Be Different or be dead

December 24, 2018

Why the career breakthrough you need is to be different from others

Source: Unsplash

Why the career breakthrough you need is to be different from others.

For those of you who remember your philosophy courses, here’s a syllogism which is undeniably true.

— People who don’t comply with the rules — the “should do’s” of society; the accepted principles promulgated by academia; the standard ways of doing things as practiced by individuals and organizations — get noticed;
— And people who get noticed typically have more opportunities than those who are invisible to those around and above them;
— Ergo if you don’t follow the rule system of the day, you will get more chances to succeed.

Breaking the law is extreme.

In the extreme case, breaking the law will definitely get you noticed, but incarceration is not likely to be defined as success. But there is a safe spot for breaking the rules of the day and separating yourself from the trends of the crowd where winners are borne. 

The challenge for any person in society to get their ideas heard by decision makers is to find a way to break through the masses, hence the reason for the myriad of self interest groups that exist today. They organize themselves, create a message and push it out to people, hoping it will resonate and garner support.

It’s no different for an individual in an organization who is trying to break through the mass of employees all trying to rise to the top. They have to determine a path through the barrage of self interest messages directed at leadership to get their ideas and point of view listened to.

The competition for mind share of leadership is intense; everyone is looking for the career fast break that could come from getting recognized by the top guys.

How do you break through the clutter created by so many people chasing so few opportunities?

One thing is for certain: it’s not by looking like everyone else around you in terms of what you do and how you do it. These are the people who live in a world of compliance and conformity; they follow the rules, copy best practices and perform their responsibilities by following the ways of the established crowd — experts and academics who declare the right way to do things and convince others to follow them.

Following the crowd will bury you in it.

Following the actions of any crowd won’t get you noticed; it has the opposite effect. It reinforces that you ARE a member of the crowd and that you have no personal unique identity.

Imagine yourself in the crowd of candidates applying for an entry position in a company. Out of the 100 or so people who have declared their interest, how do you intend to get your name on the short list of 10 high potential individuals who will earn a face-to-face interview?
Do you really think you’re route to the short list is looking like the other 99 applicants; by following a boilerplate résumé everyone uses?

Trust me. Having been in the position of having to hire so many people for so many positions — from junior analysts to vice-presidents — my eyes glaze over when I read mot people’s job applications whether they were in written form or on a job website.

Most looked the same, offered nothing unique; I ignored them.

I regularly counsel young professionals, and my conclusion thus far at least is that ‘doing what you’re told’ has been so driven into their skulls from their early years and during their academic life that it subconsciously defines their modus operandi when they are pursuing a career.

In school, they are taught the principles on such subjects as preparing a résumé, developing an effective business or marketing plan, motivating people, managing conflict, recruiting high performing individuals, leadership, generating new ideas and good team play.

The authors of the rule book for each subject tend to be academics or theoreticians who advocate a specific theory or approach on their subject of expertise; those who have several papers published on a topic tend to be chosen by the curriculum designers as the voice for that particular topic.

Colouring inside the lines is expected.

Young professionals are taught to colour inside the lines — apply the principles they are taught — perfectly.

Unfortunately, this sets up the false expectation that one’s success is determined by how well they conform; by how accurately they remember and apply the scriptures of the experts.

But exactly the opposite is true.

My personal experience as an IT analyst, marketing product manager, marketing director, vice president, CMO and president taught me to look for opportunities to do things differently even if it meant breaking with tradition.
Even if it meant taking a contrary point of view and swimming upstream to current thinking.

Even if it meant startling the crowd of traditionalists who were mortified that unbelievable results could be achieved by not conforming to best practices or by not following exactly what the pundits prescribed.

They were horrified because there was mounting evidence to support the view that amazing results could be achieved by breaking with tradition; by denying common practices.

Leaders notice when you step out to step up.

They ask about you.

