Honoring Commitments

Business Network International (BNI) taught me how to develop business by building quality relationships. Will someone trust me enough to refer someone in their Rolodex to me? How couldn't they? I'm such a lovable guy!

I watched people's behavior in my BNI chapters and over time made judgments about whether I could refer business opportunities to them. If they behaved with integrity and showed interest in helping others first...they received my referrals. If they showed up late for our meetings, were unprepared, and looked to make the "quick hit" sale...they received nothing. No matter how hard we work to make life fair for everyone, there are some things that will never change. Acting with questionable integrity is almost impossible to overcome.

We win and lose support from others based on our commitments. When you commit to doing something, do it! If something comes up that interferes with your commitment, use the other "C" word...communicate. We have more communication tools now than ever.

Your personal brand can be influenced by many things. Your day to day commitments are being monitored by  your first level of contacts. Judgments are being made.

The goal is not to become a perfect person. We can strive to be conscious of our actions and realize that they have consequences, good or bad.

Choices

How did you choose your doctor, lawyer, hairdresser, plumber, masseuse?

In title they are all the same. But they're not!

When you shop your talents do you have this mindset? "with all due respect to my competitors, they are not me!"

Outraged at the thought of saying that? If you are you are in dire need of developing a personal brand.

Personal branding is ignored by some because they don't see themselves as one of a kind. In life you can make few guarantees. One guarantee that is undeniable is the fact that there is only one you. Get used to it and relish it.

Join Remarkable Personal Branding on LinkedIn to begin the process of acknowledging your uniqueness and building a brand.

Real "hope and change"

My friend Mary sent this email recently to tell me about her good fortune (I have put x's in the place of names that should be kept confidential).

"A while back, you told me to search out "doing something I love". I knew that already, but the future seemed hopeless. By complete good fortune, I got laid off from my despised job in June. I am continuing my counseling work at xxxx in an expanded role, have secured a really great job with xxxx (I do drug screenings at the data center construction site here) and am taking classes in Hospice Life Care at the xxxx). Very grateful to have gotten my foot in the health care door. And, I've never been happier. All of my positions are part-time, so I still have plenty of free time to spend with the grandkids and elderly parents." 

Mary proves that "hope and change" is truly something of value when applied in this manner. Even better, Mary has a story that she can tell to an audience that needs to be inspired.

Your brand is enforced by the stories you tell. I suggested that she find ways to do some public speaking to amplify how she is living her life. There's too much doom and gloom in the world. Don't believe me? Turn on the evening news.

People judge you by the words you use, and the stories you tell. My hope is that this story will inspire you to do something you didn't think was attainable.

A true resource = Simsbury Public Library

Sometimes you need a place to go to shift your focus to something positive.

Jennifer Keohane brings that quality to the Simsbury (CT) Public Library, specifically their Business Resource Center. I felt privileged to participate in one of their seminars on Thursday geared toward helping the job seeker. As their Business Outreach Librarian, Jennifer creates a warm environment, attracts a quality audience and continues to look for ways to help people by improving their offerings. SPL is a magnet for people throughout central Connecticut who need information and the chance to expand their networks. Jennifer's brand is synonymous with helping people. Amen, and thank you.

Simsbury Public Library will help the job seeker, aspiring entrepreneur and the small business struggling to grow. They bring in experts with diverse backgrounds.

Join their mailing list and soon you will be participating in one of their programs.

http://www.simsburylibrary.info/brc.htm

Gift Giver

Soon we will enter the Christmas season (or shall I say Holiday for my PC friends). The season is synonymous with gift giving, wrapping paper, bows, mistletoe, carolers and much much more. It's better to give than to receive, even though I may have to cut you off and run a red light as I race to the mall.

I like the expanded version of gift giving, one that is not limited to December. Gift giving should be a part of our daily plans if we can comprehend what constitutes being a gift.

Remember that time where a project came up and it needed a leader. Someone volunteered, lead the team and got the job done...that is a gift.

Did you ever send your resume for someone to review and get suggestions. When they sent it back with ideas for improvement, and didn't charge you...that is a gift.

Were you ever referred to someone who could help you solve a personal problem or business challenge...that is a gift.

"Gift giver" is something I want connected with my brand. It's not hard, takes a fair amount of compassion and helps me stay grounded by showing gratitude.

My goal in the next five years is to create a group of philanthropists who are natural gift givers. If this sounds like you, please connect with me.

Inspiration and Desperation

Twenty-five years ago my friend Bill made this proclamation..."my greatest accomplishments in life occurred because of desperation, not inspiration." It was an example of his self-deprecating humor and that events in life happened when he was least prepared.

Are you inspired or feeling desperate in your life today? Others can tell. Your brand is what people think about you...and see in you when they interact with you.

I don't have Dr. Phil's credentials but can tell you this...find a way to become an inspiring person. Your inspiration will pay off in ways you cannot imagine. You may motivate someone to do something they feared. You may influence a family member to develop a healthier lifestyle. Your passion is a trigger and others will feed off the genuine emotion.

If the best revenge is a life well lived...lead a rewarding and fulfilling life by inspiring others who will follow your example.

Writing: A lost art?

Have you seen this conversation?

Kathy: "u r so funny lol"


Jennie: "OMG I cant believe u said that" 


Kathy: "do u want 2 meet us @ the mall?"


Jennie: "k"

It's not Shakespeare but it passes for communication.

