6 Steps to Establish Credibility

Walter Cronkite, the veteran US newsreader described as "the most trusted man in America", has died at his home in New York at the age of 92 from brain disease.
London Guardian 

If you find it hard to get a job, get promoted, make friends, get dates, it is probably because you have no credibility. 

Here are 6 steps that you can take to establish credibility.

1. Always tell the truth, ie. NEVER LIE.

This should go without comment, however I have personally witnessed outright lying at all levels. If you want to be taken seriously, you must tell the truth. The whole ugly truth.  The truth will always be uncovered eventually. Don't pull a Clinton who diminished the reality with a truthful but misleading statement. I have found tremendous success in telling the most ugly, naked, undefiled truth. Followed by some ideas on how to make it better. You will never succeed long term by telling lies. Some people will despise you for being a goody-goody but no one will question your integrity.

2. Get back to people.

Return emails, return snail mail, twitter requests, voicemail, return phone calls, SMS (texts), etc. Make it a point to always reach out to each individual person who contacted you.

When you do not know the answer to a question, get back to them. Why are people afraid to say they do not know? Usually because they did not do their job and are unprepared. They lie in an attempt to cover up their failing. Just answer that you will get back to them. Go find out the answer and then let them know.

3. Be predictable.

Get to work at the same time, take lunch at the same time and wear the same thing every day. Establish a pattern of reliability. People will come to trust and rely on you if you are predictable. Credibility is just the next step.

4. Be dependable.

Deliver your assignments on time, not the day before or the day after. Deliver what is expected. You can enhance this ability by volunteering for assignments then delivering them. Make a point to verbally accept the assignment and the date, follow up with an email. Soon, you will be the go to superstar on the team.

5. Listen.

There is not one person in the world who does not have something to say. Listen to them and they will tell you everything. Listen to them and you will become their best friend. Listen and the world will open up to you. Remember it is not important what they say, or how they say it. Listening is important because you are investing in them as a person.

6. Bonus: To get noticed think like Houdini and add a little sizzle to your deliveries.

Houdini was the greatest illusionist of the modern times because he learned how to create anticipation in the audience and then deliver. He always delivered. Every time, without failing. At the beginning of his career he would execute a string of complicated tricks flawlessly but to an uninspired audience. Then he learned how to create anticipation and with his execution and showmanship became famous. Get noticed by creating anticipation, then deliver.

Hint: The common thread in these tips is focus on the other person, not yourself.

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

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Who is Talking About You Online? | CareerEnlightenment.net

Your Personal Brand is not a static thing. It’s not a thing at all.
Perhaps, a brand is best described as a process. Think of a candle. At first, the candle produces no flame. Then you strike a match, and light the wick. Then, the candle will burn just as long as there is something to burn, oxygen, wick and wax.
Remove any of these conditions and the light goes out.

Keep the Fire of Your Brand Burning

If you’ve invested in building your brand, you will want to monitor it weekly to make sure it keeps burning.
Of course, you will be guest posting, writing articles and doing other things to feed the fire.
But what if someone slanders you? How will you know about it?
What if someone uses your name and you want to comment?
What if someone else, with your name, has a drunken Facebook photo posted?
Google is one way to find out, but I want to show you a new tool, one that is focused on the social web.

Social Mention, the New Google Alert

SocialMention.com surpasses Google Alerts by a long shot. The tool reaches deep into the catacombs of the social web, blogs, tweets, comments, questions, images, events, newsreels and profiles, for your name.
Enter your name in quotation marks.
Choose “All” and then search.
And the robust tool searches “the universe” for any little tiny bit of mention about you.

How Do YOU Rank

Social Mention gives you four grades, Strength, Sentiment Passion and Reach.

Strength- the likelihood that your name is being mentioned right now

Sentiment- ratio of mentions that are positive over the ones that are negative

Passion- how likely is it that people will be repeatedly talking about you

Reach- the number of people talking about you over the total number of mentions

Give this tool a try if you are serious about building a strong online reputation. Over time, you will begin to see your scores improve, which feels great. via careerenlightenment.net

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

Standing Out in a Job Search | CareerEnlightenment.net

Sometimes, there is nothingwrong with defining who you are based on NOT being someone else.

Let me explain.

When I was in high school, I didn’t really stand out. Despite how hard I tried. Grew my hair long, dyed it green. Whatever it was I tried, it didn’t really work. I was still the quiet, unremarkable white kid in the back of the class.

