Best Career Advice: Learn How to Sell

If you really want to succeed, learn to sell yourself, your ideas, and your products.

No matter what career you're planning, there's no smarter move than learning how to sell.

That's especially true for entrepreneurs. You may have the greatest idea in the business world, but if you can't sell that idea, you won't and can't attract investors, customers, or talented employees.

It's true for everyone else, too. Finding a great job always involves selling yourself and your skills. And being successful at any job means constantly selling the value of the services that you're providing.

Here's the truth: a mediocre performer who knows how to sell will ALWAYS beat an exceptional performer who doesn't. And an exceptional performer who also knows how to sell ALWAYS beats out everyone else.

There's a reason for this. Selling is the heart and soul of capitalism. Without selling, there can be no exchange of money or goods (except by robbery or extortion.) Selling is why businesses exist.

12 Most Worthwhile Rules for Creating Incredible Content

We all take in massive amounts of content on a daily basis. Even if you’re not a technology junkie and still believe in putting away your smart phone during movies and meals, you can’t avoid it.

Most of that content is produced by companies who have something to promote. I’m sure you’ve noticed that some of this content is great — helpful, entertaining, enlightening, thought provoking — and some of it is downright awful. If you produce content to market your own business, this list of 12 rules for creating incredible content will help you maintain permanent residence in the first group, and effectively avoid the latter.

1. Cater to your prospects, not your peers

It’s an easy trap to fall into: creating content that we think will be impressive in our industry. Talking about the latest techniques, the most advanced technologies, the most impressive approaches. But you need to ask yourself a serious question: does the content you produce attract your prospects, or is it only managing to impress your peers (aka: other people in your line of work)?
Chances are, the type of information your prospects want to get from you is entirely different than the type of content your colleagues will compliment you on.

2. Learn that everything you’re putting out there is content

A big mistake is thinking too narrowly about content. Blog posts, videos, podcasts, webinars, and infographics are popular forms of content, yes. But content is far broader than that. It’s the tweets you send out on Twitter and the comments you make on Facebook. It’s every email you send. It’s your business cards, your product packaging, your website, and your voice mail. Every interaction your audience has with something your business produces is “content.”

3. Write great headlines

Headlines are arguably the most important part of any piece of content you produce. Almost everyone will decide whether or not to read your blog post, watch your video, or listen to your podcast based on your headline. That’s a lot of responsibility. And a very good reason to learn how to craft stellar headlines — fast.

4. Have an opinion

Content that tries to appeal to everyone, all the time, is boring. Honestly, take my word for it. If you think creating vanilla content will help you avoid offending anyone, you would be totally wrong. You might not challenge anyone’s opinions, but you will undoubtedly end up offending anyone who values their time and despises being bored to death by content with no clear direction.

Of course there is a need for unbiased content (for example, news reporting), but if you’re trying to build a brand and distinguish your business, you might want to leave the “balanced view” pieces to someone else.

So go ahead. Let the world in on your opinions. You don’t have to (and really shouldn’t) rub anyone’s face in it or say anything rude or obnoxious. Just add a little substance. Take a stand on something.

5. Learn the art of the intro

After the headline, intros take on the most responsibility for convincing readers to stick it out to the end of your content. Your introduction needs to capture attention immediately, create curiosity, and also reveal just enough information to assure the reader that the piece is relevant and worthwhile to them, personally.

6. Banish buzz words

Nothing says cheesy and unoriginal like content laden with buzz words, catch phrases, and clichés. Contrary to popularly held opinions, using “industry speak” and tired-to-death phrases doesn’t make you sound like you know what you’re doing.

To connect with your audience (most likely a group of people who don’t know a lot about the type of work you do), say things plainly. Try to phrase things in a new way… in your own way.

7. Tell stories

Stories are powerful. They make it easy to grasp your message, they’re easy to follow, and they are just plain entertaining (when done right, of course). If you’ve been creating content with a strict “how-to” format, consider mixing it up and throwing in a compelling story every now and then (hint: personal stories are OK sometimes — yes, even in business).

