Monthly Archives: May 2017

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How To Stand Out In A Noisy World….

This past weekend I attended my daughter’s graduation from Ohio State University.  With 11, 700 graduates, it was one of the largest college graduations in the nation!  And, as usual, there were speakers that addressed the class of 2017!  The Stadium was filled as well and the volumes of parents, friends and family all there to support and honor their graduating family member!  It was truly an inspiration to see such an amazing process and life event take place.   But the speaker that stood out from the rest and the noise of the day, was a speaker named Abigail S. Wexner!  She was an excellent speaker and addressed the class with truly inspirational words.  For those not familiar with the Wexner name, the Wexner’s  are successful  business people that have contributed significantly to Ohio State and to public education in Columbus!  So, after reading her bio, I was expecting something completely different than what she delivered.  She spoke about growing up as a Jewish girl and how one individual changed her life!  She spoke about her STRUGGLES and her JOURNEY and how she ended up helping others and giving back.  It touched my heart as I am sure it did many others.  But her message was so simple, yet so  profound-that one person can make a difference in someone else’s life by simply helping them and being kind! Her explanation of her “STRUGGLE” and her explanation of her “JOURNEY” and her simple advice on her “SOLUTION” is what separated her from the rest of the speakers.  In fact, that is what I want to leave you with today.  If you want to inspire someone and stand out from the rest in this noisy world, you must first identify with someones’  STRUGGLES and then tell them about your JOURNEY to solving your struggles.  And finally, help them with your SOLUTION!   A simple 3 step process for standing out in this noisy world!

 

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How to be a “Thought Leader in Your Industry”

I never realized how important it was to be recognized as a “Thought Leader In Your Industry” until I started rebuilding my platform and my products.  So, I wanted to share with you some simple questions you can ask yourself to get noticed in this noisy “ON LINE” marketing world we live in.  Also, a company or an individual can be a thought leader.  The principals are the same no matter what.  The most important thing to remember is that you have to have a “Point Of View” that is different. You have to have a different angle (Point Of View) that brings something new to the discussion.  And yet, it still must be relevant and practical to the industry.  Here are 7 questions that help establish a point of view:

  1. What can you or your company do in the market that other companies cannot do?
  2. What differentiates you or your company’s market position from others?
  3. What innovations do you see on the horizon?
  4. What is your company’s approach to helping the marketplace understand and overcome challenges?
  5. How is technological advancement shaping your industry or you?
  6. What new challenges will your customer’s face in the next 1-3 years?
  7. What is you and your company’s position on how your industry is changing?

By reviewing these 7 questions and developing answers for each, you are well on your way to developing a “Thought Leader Position” that can deliver great content to  your market.

Once you have a point of view established for your thought leadership initiative, you will need great content to support it!  Here are some examples of content packaging that can support your thought leadership position:

  • Podcasts
  • White papers
  • Blogs
  • Videos
  • Membership Sites
  • How To Guides
  • Articles
  • MP3’s
  • Facebook Live Casts
  • Webinars
  • Books
  • Speeches
  • Seminars
  • Courses
  • Online Modular Courses
  • Coaching
  • Mastermind groups

So, even though I am not the best writer and I know some of my blogs have mistakes, I hope to get better and better and I hope that you will comment back to me on what topics you would like to know more from me in the future!