I try and keep up with LinkedIn and Yahoo answers. Both are good methods for getting the word out on you. The reason is easy. Answering questions establishes you as an expert in any number of topics. Experts are easy to hire.
I had the chance to answer a networking question recently, and it reminded me to tell once again, the story behind Marketing Me! and why I started this blog.
A few years ago, I found myself suddenly out of a job. Since then, I have turned the experience into the theme for my personal blog.
Here were my steps to secure a new and far better position in 30 days.
To start, know what you want to do and what industry you want to work in. That is a given that many overlook when they are out of work.
1) Collect your contacts. Divide them into hot, warm and cold with hot being good possible employers. Warm contacts are persons you use for advice and referrals. Cold contacts are names without possibility but good to have as referring points.
2) Start phoning. Never start out with email - nothing says lazy like email Call, connect and communicate.
3) Clearly state what you are looking for. Never phone and state "I need a job, got anything?". Instead, use the value proposition "I have known you a long time. What is your best advice about where I should look/what I should do?"
4) Plan to visit in person for follow up. I scheduled a trip to an industry convention which happened to take place two weeks after my last day. I scheduled meeting times with prospects. That included breakfasts, lunches, dinners, walks, anything which put me in front of a prospective employer. Remember to schedule with a set time and place. Leave nothing to chance. Be flexible. You may meet someone walking from one hall to another or on a shuttle bus or at a reception (all of these happened to me).
5) Meet. Be clear about your goals, skills and value to any prospect.
6) Thank. Send a thank you note, hand written, never email, to each person who took the time to meet with you.
7) Follow up. I was fortunate. I ended up with five solid job offers, two possibilities and dozens of future business contacts. Had this not happened I would have directly contacted each of these people again until something happened.
28 days to the day, I had my starting date at my next job. It was a lot of work and travel, but it has paid off nicely. To this day, I network constantly.
Marketing Me! has transformed into a blog about anything which appeals to me in my profession. Be it business travel, cell phones, productivity tools, conference calling and even entertainment.
In the 21st century, we are often defined by our career or more correctly, our work. Marketing Me! has become my diary, journal and sanity check over the past three years.
I don't plan on changing any time soon.
Showing posts with label personal brand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal brand. Show all posts
Monday
Marketing Me! They should do something
I read an interesting article not too long ago which described the conditions in the former U.S.S.R. following the fall of communism. Besides the shortages, crime and anarchy which came after the heavy-handed government ceased to exist, everything having to do with work and employment changed as well.
The author primarily noted middle aged men, going day after day to their offices and factories, sitting idly for want of something productive to and complaining endlessly that the government should do something.
Election year or not in the U.S., we hear this frequently, that no matter what the problem, the government "should do something".
Frankly, I don't know what it is people want the government or anybody else for that matter to do for them.
Rather, Marketing Me! declares that YOU have to do something for yourself rather than waiting for the other guy to step up.
Look, the Internet alone has created a huge virtual billboard with your mug displayed potentially for the whole world to see. And in the spirit of the long tail, the more traffic you can run to YOU the more business, however small, you can build for yourself.
How? Again let's always start with what we know. If you have not already, start a blog. Start a couple. You can use Blogger like I do, or Wordpress or Typepad. If you feel really gung ho, get your own domain name and host your blog on your new name. Which domain name? Register your name (I finally got mine this weekend!). Register your business skill or calling. Check out the GoDaddy link to the right and get your domain name and hosting account today!
Start a mailing list. I use AWeber, but there are lots of them (use a real mailing list company rather than Outlook. Spam complaints can shut down your access). Build an opt-in mailing list (people join voluntarily rather than you spamming). Remind people weekly through email of your existence and expertise.
Write an ebook. It is not that hard. Pick a subject. Write a 16 page ebook. Convert it to pdf and give it away to new subscribers to your mailing list. It helps to make it related to your line of work, but people remember the expert no matter what you write about.
Why stop there? Offer to speak. There are plenty of events in your line of work that need speakers. I recently signed up to speak at a telephone carrier sales meeting. Yes, there will only be about 30 attending, but if I am good, that will be 30 new evangelists spreading the word about my brand.
What else? Have you ever considered consulting? Have you ever considered starting your own business? You already have the blog and domain name, why not use it to generate extra revenue for your time?
There is so much you can do right now that will result in right now opportunities that it makes no sense to wait around for the "government" to do something.
