When I started up my executive recruitment business in the early 80’s the only way to expand and develop my business was through real world marketing and by extension, word of mouth marketing. Much time was spent meeting with prospective clients, candidates, and those who influenced the decision makers. My marketing plan was centered almost exclusively on in-person meetings and presentations. Although my business grew over the 20 years I spent building it, I can only imagine the growth I could have achieved had social media marketing been around in those early years.

Real world marketing is still vital to growing your business and making those sales. However, in today’s world you must incorporate social media marketing in order to obtain many of the in person meetings and presentations that help you close the deal. Because consumers are inundated with messaging coming at them from all directions, they have developed screening mechanisms preventing old world marketing tools from being as effective as they once were.

What are the benefits of social media marketing?

-         Build trust, credibility and relationships in the virtual world in far less time than in the real world.

-         Reinforce your personal brand in ways that demonstrate your expertise – build brand recognition.

-         Find and build a like minded community that enables you to learn new tools and share ideas.

-         Engage your target audience across geographic borders without leaving the comfort of your keyboard.

-         Convert virtual relationships into real world contacts easier than through cold calling or other previously relied upon methods of spreading the word – they already know you and what you can provide.

-         Gain visibility in a more focused targeted way.

How do you start participating in the social media world?

-         Create a blog that reinforces your brand and demonstrates your expertise – this is where you give away information that your potential clients/customers WANT to know about. Crafting your blog so it markets your expertise rather than sells your service is the key to success.

-         Join Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter to engage and communicate with your target audience as well as your like minded community. Use these networks as a way to disseminate your blog postings, share ideas with others in your field, and respond to questions in your area of expertise. This will help you will increase your universe of potential clients, get the word out and create word of mouth buzz.

-         Participate and comment on other blogs that relate to your area of interest and expertise – demonstrate generosity as this often results in reciprocity.

What social media tools do you use to get the most visibility in your target market? Please share your ideas and comments with all of us.

My next posting will focus on how to write a blog that helps expand your following and your business.

A strong brand takes pricing out of the equation. David Avrin in his book, “It’s Not Who You Know It’s Who Knows You” says that the 4 most dangerous words to hear when pitching a client, asking for a raise, or selling a product, are: “All things being equal”.  If you hear these words then you haven’t differentiated yourself from your competitors; you haven’t effectively communicated the PROMISE of quality or unique value. Instead, you are now competing on price, location or any other factors that have nothing to do with the value of the service or product you provide.

Branding isn’t limited to corporations. Are there any entrepreneurs, small businesses or professionals who would rather focus on pricing issues when making their pitch instead of on the quality of their offerings? With a strong personal brand, a reputation that is substantiated by results, the focus will be on your differentiating PROMISE of value. (See an earlier post that can help you in defining your personal brand at bit.ly/56nIeA)

Here are some defining characteristics that are the underpinnings of a strong brand.

1. Quality – It’s what clients value and are willing to pay a premium for if it is what they can expect. Think Toyota and how the brand has been hurt by the quality control issues affecting accelerators on their cars.

2. Reliability – Delivering results as promised and as expected each and every time builds credibility and brand loyalty. Negative surprises hurt your brand. Part of Toyota’s brand has been the safety of their vehicles. The recent events have called into question their reliability in delivering safe cars to families who have relied on them for decades.

3. Consistency – Clients like knowing what to expect from you and what value you provide. Staying on brand all the time and being able to clearly and consistently describe your unique PROMISE of value is key to developing and maintaining a strong brand.

So, if there ever was a question in your mind about the value of a strong personal brand for your business or your career take a look around at your local drug store or grocery store and see how your purchasing decisions are affected by strong brands, brand recognition and brand loyalty when the same products are available at a lower cost.

Are there other examples that you can think of where strong brands command premium prices for products or services that are not considered premium?

What would your purpose be in writing a blog? If you are an entrepreneur, a small business owner, a sole practitioner, or a careerist, the odds are that you want to grow your business, grow your reputation, gain greater visibility, and/or promote your career. What better way than to write about the issues affecting your clients or your industry in a way that helps your readers and provides them with some insight into how you think and what you know.

