Words from Web Worker

What makes You different/special? Start right now: as of this moment you're going to think of yourself differently! You're not an "employee" of General Motors, you're not a "staffer" at General Mills, or you're not a "worker" at General Electric. You don't "belong to" any company for life, and your chief affiliation isn't to any particular "function." You're not defined by your job title and you're not confined by your job description. Starting today you are a brand. You're every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop. To start thinking like your own favorite brand manager, ask yourself the same question the brand managers at Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop ask themselves: What is it that my product or service does that makes it different?  Give yourself the traditional 15-words-or-less contest challenge. Take the time to write down your answer. And then take the time to read...

It's a new brand world.   That cross-trainer you're wearing -- one look at the distinctive swoosh on the side tells everyone who's got you branded. That coffee travel mug you're carrying -- ah, you're a Starbucks woman! Your T-shirt with the distinctive Champion "C" on the sleeve, the blue jeans with the prominent Levi's rivets, the watch with the hey-this-certifies-I-made-it icon on the face, your fountain pen with the maker's symbol crafted into the end ... You're branded, branded, branded, branded. It's time for me -- and you -- to take a lesson from the big brands, a lesson that's true for anyone who's interested in what it takes to stand out and prosper in the new world. Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head market...

Apple Computer, now celebrating 30 years of innovation, has revolutionized the way we use computers and listen to music. Now its charismatic co-founder, Steve Jobs, has transformed the corporate pitch. Anyone who has watched a Jobs keynote will tell you he is one of the most extraordinary speakers in Corporate America. Jobs learned a long time ago that a leader must be a company evangelist and brand spokesperson. He is magnificent. But whether you are pitching a hot gizmo, such as the iPod, or a hot sub sandwich, a story is a story and your goal is to win customers. Here are Jobs' five keys to a dazzling presentation. Sell the Benefit Steve Jobs does not sell bits of metal; he sells an experience. Instead of focusing on mind-numbing statistics, as most technologists tend to do, Jobs sells the benefit. For example, when introducing a 30 GB iPod, he clearly explains what it means to the consumer -- users can carry 7,500 songs, 25,000 photos, or up to 75 hours of video. In January ...

The other week I had the pleasure of speaking to a large group of luxury-home builders. When the conference organizer first contacted me, I thought, "Why would high-end custom-home builders want to listen to a speaker discuss business communications skills?" I soon learned that homebuilders are pitching themselves and their projects all the time -- whether it's proposing a project to a developer, communicating their vision to a buyer, or asking the bank for a loan. These master craftspeople need help crafting the story behind their brand. Make no mistake, we all represent a brand. It's the brand of you. How you talk, walk, and look reflects on that brand. Do you come across as trustworthy, confident, and competent, or do you fail to captivate your listeners? As I told the custom-home builders, your work, references, and portfolio set the stage, but when you take "the stage," you are the sole experience a listener has with your brand. Whether you're pit...

Do you believe in change? Believing you can change encourages commitment to the process and enhances the likelihood of success. The belief that you can change is the key to change. This is not the powerlessness message of the 12 steps but rather the message of self-efficacy. Addictions are really no different from other behaviors—believing you can change encourages commitment to the process and enhances the likelihood of success. The type of treatment is less critical than the individual's commitment to change. People can select how they want to pursue change in line with their own values and preferences. They don't need to be told how to change. Brief treatments can change longstanding habits. It is not the duration of the treatment that allows people to change but rather its ability to inspire continued efforts in that direction. Life skills can be the key to licking addiction. All addictions may not be equal; the community-reinforcement approach, with its emphasis on dev...

Really what you’re saying here is that you want to use your blog to 'sell yourself' instead of to sell a product or ad space. Here are a few things to work hard at: Build trust - increasingly marketers are finding that people want to know & be in some sort of trusting relationship with those that they buy products or services from. This is particularly true for a personal service like consulting. Be open about your agenda and about what you do and don’t know. Talk both about your successes and failures. If all you do is use a blog for ’spin’ you’ll present as too good to be true. Be personal - building on the last point - one way to make a deeper connection with potential clients is to show something of who you are. This doesn’t mean blogging about your personal life, but show you’re human injecting humor, a photo or two of yourself and showing your personality. Use story - I find readers respond very well to story on blogs. Stories of my own experience, stories of...

Having a good professional reputation is an obvious key to success, but many people don't take the time to nurture it. Or they don't know how. I find it helpful to think about a reputation as a personal brand. Developing your own unique brand is considered not a luxury but an essential for future employability and success.  The basis which guides the development of a brand, also applies to individuals as well as to products and organizations.  To get you started on your journey of ongoing individual brand development, contemplate these three concepts, which form a similar acronym:  Dependability A good brand is consistent. With a good brand, there are never any unpleasant surprises. You can count on a brand to help you quickly sort through an unlimited list of options to identify "a sure thing." In the old days, there was a sales adage that went something like this: "Nobody ever got in trouble for purchasing IBM." If you aren't old enough to recall exa...