Then, one day the loud speaker announced, “Will Joshua Waldron please come to the principle’s office immediately.”

I turned bright red. The whole class started to chuckle, “this quiet kid got into trouble?”

“But wait”, I futilely tried to explain, “She said ‘Waldron’, I’m Waldman!”

“Never mind that, go to the principals office.”

And so I got my first badge of honor. Which I didn’t really deserve. So I thought.

But I kept explaining that it wasn’t me. There was indeed a Joshua Waldron who got himself into quite a bit of trouble on a weekly basis, and it was NOT me.

Looking back, it was that one silly mix-up and then my defining myself as “not-Waldron” that turned things around for me.

I Am Not This, I Am That

I believe this same principle can be applied in almost any situation based on a principle found in a book called, “Made to Stick“.

It describes the idea of a Meme, an idea-object that is easily grasped by others. The example of, “a pomelo is like a large grapefruit” can be better understood than a lengthy description of the exotic fruit.

By relating to something that others already know about, you can define yourself.

In high school, Waldron was notorious. By defining myself as not-Waldron, I became memorable to many people who I ordinarily wouldn’t have known.

Who are You NOT

Just for fun, as part of your personal branding experiments, think of something you would never do, or someone you would never be.

 A Meme is an idea-object that is easily grasped by others.

When you are introducing yourself at a networking event, and you are finding it hard to describe what makes you unique, or what it is that you do, try using this negative analogy. Try to describe it in terms of what you are not.

One client of mine is named Gary Coleman. He introduces himself as, “Hi I’m Gary Coleman, but not THE Gary Coleman”.

I am not a career coach. I am a social media strategist who can really help job seekers stand out from the crowd.

via careerenlightenment.net

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

How to talk about yourself without bragging! | CareerEnlightenment.net

Guest Post by Diane H. Craver:

I’m a career coach, and it’s amazing to me how many people I run into that don’t like to talk about themselves. They think it’s bragging, or rude, or vulgar.

Houston, we have a problem!

If you are in a job search, wanting to move ahead at work, or trying to get clients for your business, you have to learn to talk about yourself in a way that informs people authentically about what value you create. I like to think about this as educating people on what I do best, what I want to do, and why.

Elevator speeches are not for me

I’ve never liked the concept of an elevator speech because the last time I was in an elevator no one spoke and no one dared make eye contact. So I don’t do elevator speeches, and no one can make me.

There does however come a time when you must talk about yourself and you need to know what to say & how to say it. Here’s my process: authenticity, brevity, and passion.

Be honest about the value you create

Just be honest about how you create value. If you don’t know, you might want to look at your

I like to think about this as educating people on what I do best, what I want to do, and why.

performance reviews, survey your clients, or ask people who would tell you the truth. Take a few days & make a list without editing anything – just keep the flow going. Be sure you focus on what value you create because no matter what you like to do, you have to find a buyer.

Keep it simple, keep it brief

Let the fun begin and start editing. Get some help if you need it. Think about finishing this sentence, “I’m at my best when…”

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it – not true

Well, actually it IS what you say … and it’s how you say it. Think about how you would talk about what would motivate you to get up every day and do that thing you do so well. What will you say to inspire others to ask you for more? What will you say to help them remember you?

It’s the thought that counts … and the gift

You’ve put a lot of thought into what you do best and what would motivate you to do it every day. Think of what you say about yourself as a gift you give to others. Your message is sincere and content rich, and even inspiring. Paint a picture for people so they see you succeeding. Also, if you need help, people need to know how to help you.

Want an example? Here’s mine:

I am a career coach. I’m at my best when I’m helping people connect their strengths, values and passions with the organization or business. I use a creative process to help them get really clear about what they want so they’re motivated to take action. Our careers affect every component of our lives; I consider it an honor to help people find work they really enjoy and make a positive impact.

via careerenlightenment.net

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

12 Ways to get a speaking Gig

Apr 09, 2010 -

Getting an invitation to speak at an industry trade show or event is a great way to elevate your profile in your industry, confirm that you know your stuff, share your knowledge, make great contacts, and (of course) indulge your inner ham.

So how do you get a speaking gig at a trade show or industry event?

Here are 12 ways.