So get off your butt and get busy. Time is wasting!
The author primarily noted middle aged men, going day after day to their offices and factories, sitting idly for want of something productive to and complaining endlessly that the government should do something.
Election year or not in the U.S., we hear this frequently, that no matter what the problem, the government "should do something".
Frankly, I don't know what it is people want the government or anybody else for that matter to do for them.
Rather, Marketing Me! declares that YOU have to do something for yourself rather than waiting for the other guy to step up.
Look, the Internet alone has created a huge virtual billboard with your mug displayed potentially for the whole world to see. And in the spirit of the long tail, the more traffic you can run to YOU the more business, however small, you can build for yourself.
How? Again let's always start with what we know. If you have not already, start a blog. Start a couple. You can use Blogger like I do, or Wordpress or Typepad. If you feel really gung ho, get your own domain name and host your blog on your new name. Which domain name? Register your name (I finally got mine this weekend!). Register your business skill or calling. Check out the GoDaddy link to the right and get your domain name and hosting account today!
Start a mailing list. I use AWeber, but there are lots of them (use a real mailing list company rather than Outlook. Spam complaints can shut down your access). Build an opt-in mailing list (people join voluntarily rather than you spamming). Remind people weekly through email of your existence and expertise.
Write an ebook. It is not that hard. Pick a subject. Write a 16 page ebook. Convert it to pdf and give it away to new subscribers to your mailing list. It helps to make it related to your line of work, but people remember the expert no matter what you write about.
Why stop there? Offer to speak. There are plenty of events in your line of work that need speakers. I recently signed up to speak at a telephone carrier sales meeting. Yes, there will only be about 30 attending, but if I am good, that will be 30 new evangelists spreading the word about my brand.
What else? Have you ever considered consulting? Have you ever considered starting your own business? You already have the blog and domain name, why not use it to generate extra revenue for your time?
There is so much you can do right now that will result in right now opportunities that it makes no sense to wait around for the "government" to do something.
So get off your butt and get busy. Time is wasting!
Wednesday
Marketing Me! Personal branding + pay it forward
Networking - Pay it forward before it pays off... read more...
The phone rings. It is a recruiter. Did he get your name from Monster or Career Builder? Maybe Dice?
The phone rings. It is a medium-sized, but growing company who is interested in your product. Did they get your number from the company website?
An email arrives. Someone wants information on a technology related to your product. How did they get your email address?
How did these opportunities come your way? Through your personal network.
Why did members of your network send your revenue and job opportunities? Because you did something for them.
That is the secret to personal and brand marketing - you must pay it forward before it pays off. Your network and the people in it have specific needs and goals. Help them meet them.
Sure, it's tough when you have so many other activities to complete in a day to spend time writing referrals, making introductions and digging up contact information. But it pays for itself over and over again.
When I looked for my last job, I spent a month making calls and sending emails to my network. Most responded quickly where others took their time. Invariably, those who responded fastest were repaying an introduction or opportunity I forwarded them another time.
Today you may be fat and pretty (I know it!) sitting where you are now. But what about tomorrow? Our bags are packed, but who is going to pick you up in the career van? Better start helping your network today - send them referrals, leads, prospects, a new employee, a better customer or a reference. Drive traffic to their product and web site. Blog about them. Link to them. Click them.
Pay everything forward and the returns will be ten fold.
Happy hunting,
The phone rings. It is a recruiter. Did he get your name from Monster or Career Builder? Maybe Dice?
The phone rings. It is a medium-sized, but growing company who is interested in your product. Did they get your number from the company website?
An email arrives. Someone wants information on a technology related to your product. How did they get your email address?
How did these opportunities come your way? Through your personal network.
Why did members of your network send your revenue and job opportunities? Because you did something for them.
That is the secret to personal and brand marketing - you must pay it forward before it pays off. Your network and the people in it have specific needs and goals. Help them meet them.
Sure, it's tough when you have so many other activities to complete in a day to spend time writing referrals, making introductions and digging up contact information. But it pays for itself over and over again.
When I looked for my last job, I spent a month making calls and sending emails to my network. Most responded quickly where others took their time. Invariably, those who responded fastest were repaying an introduction or opportunity I forwarded them another time.