8. Get people to engage

Online content is not a one way medium. At least, not if you want it to effectively grow your business. A primary goal of creating content for your company is to build relationships so that your audience will grow to know, like, and trust you. Have you ever built a good relationship without including the other person?

Aim to involve your audience — feature stories from your readers, ask people to send in their questions for you to answer, ask your readers to answer a question of yours, illicit opinions and ideas and conversations from your audience.

9. Aim to impress

Truth is, the basics have already been covered. Many, many times over. If you want to create content that really gets attention, you need to aim to impress. It’s OK if it takes longer — research your topic, reference sources, show examples, and back up your claims. Go the extra distance. Be incredibly helpful. It will pay off big time.

10. Learn how to edit

It’s okay if you’re not a grammar enthusiast (we all make typos). But really sloppy content will take your business down a lot of notches in your prospects eyes, so making an effort to polish up your content is a smart idea. Leave something overnight (or at least a couple of hours) before editing and publishing. If you’re not confident that you’ll catch your own mistakes, have a friend, business partner, employee, or family member give it a once over, red ink pen in hand.

11. Don’t forget you run a business

Over promotion is a real turn off, but most business owners don’t have to worry about that problem. In fact, most of us are guilty of actually UNDER promoting. While you’re busy creating content that your audience will love, find incredibly useful, and unbelievably valuable, don’t forget why you’re marketing with content in the first place: to get customers.

You won’t snag any customers if they don’t know you actually sell things. So make it a point to include info on what you have to offer when the time is appropriate.

12. Be yourself

Like we’ve already established, there is a bottomless pit of content out there. Do you want the key to standing out? I’m confident you already know about this, but a lot of us fail to use it to our advantage when it comes to marketing and creating content. The key to being notable is letting your personality take a front seat.

Forget sounding like a big corporation. Throw traditional “professionalism” to the wind. Kick stale, structured tones out the door. You know what makes your personality different from everyone else’s. Your friends know, your family knows. So put a hold on trying to sound like a “business,” and start sounding like you.

12 Most Inspiring Fails to Make in Your Career

Normally, failing isn’t something to tout. But work-based mishaps are unavoidable. And instances of falling short can offer powerful insights about how to do things differently next time. Here are 12 job-related fails that fit the bill.

1. Get stuck in a rut

Falling into a workplace rut can happen so slowly it’s more like oozing. Getting your groove back takes work, self-awareness and discipline. But after you’re back on track, you’ll know you can do it again, and you’ll be able to recognize the signs of its presence.

2. Lose your job

I lost my job three times before I was 30 through “downsizings” in totally different sectors: the federal government, the publishing industry and then financial services. Getting laid off made me much more resilient and able to see the signs that so typically foreshadow workplace restructures.

3. Lose out when a finalist for a job

This humbling experience can ignite self-reflection. Pros see it as an opportunity to professionally and politely ask for feedback.

4. Take a career detour that doesn’t work

This is risk-taking, and there is plenty of growth in that. If you don’t take the opportunity, you won’t know. (No lingering doubts for me: I’m just not cut out for selling bonds at an investment bank!)

5. Trust a colleague who burns you

Instead of getting bitter about this one, use it to become better at assessing who has your back and who will stab you in it.

6. Be lied to, or misled, by a manager

Same theme, here. But the consequences can be much bigger. One way to deal with this one is to reach out to leaders, elsewhere, who do play fair, for counsel or advice.

7. Quit when you don’t have the next job lined up

Not. A. Good. Idea. Especially, if you are about to get engaged to your girlfriend (which is a long story that involves my now-husband and me living 14 time zones apart for 4 months after he popped the question.)

8. Alienate the office manager

These folks have more power than many office workers might realize. Stay on their good side or try to make amends if things go awry.

9. Make a mistake

The goal is to make that mistake only once. Then communicate to your boss what you learned and what you’ll change so it never happens again. A pattern of huge mistakes is a fail that gets you fired.

