Saturday, May 30, 2020

How To Become A RainMaker Book You MUST Have

How To Become A RainMaker Book You MUST Have Sometime during the last year of my employment at my last job I swiped a book from my mom while she was visiting my family.   How To Become A Rainmaker had me 1,000% captivated.   Every chapter is 2 5 pages, the book is small (although not a pamphlet), and the stuff in there was just amazing. Im not a salesperson, and I wasnt at the time, but reading Jeffrey Foxs book on becoming a rainmaker, and the strategy and tactics involved, won me over. As CEO of Me, Inc. I think its critical that we understand our role of sales and marketing.   I dont know of any better training, whether its beginner training or advanced training, to help us understand what goes into becoming an effective salesperson. Salesperson = Communicator Salesperson = Influencer There is no reason to not be a more efficient communicator or influencer, I dont care if you are unemployed, a super-geeky programmer (no offense intended :p), or a work-alone-on-the-moon astronaut. You need this book. It is about $14 on Amazon.   Or you might be able to get it at Costco (Ive seen a bunch of Foxs books at my Costco).   Or you can check your local library. I dont care how you get this book, but get it.   And read it with your CEO of Me, Inc. hat on. How To Become A RainMaker Book You MUST Have Sometime during the last year of my employment at my last job I swiped a book from my mom while she was visiting my family.   How To Become A Rainmaker had me 1,000% captivated.   Every chapter is 2 5 pages, the book is small (although not a pamphlet), and the stuff in there was just amazing. Im not a salesperson, and I wasnt at the time, but reading Jeffrey Foxs book on becoming a rainmaker, and the strategy and tactics involved, won me over. As CEO of Me, Inc. I think its critical that we understand our role of sales and marketing.   I dont know of any better training, whether its beginner training or advanced training, to help us understand what goes into becoming an effective salesperson. Salesperson = Communicator Salesperson = Influencer There is no reason to not be a more efficient communicator or influencer, I dont care if you are unemployed, a super-geeky programmer (no offense intended :p), or a work-alone-on-the-moon astronaut. You need this book. It is about $14 on Amazon.   Or you might be able to get it at Costco (Ive seen a bunch of Foxs books at my Costco).   Or you can check your local library. I dont care how you get this book, but get it.   And read it with your CEO of Me, Inc. hat on.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

