Promote Yourself

September 5, 2013

Promote-Yourself-New-CoverWhen I first heard the title of Dan Schawbel‘s new book — Promote Yourself (The actual full title is Promote Yourself: The New Rules for Career Success) I thought, uh oh…another how to use social media to get in the spotlight book. But knowing Dan, I should have known better.

Instead of a re-tread on an already tired topic, Dan’s very fresh message is “Hey Millennial — the future is yours if you want it — but don’t think it’s going to get handed to you.” He then outlines how these young professionals need to take charge of their career and make sure “the future has your name on it.”

He encourages his readers (and honestly while his advice is aimed at those born between 1982 – 1993, it’s perfectly applicable to professionals of all ages) to rely on a mix of technical, interpersonal and social media skills. He suggests, and I believe he’s correct, that it’s the hard skills that will get you the job but the soft or interpersonal skills that will get you the promotion.

He says “Hard skills are what will help you navigate the technical elements of your job, but it’s soft skills that will enable you to move ahead.”

Keep in mind that in today’s corporate world, company culture and company ethics are getting more and more important. Skills like being a good communicator, trustworthy and empathetic matter. Especially when sizing up candidates for a possible promotion. When everyone you’re competing with has the same hard skills are you do — how are you going to stand out?

Dan offers up six rules of self promotion that everyone should jot down:

  • Make yourself worth being talked about
  • Be well-known for one specific thing
  • Take responsibility
  • Find ways to expand your role
  • Make others look good – especially your manager
  • Get some evangelists

I am hardly a millennial. And I’ve been in the workplace for a very long time and at this point, I’m the only one who can promote me. But Dan’s book had some great reminders for me too. Whether you’re 20 or been on the job for 20 years — this is a worthwhile read. (click here to buy the book on Amazon*)

As I always try to do — I asked Dan my book author questions and here’s what he had to say:

If you had to describe the content of your book in a single sentence (no run ons) what would it be?

A book that pushes people to be accountable for their own careers and take charge of their lives.

What one book that you’ve read do you wish you could claim as your own?

Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam M. Grant.

In your opinion, what is the one trait that all uber successful business people possess?

They are willing to put the effort every single day in order to turn their dreams into reality.

What’s the biggest business mistake you’ve ever made and what did you learn from it?

The biggest mistake I’ve made was that I rushed into trying to get a second book deal after the first one came out. I learned that I need to be more patient and to not only think bigger, but take the time to make something even more successful before I jump into a new project.

Why did you have to write this book?  What truth or insight was missing from the human consciousness — that you’ve now answered?

The question I answered in this book is “how do I get ahead at work?” When I started writing it, the idea was it would contain the feedback that employees didn’t receive at work, straight from the managers who have the power to promote them or not.

After someone is done reading your book — what do you hope they do as a result?

I hope they take at least one recommendation in the book and act on it. It would be great to see a revival of work ethic out there and for more people to take risks in their careers.

*Affiliate link
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My reading secrets

June 11, 2012

Many of you write to ask how in the heck can I read as much as I do.   I am admittedly a voracious reader — consuming two or three books a week.

I’m now going to reveal my reading secrets.

I know it matters:  I’ve always believed that people who read were more successful. It didn’t matter how they ingesting the information (audio, electronic book, old fashioned book, etc.) In fact, Forbes recently asked if you read fast enough to be successful.  So from the time I was a kid, being the Type A that I am… I wanted to be successful, so I read.

I always have 2-4 books going at once:  I am not a linear reader (except for a couple fictional authors that I have to read cover to cover on the day the book is released) so I have a few books going at once.  I might have a couple books on my iPad‘s Kindle, an actual book or two laying around and an audio book in my CD player.  So, I can allow my mood to dictate what I read.

I mix up the genres:  I have a pretty wide range of reading interests.  I read lots of business/marketing books, mysteries, books about Disney/Walt Disney, baseball books, biographies and Harry Potters (Yes, I re-read them).  That way, it keeps reading fresh and fun.

