5 Ways to Sell You To Others

1. Start With A Compelling Profile

Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.  Pick one of those 3 as your home and get really good at it.  Don’t waste your time (or others) by pinging hundreds of social networks that you never frequent.  I started out on all of them then realized that without focusing on one network I was spreading myself too thin to be an authority on ANY of them.

2.  Hook Up With Other Up n’ Comers:

Get to know others in your field or niche that have the same goal as you.  I’m not saying give them all your secrets, but be willing to share ideas and experiences that you have learned from and they will do the same.

Have you ever had a friend that made it big before you did?  How did you take it? We can either get jealous and angry that it wasn’t us that made it, or we can put all that silliness behind, celebrate with them and learn from their experience.  Chances are they may take you right along the success pathway with them!

3.  Hook Up With The Influencers:

Borrow the influence of others if you don’t have much of your own yet. You will be glad that you made friends with a few fire starters when you have them start tweeting out your blog posts and then your product launches for you.  Just remember, the big names in Social Media are being pitched all the time, so be real with them.

Try to find conversations that you can fit into and add value to.  If you can’t, then start a topic of conversation of your own.  Comment on their blogs, meet them at conferences and MeetUps, spend time getting to know who they are before you start telling them who YOU are.

4.  Be Unique:

When I buy something for myself I tend to look for things that are a little different than what everyone else is buying.  I may like the main idea behind a trending product, but generally I don’t want to be just like everyone else.  I’m weird that way.

I’m that way about my writing too.  I like the ideas that many people are talking about in social media, but I don’t say it the same way.  That’s another thing that’s cool about social media…it allows everyone to be themselves.  You can build your own community of people that like you because you don’t follow the crowds or you’re not afraid to say when something really sucks.

You’re selling yourself and YOUR personality, so be different.  Be liked, or be hated, but be the best you can be at either! 

5.   Choose Who/What You Promote Wisely:

Another old saying to remember is, you are who your friends are. Like it or not, who you associate with or the products you promote all affect the perception people have of you.

I have worked with some top names in MLM business opportunities. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly side of network marketing.  Because of that, I deliberately separated my blog and my name from any association with that niche.  When it comes to business opportunities, I am very hesitant to promote to my community.

I would still talk to any of these MLM leaders and I appreciate their personalities, but the image I want to display is one of authenticity and professionalism. And by professionalism I mean knowing my stuff and calling things as they really are.

If you don’t get anything else out of this article, I hope you walk away with this one concept: 

"You will never get people to really like you for who you are if you are never really YOU in front of them." - 

Market yourself as authentic you.  Like people.  Smile.  Care.  Listen. Learn.  Share.  In the process you’ll find that opportunity to promote your products but what people will remember is YOU.

By the way, if you don’t find fulfillment or happiness in what you do, you might as well go back to having a job working for someone else because you will never be happy until you are happy doing what you do everyday. Just sayin…

What makes you decide to buy from someone?  What quality or perception did you pick up that made you say yes to that person?  How can you adapt the same qualities into your own personal branding plan of action?  Can you see where you can do things differently now?  Please share your comments below.

Pick this up from somone, cant remember where I got it from but it does work.

They Want To Know Who You Are

With so many people in the mainstream social media world, how do you set yourself apart from the rest as the one people trust and buy from? It has long been said that people do not buy products from salespeople, they buy YOU…the salesperson. The same is true in relationships. People don't befriend the idea of bonding, they want to truly bond.

People usually start into Social Media in one of two ways:

1.   They have a product already but no social media skills to understand how to market in the new media

2.   They start with a blog, no product to sell and just start marketing themselves as a source hoping to one day to actually have a product

Which ever category you may have fallen into,  you’ll need to distinguish yourself…YOU and what you stand for…before you’ll see success in social networking. The key word is networking. It is being able to intertwine yourself with others and come together fort he greater good. Whether in business or just trying to make friends. Social networking requires an authentic touch.

Personal branding is now more important than ever in communities.  People are buying you. In Other words people are buying the idea of having a relationship with you.  If I don’t like you, I’m not going to buy from you, AND telling all my friends what I think of you. Hey depending on how annoyed I get with you I may block you too. BOOM! That’s the power of social networking.  We all talk, and word of mouth can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Always keep this in mind too, once it is posted on someone's Facebook page, twitter account, broadcast on YouTube and etc... it's forever.

Do you remember high school? How did the rumors spread so fast? How did groups of people that did not like each other share common knowledge? It was word of mouth. Someone who knew someone else, started talking and it just spread from there.

So whether you are marketing you for a business, event, or just getting out there. You have got to use the social skills you learned in kindergarten to make it happen. Yes, you have to play nice with the other kids. I am still learning this wonderful world of social media but I can say this that it's not rock science if you know how to be polite.

Be Empowered 
Coach Linda Hillman 
Copyright 2012 Destined 2 B U Empowerment Group

Your Role Vs Role Playing

Don't confuse your role in destiny as a role that you play in life. This is not a role-playing assignment. This is the defining nature of who you are and why you are here. So what is the difference. Let me explain it this way.

Role-playing allows you to take a look at different scenarios. You get to see how it would look as others would see it. Role-playing gets you on the hot seat with others watching your techniques and taking notes on how they can be better, or snickering at how bad you are doing. Role playing shows how you are representing who you say you are to others and it's your way of convincing yourself that this is how the world sees you. For the most part role playing is good in a classroom setting but it is not very helpful in life.

Your role in your own destiny is very important. If you don't show up strong and know exactly how to make it work, your will set yourself up for a hard knock on the noggin. In role Playing you can get a do-over. In life, well let's just say you only get one shot.