5 Tips to buying alternative clothing on a budget

5 Tips to buying alternative clothing on a budget When it comes to shopping, finding exactly what you want may be a headache especially if you are your fashion style leans to the alternative culture. You don’t find alternative clothing in all stores and if you do, most of the time they usually come with a hefty price tag. So, below are a few tips for buying alternative clothing on a budget; Online shopping Despite the fact that it is hard to find alternative clothes in most stores, it is easy to find them online. The ever growing internet space has made it easy for people to open online stores and as well, use social media platforms to avail their products to customers. Before choosing an online alternative clothing store, be sure to look for reviews from other customers and take a look at their money back policy. Thrift stores Thrift stores never disappoint and the fact that you will always get quality and affordable clothes, they should be your go to. Some people shop solely in thrift shops and they still look fly even though the clothes are second hand. You will find almost any kind of alternative clothes and accessories you want in a thrift store, whether emo, goth or punk, etc. If you can find a thrift store around your town, you can check online and you will find about anything you are looking for at a cheap price. DIY When it comes to clothes, you can always find great DIY ideas to use as inspiration and come up with amazing outfits. To your benefit, you will be able to design exactly what you want. You can also make good use of your old clothes or clothes that don’t fit you anymore to come up with a completely different outfit. Besides, you don’t have to spend much on DIY’s, so it makes it convenient if you are not a spender. Respond slowly to trends This is a great strategy for spending less on alternative clothing. When there is a new trend in the market, everyone is rushing to buy whatever is the trend. Since the demand is high, prices will tend to be high so, try to avoid buying trending outfits. You can buy other clothes that are not trending but still look great. Moreover, you may not like everything that is trending but if you have to follow any fashion trend, then respond slowly to them by waiting for a while until the hype dies down. Bring a friend Taking a friend with you every time you are going shopping can be a great way to spend your money wisely. If you are a spendthrift person and feel like you spend more than you should when shopping, then it will be a good idea to take a friend with you. Only bring a friend who is not as extravagant as you are because if you do you may end up spending even more. Sometimes you may end up in expensive stores so, bring someone who will help you to shop wisely.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Get Your Personal Brands Message Out With Podcasting - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Get Your Personal Brands Message Out With Podcasting - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In order to establish your brand as a trusted leader in your industry you need to present valuable content. Hosting a podcast in your target market can help you gain more subscribers and followers on social media. Audio or video episodes that are original and appeal to the needs of your brand’s audience will help your brand stand out. As more readers are turning to their mobile devices for information you can reach an entirely new audience outside your blog. The right strategy for your show takes planning, consistency, the right tools, and a specific time slot that your audience can expect. Here are several ways your brand’s podcasts can be more successful in the new age of digital marketing online: Create a schedule In addition to your regular content and social media plan you need to add a specific day and time for your broadcasts that works well for your work week. There are many calendar tools available that you can send out to your subscribers so that they never miss an episode. Put together a general script Craft a template that you can follow and customize for each podcast. Include a general introduction that can be used each time and a list of questions if you know them ahead of time. This will help brand your podcasts and provide a familiar voice to your audience. Include your profile photo or logo Choose what you already have established online for your brand and be creative. A fun image can get an audience interested along with consistent brand recognition that matches your website and other online platforms. Use catchy titles and a clear description Stay away from a long, and drawn out headline, and instead quickly grab your audiences attention with catchy titles that speak directly to their most pressing needs and questions. Let people know right away what your show is about without writing too much information that will leave them feeling bored. This should be done with the right keywords for each topic, and without selling to them directly. Creating a podcast on a consistent basis will keep your personal brand on top when it comes to building more visibility. Track your progress each month on the number of interactions, subscribers, clicks, ect. through services like Google Analytics. The process may take time to build a loyal following, but in the end will help your brand stand out from the rest and establish a name for itself online.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Resume Writing Checklist 5 Steps to Get Your Resume Ready for Todays Job Market - Career Sidekick