I love www.ReadItForMe.com*:  This service is amazing.  They take a book and offer me the following:

  • An overview of the book (a few paragraphs)
  • The have a video summary (about 15 minutes) of the book
  • A PDF overview (usually 25-35 pages) of the book
  • A workbook that allows me to apply the book’s content (5 or so pages)

Their library is pretty robust, mostly business titles like Ann Handley and CC Chapman‘s Content Rules, but they have some biographies like Steve Jobs and a handful of other titles.  They add titles every week.

The pro account runs $29.99/month.  If you want to give the pro account a try at a discount, use the coupon code DREW to get 50% off your first month.  Right now, they’ll let you try the account for free for 7 days.  Even if you only use it for a week, you’ll be glad you tried it.

Plane time is reading time:  I fly a lot and I don’t work on planes.  I read.  It’s much more relaxing and let’s face it, air travel is stressful enough.  So why not marry it with a treat? Living in Des Moines means I have at least two legs to get just about anywhere.  So I’m flying for 2-5 hours.  In that time, because I’m a fast reader, I can knock off two books on average.

There you have it…my reading secrets.  But the real secret — I love to read.  I love the adventures, the new stuff I learn, the fresh ideas and the incredible art that some people create with words.

 

*Affiliate link

Photo courtesy of BigStockPhoto.com

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This book is light on the BS and heavy on social media insight

November 28, 2011

no bullshit book
Good primer on social media

As a member of Amazon’s Vine program, I received a copy of Jason Falls and Erik Deckers‘ new book No Bullshit Social Media*. (click here to buy it) and knew it would be a great read — simply by knowing the authors.

I dove into it — and was not disappointed.

Here’s who will find great value in this book:

  • College students who want to find a fresher way to get a job
  • Young marketing professionals who know social media matters but don’t really understand the business implications
  • Seasoned marketing professionals who didn’t grow up in the digital age and want to catch up
  • Corporate types who have to convince their boss that social media shouldn’t be ignored
  • Business owners who are wondering if it’s worth the time investment

This book lays out the argument that social media is not going away.  It’s not a fad — it’s a new and permanent shift in how we communicate with reach other, with companies, brands and how we influence strangers through sites like YELP and Amazon reviews.  Authors Jason Falls and Erik Deckers really demonstrate both the risks of ignoring it and the huge potential gains for any business smart enough to jump on board this moving train.

The authors tell great stories and provide lots of examples that are both educational and compelling.

Here’s who will enjoy the book but may not take copious notes:

  • Seasoned marketing pros who have already been active in social media
  • People looking for a blueprint of “how to do it” so they put down the book and launch their social media program
  • Social media consultants (although frankly some of the so called experts should read it!)

Even if you feel like you’re on the cutting edge — you will enjoy this book.  It’s worth the read.

And if you’re new to the idea of using social media to promote, grow and sustain your business — grab a highlighter, a lined notebook for jotting down ideas and your imagination and then settle in for a very good introduction that will have your head exploding with ideas and the possibilities.

*Amazon Affiliate link

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Are you willing to double your profits?

June 16, 2011

97379129
…do you want to double your profits?

Seems like a silly question, doesn’t it?  Who wouldn’t want to double profits?

Wanting to and being willing to do what it takes are two very different things.  But I’ve found a playbook that might give you an edge.

Double your revenue and profit in 3 years or less.  That’s a bold promise and one most authors wouldn’t dare make.  But Cameron Herold doesn’t appear to be just any author.  Cameron earned his chops running high-growth businesses such as 1-800-GOT-JUNK? where in his six years as COO, the company roughly doubled in size every year, growing from $2MM to over $106MM in sales.

What I appreciate about Herold book’s Double Double (click here to buy*) is that it’s practical “how to” stuff as opposed to a lot of theoretical discussion.  Lots of good examples and very tangible tools.  But all of that said….this isn’t revolutionary information.  I doubt you are going to read anything that makes you slap yourself on the head and say, “I’d never have thought of that.”

