To prepare for times of uncertainty, finetune your basic
communication, sales, and branding skills.
‘Uncertain’ is the word that best describes the business forecast for fall 2025. The wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and the threat from Iran are at the forefront. Lurking in the background is the question of what China's intentions are towards Taiwan. All of this has a dampening effect on economic forecasts.
Then, there is the
big, beautiful word – at least in the minds of some – TARRIFFS. Will they be introduced,
increased, expanded, reduced, or abolished altogether? Will the cost for
businesses and consumers be minimal or substantial?
With the mercurial
temperament of U.S. President Donald Trump and his influence on world events,
no one knows! With Donald, things can be one way today and change entirely by
tomorrow.
Global confidence
is negatively impacted. It can sink to the depths of despair in the morning and
soar to euphoric heights by the afternoon, all because of a single social media
post from the White House.
Control What
We Can
The best advice I
can offer in these uncertain times is to focus on what you can control. We
can’t control most outside influences, but we can control how we respond to
them.
Sharpen your personal branding and communication tools
Regardless of your
role in business or the community, strengthening your personal brand will yield
dividends. Now is the time to get serious and sharpen your existing communications
and branding skills, as well as acquire new ones.
Hold on Tight
Wherever you work and whatever you do, fall is an exciting time. As August gives way to September, the pace of life accelerates
from slow to extremely fast in the blink of an eye.
Hold on tight. Here
we go. It’s on!
Fall is the time
for product launches, harvesting, school openings, civic elections, new company
strategies, community initiatives, and other things.
Amidst a tornado of
activity are opportunities to advance your career. But, how do you do that when
there are so many unknowns? How do you create a personal growth plan based on accurate
predictions when you have no idea what the future will hold?
In short, you can’t.
What you CAN do is prepare the best you can to respond to the unknowns.
I’ve chosen 11 blog
posts I’ve written that are guaranteed to help you grow. You’ll experience higher
levels of engagement, which will provide more opportunities for success.
Why Your Personal Brand Matters
People who matter to your career growth have an opinion about you. Whether you are the CEO of a large corporation, a student, a warehouse worker, a teacher, an online marketer, a pest control technician, a truck driver, a welder, a farmer, a salesperson or a bootstrapper, what they think matters and will influence your success or failure.
Do you know what your personal brand is? Click to find out.
Ignite Your Career with LinkedIn
Polishing your LinkedIn profile is second on my to-do list. It’s a powerful tool for showcasing your unique identity. It’s ideal for connecting and building meaningful relationships.
People are watching
People you want to impress will eventually check out
your profile. In fact, if you meet in person or by phone for the first time, they
may check you out on their phone minutes after your chat ends.
You can also be proactive. Before an event, connect
with speakers, various leaders, or other delegates. Just say you will be at the
same event, and they’ll likely accept your invitation to connect. Quickly scanning
their profiles can provide valuable information that can spark a conversation.
A carefully crafted profile paints a picture of who you are and what you do. It takes 3 seconds or less to form a first impression. In this post I review the key elements that will make your LinkedIn profile stand out.
· Meaningful masthead photo or graphic
· Engaging bio pic - headshots only
· Short descriptive bio – Just the facts
· Engaging content that tells more about you.
· Employment, education, and volunteer history
· Resist all rants and distracting information
A Powerful Elevator Speech Opens Doors
An elevator speech is designed to introduce yourself or your business and start a conversation. It must be crafted in a way that will encourage further conversation with the people you want or need to know. The challenge is to use the fewest number of words possible to describe what you do and how you can meet your clients' needs.
I had been calling a potential client for 10 years. He
had a champion gatekeeper who was friendly but would never put my call through.
The next time I called, a new gatekeeper mistakenly put my call through to his
voicemail.
An elevator speech - not to be confused with a speech given on an elevator!
I introduced myself and recorded my elevator speech. That was January. In April, the owner called and asked for a meeting to discuss designing a website for his company.
I use my speech in networking, in sales material, to
open business meetings with potential clients, as an intro on videos, and as
part of my bio on social media sites.
Network Your Way to Success
Networking is an inexpensive but highly effective marketing tool. All it costs is time, the price of attire that’s appropriate for the occasion, an engaging business card, and easy-to-learn skills.
The purpose of networking is to connect, make a good
first impression, and initiate conversations that will lead to new or deeper relationships.
I love it because I enjoy interacting with people. I am blessed to be able to
meet total strangers and, in a few minutes, launch into meaningful
conversation.
Sometimes it Just Works
The buzz created by a room full of chatting people is
energizing. I have networked at conferences, trade shows, on public
transportation, in offices, at weddings, and at funerals.
I worked for a TV network and was asked to attend the national
convention of an organization we had partnered with to produce a program series.
I was to accept an award on behalf of the network in front of the 300 delegates
in attendance, few of whom I knew.
