A little while ago I got a rather funny message accompanying an invitation from someone to connect on LinkedIn:
“Hi Dr. Laura! I’m getting ready to launch my own podcast, and have been thinking about how I want to introduce myself at the start of each episode, like whether to use my first and last name, or nickname, etc.
So on a whim I went to YouTube and searched ‘how to say your name,’ and sure enough, the very first link was to your TEDx talk about how to say your name right.
It’s amazing, you really CAN google anything!”
It’s true – we really are living in a Google-search world.
Not to be confused with living in a material world (can you believe Madonna popularized that phrase way back in 1984?! But I digress…), today’s Google-search world demands that if you want to be recognized as a thought leader, you have to proactively share information that people not only want, but are actively searching for.
If you can provide that kind of “gold nugget” information even before they know they want it, so it’s available when they do decide to search for it, you get multiple benefits:
- You build the reputation as a trusted resource
- People voluntarily come back for more
- They’ll share it – and you – with other people, expanding your reach
- They’ll “go down the rabbit hole,” following your links, seeking additional information on the subject, and
- Ideally, they’ll reach out to you directly, as their newest go-to expert!
This notion of “living in a Google-search world” was a big part of the conversation on this week’s episode of the Speaking to Influence podcast, with Joellen Meckley, Executive Director of the Center for Special Needs at the American College of Financial Services.
To Joellen’s point, an important key to success is building an educated clientele or fan base: The more they understand about and value what product, service or information you provide, the easier it is to work with them, and give them exactly what they need and want. It’s a perfect win-win.
- In the course of educating your target audience (whoever they may be,) Joellen and I explored a range of key topics including:
- Shifting communication styles for different audiences at different stages in her career
- Owning your position and authority, no matter who your audience is
- Handling your most toughest and most critical audience: YOURSELF
- Empathy vs. sympathy, and how to empathize even when you don’t agree with someone’s perspective at all
- Convincing yourself, even more than others, that you DO, indeed, deserve a seat at (the head of?) the table.
Listen to the full conversation here or watch it on Youtube here.
Speaking about getting what you deserve, that’s never a more sensitive topic than when it’s about MONEY. And that’s exactly what we discussed on our Linkedin Live last Wednesday “How to Ask for the Money You Deserve” with Sue Begent, Women's Business, Confidence and Success Coach.
Sue and I hit on everything from
- how childhood family values around money have influenced our beliefs about whether having money – or not having it – is good or bad
- specific negotiation tactics
- And even how to shift your mindset from “Who am I to ask for that kind of money” to “Who am I to NOT ask for it?”
One seat you definitely deserve is at the negotiation table!
In case you missed it or want to re-watch to take even MORE notes, you can watch the replay here. (Go ahead – trust me, you deserve it!)
Sorry if you have the song “Material Girl” stuck in your head for the rest of the day now. (Hey, why should I be the only one?) Enjoy the trip down memory lane!
