presenting like a rock star
Broc does an awesome job discussing why presenting is so critical to your success. I realized this several years ago when I joined Toastmasters. Broc and I are online friends now, and his content “rocks”!
Does anyone else go to concerts and try to figure out how to do your job better? No? A side effect of being a presenter and facilitator is that I cannot attend any training, speech, or event without noticing what is done well, what could be better, and what I can learn from it.
Eighteen months ago I wrote a post called “Rock and Roll Presentation Skills” after seeing one of my favorite European bands perform. As a presenter, this band inspires me more than any other with their stage presence, energy, and connection to the crowd. By sheer coincidence the same band was performing in Dallas the same weekend I was there to attend HRevolution and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see them again.
Reflecting on what I took from this performance, the presentation lessons hold true with what I learned from their last performance.
1. There…
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Help – I Can’t Find You :-(
I spend a lot of time researching websites and social media profiles to see who is doing a FANTASTIC job providing awesome exposure for their brands.
Unfortunately, not everyone is rockin’ it in this area, and I want to make sure that this critical social media strategy is not overlooked going forward.
One area that really stands out for me is the ease that I can find social media “connect” buttons on a website or blog. I find that my eyes often focus on the top of the page, and many key people that I follow put them there, or somewhere on the first page of content. On the flip side, many people bury their social media connect buttons deep in to their website, and I have to go digging to find them. If I really like what they are doing, I will dig, but typically not – it is much to time-consuming.
What I am going stress next may seem obvious, kind of “Intro To Social Media”, but humour me for a minute.
The more opportunities that you give people to connect with you, the greater the change that they actually will! People tend to be too busy, many are looking for the shortcut, and want the easiest ways to connect possible. So why not give them many opportunities to do so?
Here are some places that I make sure that I promote other places that people can connect with me:
Twitter Profile – Insert a link in the space provided under the tag line where you would like people to land and discover more about you. Perhaps your website, blog or even a Facebook Fan page.
LinkedIn Profile – There is a place on the template to include other social media profile links (and links to websites & blogs).
Facebook Fan Page Profile – Under the “About Page”, there are fields to include an email address, other accounts (which includes Twitter), and websites.
YouTube/Google+ Profile – Under the “About Page”, there is a “Links” section. You can add social media and website info there.
Pintrest Profile – There is a place to put your website link, but you can choose another social media link if you don’t have a website or blog
LinkedIn “Thanks For Connecting Note” – Every person that I connect with gets a “Thanks For Connecting” note. I always ask people where else I can connect with them, and provide the links to where they can connect with me. A shout out to Paul Castain for drilling this in to my head early in my online journey! You can check out Paul’s incredible work at http://yoursalesplaybook.com/
At The End Of Blog Posts – This is a great place to remind people where else they can connect with you, and give an email address and/or phone number if they have questions, or heck maybe even hire you 🙂
On An Email Signature – I don’t recommend listing 8 places that they can connect with you after your name. That would be a little hard on the eyes. But list a couple of places, and change it up periodically; maybe once per month?
On Social Media Channels – Sounds kind of obvious, but you can Tweet “Hey stop by my website”, or post on Facebook how to connect with you on Twitter. You get the idea.
Post Other Ways To Connect On LinkedIn Groups – Some LinkedIn Groups have discussions that allow you to post links to specific social media profiles. If you want to know which groups I am a member of, shoot me an email at TimMushey@gmail.com
Please note – I have not taken the plunge yet on Instagram, Snapchat or other social media sites that the cool kids are on. But I am sure that there are similar features which allow you to include social media & website links (and potentially email addresses).
If you have any questions about improving your link coverage & website/blog visibility, please email me at TimMushey@gmail.com
Or reach out through the following social media channels:
Twitter
https://twitter.com/TimMushey73
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/SellLeadSucceed
(don’t forget to “like” to stay connected)
http://ca.linkedin.com/in/timmushey
Google+
https://plus.google.com/+TimMushey/posts
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/TimMushey
Good luck getting your content out there, and remember never pass up on an opportunity to tell people all the places that they can find you.
The Five Star 5 – Your Brand Can Rock…
If you want it to!
Seriously (my 7-year-old son loves to say that word now)!
Today more than ever, personal branding is incredibly important. The tools are there to stand out in very crowded niches and be game changers helping those who really need it.
I think many people undervalue their worth online in one, or multiple niches that they are working in.
Always remember that people love to work with like-minded people, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and build a kick-a** community of raving fans.
