This past Summer it was heartwarming to see the flood of support and encouragement that came from all over the USA and around the globe during the Waldo Canyon Fire which destroyed over 350 homes here in Colorado Springs. During the last few days it has been amazing to see the devastation which Hurricane Sandy brought to the NorthEast and the MidWest. And it’s even greater to see the outpouring of support that’s being directed to the folks affected by this monster storm. Thank God for Social Media. We can pay it forward, help people, spread the love and add massive value to people in ways we couldn’t have dreamed of ten or twenty years ago. How are you using your Social Media channels to help people? It’s as close as your fingertips.
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Give Away More
While I was in Seattle this past weekend, I had dinner with my good friends and fellow International Speakers and Authors, Patrick Snow and Mark Matteson. The conversation was fantastic and it went into the night. One of the things Mark said has been bouncing around in my head the last few days. He said that he’s learning to “Give away more.” Mark, Patrick and I have always been generous with the time, materials and consulting that we give away vs. what we get paid for by our clients and Mark challenged Patrick and I to raise the bar. I’m up for the challenge. How do you give away value? I’m not proposing that you start giving away all your secret sauce that you earn money for. But what can you do on a daily and weekly basis to give more away because you’re a generous person? Yes, it will …
You’re As Entitled As You Choose To Be
This is not a political post, so don’t go reading something into it, and please don’t put words in my mouth, it’s unsanitary. I hear people using the word “entitlement” a lot. I’m all for entitlement. We are each blessed with unique abilities and skills. Yet few people take the time to identify them and leverage them to their fullest. Regardless of your age, investing the time to figure out what are your greatest strengths, is one of the wisest things you’ll ever do. And then, you’re entitled to build on those strengths more and more. You are entitled to figure out how to use those gifts to deliver the most value to the world. You will be sought out for your uniqueness and well rewarded for it. You are entitled to succeed to whatever level you choose. You are entitled to become the best version of yourself that you …
To Engage People On Social Media Ask More Questions
Online or offline, people are the same. Human nature doesn’t change. Many people and organizations are trying to gain traction in Social Media and they’re missing the boat. They often think that if they talk more, they’ll get people’s attention. This is a rookie mistake. It’s like dating. If you just talk about yourself all the time, the other person will smile politely while looking for an exit. Think of the word “engaging.” As in “to engage.” We engage when we come up for air and let the other person talk. Develop the habit of asking better questions. Don’t do like new salespeople do with the whole say it and spray it mentality. Be more engaging. Ask more questions. And then sincerely listen.
Manners Never Go Out Of Style
We’re all very busy running hard. Since it’s so easy to take things out of context online without the facial expressions, tone, and all the other body language signals we normally see offline, it serves us well to err on the side of politeness. I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating. Say please and thank you when you’re online. If you haven’t spoken to someone in a long time, or perhaps ever, how hard is it to start a message with “Hi, long time no talk….” or “I know you’re busy so I’ll be brief….” or how about just a “Hello….”? At the risk of sounding overly sensitive, when someone starts asking you questions or tries to get your attention without even a polite hello, don’t they realize that they’re starting the communication completely on the wrong foot? I guess not, because so many folks have no netiquette …