So why read the book, you might ask.  Well, if you’ve already doubled the size your revenue in the past 3 years and are on track to do it again — then you probably shouldn’t waste your time.  But if you’re like 99% of business owners/leaders — you may be familiar with many of the concepts but you aren’t making it happen.

So read the book.  Take notes.  And notice the focus.

I think most business leaders know what they need to do to make their business successful.  But then one of three things happens:

  • They get distracted
  • It gets too difficult (they don’t want to do something they need to do)
  • They get worn out and don’t have the energy

The other danger is that most business leaders try to do this in a vacuum.  They don’t involve their team.  They don’t create a vision that’s so clear anyone in the company could draw it and they don’t protect/chase that vision like a middle linebacker at the Super Bowl.  While Herold’s book can’t toughen you up to do the hard work — he has written a playbook you can follow.

Part One: This is what I would call the prep section.  This is about creating your map.  You can get somewhere without one, but why go to all that extra work?  Measure twice, cut one!  This isn’t just about vision, it’s about how to go from vision to action plan and how to create a culture where everyone is pulling in the same direction.

Part Two: This section is the nitty gritty of how to execute on the plan.  It covers just what you’d expect it to — right people on the bus, marketing, tracking/measuring progress, etc.

Part Three: This section talks about having the heart of a leader.   Herold talks about juggling all you have to do, finding some balance and the heart murmurs that come with running  business.  His chapter about the roller coaster was worth the price of the book alone.  Having owned my own business since 1995 — I have felt everything he described and then some.

This book is a call to action so read it with a notepad by your side.  I’d also recommend that you read it with your management team and then discuss your ideas together.  It would be a great pre retreat homework assignment and then you could really dig into the planning.

Bottom line — if you want your business to be stronger, more profitable and more fun — this is an excellent playbook.  But…reading the book won’t be enough so don’t bother buying it if you aren’t also willing to do the hard work.

 

*Yup, an affiliate link.  The author sent me an advanced copy of this book to review.  So did a bunch of other authors.  But this book is worth sharing with you.

 

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Why would you want to enchant someone?

March 11, 2011

enchantment drew mclellan
Guy Kawasaki’s enchanting new book

As you know, I talk about creating love affairs with your customers a lot here on the blog.  Why do I think it’s so critical?  Let’s look at how people behave when they’re in the bloom of a new love.

  • They find the other person intoxicating — they crave more.
  • They can’t help themselves.  They talk about their new love all the time.  To everyone and anyone who will listen.
  • They are very forgiving of missteps or mistakes.
  • They want to be good and helpful to their new love — what matters to that person suddenly matters to them as well.

Now translate that back to a customer, donor, employee, volunteer, boss or vendor.  What organization wouldn’t want those very important people to feel that way towards them?

And keep in mind…this isn’t a one way street.  You have to genuinely treat them the same way.  Or the love is very short lived. At McLellan Marketing Group, we call it creating a love affair.  Guy Kawasaki calls it being Enchanting* in his new book of the same title.  Potato, potato. (You did read those two words differently, right?)

The book’s basic premise is this:  “enchantment is not about manipulating people.  It transforms situations and relationships. It converts hostility into civility and civility into affinity.  It changes skeptics and cynics into believers and the undecided into the loyal.”

Again I ask the same question — what organization wouldn’t want to be able to inspire and instill that spirit?

But as you know, I’m not into books that get us fired up to do/be something without telling us how.  (The former is just mean teasing)  Guy’s books pushes past the why and gets to the how before page 10.  In fact, chapters 2-12 all start with the word “how.”  That’s the sign of a book I can use.

You really need to read this book. (You can buy it by clicking here*) With a note pad and pen at hand, because you’re going to get a lot of fresh ideas that you want to capture.

You can also test your own “realistic enchantment aptitude” and if you want an awesome sneak preview…check out this infographic that Guy prepared.

Enchantment Infographic

*This is an Amazon affiliate link.  While I am confessing, I should also tell you that Guy sent me a copy of the book for free and I swore twice yesterday.  And I just lied.  I really swore three times.

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