And if they like what they hear, they pull you from the herd and give you a chance the herd rarely gets.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead book series

• Posted 12.24.18 at 05:04 am by Roy Osing
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December 21, 2018

How power words can be used to communicate better than anyone else

Source

How power words can be used to communicate better than anyone else.

Word are persuasive. They can cajole, convince, and compel people to act.

They are the backbone of successful marketing. Selecting the right words that resonate with your audience can be an arcane art — but it doesn’t have to be.

By choosing power words that impact your customers’ emotions, you can lift your copy to dizzy new heights. Here’s how.

Recommended reading: If you can’t reason with people attack their heart.

The psychology behind words

As humans, we are unconsciously predisposed to act on words that convey emotions: fear, uncertainty, pleasure, desire, and so on. The words you use tap into unconscious emotions, which in turn compel your audience to act.

For instance, if you ask your friend to call you, you could expect a call tomorrow, the day after, or in a week’s time. But ask your friend to call you now, and you can expect a call instantly.

These words are known as power words, words that elicit a strong emotional response. This could be a positive one, such as happiness or excitement. But it could equally be a negative response, such as fear or anger.

Emotional states can be leveraged to compel people to act, with each emotion driving your own desired outcome.

Take your blog, for example. Your headline is the most crucial element in urging readers to click through and read.

And when readers see dozens of headlines everyday as they trawl the web, power words make yours stand out. “7 Tips For Writing Better Blog Posts” is fine. But “7 Secret Tips For Writing Inspiring Blog Posts” has that little extra pizzazz that makes it shine.

Different power words will evoke different emotional states that will compel the audience not just to click on your blog post, but to dig deeper into what the blog says.

But it’s not just clicks and views that you can get with power words. Ecommerce stores too can benefit from power word-laden product description that drive sales and boost profits.

Consider chocolate stores for example. Confectionery especially lends itself to sensual, powerful words such as “gooey” or “gourmet”, which evokes the senses and makes the customer’s mouth water.

So using power words in your product descriptions don’t just help you sell products — they even help you sell your business itself, giving it deeper intrinsic value.

Exclusivity is everything

I don’t need to tell you that temptation is a powerful thing. Power words that tease with the promise of value or reward are irresistible to your audience.

Some examples include:

Banned
Secret
Elite
What They Don’t Want You to Know
Controversial
Behind the Scenes
Insider
Forbidden
Confidential

Each of the above evokes feelings of intrigue and desire in the reader.

“Controversial” in particular is used regularly by gossip magazines to compel the reader to read on. It promises scandal and shock, urging people to buy their publications for more of the same.

Look at the example from Vogue below:

Source: Vogue

The use of “controversy” and “reveal” tantalize the reader, offering a glimpse into something no-one else has seen. Of course, this isn’t the case, but by using these power words, Vogue urges the reader to click through and read each piece.

Takeaway tip: your makeup tutorial isn’t just a makeup tutorial. It’s an “elite makeup tutorial from industry insiders”. Add value to your content by giving it exclusivity and tempting your audience into reading on.

The art of anticipation

Inspiring words can be that one thing that drives someone to do something to better themselves or lend a helping hand.

There will always be difficulties in life, but those problems are not what controls us as individuals or the world. These words can make your readers feel the same way.

Some examples of words that inspire and encourage include:

Hope
Passionate
Sensational
Courage
Bravery
Caring
Sacrifice (in the proper context)
Triumph

These words speak to our desire to better ourselves, to lift ourselves out of our current situation and into something better. By articulating these words, you stir these same emotions in your reader.

Takeaway tip: rather than selecting “useful writing quotes”, provide “inspiring writing quotes that will galvanize your writing today”.

The power of “free”

Nothing compels action more than the offer of something for nothing. Whether it’s a free product or a discount code, we can’t get enough of freebies.

Everyone could use a little more money, and even those rare few who don’t feel that way still take their finances seriously.

Giving people easy ways to earn or save money is a great way to build a readership. And it’s perfect for sales too. Adding a freebie or discount to a purchase will drive sales and engagement with ease.