10. Work for someone you can’t stand

This is simply incredible training for how to maneuver a transfer to a different department or office. It’s also excellent motivation for a targeted, well-executed job hunt.

11. Take a job you don’t like

Sometimes you’ve got a hunch even before you start. Other times, the distaste isn’t clear until you’ve been wearing the work-ID tag for a while. No matter, after it happens, you’ll vet potential offers with more skill.

12. Take a calculated risk that backfires

Success in business is saturated with the stories of entrepreneurs or others who dared and failed.

To Advance Your Career, Always Be Ready to Bail or Bolt

To outpace the herd, you have to know where you want to go. Otherwise, you'll be trampled.

In today’s hyper-competitive marketplace, the most sought-after and desirable employees are the ones whose bags are always packed-;not because they are disloyal or disinterested but because they recognize that “up or out” is the way of the world today.

If you’re not ready, willing, and able to step forward and seize the next best opportunity, within or outside your company, then you’ll discover pretty quickly that the people making the decisions and the key personnel selections will look right past you when the best opportunities are on the table.

They need people who will jump at the chance to move across the country to take on new and uncertain challenges, without the slightest qualms. Most of all, they want people who understand that there are no guarantees of comfort, security or success these days, but there is a guarantee that anyone standing still (or “just” doing their job) will be blown away by people who are doing a whole lot more and who make their interest, aptitude, and attitude known.

The world today is divided into targets and gunslingers, hot shots and has-beens (regardless of your age). Everyone is in someone else’s sights and plenty of people are gunning for your position. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep your boots by the side of your bed--just like firemen do. 

It’s not so much that your current bosses take you for granted (although there are certainly elements of that) or are dissatisfied with your current performance. But if it’s not abundantly clear that you want it (whatever the “it” happens to be) a lot more than the next twelve guys, and that you’re prepared to make the commitment and the sacrifices necessary to see things through and get the new job done well, then it’s very easy today for the company to find someone else who’s a better bet.

So what can you do to boost your visibility and tilt the odds in your favor, without overstepping the bounds of propriety or pissing off your peers? Here are a few things you can do now to get ready to be great.

Sharpen Your Sights and Step Up Your Skills

It helps a whole lot to know specifically what you’re shooting for. Chasing too many rabbits usually results in you ending up empty-handed. Set a goal, make a plan, and go for it.  And while you’re waiting for good things to happen, make sure you’re constantly honing and updating your skill set, adding new tools and technologies to your war chest, and learning all the while from anyone and everyone willing to share with you. Good listeners are in terribly short supply and you’d be amazed at how much valuable information people impart if they know you’re interested and that they’re appreciated. Soak it all up.

Streamline Your Story and Skinny Down Your Price Tag

It’s actually quite possible to be too much of a good thing in the job market and to be perceived as over-qualified for a position that you’d absolutely kill for. It’s nice to be subtle and to stay above the fray, but that’s not what people are looking for today. They want people who want it and want it bad and who aren’t afraid or ashamed to admit it. Those who never ask rarely, if ever, get what they want.

Don’t try to be so delicate or oblique that your message and your interest get lost in the process. You want to be sure that, when the time and circumstances are right, you’re in the game and on the short list and that you make your interest, appetite and aptitude for the new position known to all concerned. Don’t ever assume that anyone besides you knows what’s best or right for you--and shame on you if you don’t tell them.

Don’t price yourself out of a new opportunity before you even get a chance to have a conversation with the people doing the search. You never want to negotiate against yourself, but it’s very important to make sure that the folks around you (and above you) know that money isn’t the thing that matters the most to you.

Money is just the way that people without talent try to keep score. Doing important work, doing it exceptionally well, and getting the right, timely results is what ultimately counts and where the real satisfaction in your work will be found. Making a bump in your current compensation a prime consideration in your next career move is a major mistake. Prove yourself first; it always pays off in the long run.

Scrap Your Entourage and Bag Your Baggage

Package deals may work great for travel agents and casinos, but they don’t help in the hiring process. In fact, they’re a major hindrance. Worry about yourself first and foremost. Then, once you’ve made it over the hurdles and beyond the barricades, you can always reach back for your buddies.