Resume Writing Checklist 5 Steps to Get Your Resume Ready for Todays Job Market - Career Sidekick Resume Writing Checklist: 5 Steps to Get Your Resume Ready for Todays Job Market Resume/CV / https://www.edenscott.com/blog Picture this: You’ve been working for the same company for maybe 3, 5, or 10 years, you haven’t really needed to interview for a job because you are extremely well-networked, and you are positive that you have the communication skills to convince someone to hire you.In short, you know what you are doing in your profession. Here’s the problem though: In today’s job market, you MUST have an effective resume to get past the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).You need to have the right parts on your document, or your resume wont get seen. And after that you only have about 5-6 seconds to grab someone’s attention. Read on for a checklist with 5 resume tips to help you get more job interviews.5-Step Checklist for Resume Writing:Tip #1 â€" No more objectivesFrankly, employers dont careabout your objective. Instead, focus on the employer. Use a career summary at the top of your resume and ensure that you are positioning yourself as the right candidate f or the job.Within only two or three sentences, you can describe some of your soft skills and career focus, while aligning it with the employer’s needs. While you still may be discussing your skills, you are discussing them in a way that shows what you can do for their organization (instead of only talking about what you want fromthem).Tip #2 â€" Keywords are vitalIf you’ve been job-searching for a while, it’s likely that you have heard of key words and the mysterious ATS. Knowing about it is one thingâ€"understanding how to get through it is another thing.You MUST read the job posting carefully and use the right words in your document to ensure it scans well by the ATS software and closely matches the job opportunity. If you don’t do this step, it’s likely your resume is never even read by a human being.My clients typically ask how they are supposed to know what the keywords are and I give the same advice each time: Read the job posting, print it out, and start highlightin g. The words that are used over and over again are keywords.Review the qualifications or skills section in the listing, underline the words used more than once and then tailoryour resume to match it as closely as possible.Tip #3 â€" Be careful with datesNothing screams your age like including high school activities from 1990. Did you graduate from college in 1985? Don’t include it. In fact, I never include education dates for my clientsâ€"unless they are still attending school or graduated two weeks ago.Otherwise, it’s not relevant. And, remember that you don’t have to include EVERY job you have ever had. Go back about 10-12 years with your professional history. If it’s earlier than that, it’s probably not relevantto your future career position and it starts to date you.If you want more information about this, here is a full article onavoiding age discrimination on your resume.Tip #4 â€" Think quantifiable achievementsâ€"not job dutiesThere are A LOT of people out there th at have similar job descriptions to yours. In fact, you can find a laundry-list of job descriptions online.Even though some of it may be interesting, it doesn’t grab the reader’s attention. You need to think in terms of achievements and accomplishments. So, you know how to “…effectively manage your schedule and lead large accounts while securing new clients.” Fantastic. In reality, you have “…led 10 accounts, encompassing $25 million in sales, while simultaneously securing 5 new accountsâ€"adding $5 million in gross salesâ€"within an 18-month timeframe.”Putting facts and accomplishments on your resume shows whatyou achieved and how it positively impacted the companyâ€"it has a much greater impact than the first statement.Tip #5 â€" Be conciseWhile you certainly don’t want to leave out any vital information, you do need to remember that recruiters and hiring managers are busyâ€"get to the point.At the most, your resume should be two pages. In general, you should inc lude a career summary, skills section, professional history, education, certifications, and community engagement. Because it’s your own information, it is sometimes difficult to know what to cut and what to keepâ€"get a second set of eyes for a review and learn how to take constructive feedback.Remember â€" the resume is your chance at a first impressionâ€"focus on what you can do for the employer and really think about the information you are putting on the documentâ€"does it add to your value as an employee? Using the tips outlined above and staying on top of today’s job searching trends will help position you for future employment success.About this guest author:Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and owner of Feather Communications (http://www.feather-communications.com). She holds an MBA and PhD in Organization and Management, andhas been working with job seekers since 2008 to develop forward-thinking, eye-catching, and dynamic resumes for todays marketplace. You can download her top 5 resume tips to get more interviews for freeat this page.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Resume and CV Writing For Nonnative English Speakers

Resume and CV Writing For Nonnative English SpeakersWhen you are looking for resume and CV writing for non native English speakers, the first thing that you should do is to make sure that you are addressing the native speakers of the country. Writing in a way that does not clearly state the job will give you a chance to appear unprofessional.Writing is a profession and you have to be professional. There is no room for you to show your personality in the resume. If you are too proud of yourself, it will show on your resume.To be able to write a professional resume and CV for non native English speakers, you need to know the language as much as possible. Use the foreign words for your English words.To be able to learn the language of your prospective employer, you should hire a tutor or a program. The Internet is also a good source of information on how to write for non native English speakers. You can also find articles on how to write a resume for non native English speakers by using Google translate.Write down your CV in a manner that will be easy for the interviewer to understand. List your achievements carefully and explain how you have achieved them.A good resume for non native English speakers is not required if you have a great personality and skills. Do not try to add a lot of unnecessary information in your resume.You should not over exaggerate the information you have mentioned in your professional resume. When you are doing your CV writing for non native English speakers, you should only use the free writing software that is available.The most important point when you are doing resume and CV writing for non native English speakers is that you should be polite. The way you present yourself will be reflected in the letter. The recruiter may feel that you are rude and not professional.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Helping Your Business To Expand Its Client Base