Today you may be fat and pretty (I know it!) sitting where you are now. But what about tomorrow? Our bags are packed, but who is going to pick you up in the career van? Better start helping your network today - send them referrals, leads, prospects, a new employee, a better customer or a reference. Drive traffic to their product and web site. Blog about them. Link to them. Click them.
Pay everything forward and the returns will be ten fold.
Happy hunting,
Tuesday
Marketing Me! Personal Brand Network Value
This past week the phone rang with a number of opportunities; a job available and a large product offering. Both were the result of my self marketing and the personal brand awareness campaign now entering its third year.
You know the drill. At Marketing Me! I have been promoting this for nearly three years where YOU market yourself under YOUR brand. There is no sale, no e-book, (not yet at least), no software to buy, no long term contracts and no small print.
You market yourself the best way you know how. Again, here are some pointers and the possible results.
First and foremost, give.
- I work in the wireless hardware industry. Consequently, I have numerous contacts with carriers and service companies. I regularly pass along leads and opportunities to my network without reciprocal requirements. This benefits the industry and spreads my product name.
Promote and evangelize.
- Do not worry about the competition, rather embrace what they are doing and take possession for yourself. For instance, if one of my competitors has a new product which addresses a particular need, I promote the idea behind the product when speaking or writing about the industry or market. I make my competitor's product mine as a further example of my own expertise.
Be open to interviews, even when not looking.
- Not press interviews but job interviews. Be open to discussing opportunities with other companies, it is great practice. It also spreads your name. Remember, companies recruit talent.
Pay back often.
- Repay all who have paid you seven fold. It will be returned.
Marketing Me! Takes time. It cannot be built over a weekend or with a simple blog post. It is a journey of patience and perseverance and most of all, clear focus with particular goals in mind.
Get busy and make the phone ring.
Happy hunting!
You know the drill. At Marketing Me! I have been promoting this for nearly three years where YOU market yourself under YOUR brand. There is no sale, no e-book, (not yet at least), no software to buy, no long term contracts and no small print.
You market yourself the best way you know how. Again, here are some pointers and the possible results.
First and foremost, give.
- I work in the wireless hardware industry. Consequently, I have numerous contacts with carriers and service companies. I regularly pass along leads and opportunities to my network without reciprocal requirements. This benefits the industry and spreads my product name.
Promote and evangelize.
- Do not worry about the competition, rather embrace what they are doing and take possession for yourself. For instance, if one of my competitors has a new product which addresses a particular need, I promote the idea behind the product when speaking or writing about the industry or market. I make my competitor's product mine as a further example of my own expertise.
Be open to interviews, even when not looking.
- Not press interviews but job interviews. Be open to discussing opportunities with other companies, it is great practice. It also spreads your name. Remember, companies recruit talent.
Pay back often.
- Repay all who have paid you seven fold. It will be returned.
Marketing Me! Takes time. It cannot be built over a weekend or with a simple blog post. It is a journey of patience and perseverance and most of all, clear focus with particular goals in mind.
Get busy and make the phone ring.
Happy hunting!
Thursday
Marketing Me! Gitomer and personal branding
I am re-reading Gitomer
"Little Red Book of Sales".
First lesson is you should review and read over old material often. I know it sounds crazy, but when ever I get down or feel at loose ends, I dig out a classic like Little Red Book or Never Eat Alone and get back on track.
One of the points Gitomer makes again and again is big sales (and jobs) got to those who market themselves and their personal brand. We have been saying that for years at Marketing Me!
One suggestion he makes is to register your name as a domain name. Jeffrey has at www.gitomer.com. I checked for my name, but someone else grabbed it about a million years ago in internet time, so I registered a few others instead.
I always use GoDaddy for my registrations and so far have registered about a dozen or so domains for different projects I am working on. The name is important because that is how your customers, prospects, employers and contracts will find you.
There are still many domain names available and getting the right name is not hard. I like using GoDaddy because of their excellent customer service - I mean it's good. They call me after every transaction on their website and constantly offer discounts on renewals and new products.
Once you have your name established, be ready to build a site which reflects you and your product well. I cannot stress how important it is to have the right look and feel to your web site or blog which will attract visitors and regular readers.
I use Linked In, Plaxo and other online networking tools to direct prospects to me rather than my company. Customers buy and companies hire individuals, not corporations!
Network and market yourself constantly for best affect. Pick up Jeffrey's book for a great list of ways to do this effectively!
Happy hunting!