Making a successful move might require you to lose many other impediments as well. As sad as it is to say, the more tightly bound you are to your community and outside activities, the less likely you are to make it onto many a short list. There’s nothing wrong with such ties (from a social and family standpoint they are probably a very good thing), but you should understand that there’s an embedded choice they represent that, unless you actively signal and communicate otherwise, could have serious career consequences. So be aware that family and community ties are just that--“ties” that can restrict and limit your chances to move onward and upward, whether anyone ever admits that to you or not. 

7 Things Really Bold People Do

Boldness is a leadership trait to be mastered. Here are actions that make bold people admirable.

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!"

The day I went off to college, a friend gave me this quote, which is questionably attributed. Over the years, it has inspired me, and I have seen it posted on the walls and bulletin boards of many entrepreneurs and leaders.

Bold people stand out from the group. They are confident, courageous, and directed. I believe there is boldness in most people. Given the right set of circumstances, many will take action to better the world around them.

People who choose to be bold are inspiring not just because they get big things accomplished, but because they also instigate growth, progress, and movement for themselves and others around them. Sadly, far more people wait for someone who is bold to lead the way, hoping somehow luck will shine success upon them.

Perhaps it's time to unleash the bold leader in you. Try adding these seven actions to your daily repertoire, and see how much faster the magic of boldness takes you toward success.

1. They own their flaws and strengths. There is a difference between boldness and carelessness. Bold leaders have strong self-awareness. They know when they should take bold action and when they are out of their element. They minimize the risk for themselves and others by constantly reassessing themselves and engaging others to accommodate for personal weakness. Want to be a bold leader? Be more self-aware. Engage others who can complement your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.

2. They keep clear priorities. Someone who constantly jumps into action without a plan isn't bold, just foolish. Bold people know their objectives and prioritize them clearly. They can afford to be bold because they can recognize the right opportunity when it comes along. Want to be a bold leader? Know clearly what you need to accomplish and seek those chances that will move the team forward. Avoid unimportant activities that lead to distraction.

3. They speak up. Bold people are not necessarily loud or boisterous, but when they have something to say, they say it. More important, they understand when and how to say it. Being bold does not equal being a bully or a loudmouth. Bold leaders must be better at tact and empathy, because the very nature of their words will carry power and impact. Bold leaders also understand that silence is often the greatest statement one can make, and they use it judiciously. Want to be a bold leader? Say what needs to be said before the silence derails the team.

4. They pair action with knowledge. Even though bold leaders are prone to action, they are rarely considered rash. They apply the same sense of action to learning and due diligence as they do to any other activity. Bold leaders want to make sure their actions lead to success, so they investigate before leading their team to the charge. Want to be a bold leader?Improve your odds of success by doing your homework. You'll increase your confidence and your success rate.

5. They accept the value of failure. No one is totally comfortable with failure, but bold leaders understand that greater rewards stem from greater risk. Still, they know how to mitigate catastrophic risk and how to protect their team. Bold leaders also know how to use risk to their advantage. They harness the energy and adrenaline and make sure that every failure is a learning opportunity. Want to be a bold leader? Make failure an acceptable part of your process. Teach the team how to assess and limit risk, so missteps can happen without total destruction. Then get people to learn and reboot.

6. They make the most of small wins. Many people sit and wait around for the "right opportunity" before they are willing to step up and take action. Sadly, sometimes that right opportunity never comes. Bold people understand that rarely is any situation perfect from the beginning. They look to make the most of any given set of circumstances that can lead to victory, even a small one. Cumulatively, consistent little wins spell success, attracting followers. Want to be a bold leader? Start with a small battle you think you can win, map out a plan, and take the field. Winning builds confidence as well as your reputation.

7.  They build momentum. Bold people recognize that a single victory is not enough to sustain leadership. They work to create a series of actions that help the team gather confidence, speed, and power. They have a sense of when to add energy to drive forward and when to let the momentum itself carry things forward efficiently. Want to be a bold leader?Craft your plan so that each action takes advantage of the success from the last. Take advantage of any win that gains attention, respect, and popularity. Activate your fans, cultivate relationships, build buzz. Don't coast!