The world of texts, IM's and tweets has changed our manner of communication forever. The rhetorical question is...."with all the innovations that allow us to communicate better, how have we become poorer at communicating?"

Ironically one of the best ways to capitalize on social media exposure is to be a good writer. I write this blog for multiple reasons. Honing my writing skills is one of them. Defining my brand is another.

In branding we want people to know who we are. You can look at my resume, but that is a fraction of my story. My blog will tell you many things about me. If you have read one or more of my blog entries you will know that I am literate, not afraid to take a stand, care deeply about branding, have the discipline to post 3 times per week, seek creative ways to connect with others and so on.

My college English professor said this on the first day of class: "all of you are no better than B level writers and if you have a problem with that....leave!" Once I got past the outrage of that statement I paid close attention to how he graded my writing. I think of him each time I write.

The market exists for people willing to write as a form of communication. Think about the last time you received a hand written note and how that felt. The pen, and the keyboard are tools to define who you are. Don't let text-talk define your writing abilities.

Building a brand from the inside out

It's important to monitor what is going on in the business branding world to get ideas and success stories as you develop your personal brand.

Recently, Southwest Airlines hosted the Ragan Communications conference. An attendee at the conference noted the following about Southwest..."as the Southwest Airlines team explained, "Happy Employees = Happy Customers = Happy Stakeholders." You could feel the difference at Southwest headquarters. There were a lot of happy people walking around, and it was amazing how many people had worked there for more than 10 years. 


Oh, and Southwest happens to be one of the biggest domestic carriers in the country, something seems to be working on their focus to build the brand inside out." 


If you have flown Southwest you know that the experience is about the people, promptness and professionalism. All of their planes are the same, thus if you have flown one Boeing 737 you have flown in all of them. When my wife and I flew Southwest to Arizona for our wedding we had a bit of a problem as to where the wedding dress would be stored during the flight. A Southwest representative saw the disagreement we were having with the gate agent and quickly stepped in and resolved the problem. By the way, this Southwest representative had another job...he was our pilot!

You will build your personal brand from the inside out. Your smile, posture, demeanor, stories and overall presentation tell the world what you are all about. Not unlike Southwest Airlines.

Appearance: October 20, 2011 at Simsbury Public Library

Please join me for a presentation called: Charting a Course Through the Fog of Unemployment. The presentation will be at the Simsbury Public Library on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 10:15AM.

I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Marcia LaReau from Forward Motion, LLC and Rich Vogler, Managing Partner with Norman, Vogler and Associates of Ameriprise Financial.

My portion of the presentation will focus on "Securing Your Identity" as you conduct your job search. This highly interactive segment will outline how to develop a personal brand to help you stand out in your job search.

If you are interested in attending please sign up at http://tinyurl.com/6h5rotb.

A little known fact

This week will be remembered for the passing of Steve Jobs and the stories being told about how he changed the world. A legacy of that magnitude is almost impossible to comprehend. Who would mind being known as a "world changer" especially in the manner he did it?

Each day I read more and more about him. One fact about Jobs that didn't escape me was this...college drop-out. He dropped out due to the financial burden the university was placing on his parents. His conscience outweighed any temptation to party on mom and dad's dime.

Most would assume that Jobs was a Rhodes scholar. Not quite. He didn't need the credentials.

Jobs proved that leading a life full of purpose, inspiration and accomplishment is all that is needed to be successful. His brand, and his company's will live on forever.

Is your company going GREEN?

Green jobs. Green initiatives. Government funding for green energy. I've gone green...have you?

Does anyone not want to be green these days?

Companies aggressively market themselves as green. Their intentions are good. They show compassion for our environment and want to do their part to save the planet. Fantastic!

The next stage of development for the green "brand" is results. You are no longer unique if you are a green company. What is unique is when you can point to specific actions, policies and outcomes that prove you are practicing what you preach.

There are contradictory events that must be noticed in our new green world. When I pick up my medium coffee at the local drive through coffee shop I pay $1.97 in cash. In return I get a paper receipt that is approximately 3" x 11". A receipt for a flat screen TV isn't that big. Another tree killed, and for what reason? I have no intention of returning the coffee.

Maintaining a believable green brand will be a challenge for businesses. In the case of the disproportionate sized receipt...some revisions are obvious.

Slightly new direction

The success of the Remarkable Personal Branding group has inspired me to alter my blog to include branding for individuals as well as businesses.

Remarkable Personal Branding is an offshoot of the Connecticut Re-Employment Group. RPB is essential for job seekers navigating high unemployment and a short term lack of confidence in the market. Job seekers must be remarkable in how they market and position themselves for their next job.

Future content in this blog will discuss branding for businesses as well as individuals.

Please join us at:

• Remarkable Personal Branding on LinkedIn
• On Twitter at http://twitter.com/whatisyourbrand

For more information contact: 

Michael Lynch

860-882-2890

michaellynch@cox.net

Your training program...is it legit?

Here's how the job posting reads: "sales experience is preferred, but not necessary, as there is an extensive training program at company expense. However, sales experience is preferred."

The company is funding training for a new employee...how noble. With all due respect to this employer is there a reason to pat yourself on the back to train someone? I wonder if the new employee will get a computer with internet access?

How about this ad instead: "At XYZ Corp. we value each addition to our sales department. We will provide you with a comprehensive training program that will position you to succeed in this very competitive industry."

Recruiting is marketing and the two messages tell two different stories.

Training may be lost in the shuffle in tough economic times. Your investment in training will cost much less than  dealing with constant turnover because of unprepared staff.