"Little Red Book of Sales". First lesson is you should review and read over old material often. I know it sounds crazy, but when ever I get down or feel at loose ends, I dig out a classic like Little Red Book or Never Eat Alone and get back on track.
One of the points Gitomer
makes again and again is big sales (and jobs) got to those who market themselves and their personal brand. We have been saying that for years at Marketing Me! One suggestion he makes is to register your name as a domain name. Jeffrey has at www.gitomer.com. I checked for my name, but someone else grabbed it about a million years ago in internet time, so I registered a few others instead.
I always use GoDaddy for my registrations and so far have registered about a dozen or so domains for different projects I am working on. The name is important because that is how your customers, prospects, employers and contracts will find you.
There are still many domain names available and getting the right name is not hard. I like using GoDaddy because of their excellent customer service - I mean it's good. They call me after every transaction on their website and constantly offer discounts on renewals and new products.
Once you have your name established, be ready to build a site which reflects you and your product well. I cannot stress how important it is to have the right look and feel to your web site or blog which will attract visitors and regular readers.
I use Linked In, Plaxo and other online networking tools to direct prospects to me rather than my company. Customers buy and companies hire individuals, not corporations!
Network and market yourself constantly for best affect. Pick up Jeffrey's book for a great list of ways to do this effectively!
Happy hunting!
Tuesday
Marketing Me! Labor Day
Here in the U.S., we celebrated Labor Day yesterday. Labor Day has its roots from a little over a hundred years ago when several labor groups (read industrial and agricultural organizations) petitioned for a annual holiday to celebrate their contributions to the American way of life.
All fine and dandy, but the reality of life in the 21st century is the concept of "labor" has changed since its' Victorian age introduction.
Statistics have show that industrial and agricultural occupations have shrunk in recent years whereas office based work has grown.
Even more important, is the explosion of non-full time and non-permanent workers in our modern economy. Contractors, part-timers, temp workers and consultants are filling more and more open slots.
Opponents argue that these non-traditional employees are either victims of evil corporations (for failing to provide them benefits, insurance, etc.) OR the enemy (for taking away positions which historically would have gone to full time workers).
Regardless, the argument overlooks a few international trends...
The cost of full time employees, for any number of reasons, has grown. Many employers have opted out of the traditional management/labor template spelled out over the past hundred years.
The employment border is broken. One hundred years ago, employee availability was limited to walking distance from a central operation. Today, an employee for a New York based company might be in Bozeman, Montana or Bangalore, India.
Income Evolution
At Marketing Me! we do not play the game of what's right or wrong. We play the game of income evolution. We go where the money is. If it is full time work today, it may be part time work three years from now. Or contract work. Or consulting.
The opportunity to make income from work means evolving with the market place and work trends in order to maximize our ability to profit from a changing and expanding market.
Ability Security
What matters in income growth is ability security. There are no more "secure" jobs. Only secure abilities. The skills and adaptability to earn money for our employers combined with personal branding and marketing guarantees us the security of moving to greener pastures constantly.
I hope you had fun with the traditional Labor Day festivities yesterday. An extra day off, maybe a fun activity with family and friends.
However, the historical basis of Labor Day has changed forever. Start planning your own Marketing Me! Day instead!
Happy hunting!
Blogroll Me!
All fine and dandy, but the reality of life in the 21st century is the concept of "labor" has changed since its' Victorian age introduction.
Statistics have show that industrial and agricultural occupations have shrunk in recent years whereas office based work has grown.
Even more important, is the explosion of non-full time and non-permanent workers in our modern economy. Contractors, part-timers, temp workers and consultants are filling more and more open slots.
Opponents argue that these non-traditional employees are either victims of evil corporations (for failing to provide them benefits, insurance, etc.) OR the enemy (for taking away positions which historically would have gone to full time workers).
Regardless, the argument overlooks a few international trends...
The cost of full time employees, for any number of reasons, has grown. Many employers have opted out of the traditional management/labor template spelled out over the past hundred years.
The employment border is broken. One hundred years ago, employee availability was limited to walking distance from a central operation. Today, an employee for a New York based company might be in Bozeman, Montana or Bangalore, India.
Income Evolution
At Marketing Me! we do not play the game of what's right or wrong. We play the game of income evolution. We go where the money is. If it is full time work today, it may be part time work three years from now. Or contract work. Or consulting.