From a personal standpoint I know that writing a blog has solidified how people view me and my services in addition to generating new business. Writing and maintaining a blog enables me to:

1. Get my point of view out there for others to read and comment on

2. Convince or introduce people to new ways of thinking

3. Solidify my brand – what others think of me in their hearts and minds

4. Gets my name out there in front of people I may not have been able to reach otherwise

5. Provide other experts’ opinions and writings to my readers through links and references

6. Start a conversation and create a community with like minded people

7. Get input because I am always interested in learning from the experiences of others

In order to achieve these goals I make sure that I follow these rules when I post on my blog.

1. Don’t try to sell them anything. It should not be a sales piece for you or your business.
2. Offer information that would be valuable to your particular audience.
3. Be consistent, stay “on brand” to solidify how others view you and what you offer or do. If they expect you to write on particular topics, meet their expectations.
4. Maintain continuity and post regularly, if not every week then at least every other week.

5. Never bad mouth others (unless they are criminals or are already viewed as “bad guys” by the world).

When done correctly blogging can be a valuable tool to growing your career or business; but promoting your blog is critical to making the time you spend writing worthwhile. Using Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, as well as publishing on a variety of content related ezines you increase your readership exponentially.

Are there other benefits you derive from writing a blog? Are there other rules you adhere to when writing your posts? What other ways do you promote your blog?

If you want your business to operate at maximum efficiency – getting new clients, getting former clients to come back, getting the type of word of mouth that helps generate revenues as well as buzz – then it’s probably time for a check up. Here is a check list I use periodically to help ensure that the time I spend growing my business is time well spent.

1. What is your reputation – what are people saying about you and your business?

Is what you hear in line with your brand, with what you expect others to think about you?

This is a great time of year to check in with your former clients to gain a better understanding of :

- whether you delivered on what you promised

- how the work you did for them impacted their business or their lives

- what needs they currently have and how you can help

This should provide you with some good information (possibly some great quotes to use in the future) as well as demonstrate your concern and follow through with your clients.

In my experience following up with past clients has always resulted in new business – either repeat business from my client or a new referral. Additionally, continued input on how you are performing is always a prerequisite to continued success.

2. Is the message you are sending still resonating with your target audience?

Have the needs of your audience changed? Even if it’s a slight shift are you capturing the need in your pitch, your presentation, your power point, your blog, your tweets, and your website? Try to look at your website with new eyes. In fact, ask others to review it to see if it’s still current. A website has to be dynamic and change with the changing times; as does the messaging you put out through social networks or through any formal presentations you make.

3. Are you using the right tools to get your message out? Are you in the right places?

Yes, marketing in general and social media in particular can be very time consuming but if done properly it can provide a lot of visibility for you and your company. That’s why targeting the right audience and focusing your message on that audience makes it easier for you to get your hands around where you should be spending your time selling. The world is a big place, but a laser focus enables you to figure out where you have to be to get in front of those people who need to know about you. So take a look at where you spend your time speaking, blogging, tweeting, linking in. What return have you gotten on your investment of time? As I said earlier in this blog, change can be good and is often a necessary part of growing a business. A constant review of your communications plan is vital to ensure that you are reaching the right people at least most of the time.

So even if the service light doesn’t come on and you think you are firing on all cylinders, get that tune up so that you are working more efficiently with better focus and better results.

“Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.”

What does that mean to you? To me as an entrepreneur and a coach it’s very simple, develop a strong personal brand and get the word out. Understand your value added and communicate it clearly, consistently and with some constancy. Don’t try to be all things to all people because if you do that you will end up being perceived as a jack of all trades and a master of none. So keep this to-do list for a strong brand.

1. Pick an area to work in that you enjoy and are good at and focus all your energy on growing that particular specialty. When you enjoy your work and believe that you excel at it then you tend be more excited about what you do and that excitement communicates well; it becomes contagious and often has a magnetic affect on others.

2. Create the back story of why you are good at it and why people should use you – the pitch. Identify the attributes that enable you to do the best job possible and use them as the starting point for your pitch. Be specific in selecting these attributes and don’t use generalizations like good listener or problem solver. Think of your past successes and how your experience, education, temperament, and skills played a role in these achievements.