Helping Your Business To Expand Its Client Base A successful business strives for steady and continuous growth. You need to be prepared to evolve if you want to maintain success because relevance is the key to maintaining the interest of the target market. Your goal is to expand your client base so as to increase sales and build your company into a more reputable brand. This will ensure that you create a business which is viable in the long-term. Here are some ways in which you could help your business to expand its client base. Conduct regular market research. If you want to draw in customers and build a steadily growing client base then you need to conduct regular market research. The modern business world is always evolving, so you need to adapt; you also need to find gaps in the market so that you can get ahead of the curve. Gathering data on consumers is becoming increasingly important to businesses who want to deliver the best customer experience. That’s why you should research the latest eCommerce trends so as to keep up to date with the best techniques in digital marketing. Given the continuous growth of online shopping as opposed to “physical” shopping in real stores, it’s more important than ever for modern businesses to understand how to target the growing influx of customers on the internet. Personalizing the consumer’s shopping experience so that you can give them better deals than your competitors is crucial to expanding your client base. Impress your existing customers. If you want to expand your client base then you should aim to impress your existing customers. After all, your current customers play a crucial role in attracting new ones. They have the ability to either create a positive reputation or a negative reputation for your business. You should obviously be aiming to ensure that the former is the case. Discounts and deals are a good way to impress your existing customers; you could reward them for continued loyalty. Of course, you could also use referrals to help your client base grow. If a customer gets some sort of reward for referring your business to their friends then they’re definitely going to spread the word. They’ll be happy, and you’ll be happy. You just need to make sure that you treat referred customers well if you want them to stick around. Work on your branding. A great way to expand your client base is to work on your branding. After all, a business’ brand is the thing that captures the attention of potential clients. It’s the only way to differentiate yourself from the competition, and an improvement to your branding could be the change you need to convince consumers in your target audience to give your business a chance. Of course, we’re talking about more than a new logo and colorful imagery; we’re talking about your brand’s core values. You need to make a statement that makes an impact on people, so your aim should be to humanize your brand. You might want to go green, for example. Not only will it save your business some money to cut down on the wastefulness of resources, but it’ll prove to the average consumer that you care about the planet. You need to stand for something that matters to real people if you want them to care about your brand.