I was a bit late. I entered the hotel and saw signs to ‘the
reception.’ I went in, wrote my name on a tag at the registration table, and
began networking. I had collected about five business cards before realizing I
was in the wrong place! DOH!
Networking among strangers
Giant shrimp was on the menu of both events, so all was
not lost. I arrived at the right place in the penthouse just in time to accept
the award.
On another occasion, a friend passed away from cancer.
At his celebration of life, I started a conversation with a gentleman I had
never met. I learned that he was the founder and CEO of a company that was headquartered
in Calgary but that operated through much of the U.S.A.
We agreed to schedule a meeting next week to
discuss how we might work together. He became a client, and I would never have
met him otherwise, as he spent most of his time in the U.S.
Check my post for easy-to-use networking tips.
Body Language - Know What Your Body is
Saying
Knowing what your body is saying can be the difference between being taken seriously and not. Strong body language communicates self-confidence, credibility, and trust. Shifty eyes, wild gestures, incessant talking and the failure to listen signal the direct opposite.
A brand is what others think it is, and body language says
a lot about you. How you carry yourself goes a long way in making a
positive first impression. Gestures, eye contact, manner of speaking, and how
you walk, stand or sit form opinions about you.
What subliminal and unintended messages is your body
language sending?
How to Ask Questions That Matter!
Leaders who think they have all the answers often become so absorbed in trying to be the smartest person in the room that they avoid asking the questions that will actually make them smarter.
Some leaders fear
asking questions. They believe that if they ask, they will appear weak and
uninformed. The direct opposite is true.
Asking thoughtful questions is a powerful tool in your toolbox.
The
right question asked at the right time can begin conversations that help you
understand better, think differently, and move your organization forward.
You can do it! Check out my post for tips.
Active
Listening Helps Understand More
Active listening is what follows asking thoughtful questions. When you ask a question, active listening conveys to the person answering your question that you are truly hearing what they are saying. Listening with your entire body will heighten the level of engagement.
Click for more on Active Listening
Master the Art of Online Writing
Writing online content requires a different approach than writing essays, reports, or documents. We’ve all had them! Emails with one-word subject lines and content that drones on for several screens without ever getting to the point.
To be taken seriously, strong online communication
skills are essential. Five easy steps will make your online writing more
efficient and effective.
Look Good, Sound Good, Be Good on Video
Calls!
If you’re a leader or on an upward career path, at some point, using virtual connectors like Zoom, Teams, or various webinar platforms for important meetings and conversations has become a regular occurrence.
We’ve all heard scratchy audio, seen poor lighting, and
observed shelves filled with mysterious – or not-so-mysterious – distracting items
in the background that were more interesting than the speaker.
Like it or not, you're on camera! Smile!
Some speakers look everywhere but into the camera; they
lose their train of thought and become rattled. Their gestures become
frenetic.
The coup de grâce for one speaker was when
he reached for a glass of water and promptly spilled it. While the spill
happened off-camera, the sight of him quickly leaping to his feet, revealing his
soaking pants while shrieking out a curse was startling!
The lasting image of him frantically shaking the water
off his notes and half-eaten sandwich was chilling, to say the least.
How do you recover from that? Even though he apologized
profusely, the session was done for all intents and purposes.
Click. Make a great impression by improving your onlineperformance skills.
Staying Motivated in Demotivating Times
Motivation is the key to success. In times of trouble, motivation is more crucial than ever.
Whatever your career, motivation will drive everything
you do. It’s what gets you up in the morning to face another day.
Motivation is a state of mind!
I’ve worked with many people who started a business
with nothing and built multimillion-dollar companies. Some were immigrants who
didn’t speak English, others were poor, and still others were considered uneducated
and ill-equipped.
However, they all shared common attributes. They had …
· Passion for what they wanted to do
· Belief in themselves
· No fear of the unknown
Most of all, when others said it couldn’t be done, they
found a way to succeed.
A post about giving as a key to surviving in tough times may seem out of place. However, before leaving this page, please consider this.
Your career or start-up business depends on various communities. When you get involved in the community …
· You make a difference
· You connect
· You grow personally
· You learn how communities work from the inside
· Others notice
A worldwide economic crisis compounds community needs.
The shock of skyrocketing rental rates and food costs has caught financial
experts and ordinary people off guard.
People are desperate. Families are in distress.
Many are forced to choose between paying the rent and buying food!
Your ability to give depends on your economic
reality. Some can give a little, and some can give a lot. But the size of
your gift is not always as significant as the act of doing it.
When we all contribute to the best of our ability,
great things happen.
If you can’t give money or donate surplus food, clothing,
or furniture, consider volunteering.
Why is this important? However dire your own situation may
be, you’ll feel encouraged knowing you helped people who are worse off than
you. You’ll also feel you’re not alone.
The End
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