3. Develop the success stories that highlight how you work, what you achieved, and why you were able to get those results – your Problem, Action, Resolution stories. Stories provide the picture and pictures sell far better than slogans, tag lines or promises.

4. Be the expert and earn that status – blog, write articles and newsletters, write a book, comment, speak on topic. Pick a few ways that you are comfortable with to communicate and reinforce your expert status and make sure you do something all the time. Make your communications relevant to what your audience wants and needs so that your message resonates with them and eventually moves them to action – contacting you.

5. Stay current – take classes, stay connected to professional groups, read, get certifications/degrees. To stay competitive always stay on top of the curve because if you don’t someone else will.

1. Create the life I want to live and make it happen.

2. Keep my plate full because the more I do, the more I can do.

3. Do the work I love. I know when I do work I love I am excited about it and that excitement is contagious and has a magnetic quality that brings people to me.

4. Work with people that appreciate my work and from whom I can learn to be better at what I do.

5. Always give clients 100% of what I can deliver and know that that is what they deserve.

6. Keep change a constant in my life by looking for new ways to grow and new things to learn so that I stay motivated and energized.

7. Be open and say yes to new possibilities, new alliances, and new relationships.

8. Never compromise my values even though sometimes it seems like it’s the easier way to go.

Happy Holidays to all my readers and let’s hope of a New Year that’s filled with health, promise, excitement, prosperity, and happiness.

When was the last time you took a look at how you were doing with your customers, clients or bosses? How can you be sure that you are at the top of your game and earning the same or better reviews than in the past? Given the difficult economic environment we are in today this might be a great time to let your customers, clients and bosses know that you are looking to improve the service or job you do for them.

1. Ask for feedback.

Simply ask your clients or bosses for ways in which you can improve what you do for them. People are generally flattered when they are asked to provide input and impressed when that input is for their benefit. Ask questions that focus on the work product or service you delivered – it’s timeliness, benefit or value to them, what was great, what was missing, what they enjoyed about the experience, what they would like to see in the future, what if anything could be improved upon. I know I started this paragraph with the word simply. I know how hard it is for most people to accept constructive criticism or advice but the future health of your business or career is at stake so ask and learn.

2. Keep current and up to date in your field.

Always look for new methods, products, or technologies that would enhance the service you provide or the work you do and make sure to incorporate them. It’s easy to fall into the trap of the same old same old but adopting new methods make you more competitive and may even improve the work you do. Re-energizing the way you do things often reinvigorates your relationship to your customers, clients, and bosses.

3. Treat each project, customer, or client as if it’s the first time.

Whether this is an old client or a task you have completed many times before, treating it or them as if it’s the first time keeps your eyes and mind fresh and open to new ideas. Additionally, it’s easy to take old relationships for granted. Don’t. Everyone expects the best service or work you can provide so make sure you meet their expectations.

Use this time of year to make some assessments and make the changes you need to grow professionally. Carefully watch and maintain your brand reputation because once it is damaged recovery takes a long time.

1. Stay on purpose

It’s really easy to get side tracked when you are thinking of ways to market your services. The best way to determine whether or not you should be spending time pursuing a new direction is to evaluate whether or not the action will get you the type of clients you want. For those of you who love basketball, the analogy I make is will this play get you to the basket? So whether it’s attending or speaking at a conference, making a lunch date with someone, or attending a networking event always keep in mind who you are trying to target and whether or not this will bring you closer to your desired group.

2. Stay true to your brand

I know when I first started out in business I thought I should take any client that came my way. This couldn’t be further from the truth. That’s not to say that you should turn business away that helps pay your bills. If, however, you are spending a great deal of time performing a service that doesn’t lead you in the direction you want to go you are hurting your business in the long run.  Take the example of a money manager who starts to take on work helping people file their tax forms. Although he may do a great job his reputation as a money manager is not helped by the work he is doing. In fact, the reputation he is developing is totally unrelated. Additionally, changing peoples’ perception of who you are and what you can deliver (your brand) can be very difficult.

3. Make a plan and stay with it

Create a plan that provides you with the necessary structure for growing your business. Although plans can change it’s important to have a 12 month plan for what you can do each month to get you closer to your goals. Whether it’s writing articles, speaking to groups, or just keeping up with your past clients and colleagues make sure you write it down and give yourself a time frame to complete each task. The more you put on the calendar and complete, the more your calendar will fill up – with appropriate targeted activities as well as clients.