The opportunity to make income from work means evolving with the market place and work trends in order to maximize our ability to profit from a changing and expanding market.
Ability Security
What matters in income growth is ability security. There are no more "secure" jobs. Only secure abilities. The skills and adaptability to earn money for our employers combined with personal branding and marketing guarantees us the security of moving to greener pastures constantly.
I hope you had fun with the traditional Labor Day festivities yesterday. An extra day off, maybe a fun activity with family and friends.
However, the historical basis of Labor Day has changed forever. Start planning your own Marketing Me! Day instead!
Happy hunting!
Blogroll Me!
Thursday
Marketing Me! How to Win-Win at Work
You cannot afford to sit back, like our fathers did, punch a card 9–5 and expect to bring home enough bacon to buy a house, a car, and support a wife with three kids. It’s almost the year 2008; get into the eighties, will you?
- Mike Rogers
Ran across this wonderful article somewhere on the Internet today and read twice. Although I have never heard of Lew Rockwell before, this contribution came from a gentleman named Mike Rogers and is worth a read.
If you are looking for work, or have an unhappy job or maybe are about to graduate from college, read this article. Better yet, read it two or three times. Even better, print it out, stick it on your mirror and read it every day!
This article basically sums up what I have been trying to do at Marketing Me for the past two years.
Summary:
Nobody owes you a successful life.
No job or company is going to take care of you.
Success is based solely upon how well you market yourself and market your successes - not necessarily how hard you work or how productive you are.
You are responsible for branding and promoting yourself both through your work - nobody else can or will do this.
Maybe I am preaching to the choir, maybe I sound like a broken record, maybe it gets tiring hearing the same old song at Marketing Me.. but this stuff works!
Get busy marketing and promoting yourself for REAL job security.
P.S. I dropped Mike an email to see if he has a website or blog and to let him know about this post.
- Mike Rogers
Ran across this wonderful article somewhere on the Internet today and read twice. Although I have never heard of Lew Rockwell before, this contribution came from a gentleman named Mike Rogers and is worth a read.
If you are looking for work, or have an unhappy job or maybe are about to graduate from college, read this article. Better yet, read it two or three times. Even better, print it out, stick it on your mirror and read it every day!
This article basically sums up what I have been trying to do at Marketing Me for the past two years.
Summary:
Nobody owes you a successful life.
No job or company is going to take care of you.
Success is based solely upon how well you market yourself and market your successes - not necessarily how hard you work or how productive you are.
You are responsible for branding and promoting yourself both through your work - nobody else can or will do this.
Maybe I am preaching to the choir, maybe I sound like a broken record, maybe it gets tiring hearing the same old song at Marketing Me.. but this stuff works!
Get busy marketing and promoting yourself for REAL job security.
P.S. I dropped Mike an email to see if he has a website or blog and to let him know about this post.
Marketing Me! Squarespace
I recommend that everyone trying to market their own personal brand setup 1) a blog and 2) a website.
Not having either these days is like looking for a job without a phone, resume or business clothes.
Although I am not currently a customer of Squarespace, I have to say, after looking at their site, they have some of the best looking templates and examples I have ever seen.
Although I have been planning on migrating Marketing Me to Wordpress and seriously looking at Dreamhost (because of the one-button Wordpress install and good reviews) for my hosting account, I am considering putting a personal page on Squarespace simply because they have such incredibly good form and function.
Also, I am a big advocate of *good* support documentation. Squarespace has excellent tutorials and tips online.
Finally, check out some of the examples online. These are not your typical cheesy websites. They are all high-quality, well designed sites.
If I sign up with Squarespace, I will let you know if the customer experience is as nice as their website appears to be. I sure hope so!
Not having either these days is like looking for a job without a phone, resume or business clothes.
Although I am not currently a customer of Squarespace, I have to say, after looking at their site, they have some of the best looking templates and examples I have ever seen.
Although I have been planning on migrating Marketing Me to Wordpress and seriously looking at Dreamhost (because of the one-button Wordpress install and good reviews) for my hosting account, I am considering putting a personal page on Squarespace simply because they have such incredibly good form and function.
Also, I am a big advocate of *good* support documentation. Squarespace has excellent tutorials and tips online.
Finally, check out some of the examples online. These are not your typical cheesy websites. They are all high-quality, well designed sites.
If I sign up with Squarespace, I will let you know if the customer experience is as nice as their website appears to be. I sure hope so!
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