Friday, May 8, 2020

You Wont See Truly Great Leaders Engage In These 5 Behaviors - Kathy Caprino

You Won’t See Truly Great Leaders Engage In These 5 Behaviors Part of the Kathy Caprinos series Todays True Leadership In the past eight years of writing this blog, and in my work as a career and leadership coach and podcaster, I’ve had the opportunity to interview hundreds of inspiring and uplifting leaders, influencers, business and entrepreneurial experts, bestselling authors, creatives, Pulitzer Prize and other award winners, and more. I’ve connected with men and women who lead in the most uplifting and enriching ways, demonstrating traits that bring people together to accomplish truly amazing things. I’ve seen that these people have a special manner in which they help us see and experience the highest vision of ourselves as well as the most positive and transformative view of the world around us. But I’ve also witnessed the oppositeâ€"people who lead through fear, manipulation, intimidation, cruelty, divisiveness, narcissism  and deep insecurity. Both approaches will certainly work to shape people’s actions and beliefs, but only the first approach can actually bring about lasting positive change that is of benefit to  all people involved  (not just a select group who feed on the divisiveness and separation that the negative leader embodies). Are you using keen discernment in terms of who you are following as a leader, in your life, work, family and beyond? If not, theyre shaping (and even hurting) you without your knowledge. Analyzing behaviors of leaders today who are making a lasting positive change versus those who hurt people through their leadership, I’ve seen there are five key behaviors that truly great and positive leaders will never allow themselves to engage in. Here are those five damaging behaviors: #1: Ripping someone apart mercilessly who challenges them As a trained therapist, I conducted therapy for several years with people from all walks of life (from the very rich and powerful to those who were facing extreme disadvantages and challenges in society). I learned a great deal about why we respond the way we do to others and why we operate as we do in our lives. What’s crystal clear is that anyone who rips someone to shreds because that person challenged them or said they were “wrong” is just deeply insecure.  At the heart of it, they’re very afraid. Some people may think it’s a strength to tear your detractors down, but it’s the opposite of strength. Tearing someone down who challenges you reveals a deep fear and insecurity about your “image” and your fears about people’s perception of you. And you’re not strong enough to accept that everyone doesn’t like or agree with you. Truly strong people have done the work to regulate their emotions and manage their fears. They embrace being challenged because they know they’ll learn from diverse viewpoints and from people who don’t agree with them. And they don’t rip someone apart who has the strength to challenge them. They embrace that challenge and grow from it. #2: Fighting to the death over trying to be seen as “right” and better than others The need to be seen as always “right” or “smarter” or “better” than others is a wasted endeavor and any great leader knows it. Leaders who influence in positive ways know that the best leadership draws on the tremendous strengths, experience and brilliance of the people around them, and those who came before, in order to lead powerfully. Just because a leader is at the top of the hierarchy doesn’t mean they’re supposed to know all the answers. They simply can’t and they don’t waste their precious time trying to appear better or more capable than everyone around them and everyone who came before them. #3: Spurning and putting down the very people they say they are hoping to lead and influence Great leaders will never ridicule and demean the very people they say they are trying to lead. They’re respectful and courteous at all times in their speech, actions and communications, and they demonstrate (and legitimately feel) compassion and understanding for the plights of those they are leading, no matter how different their views or life situations are. #4: Failing to hold themselves accountable when they make mistakes Great leaders don’t pretend they’ve never done anything wrong. They stand up and admit wrong-doing and errors in actions and judgment, and apologize when necessary. No human behaves in flawless, perfect ways at all times. Humans err. Leaders make big mistakes that dramatically affect the lives and work of many people. If you never hear “I’m sorry for my mistake” from the leader you’re following, you’re in the hands of a person who will never accept his/her own accountability for the situations that their leadership creates. #5: Lying about the facts and the falsifying data to skew the reality of the situation Obviously, there are times when leaders need to “shape” a message so as to limit the potential damage or repercussions of a crisis situation. That said, if you are under the influence of a leader who is outright lying, falsifying data and simply not telling any version of the truth, you have a leader who is willing to manipulate reality to get what he or she wants. And that’s a very dangerous situation to be in. People who lie are putting themselves and their wants and desires before everyone else’s. Leaders who lie are making decisions for you without your full understanding of the facts and how those facts will impact you and your life. In other words, you’re in the dark with this leader and aren’t being given the data you need to make an informed decision about how you want to react or respond. Why do people follow a leader who demonstrates these negative traits and is in fact, a damaging leader? If you’re following a leader (at work, home, in politics, business, academia, etc.) who engages in these behaviors, I’d invite you to ask yourself these questions: 1)   Why am I attracted to an individual who divides and alienates people rather than uplifts and enriches people? 2) Why do I overlook that fact that this leader lies on a regular basis? What does that say about me? 3)  Do I feel good about this leader because I’ve felt passed over and been unheard and unrecognized in the past and he or she makes me feel I’m finally appreciated and understood? 4)   Do I want to govern my life from principles of hatred and disdain for others, or from love and compassion? 5)  Does this leader embody the traits of the person I want to become and the legacy I want to leave behind? What is that legacy I want to create, exactly? 6)  Does this leader make progress towards goals I care about, but does it in ways that step over people and crush them in the process? 7)  Finally, can I imagine another sort of individual (or organization or work culture) who could lead in a more positive way but still accomplish the goals I care about? The leaders you follow will inevitably shape who you become, including your beliefs and ideas, and they’ll also influence how you behave and relate to others and the world around you. How do you want to show up in the world? Figure that out, then find and follow leaders, organizations, work cultures and ecosystems that embody the highest version of you at your best. To build your positive leadership impact, work with Kathy in her Career Breakthrough programs and take her training webinar The Most Powerful You: Close Your Power Gaps and Rock Your Career At The Highest Level.