So stay on purpose, stay true to your brand, and make that plan to move it forward.

This was driven home for me this past weekend. I was visiting with some friends and inquired about someone they had known for years who had recently gone into consulting. It took them many attempts to try to identify what specialty their friend provided and finally gave up and admitted that they really didn’t know.

In providing your friends and family with information, it would be beneficial to:

§         Give them a detailed description of the type of work you do, the skills you employ in your work, the companies or industry you have worked for or the type of projects you have completed.

§         Provide them with an understanding of what you need – if it’s a job then be specific as to what you want to do (not only the title you want),  if it’s clients you want then what type of clients would be suitable.

§         Let them know what your qualifications are so they can more easily convey your expertise to others.

If this sounds a lot like your elevator pitch, it’s because it incorporates the same information. You need to let them know what you are good at, what makes you good at it (your validation), who you work with or for, and what you want or need. Don’t overlook the value of this type of “word of mouth” advertising. So go ahead, ask your friends if they can describe you in a way that conveys your expertise as well as your needs and wants. If not, get to work and spread the word.

Tips for Job-Hunting During the Holidays

By Susan Johnston for HotJobs
While the holidays might seem like a slow period for hiring, career experts say the season also presents an opportunity for job applicants to make an impression.

“Around the holidays, many job seekers are preoccupied with family gatherings and other distractions that keep them away from their searches,” says Shawn Graham, author of “Courting Your Career” and director of MBA career services at the University of Pittsburgh. “As a result, the volume of applications for non-seasonal work is often lighter — and that gives you, as a candidate, a greater chance of being seen.”

Adds Mary Rosenbaum, a career coach and personal branding strategist at Your Career by Design, “Most companies work on their strategic plans during the fourth quarter and tend to be more open to a variety of potential hires that might fit with their strategic goals for the coming year.”

Industries that use a bonus structure, like legal or financial firms, also anticipate turnover during the first quarter, because some employees leave after collecting their annual bonus.

So, how can job seekers stand out during the holiday season? Here are four ways to start:

Call during off hours.

“As the holidays approach, people are in and out of the office, and those who are at work often use that time to play catch up,” says Graham. “Recruiters could use that time to give applicants of interest a longer look.”

Since support staff may be out of the office, job seekers have a better chance of reaching an actual hiring manager or recruiter. One of the ways Graham suggests reaching managers when they aren’t running in and out of meetings is to call before the start of the business day or after 5 p.m.

Avoid holiday gimmicks.

Some job seekers use cutesy ideas like sending a plate of Christmas cookies along with a cover letter or printing their resumes on holiday paper in the hopes that they’ll get noticed. But Graham and Rosenbaum warn that these gimmicks can backfire.

“I’m not a fan of the holiday-inspired gimmick ploys,” says Graham. “It’s better to be more conservative. Make sure the content of your email is written persuasively and impactfully.” By focusing on your skills rather than gimmicks, you also won’t have to worry about offending people who celebrate different holidays.

Use events to build relationships, not beg for a job.

Holiday parties, end-of-the-year conferences, and other events all afford opportunities for networking. But job seekers can also organize holiday drinks with people they want to connect or reconnect with, since people tend to be more open to socializing during this time of year.

“Get people together for holiday drinks at Joe’s Pub or something,” suggests Rosenbaum. “The idea right now is to have more face time and build a relationship. What you should be doing now during the holiday time is contacting them in a way that puts them on a more equal footing.” She adds that if you’re unsure about someone’s holiday traditions, you can simply offer their family your best.

Don’t lose focus.

Staying motivated during the holidays could give you can edge over those applicants who put their search on hold. According to Graham, “The biggest thing is to keep at it. Around the holidays, it’s easy to get caught up in all the distractions. Set aside that time every day and continue to look for opportunities.”

Says Rosenbaum, “The idea is for people not to assume that because it’s the holiday season that they shouldn’t redouble their efforts. This is a really good time of year. People are much more willing to go out for drinks and spend a little more time. Use this time to forge relationships, not just look for the job.”