Look at it this way, in role-playing you get to be what you think is expected of you, what you imagine would be the best scenario outcome in any given situation. In Your real life role, you don't get to know what the variables are, you don't get to know the end result and the best techniques to use to get it done. You have to know who you are and be ready to take whatever comes your way head on.

So remember, it's good to know how to role-play but it's better to understand your role and be willing to be the best you can be at all times.


Be Empowered
Coach Linda Hillman
Copyright 2012 Destined 2 B U Empowerment Group

The Fear of Rejection, Can It Be Overcome?

Many suffer from the fear of rejection. In my recent studying for my new Tele-seminar series "Fear Is Not An Option" I took a close look at why we allow this fear to operate and many times stop us from moving forward in life.

It begins with the social conditioning that stands between two people when they first meet. We are taught to not speak to strangers. We are taught that we should judge certain factors before we trust another individuals. In most cases this keeps us from being "had" however, when it comes to us stepping out of our comfort zone and doing something a bit different than we have in the past. This actually becomes a hindrance to us.

We know that people will look at us as we approach them, and they will begin a process that includes all five senses and their intuition. This collaboration of the senses and our human intention is deeply embedded in us and has been crafted by social conditioning. this is where the saying, "First impressions are the lasting ones."

Let me back up a bit and then push forward, When we first meet someone we will extend our hand in a hearty handshake. Have you ever asked yourself why we do that? Well, in African cultures a raised-palm greeting and our own American culture of a handshake has survived as evidence to show the intended that we do not have a weapon or harbor evil intent in our hearts against them. In other words, we are extending our-self to them in a friendly gesture, with hopes that our gesture is returned. This is a primitive example but think about it. If they do not accept our greeting, or in most cases our handshake. We have been rejected.

So the first impression holds a great deal in whether one is rejected or accepted. When you are approaching someone, (whether business or personal) they are watching your body language. They are looking at what you have on, they are listening to your voice tone, how you take your steps, and again your handshake. Not to mention any smells that you carry. So we take in all this data and then we measure it against what we have learned to look for in someone who is successful, honest, and trustworthy.

There was a study done by Albert Mehrabian of UCLA several years ago that stated that communication effectiveness is 55% dependent on body language. What this tells me is that lasting impressions are formed without a word being uttered by you. So, how do you overcome this dilemma?

First, you should remember this keep it simple and keep it natural. You only have 60 seconds to make a good impression and you do not want to waste it. Secondly, you are there to make a connection. If you really want to get my attention, know something about me and connect with me on a personal level.

If you have not already, signed up for my Tele-Seminar Series, "Fear is Not an Option" you may want to do that now. there are some many more tips on this subject that I would love to share with you.

Be Empowered
Coach Linda Hillman
Copyright 2012 Destined 2 B U Empowerment Group

Why We Dont Always Tell The Truth by Ron Ashkenas

Here's an article I found and wanted to share with you. I believe that we should know how we operate so we can better ourselves. In this world where truth is not always shared, it's a person of integrity that stands above because they are not afraid to tell the truth. 

Coach Linda Hillman

Here's the article written by Ron Ashkenas. Enjoy!

When I was growing up, one of the principles in our house was that we had to tell the truth, no matter how painful it might be. Lying, we were taught, wasn't something you could get away with. Like Pinocchio's nose, it would be apparent to others.

Children of course need clear rules to learn the difference between right and wrong. However as we get older, the truth becomes more nuanced — and there are times when a little white lie or the absence of some key facts might be appropriate. The problem is that all of us have different standards for when, why, and how we shade the truth. These divergent 'shades of gray' then cause miscommunication, breakdowns of trust, and other dysfunctional behaviors. That's why, despite the inclusion of "integrity" in almost every value statement, some form of lying is common in most companies.

From my experience, there are three fundamental concerns that cause people to shade the truth, either consciously or not. Being aware of these "lying triggers" can sometimes help to improve communication and reduce the feelings of mistrust.

Impact of the truth on yourself: It's human nature to want people to think well of us, particularly those who have influence over our lives and careers. At the same time we all make mistakes, so we create justifications and excuses — many of which are at best half-truths. I recall a manager whose key project was behind schedule, largely due to his lack of discipline and follow-up. Yet when asked why the project was lagging, he blamed a snowstorm (from six months previously) for slowing down the work.

Impact of the truth on others: One way to gain others' approval is to avoid pointing out things that may damage their self-image. As a result, many people withhold some or all of their true thoughts about others. For example, a senior executive complained to me recently that one of his managers never gave her people negative criticism during performance reviews. To justify that behavior, she said that it was better to reinforce positive behaviors rather than point out weaknesses — a strategy that also happened to make her popular with her team. The senior executive however was convinced that her drive to be well liked was doing the team a disservice, because they didn't know what they could do to improve.

Impact of the truth on business success: To be successful almost every organization needs to sell — be it a product, a service, a story, or a promise. But much of that selling is done without truthful disclosure of what it will take to fulfill the sale. That's why product salespeople will often take an order without revealing to the customer that there may be supply problems, or why a CEO will tout the benefits of an acquisition without mentioning the challenges of integration. Showing customers or partners what's truly behind the curtain could undermine credibility and threaten the deal. The wiser course in many cases is to limit the truth and figure out how to "deliver" later.

It's easy to be judgmental about all these situations and to insist on absolute truth at all times. But people don't work that way, and neither do organizations. As managers, the best we can do is to be more aware of why we avoid or shade the truth — and make sure that it's an appropriate time to do so.

How truthful is your organization? What's your experience with shades of gray?

Ron Ashkenas is a managing partner of Schaffer Consulting and a co-author of The GE Work-Out and The Boundaryless Organization. His latest book is Simply Effective.