Add these words to your website, online store, or blog:

Free
Savings
Jackpot
Rewards
Dollars
Sell
Sale
Discount
Fortune
Double
Triple
Gift
Increase
Gains
More

Takeaway tip: the words above are perfect for building email lists or boosting clicks. Offer a free downloadable ebook (in return for signing up) or the promise of increasing their sales (when they read your guide) to enhance your blog.

Fear is a powerful thing

Making people afraid will get their attention. We see this in the news all the time, as stories get conflated to apocalyptic proportions on a daily basis.

Sometimes, like with severe weather, this sort of fear-mongering is necessary to get people to listen and possibly save their own lives. Other times, it’s used to trick us into buying unnecessary amounts antibacterial soap.

Still, if you’re going to do it, here are some scary words.

Abuse
Prison
Debt
Terrorist
Risky
Assault
Crime
Victim
Toxic
Infectious
Nightmare
Lawsuit

Takeaway tip: while fear power words have their place, use them sparingly. Excessive usage will ultimately repel your readers rather than compel.

Your blog’s audience are people, and while people in any given demographic can have similarities, they are individuals. Words used in one way will have a different effect on different audiences.

Pay attention to which words and phrases get the most engagement and reaction from your readers, and use them accordingly.

— Victoria Greene is a freelance writer and brand consultant. She writes over at VictoriaEcommerce. Here, she likes to share tips for wannabe thought leaders looking to make an impact online.

• Posted 12.21.18 at 03:14 am by Roy Osing
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December 19, 2018

4 silent killer marketing strategies for new age small businesses

4 silent killer marketing strategies for new age small businesses.

For any small business today, gaining the advantage over your competition can be tough work.

The sheer scale of competition which exists is quite hard to get over, in any industry. Even the smallest of towns is likely to have at least one competitor waiting for you.

For that reason, getting your marketing strategy just right is so important.

Not sure how to beat the competition as a small business with a limited scope and budget?

Here are some good ideas. Use these, and you can very quickly make a telling impact on your visibility.

Get set up on Google My Business

As the most popular search engine by far, Google is where most of your resources should be going. Google My Business is very important as it
— adds credibility to your business and
— boosts visibility on searches.

It should be a major part of your small/local business advertising strategy. You will soon find that using a tool like GMB works as it allows you to easily rank higher simply by filling in the profile. If you really want to make big gains with GMB, then hiring a social media marketing manager makes a lot of sense.

Simply showing yourself as a professional who has his/her own GMB page, though, will make you seem much more approachable and professional. For that reason, it’s worth trying out.

Optimized correctly, GMB could help you to bring in a huge amount of organic visibility.

Make use of social media

Secondly, make as much use of social media as you can.

With billions of users across platforms like Facebook, you can easily run cost-effective advertising campaigns with huge reach and immense potential.

I recommend that you work with a social media marketing advertising expert to help you get the ads right, though. While they are cost-effective, like any other kind of advertising you will burn through a lot of money if you aren’t sure what you are doing.

However, the ease of ad testing and multiple A/B testing solutions makes it easy for you to find a winning, profitable ad without breaking the bank.

As far as paid-for advertising for small businesses goes, making use of social media is a winner. Don’t try and push forward without a consultation, though, as it’s easy to waste resources without a clear marketing plan in place.

Run a webinar

How often do you find yourself answering the same old questions to customers? Do you wish that you could make it easy to point them to an easily understood, relatively short but fully detailed answer?

Then do a webinar.

These can be easily hosted on live streaming platforms like YouTube, and can make it easy to answer common questions and complaints in your industry. You could use your webinar to help answers common questions, go into detail about an upcoming industry change or simply ask for some feedback from those who are present.

Either way, running a webinar makes a lot of sense as it allows you to showcase your authority and give people information for free. People love value, especially from a small business. With a webinar, you answer questions for them, you give them valuable information (for free) and you prove your expertise.

