contract, take into account all the learning that has built the skills you wield. Even if you are inexperienced in a certain field, you can likely transfer the expertise you have gained in another arena. A good salesman can sell anything; if you know how to sell pool supplies, selling cars is just a matter of learning the details of the industry. Data is far easier to learn than skill. Once you have a skill, you have it for a lifetime." <x-tab>        </x-tab><x-tab>        </x-tab>John </html>