1. Give yourself plenty of time. Program planning for many events and conferences begins up to a year in advance, says Helena Bouchez of Helena B Communications. But at the events I’ve helped organize, the day registration opens is often the day speakers often come out of the woodwork seeking to participate. It doesn’t work like that: Seek out the events you’d like to attend well in advance, and reach out to the organizers, Helena adds. Which brings me to my next point…

2. Contact organizers how they ask to be contacted. Sometimes, event organizers have a web-based speaker proposal form. Other times, they want to hear from you via email. I suppose some event organizers are okay being contacted by telephone. But in general, I’d discourage it, because most organizers are inundated with proposals, and a telephone call will only annoy them.

3. Suggest how you fit in. “Don’t make the event producer find the fit,” says Alison Murdock of Next Round Communications “When you suggest a speaker, tell them how and where they should go in the program. It will also show you cared enough to understand their program.”

4. Reach out personally. It’s always better to contact and organizer yourself, rather than rely on your PR agency to do it for you. Unless you are Malcolm Gladwell, it’s better to reach out to program organizers personally.

5. Have some social cred. You show up in Google. Your profile on LinkedIn is robust, and you blog and/or Twitter about relevant industry trends and topics.  Conference organizers like to tap people who have some street credibility on the topic they want to present on. In part, they want to know you are passionate about the topic and involved in your industry. What’s more, it can help them discern your point of view.

6. Write a great session proposal. Writing a great session title and description is a bit of an art form: You want to accurately portray what you’ll speak about, but also convey a sense of the personality and energy you’ll bring to it. Think of the session title as the compelling, intriguing headline, and liven up the description to include specific takeaways (what’s in it for the audience?) and lively language. Warning: Don’t be boring! Even if your topic is dead-serious, you want to convey that you know how to present it with energy and passion.

7. Bring a client. Some events prefer to use client-side speakers rather than vendors or consultants. One way around that is to invite a client or customer to present alongside you. Can’t get the client to show? Try presenting a case study on their behalf. Doing so can greatly improve your chances to get the gig as well as build your credibility with the audience. (Of course, it doesn’t hurt to deepen your relationship with your client, either.)

8. Start small. If you aren’t getting any traction with the bigger events, approach smaller events: Local chamber events, networking breakfasts, association gatherings are all great places to start building your speaking resume.

9. Create a speaking page. Dedicate a page on your Web site or blog to your public speaking efforts. Give an overview of who you are and what topics you regularly speak about (or can). Include a photo. List where you’ve been and where you are going. Also…

10. Solicit testimonials and post them on your speaking page. Ask for testimonials from conference organizers, association coordinators, or whomever you worked with on a specific event.

11. Include a video, too. A video demonstrating your speaking skills is a nice touch. Seeing you in action gives conference organizers a clear picture of how you present. Don’t have a copy of a live event? Shoot yourself with a Flip video camera or similar – even a shorter introduction is a helpful touch.

12. Keep in touch. Winning a speaking gig is a lot like nurturing a long-term business lead. It takes time and patience. So keep in touch with conference organizers, attend their events and meet them, and continue to offer yourself as a resource.

What else would you say? Any advice for others? How have you won a speaking gig?

Thanks to Helena Bouchez of Helena B Communications for the inspiration for this post.

*****

Ann Handley if the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs. Follow her on Twitter @marketingprofs.

Photo credit: jonny goldstein

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

The 2% Difference - RecruitingBlogs.com

I have consistently contended that executives who tolerate “B” and “C” players on their teams give up a lot. Let me now quantify it:

Let’s say you are a CEO with 5 key management team reports, running a $50 million (revenue) company. Let’s say that you project 10% revenue growth next year, but you have a “B” player on your team that might hold you back a bit. If you achieve only 8% growth, you just gave up $1 million in revenue. Would hitting 8% instead of 10% be regarded as a failure by your board or parent company? Probably not. You probably still get your bonus.

If you run this company for 5 years, and you tolerate 2 “B” players rotating in and out of your management team, it might cut your annual average growth to 7%. Over 5 years time, you give up $7.5 million in revenue. If you have a $200 million company, you gave up $30 million in growth. This could erode equity by an equivalent amount when the company is sold.

In January I wrote about the 18-Month Factor – that it takes 18 months from discovering a sub-par performer before most companies have a fully effective person in that role. What if you established a zero tolerance policy for anything other than “A” players in every management position? Each time that you quickly replace a “B” or “C” person with an “A”, you could gain 2% in growth. Would the 2% difference be worth it to you?

via recruitingblogs.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal