With current statistics showing that an “estimated 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV, and yet 1 in 5 don’t know it” (courtesy of http://www.aids.gov/) it is a reminder to us all that we need to take action and do our part to get tested, get educated, and share the message with others. This epidemic has been worldwide for years and, the longer we remain silent, the more we will see people fall victim to the disease. There has been a stigma attached to HIV/Aids, almost labeling it a taboo for many years to even discuss the disease, and that is where we find so many people unaware of the facts and finding themselves diagnosed. We need to come together to help each other and we can start by getting the word out and getting educated.

Visit http://www.aids.gov/for information regarding HIV/Aids and ways we can take action together. There is information available regarding facts/statistics, staying healthy, prevention, and diagnosis.

In addition, http://www.hivtest.org/ is a website which provides HIV/STD testing locations available by zip code.

Many of us know someone or have connections to someone who has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. For many of us, this is near to our hearts and something we all can take action on, together. Please, help me and others in sharing this message and sharing the knowledge.

All the best,
Samantha

Today’s culture revolves around titles and accolades, accomplishments and scoring the best accounts. We see celebrities praised for blockbuster movies and athletes remembered for show-stopping plays. The entertainment industry puts a focus on titles and those with the best accolades have the most fame. Society is obsessed with achieving greatness and spending the most money.

The perception of “leaders” is no different. Those in management tend to think that fancy cars and corner offices are the life. Dinners purchased with company credit cards and international business meetings give off impressions of leadership and success.

But true leadership involves nothing mentioned above. In fact, no one needs a title, or fancy car or wads of money, to be a leader. They just need passion, determination, and a commitment to make the world a better place.

In a series of articles, I’m going to be sharing with you how to manage your social media campaign like a true leader. The concepts in the series will be pulled from Robin Sharma’s “The Leader Who Had No Title.” You need no title to be a great leader. You don’t need to be chief social media marketer or manager of the IT department. If you are determined to change the lives of others, this is for you.

You and your social media campaigns can have an impact on the world; you just need to unlock your inner leader.

The Title Conundrum

Our culture is obsessed with titles. The person with the best or highest ranking title is usually considered the “winner” and will get praise solely the few words that follow their name. However, titles undoubtedly lead to trouble. When a person is given a high ranking title, they put themselves above everyone else. Instead of being the leader they are called to be, the employee walks around like a king or queen, expecting everyone else to wait on them. All of this because of a title.

Leading without a title means that you put away the notions that one person is better than another and you work to benefit others. You are humble in your daily work routine. Instead of serving yourself, you serve others. Your vision of the world is not clouded by thoughts of self; instead, you think about how you can help the world.

No Title = No Limits

One of the first objections people normally have to the leading without a title concept is the perception that if you have no title, you won’t get the glory and money and benefits of the “titled” positions. This is not the case. In fact, it’s about the furthest from the truth that you can get.

If you are good at what you do, people will notice. If you continue to be good at what you do, people will praise you. If you consistently go above and beyond in the workplace, you will receive accolades that will make others jealous. Your determination means and willingness to help others will set you apart from even the people who have the big titles. Do you know why?

You are committed to making the world a better place, which is something that most corner office residents don’t even think about.

When you have no title, there are no limits on what you can do.

Leading Without A Title in Social Media

Now that you have an idea as to how you can begin to unleash the true leader within you, let’s focus on how you can apply the leader without a title principles to social media and marketing.

First, put your customers and clients before your business needs. Want to impress your clientele? Bend over backwards to serve them. Bring them customer service like they’ve never seen. As Seth Godin states in Linchpin, “Customers…crave the unique, the remarkable, and the human.” Deliver them something that they can’t get from another company–above and beyond loyalty to their needs.

Next, offer your help and expertise to those who want to learn. You are a knowledge base full wonderful thoughts and ideas. Don’t hold them inside; instead, share them with the people in your industry who need them the most. Ideas are copyrighted. Be diligent in serving others because they will return the favor when you need it the most.

Finally, put your new and innovative ideas into motion. Have you figured out an easy and simple method for creating customer Facebook pages of Twitter backgrounds? How about an easy to use program that notifies you whenever someone mentions you on Twitter or writes on your fan page wall? If you have a great idea for process improvement or making your industry thrive, go for it. As a leader without a title, you’re more concerned about the well-being of the world itself than just yourself. Share your resources, ideas, and passions with others.

Action Items

It’s time for you to begin leading without a title and having a greater impact on the the world. Here are a few action items for you to do today:
• List three ways that you can serve your current customer base. How can you “wow” them? What needs could you meet that you aren’t addressing right now?
• Join a LinkedIn Group or message board in order to help people in an area where you are strong. Good with Macs? Join the Apple users group. Really good with web programming? See if you can help solve some code problems on a forum.
• Tease out one idea you’ve been holding inside for a long time. What do you need to do to set it in motion? Whatever it is, do it.

As always, please share this article on the social networking site of your choice. Also, if you haven’t connected with Folk Media on

Facebook

or

LinkedIn

yet, come join us.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of

Folk Media

. He is a social media enthusiast,

blogger

, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on

Twitter

.

Business is consistently evolving. There are times where a company will decide to revisit the drawing board and look at ways to operate more cost effectively. There are times where you may feel that the current position you are working in is not where your passion lies. There are times where you are sent a Memo which illustrates new company procedures that have never been placed into practice previously. All of these scenarios outline change and are instances where we, as Professionals, can choose to empower our careers or find ourselves fighting a consistent, uphill battle.

So, how do we open our minds to Change? What are ways that we can see the positive aspects of change, even if we are feeling unsure? Below are some helpful tips to guide you through the process:

1) Consider the Facts – When being introduced to change in business, take a look at the facts, before settling on an opinion or course of action. Ask yourself the following questions: What does this mean for my role? What are the details of the process/procedure taking place? Who is affected?

2) Is it Fear of Change or Fear of Being Able to Handle Change? -This is some strong food for thought to consider. If change is making you feel uncomfortable, is it due to what the change IS or if you’ll be able to handle things once they have changed? Sometimes, we fear the unknown but, once we dive in, we find we can swim with no issue at all. However, we have to be willing to give ourselves the chance to do so.

3) Talk to Someone You Trust -Talking with someone you trust can benefit you when dealing with change as it will allow you to vent, share your thoughts/concerns, and even receive another person’s perspective on the situation. This will also allow you to confide in someone your real truth on how you feel about the change you’re facing. In addition, this will give you an opportunity to speak with someone candidly, before deciding to respond to your employer, colleague, etc where you are, typically, more careful with your choice of words.

4) Give It a Whirl -This is where you have the choice to embrace change, or resist it. You can take it all day by day, or decide that you will not participate with a positive attitude. Considering the points above, how bad can it be, if you decide to give it a whirl and accept the change you are dealing with. Who knows? This could be a blessing in disguise, getting ready to reveal itself. This change could open a door for you to advance forward. This change could change your entire life for the better! It’s up to you, though. You have to make the choice to give it a chance with an open mind and be willing to take it all in stride.

I challenge you to consider the points above the next time you find yourself facing change and to approach the situation with an open mind. You will find the results are remarkable!

To your success,
Samantha

So, what makes one an effective listener?
The 2 ears, 1 mouth ratio.

Speak less, listen more. Sounds easy, however, effective listening takes a genuine effort. It may appear profound to fathom the idea of talking less, but, when doing so it enables you to listen in a manner that helps you interpret what you are hearing in a more effective way. For example, if a potential client is telling you about their recent experience with a business coach who ignored their emails, didn’t answer pertinent questions, and neglected their requests; these are signals telling you what your client sees as important when working with a professional. If you are listening effectively, you will be notating these points and beginning to prepare a response that assures your potential client they are in great hands working with you. You address their concerns and offer ways to demonstrate how you will make them feel comfortable under your care. If you are not listening effectively, you are most likely checking your Blackberry, thinking about the day’s agenda, and eager to end the call so you can forward them an invoice. Notice the difference…it’s incredible and can affect your business success.

Listen to Understand
When you take on the mentality that you want to listen to understand, you are opening yourself up to engaging more with your audience. You are now present with them and, this can help you zoom in on important details that may have been overlooked otherwise. These details can often be so intricate that, when not effectively listening, you’d skim right over them. However, those are often the details that can make or break a business deal, future partnership, or new client signing on to work with you.
The idea of the 2 ears 1 mouth ratio is to demonstrate that we have twice as much listening capability as we do speaking. Therefore, it is in our best interest to exercise this capability so we can better our business practices and grow our empires.

Here are a few helpful tips for listening effectively:

1) Prepare and seek to understand – Begin with a clear mind, eliminating all other distractions, (Blackberry, crowded room, checking emails, driving, etc) before beginning your call/meeting. Start with the intent to listen with a mindset that says you are focused on your audience and what they are verbally relaying to you.

2) Hold your response – So often we already have in our minds what we want to say in response, that we aren’t listening to our audience because we are so eager to speak. Give yourself the chance to fully engage with your audience before responding. Fully hear them out before you reply. You may surprise yourself by finding that your original response you were thinking of, is now different based on what you are now hearing.

3) Hold judgments/analyzing – It’s easy to already have a judgment of your audience before you finish your call/meeting. Sometimes, you may find yourself already mentally predicting what they are going to say next. Try to keep these thoughts at bay, until you have completed your conversation, then return to review your initial judgments/analyzations. You may find your initial findings conflict with your current findings.

4) Utilize note taking and/or a recording device – it’s wonderful to feel like we can remember every detail of every conversation we have. Save yourself the time and challenge of having to do this through utilizing note taking or a recording device for your calls/meetings. Both methods will help you stay organized, retain important information, and will keep pertinent ideas fresh in your mind. If you find you are more of a visual person, take advantage of the note taking. If you are more audio driven, grab a recording device.
5) Paraphrasing – Paraphrasing is taking what you have heard and using your own words to convey what you feel you’ve heard and understood. It’s a way of summarizing the conversation in words you feel comfortable using. Practicing this also helps you to recall important conversation points and, show your audience you were engaged in the conversation. In addition, it supports you as it verbally helps you to continue to understand and interpret the conversation you are engaged in.

Effective listening is an ongoing, important part of business practice. Let the tips above help guide you through effective listening methods that will continue to benefit you, and your audience.

To your success,
Samantha

Connect with Samantha on Twitter and subscribe to her Newsletter for tips, tools, and advice to empower your career. To book Samantha for public speaking, training, and coaching engagements, or to request a private session, please email her directly at Samantha@RelentlessConsultingGroup.Com.
]]> http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/09/power-topic-effective-listening-2-ears-1-mouth-ratio-ammo-for-your-arsenal%c2%a9-business-series/feed/ 0 http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/09/ammo-for-your-arsenal%c2%a9-%e2%80%93-business-series-power-topic-%e2%80%9cbranding-its-essential-its-your-identity%e2%80%9d/ http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/09/ammo-for-your-arsenal%c2%a9-%e2%80%93-business-series-power-topic-%e2%80%9cbranding-its-essential-its-your-identity%e2%80%9d/#comments Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:48:12 +0000 Samantha http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/?p=741 In business, positioning yourself as a unique entity is the lifeline to your future. Establishing your definition, your brand, in the world is vital. Whether you are a recording artist or CEO of your organization, your professional business brand needs to be one that will stand out. Why? It’s not only to have leverage on your competition, but more importantly, to establish your business as one that is recognized as the solution to your audience’s needs.

Branding sets you apart from the crowd. It is your identity. It should tell people something about you and convey a message instantly to people connecting with you for the first time, and also on a continual basis. With that considered, simplicity is key in branding your business.

Remember this: Consumers remember simple.
Simple. Clean. Effective. Original.

For example: Nike or Apple –both are prime examples of branding that have carried on to be worldwide phenomenons, appreciated across the globe, and household names. You want to create a brand that will entice your target market and give you the ability to expand that market. Your brand needs to be one that is thought out and meaningful to you, the image you wish to portray, and the audience you are targeting.

When people can associate with your brand, they feel comfort in supporting it. Branding will carry forward with you in your business endeavors, whether you have primary focus on social media or face-to-face business. This is something that you will take with you as you continue building your business. The message your brand conveys is also critical when considering marketing campaigns, merchandising, distribution, expansion, and profit. Therefore, your brand is the umbrella in which your business operations will fall under, tied in as one cohesive unit.

Here are a couple key points to consider when creating your brand:
1) What is original and unique about your business? What is it you value (i.e. integrity, technology, customer service) and want to portray to your audience?
2) Who is your ideal target market? Do you have a specific demographic and, if so, what do you offer that appeals to that demographic?
3) Competition – Who are you competing with and what about your product/services sets you apart from their business/brand?
4) Distribution methodology? Have you created a marketing plan? How will you promote your brand? What marketing methods do you have in place?

While the above points are essential in the development and execution of your brand, your audience’s needs are vital to keep at the forefront of your operation. Your audience, when looking at your brand/business model, will ask “What’s in it for me?” This phrase is important to carry forward in all aspects of your business model. Creating a brand that tailors to your target market’s needs will assist in creating a roster of loyal clientele.

To your success,
Samantha

Connect with Samantha on

Twitter

and subscribe to her

Newsletter

for tips, tools, and advice to empower your career. To book Samantha for public speaking, training, and coaching engagements, or to request a private session, please email her directly at Samantha@RelentlessConsultingGroup.Com.
]]> http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/09/ammo-for-your-arsenal%c2%a9-%e2%80%93-business-series-power-topic-%e2%80%9cbranding-its-essential-its-your-identity%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/09/ammo-for-your-arsenal%c2%a9-%e2%80%93-business-series-power-topic-%e2%80%9cthe-dynamic-of-team-dynamics%e2%80%9d/ http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/09/ammo-for-your-arsenal%c2%a9-%e2%80%93-business-series-power-topic-%e2%80%9cthe-dynamic-of-team-dynamics%e2%80%9d/#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:13:53 +0000 Samantha http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/?p=717
Having a dynamic team working with you is an incredible, powerful force which will only continue to benefit your business. Sure, it is great to feel independently successful; to look up at your office building overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with an immaculate interior design, and a client roster so impressive Tony Robbins would be wowed and say,” That was all me!” Yet, when having the dynamics of a team in place to help you reach and exceed your goals, you can propel your success forward in ways you wouldn’t have thought of.

Why? Team work makes the dream work.


It begins here: Formulating Your Power Group – creating a group of individuals in which you feel comfortable, inspired by, and ready to reach new levels with. Let’s discuss the formula to building such a dynamic group:


Like Minded, Motivated, and Headed Forward
Creating your Power Group will be most beneficial when you find people who match your commitment, energy, vision, goals, and overall practice. You may feel at best to have a Power Group of people from many different industries or backgrounds to bounce ideas, plans, and projects off of. Bringing diversity to your Power Group can also help to gather perspectives that may have not been presented to you before. Ideally, you want your Power Group to have the same vision for moving forward in business and to match your motivation. This will also help you to keep on track towards your accomplishments and allow you to help your team achieve theirs as well.


Feels Like Family
In my professional experience, I have found myself to be most successful when building solid relationships with those in my Power Group. This is due to my Power Group being a group of individuals who, on top of having the same overall goals, motivations, and energy, are also helpful, supportive, and encouraging. These are people I look to in moments of challenge for guidance, for thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. You may find this also beneficial for you. I also feel safe with this group of individuals as I trust their opinions, advice, and input. Considering these points when formulating your Power Group can also help you to feel energized knowing you have a group of people who want to see you succeed, are rooting for you, and are there to lend a helping hand when needed.


Brainstorming and Challenge
Another great point about Team Dynamics and formulating your Power Group is not only the availability to brainstorm with one another, but also in challenging one another to reach the next level. This is where matching each other’s energy in the group is incredible. When all parties involved share motivation, the group’s energy becomes unstoppable. Having your Power Group as a resource for bouncing new thoughts and ideas off of, while also challenging one another, can lead to even more opportunities than you originally created. This allows new ideas to form, new ways of breaking boundaries to generate, and creating new successes for you and your team to benefit from.


Accountability
Your Power Group is also great for creating an agenda, dividing it amongst equal parties, and creating accountability structures to ensure you are on track. For example, you may be the Sales and Marketing expert on your team and have created a Marketing Plan. This plan may require the design of a website for your clientele; therefore, you bring a Graphic Designer on board. You may also look to a professional to handle your Accounting, and an Assistant to handle your daily calendaring, emails, trips, etc. Or, another example is, you may have a Power Group that consists of people who you meet with once a week via conference call to cover a topic of discussion the group had agreed to the week before. Therefore, every week covers a specific topic/agenda of focus and each member equally participates on the call, and with discussing the given topic.


Team Dynamics in the form of a Power Group = empowerment, progress, productivity, and comradeship. It is a win-win situation for all parties involved and will only add to your incredible victories as a Professional.


To your success,
Samantha



Connect with Samantha on Twitter and subscribe to her Newsletter for tips, tools, and advice to empower your career. To book Samantha for public speaking, training, and coaching engagements, or to request a private session, please email her directly at Samantha@RelentlessConsultingGroup.Com.
]]> http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/09/ammo-for-your-arsenal%c2%a9-%e2%80%93-business-series-power-topic-%e2%80%9cthe-dynamic-of-team-dynamics%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/09/a-creative-spin-on-diversifying-your-social-media-assets-via-uncle-rico/ http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/09/a-creative-spin-on-diversifying-your-social-media-assets-via-uncle-rico/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:21:34 +0000 Guest Author http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/?p=708 If you’ve ever watched Napoleon Dynamite, you know that Uncle Rico is famous for his ideas. If you’re unfamiliar with the character or need a refresher, in 1982, Uncle Rico planned to play pro football (and he would have had the coach put him in during the fourth quarter of the state championship) but he also thinks he can sell nylon polymer and female enhancement drugs for some hefty profits. Without a doubt, Uncle Rico doesn’t put all of his eggs in one basket.

Well, neither should you.

Some companies take only one approach to social media, whether it’s blogging, Facebook, or Twitter. Sure, having a Twitter or Facebook account is better than nothing but it’s not the desired plan. It’s important to diversify your strategy. In the entertainment industry, if you’re only aiming for one audience via blogging or Facebook, you’re missing out on potential clients that might find you through a Twitter search.

If you want to have a solid plan for the future, be sure to invest your time into a diverse social media strategy, including blogs, social networking sites, and email marketing.

Why Diversify?

The quick answer is that it will meet the needs of your potential customers. Normally I’m not the type of person to recommend doing many things at once but when it comes to managing social media profiles, it’s necessary to have a few.

Not every potential customer is going to be on Twitter or Facebook. If you have a profile on each site, you can theoretically reach double the amount of interested individuals. Who doesn’t want that?

Instead of attempting to have a client create a Twitter account just to follow your updates, why don’t you meet them on Facebook?

Meet your customers where they are and they will listen to what you have to say.

Do It Well

Although he had a good idea to diversify, one of Uncle Rico’s many faults was the fact that he didn’t do anything well. Take note; this is not what you want to do with your social media profiles. Don’t become complacent with your Facebook or Twitter account. If you’re going to be present on Facebook, make it known that you’re there. If you’re going to tweet, distribute content that is worth following.

No one wants to know an Uncle Rico so make sure that you “do” social networking like the best of ‘em.

Displacing Your Doubt

If you’re about to jump into social media or only have one active profile, you’re probably thinking that I’m crazy. And you have every right to think that. In all honesty, I don’t have any solid proof or numbers to show you. I can’t convince you with tangible data that says, “You need to have multiple social media profiles to be successful.” And, to tell you the truth, I would think I’m crazy, too.

Fortunately for you, I’m not crazy.

The doubt that you’re feeling is natural. You’ve been ingrained to resist change and new ideas. You’re constantly bombarded with messages telling you that change is bad, safety is the way to go, and risks should be minimal. However, that’s not the case and in life and it’s not the case with social media.

In order to keep up with today’s shifting culture – a culture that is focused on individuals and not corporations – you need to make an impact with your clients and customers. Where are your clients and customers? The Internet. How do you capture their attention and make them lifelong consumers of your goods? Meet them where they are and do it well. That’s it. If you meet a need, they’ll come back for more and right now, there are millions of people on Twitter and Facebook and YouTube that need your product. You just need to find them.

My challenge to you is to subside your doubt and implement multiple social media profiles and to do them well. If you aren’t effective with your profiles, take a step back, re-order, and try again.

Don’t be like Uncle Rico. Don’t be a living-in-the-past, doubtful, and selfish social media manager. Serve your customers and meet them where they are. If you try it, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.



Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of

Folk Media

and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast,

blogger

, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on

Twitter

.
]]> http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/09/a-creative-spin-on-diversifying-your-social-media-assets-via-uncle-rico/feed/ 0 http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/08/do-celeb-artists-lose-that-certain-mystique-by-engaging-in-social-media/ http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/08/do-celeb-artists-lose-that-certain-mystique-by-engaging-in-social-media/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:25:00 +0000 Samantha http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/?p=686 With artists like Kanye West, Alicia Keys, and Lady Gaga tapping into social media sites such as Twitter, there is often question if such engagement removes them from the mysterious persona they have presented to fans around the globe. Take a look at the article below from Lady tha ProducHer, an esteemed Relentless Consulting Group affiliate, and founder of Studio Noize as she looks further into this topic and social media engagement.





Do Celeb Artists Lose That Certain Mystique by Engaging in Social Media? by Lady Tha ProducHer

While today’s music industry has taken quite a turn in the last few years, it’s evident if you don’t have an internet presence, you are basically non-existent. The same goes with artists, musicians and producers in the industry.

Back in the day (and not so long ago) records were broke with a certain mystery behind the artist that evoked great anticipation, as well as the wonderment of the lifestyles of our favorite artists. Well now days and special thanks to social media in the likes of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, we can basically logon and find the latest in the lives of our celeb family.

Do you find it necessary for artists to engage with their fans? Is there a point where too much information kind of breaks down barriers and the connection becomes overwhelming and demanding? Like back in the day, should there always be an untouched side between artists and fans?

I do believe social engagement is a necessary and effective marketing tool for anyone in business. Now whether it’s the artist tweeting, or some hired help behind the computer screen; it’s something that must be done to aid marketing and promotional efforts. Social media has bridged the gap so to speak between artists and fans, and it’s no secret the internet is the greatest medium to get your business around the world in seconds.

Relative to all this, starving/over-eagerly aggressive/aspiring artists take great advantage of reaching out to these celebs. Many would call that a good and or bad thing. However, on the flip side, celeb artists are people too, and not even the average MoJane wants someone sweating them all the time. Many people don’t think about this.

While some artists socialize more than others, would you still buy their music if they didn’t? Is it about being sociably engaged with them or supporting their music regardless? I have to say for myself, I’m a music lover first… and was one well before social media took over the web. I support good music regardless of the social engagement.

On the other hand, I can understand why many artists may not utilize the social medium outlet. It’s easy for things to get flipped out of proportion, especially if the gossip media feels like having a field day!

Your thoughts?

LINK TO ARTICLE: Do Celeb Artists Lose That Certain Mystique by Engaging in Social Media?

Studio Noize is the brainchild of Producer, Writer, Graphic/Web/Blog Designer Lady Tha ProducHer, and has been in the making for quite some time. You can also connect with Lady Tha ProducHer on Twitter and Facebook.
]]> http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/08/do-celeb-artists-lose-that-certain-mystique-by-engaging-in-social-media/feed/ 0 http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/08/ammo-for-your-arsenal%c2%a9-%e2%80%93-business-series-power-topic-%e2%80%9cyour-image-aka-personal-billboard%e2%80%9d/ http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/2010/08/ammo-for-your-arsenal%c2%a9-%e2%80%93-business-series-power-topic-%e2%80%9cyour-image-aka-personal-billboard%e2%80%9d/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:57:25 +0000 Samantha http://www.relentlessconsultinggroup.com/?p=636
The word image circulates around the planet like a breath of air, clinging to each of us, and illustrating to the world who we feel we are. Without consideration towards our image, the opportunities in business we desire will breeze right past us, zooming in on those who have created an image of integrity, class, and respect.
Clients come to me at times and question why they are not generating any new business. They are extremely knowledgeable in their fields, have a great product/service, and are using strong marketing strategies. Many times, I find they are just simply missing key points to presenting a reputable image, and through my consulting work we work to help them fine tune those areas of opportunity.
Here are helpful, key areas to review and consider for your professional image:

Online presence – With the internet providing mainstream communication, it is a place to boost your image and to lay a foundation which identifies you as professional, poised, and full of integrity. Create a profile within your networking sites that will outline what your area of expertise is. List your skills, talents, and specific focus. Look at your website background. Is it clean? What message does it deliver? What message are you wanting it to deliver? Be careful with photos. Photos instantly create a label. Sure, it would feel great if people knew the real you but, they are going off of what they see online, especially at first glance. For example, if you want to be viewed as professional, do not post photos which are extremely revealing or incredibly casual. Even if you are in a profession where you are promoting your appearance, you can post photos which highlight your best features and still represent you as respectable.


Wardrobe – We are judged on our wardrobe, whether we realize it or not. Have you ever walked into a business meeting and noticed a young woman in an extremely low cut blouse and short skirt or, a young man in jeans, sneakers, and a tee shirt? Or, how about when going to the grocery store you see someone walking around in their pajamas? What were your initial thoughts? As much as we all want to be respected for who we are inside, our image is our personal billboard. So, how we dress indicates how others portray us. Sure, we dress to occasion. When attending an event we may be in semi formal attire, when meeting friends for lunch, we may be in casual attire. Yet, in business scenarios, professional attire commands a respect. It says to the world that we are composed and polished. So, take a look at your wardrobe. Does it tell the story about you that you want it to? Does it appear misleading in any way? Is it too revealing, too casual, too formal?


Language – How we speak, write, and communicate also labels how others perceive us. If you are the CEO of your company, and are Tweeting something along the lines of “Dats coo, hit me up later,” what do you feel your audience is perceiving? Or, if promoting your material and the headline says “Nu Muzik!” what are you telling readers about you? This is a critical point to consider. Many times we don’t even think twice about what we say, we just want to get the word out. Just remember, how you communicate is up to you. How others perceive you is also up to you. If you want to be viewed as intelligent, your communication needs to follow suit. If you want to be viewed as an Executive, your communication needs to follow suit. Think carefully about what you are saying, writing, texting, etc before you deliver.


Overall conduct - Whether at an event, online, or in a meeting, conduct represents your image. Too often we don’t think about this in detail. It can help our image or harm it. For example, when we’re online in social networking sites we have every opportunity to empower our image. If we are sharing personal information, we need to be aware of what we’re saying, and decide if it’s appropriate for the world to see. Remember, the internet is the world wide web and everyone is watching. If we’re at an event and we are networking, yet are drinking in excess and are not thinking clearly, this will impact how others perceive us in such situations. If we are scheduled for a meeting, yet show up 20 minutes late, are dressed casually, and are unprepared, those meeting with us are casting judgement. So, overall conduct reflects every aspect of our image.


Another aspect of conduct is how we are respecting others. As a Professional, you have the opportunity to engage with people of many backgrounds, walks of life, and experiences. If you are shunning someone because they are not famous, or because they are not as educated as you are, or because they are male and you only want to do business with women, this will affect your overall image in ways that you may have not considered. For example, if you are a Consultant seeking to assist others, yet are speaking of others negatively, what does this say about your business? If you are a Doctor, yet are not fully reviewing your patients’ charts and looking for every possible way to help them, what does this say about your practice? Consider respecting all walks of life, even if they are not pertinent to what you are looking to do. You never know who knows who, and the one person that you’d least expect to be relevant to your business, could be the one person who holds the key to you opening new doors of opportunity.


Your Image is Your Personal Billboard. You deserve to be appreciated for the Professional you are, so make your billboard shine! The world awaits!
To your success,
Samantha


Connect with Samantha on Twitter and subscribe to her Newsletter for tips, tools, and advice to empower your career. To book Samantha for public speaking, training, and coaching engagements, or to request a private session, please email her directly at Samantha@RelentlessConsultingGroup.Com.*
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