When I think of personal branding, 5 things really come to mind:
- Be Yourself – Don’t try to be somebody that you are not. It rarely works, and you just look silly
- Engage Others -Nothing worse than somebody putting out great content but never engaging their audience
- Be Consistent – One big red flag that stands out for me when I come across a new brand is if their social media content is inconsistent, with long breaks of nothing. If you are in, you are in – show up often with high quality content
- Be of Service – It is not about you, it is about your audience. Once you get the mindset of helping others, it will be a game changer. The money will be there, as long as you don’t focus on it
- Start a Blog or Website With Your Name – Even if you have an existing business, it is a great idea to be branded online with your name as well. What better way to get known online than people being able to stop by “Insert Name.com”!
- What does personal branding mean to you?
- What struggles have you had with your brand, and what steps have you taken to make yourself a “rock star” brand now?
I would love to hear your thoughts!
Shoot me an email at TimMushey@gmail.com, or comment below.
Oh yeah..let’s connect if we are not already!
- http://ca.linkedin.com/in/timmushey
- https://www.facebook.com/SellLeadSucceed
- https://twitter.com/TimMushey73
- https://plus.google.com/+TimMushey/posts
- http://www.youtube.com/user/TimMushey
Have a FANTASTIC day 🙂
The Road “Accidentally Travelled”
On the way home from our family vacation this summer, I turned on to a highway that I taken at least 5 times over the past 10 years. Or so I thought 😦
Shortly after I passed through the first town, something did not seem right. The road seemed more narrow, and we were travelling through more small towns, at lower speeds. Finally after about 45 minutes, I said to my wife, “check out where we are on maps.com”.
Sure enough, I had taken a wrong turn, and we were going in a totally different direction. I was disappointed in myself. I had delayed the arrival at our hotel and “pool time” with our kids before bed. From that moment on for the next hour or so, I tried to speed a bit to make up time. Travelling with a seven and one year old, I wanted to get them out of the vehicle and playing as soon as possible.
Then my wife told me just to relax and enjoy the journey, it was no big deal. We would get there when we get there.
From there on, the rest of the ride was fun. We saw some towns we had never seen before, had supper at a “classic” diner, and even saw Santa Claus – yes Santa Claus in August! We passed through a small town that had a large statue of Santa right on their main street. The kids really loved getting pictures with him in the middle of summer. The sunset was gorgeous, and my wife took some fantastic pictures to help remember our extended travel day.
What I took away from this is things don’t always go as initially planned, but you have to embrace the “turns and twists” in the road. When I first got online four years ago, I thought I had to know exactly where I would be going before I launched a first blog and website. I have come to terms with when I launch something new, it may look totally different six months or a year from now, but I just have to get started. Putting myself out there will be the key to success, not trying to perfect something ahead of time in my head that is unproven.
- Have things not gone according to your exact plan online?
- How have you adapted to the changes that have come your way?
- How did your feel initially, and how do you feel now about the “online path” you are on?
If you feel “stuck” or are having trouble with any aspect of your online business, I am here to help.
Heck if you need a “gentle nudge” just to get started please let me know.
I have probably had many of the same feelings and experiences that you are having now.
Feel free to email me at: TimMushey@gmail.com
Or reach out via social media at:
- LinkedIn http://ca.linkedin.com/in/timmushey
- Twitter https://twitter.com/TimMushey73
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SellLeadSucceed
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Getting coffee is not a sales strategy
I enjoyed reading Lloyd’s take on sales strategy this morning. Have a great day!
One issue I find perpetually frustrating is how often companies neglect the goal of their sales efforts: Getting a deal. As someone who has been on both sides of the fence—initiating partnerships and being sold to –—I am particularly sensitive when I see people making fundamental mistakes.
Focus on the goal
The first manifestation of this problem is when people focus on arranging meetings (or calls), rather than qualifying potential partners and seeing if there is a reason to meet. There is no value in a meeting just for meeting’s sake.
Trade shows are a great example of people losing track of the goal. Prior to a major trade show, even if I am not attending, I got multiple meeting requests. Very rarely do people try to qualify whether or not it is worth their time meeting. Given that everyone has a limited schedule, they are potentially not only wasting 30…
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Saturday Music Memories – Hitting “Reset On A Music Career!”
It is no secret by now that my musical taste is quite diverse.
Growing up in the ’80’s I loved many different genres of music, but I especially liked to rock! I know I know it seems far-fetched for such a clean-cut guy like myself, but it is true!