12 Most Effective Uses for LinkedIn Skills

I hear people who say that one should optimize their profile for search engines, but they neglect to appreciate that LinkedIn has its own. You have to ask yourself which is more important — ranking in Google search or ranking on LinkedIn itself? How do you get noticed when people do a search?

I found an answer in the form of skills. I have a gut feeling that this will become an important feature in the near future. Consider that endorsements for skills were launched in September

Here is how you can use Skills effectively to manage your LinkedIn presence.

1. Language

I struggle with the proper language to describe my accomplishments. With Skills I can see how other industry professionals describe them and get an idea of how I should say things.

2. Trends

One really neat thing about Skills on LinkedIn is the trends box. It shows a graph were green bars represent related skills that are popular and red bars representing declining skills.

3. Connect

When you research a skill, you get a text box with information from Wikipedia or similar source. Underneath you also see a sampling of professionals who have listed that skill on their profiles. This is one way to add people to your network.

4. Discovery

On Skills, you will see a summary of related keywords on the left. Sometimes I see listings for skills I have not yet thought about adding. Clicking on the link easily allows me to see if my abilities match. If so I can add it to my profile.

5. Job search

Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? If you are still looking for your dream job then try out Skills. Each search result page shows you companies and professionals related to your query. This can give you a quick snapshot of the industry and perhaps some professionals you can connect with to set up an informational interview.

6. Endorsements

Endorsements have made filling out the Skills section of your profile imperative. Use Skills search to add some new ones you may not have thought of. Remember to ask people who know your work to endorse you.

7. Tracking

Viveka Van Rosen wrote an excellent post about what metrics you can measure for linkedln. I think we can add Skills to that list. The trending box can show you the number of professionals on LinkedIn listing the skill on their profile. Click on “size” to see the totals.

8. Location

Skills allows you to see what country professionals are working in. Clicking on the location will take you to an area specific to your LinkedIn search.

9. Groups

When you do a search using Skills, it also pulls in information about related groups. I think that it is important to join a group or two in your industry. This is the easiest ways to add people to your network on LinkedIn.

10. Suggested skills

This is a time saver. LinkedIn will actually take you to a page where it will find skills that match your profile! Yep, you can skip a lot of the research in the above steps by clicking on suggested skills.

11. Hiring companies

Skills pulls in related companies that hire people with your skill set. They make it easy to follow them for updates, which may include open positions.

12. Keywords

I use the trending skills like I would keyword phrases in SEO. I try to sprinkle in the top trending skills related to my industry in my profile. I doubled my views using this method.

I remember the occupational handbook that I had to read in high school for my career education class. LinkedIn is similar, but reflects the self-reporting of a sample population of those working in the industry. In that way, it offers a qualitative insight into working life. It also reflects positions that are not included in handbooks because they are unique.

Social media has opened doors for a new wave of professional careers. Skills is one way to understand this new world of work.

12 Most Practical Ways to Develop a Powerful Personal Brand

We’re all personal brands. Our agendas may differ, but we seek the same things: recognition, respect, influence and success. Personal branding is no trend. It’s social media, publishing, marketing, sales, work, play, passion and everything you read about all rolled into one.

With that in mind, I submit to you personal branding is something you need to understand. It’s something you need to develop deliberately — even if what you’ve been doing and saying to this day has been largely accidental.

I’ve gathered some great tips for getting started with personal branding. The first five come from a presentation I heard Michael deliver.

1. Define your audience

The focus of your blog — and all your content — must be your readers. What are their needs? What are their pains? You could guess, but you’ll run the risk of being wrong. An ideal way to remove the guesswork is to conduct a survey. Ask a few specific questions to uncover demographic and psycho graphic information.

As a result of your survey, you’ll be able to profile your audience and work toward developing more focused content.