Awesome, right?

Write an article (or articles)

Want some exposure that will only take you some time to put together? Then write an article. You could send it to local media or local/niche blogs that fits with your business. You can make it easy to get a lot of exposure in a short and simple amount of time – all simply by using your expertise and knowledge.

If you are a good writer, then you can do this yourself and just spend some time writing. If you are not a good writer, then jot down a series of popular and important points and hire a freelancer.

I recommend that you write up a few pieces you can offer to sites right away (though only give one article per website: never send the same piece to two sites unless one rejects it) so that they can see what you are made of as a writer.

Doing this, you can easily boost exposure with people who are interested in what you have to say. You can also make it easier for your business to be seen and for your reputation to grow. You are giving people free advice and information – it’s only natural they’ll be curious to see what else you have to offer.

For any small business wishing to get ahead of the chasing pack, these conventional ideas should make that easy.

Small business marketing does not have to be complex or taxing: simply thinking a little outside the box, or using inside-the-box methods well, can make a huge difference.

So, where will you start?

— David Guetta is a entrepreneur and freelance writer. He works closely with B2B businesses providing marketing, business, technology, content that gains social media attention and increases their search engine visibility.

• Posted 12.19.18 at 04:03 am by Roy Osing
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December 17, 2018

3 easy communication strategies to move your career ahead

3 easy communication strategies to move your career ahead.

If you can’t effectively communicate, your career will face some difficult uphill challenges.

Try these 3 communications tactics to advance your career; they worked for me.

1. Establish YOU as the #1 fan of the organization’s strategy

One way to separate yourself from the inside crowd is to be seen as one who is ahead of the change curve and to establish yourself as the zealot and avid advocate and supporter for your organization’s strategy.

Use your communications skills to make that evident.

Organize events to discuss the direction of the organization and what it specifically means to everyone. Talk about what it means to sales, marketing and customer service. Be as granular as you can to help paint a picture of what the strategy means to the various functions in the organization.

Don’t intellectualize the discussion.

People will tune you out unless they feel you believe what you are saying. If you are passionate in your communication, they will believe!

Use rich visuals in your presentations. Most people have to work hard to interpret words and numbers, but they get it right away when they see colourful and clever graphics.

Tell stories that bring the elements of your strategy to life.

Stories have the power to visually communicate what the strategy looks like when it is successfully being executed.

2. Build your personal brand

Active communication is vital in building one’s personal brand.

One dimension of my personal brand was customer service; I eventually became known as “The Service Guy.”

I spent excessive time with frontline people, conducted employee service workshops – which I dubbed my Bear Pit Sessions — exploring new ideas to implement and take customer service to a new level.

I was frequently asked to speak at employee rallies and meetings to explain the new service journey we were on.

The media were extremely interested in our organization’s service strategy as well; I did many interviews and personal air time rose.

Other organizations would also invite me to speak at conferences and to their employee groups.

The company’s service image and my service brand grew harmoniously.

3. Demonstrate your leadership abilities

It’s one thing to get employees to understand what the organization is trying to do strategically; it’s quite another for them to be emotionally involved in helping to implement it.

Passion is an amazing thing. When people are intellectually convinced that change is required and are emotionally all in to make it happen, transformation occurs.

I chose every opportunity to engage with employees on what the company had to do differently if we were to survive a dramatic shift in our business from a tightly regulated business to one that had to thrive in a highly competitive market.

I had weekly meetings scheduled on my calendar to ensure employee conversations were a priority.

I painted a picture of what winning would look like in the trenches battling it out with the enemy. We discussed the opportunities this new world would present to everyone and the excitement and satisfaction we would all receive by beating a common foe.

My focus was not only on the company’s plan; but also on the “gory” details of how to execute it.

Good communications skills are a requisite for a successful career, but they are not acquired overnight; they require constant practice to refine them.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead book series

• Posted 12.17.18 at 04:05 am by Roy Osing
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