I will never forget buying Guns N’ Roses Appetite For Destruction cassette. I was quite self-conscious that the music was a little too heavy and the message a bit too over the top for my parent’s liking. But they were pretty cool about it! Some of my friends were very in to Guns N’ Roses and we went to a concert once in Winnipeg, Canada. Lead Singer Axl Rose was less than impressed to be there which did not surprise us. My friends and I translated another song in to french, played it on an acoustic guitar, and sang it which was fun for a class project.
But this post is actually about Slash, and reinventing yourself. It is easy to “judge a book by its cover” if you have not followed Slash’s career, but he is a truly brilliant person and musician. Ever since the “soap opera” that was the first line-up of Guns N’ Roses broke up, all he has continued to do is keep working and trying to reinvent himself. He has had several different solo projects and the highly acclaimed Velvet Revolver, with former Guns N’ Roses band mates including Scott Welland from Stone Temple Pilots.
But I believe his best work is happening now with a lead singer named Myles Kennedy. You can google his name if you would like to see his bio, but the bottom line is they just click. While Axl Rose is sitting at home doing whatever he is doing, Slash is out playing new material with his incredible band plus Guns N’ Roses classics.
This is one of my favourite songs, and I believe one of the most recognizable songs of all time, even after just one strum of the guitar!
If Slash was in the corporate world, I would want him on my team, because he never gives up, never stops believing in himself and those around him, and just keeps affecting people’s lives in a positive way.
You may know this one!
Please Share – Anthony Carbajal’s Ice Bucket Challenge
As many of you know I completed the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge a couple of weeks ago.
I have been amazed to watch this movement grow and grow for this incredibly horrible disease.
I was particularly moved yesterday when I was shown a video of Anthony Carbajal.
Please watch until the end. One you get past his ice bucket challenge, his message is very powerful.
Together we can all make a difference. This is why we are all doing the Ice Bucket Challenge. Please share with friends, family, colleagues… anyone who can help out. And across your social media channels.
So far this video has over 15 million views!
Please also give to your local ALS chapter:
- In the USA
- In Canada
Or your local chapters around the world!
Thanks and keep smiling 🙂
Engaging People Is Not Only A “Work Thing”
The only way that you are going to get better at something is through practice. I read a quote in a hockey book once that really caught my attention:
“Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect” – Vince Lombardi
Even those with raw talent have to practice regularly. Engaging others in sales and other professional roles should not be limited to work relationships. You should practice engaging others when possible.
My dad was a teacher, and is still very engaging to this day – partially because of his personality, but it was also a necessity for his career. Could you imagine being in front of a class of kids and not holding their attention? Teachers who could captivate the crowd were always the ones that remained memorable to me. This also meant that my dad and I could never quickly go to a mall because he was always running into people. Conversations would start, and time would pass by. My mom would always comment upon our return, “Where were you? I just sent you for a couple of things!”
There are so many opportunities to engage people outside of work:
- In line at a store
- At a social events with friends
- Business or community events
- Sporting events
- On a walk or a run
- Groups, associations or teams that you and/or your children are part of
I was thinking about this one day after a run, and I reflected on how many people I acknowledge in that 45 minute period. It was about twelve!
- Some greetings were a simple hello or good morning as I passed by
- With others I would make a quick comment on the weather, or about the degree of difficulty of a hill that I (or they) had just ran up
- Some were a quick stop so our dogs could greet each other
- It was common that I ask for information about their dog, and how the person’s day was going
- I even complimented one guy who was actually attempting to train his new puppy
When I engage people in this setting, most people are pleasant back. It is common for people to jog with an iPod or Mp3 player, but I will still turn mine down to say something, or at least wave. I have done this for so long it is second nature now.
If I never practiced this skill, and instead just went through the day keeping to myself, it would be unreasonable to expect that I’d be very good at it in a short time period. Skills would develop eventually, but carrying that philosophy over to your personal life just means that you have more opportunity to practice. Then before you know it, the skill improves.
This was not always easy for me; because I was quite shy growing up due to my stutter. Speaking up and meeting people was very difficult well in to my teenage years. But with practice and patience, I consider myself very engaging now, and will always take time to speak with others.
- Do you only engage new people in work situations?
- Where can you begin to converse with people starting right away in your personal life?
The most practical business skill that has come out of this for me is keeping conversations going when there is a lot of dead air. I think most of us have experienced conversations that were very one-sided, and it was a struggle to keep it going, and interesting for the other person.
Good luck, and remember to always be in “engagement mode”!
Sell, Lead, Succeed! 