2. Create a clear value proposition

What can you offer your audience? Do you offer resources to help people work smarter? Do you offer leadership insights? These are just a couple of examples. Create a succinct and simple answer and you have your value proposition. You may have to experiment with your value proposition and revise it from time to time. A clear value proposition will serve as framework all of your efforts.

3. Write a compelling brand slogan

Remind yourself of the level of noise in media today and recognize how critical it is to make a strong impression quickly. A great way to address this challenge is to distill your value proposition into a slogan. At my site, I write, “Turn on the power of online marketing.” How can you summarize your brand promise in a concise slogan?

4. Get a great portrait

Presenting a great photo of yourself helps establish credibility and build trust. It also helps you connect via social media. Get a great head shot that captures the real, authentic you. Invest in a professional photo shoot or if you prefer not to part with the money, hit up a friend with a quality camera and a command of portrait photography. After reviewing the photos, pick one head shot to use on your website and across all your social media networks.

5. Establish a look

Any memorable brand, your personal brand included, should look consistent. Using a variety of logos, colors, and fonts will confuse your audience. Develop a look for your personal brand with a professionally designed logo, a pleasing color palette, and a limited menu of fonts. Apply the standards you create to everything — your website, business cards, advertising, etc.

6. Find your voice

A goal in the development of your personal brand should be building a tribe — that is, a growing community of dedicated fans. You have to discover how to express yourself as the unique individual you are. This isn’t merely a one-off task like getting a nice looking head shot. It’s a process. Don’t try to become the writer version of yourself. Just be yourself. Write like you speak — when you’re speaking to ONE person. Make it someone you speak to often and feel 100% confident about expressing yourself to.

7. Create an email list

Personal branding is largely online marketing. The most valuable asset an online marketer could ever hope to have is an email list — people who have raised their hands and declared, “market to me,” or perhaps, “keep me in the loop.” Develop a compelling offer such as an eBook or webinar you’re willing to give away and create a landing page where you’re able to capture the email addresses of your readers.

8. Dial into the dialogue

The age of the marketer’s monologue is dead and gone. All of the people behind great personal brands are great conversationalists. They listen and respond.

Only foolish old marketing die-hards believe advertisers talk and consumers listen. Encourage your customers to chime in via onsite polls, surveys, blog comments, forums, reviews, chat, and of course, social media. On your path to becoming a revered personal brand, your goal should be to ignite meaningful, brand-adjacent conversations in your community.

9. Build a circle of influencer's

There are a variety of ways you’ll build your influence as you build your personal brand. Accelerate your influence by leveraging the authority of other authorities.

Create “roundup” content that recognizes authoritative leaders and their work. Call on experts to contribute to your content. Create communities of your own on LinkedIn, Google+ and other social media. Ask people you know to introduce you to people they know (a.k.a. networking) and look for partnership opportunities.

Publish lists, for example, and books or blogs you’ve read. Ask for guest post opportunities. Share the content of influencer's you admire.

10. Create content

Creating content to showcase your expertise must be at the core of your personal branding efforts. Focus on sharing your knowledge. At the same time, don’t fear having a strong point of view. Take a stand. You might not appeal to everyone, but that’s not the goal. You want to ignite the passion in the right people. Use a variety of media types to accommodate the different preferences of your target market such as a blog, podcasts, webinars, presentations, eBooks, and videos.

11. Give of yourself generously

Essentially, building your brand is about making new friends. What do friends do? They make themselves available to you and give you the best of what they’ve got. Make yourself available to your peers and organizations. Give thanks to everyone for kind acts of any kind. Ask the people you meet what you can do to help.

12. Connect and stay connected

The development of your personal brand, and ultimately, your ability to capitalize on it is derived from the connections you make. Make networking part of your daily routine and seek to expand it continuously. Follow up with new connections you make promptly, stay in touch, and always follow-through on your promises.

The benefits of creating a powerful personal brand are many. An effective personal brand wields influence. Understand how to develop a personal brand and you’re likely to enjoy a steady stream of ideal clients, rewarding partnerships, leadership opportunities, greater credibility, and higher perceived value.