The #1 Skill of an Entrepreneur

In this video Robert Kiyosaki shares the #1 skill of an entrepreneur

ARE YOU SHARING OR SELLING?

DAVID MEERMAN SCOTT REVEALS THE 85-10-5 RULE OF SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS

When I speak with people at Business Mastery, many want to know, specifically, how to use social networking feeds such as Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook to communicate effectively as a marketing and sales tool. While there is no right or wrong when it comes to content creation and sharing, I’d say that a loose guideline may be helpful as a way to think about the various uses of social networks.Social networks are a great place to share content, to interact with others, to listen in on what’s happening, and yes, if approached carefully, social networks can also be a way to get the word out about you and your business. However, as I review individuals’ business-related social streams, I find way too much selling going on. Too many companies are shouting into the social world.

THE SHARING MORE THAN SELLING RULE

As a way to think about your social activities, I’d suggest you should be doing 85% sharing and engaging, 10% publishing original content, and only 5% or less about what you are trying to promote.

Sharing more than selling via David Meerman Scott

MAKE 85% SHARING AND ENGAGING

Sharing and engaging include such things as commenting on someone else’s blog or Facebook post, quoting a tweet and adding your take, sharing a photo of somebody else, or responding to somebody who has said something that interests you. You can also share an interesting blog post or news report with your network.

Most people, especially those new to social networking, don’t share and engage enough. I’d say you should be doing it with at least 85% of your social interactions, but it could be much more. Since sharing and engaging are the easiest aspect of social networking, it shouldn’t take much for you to do more of it.

MAKE 10% ORIGINAL CONTENT

I’d recommend that 1 out of 10 of your social interactions be publishing something original. You can write a blog post, tweet about something that interests your marketplace, or publish a video. The more helpful this content is to your buyer personas, the better.

Many people worry about social networks as a tool of business because they think that everything they do has to be new content. But I suggest only 10% needs to be!

MAKE 5% OR LESS A PROMOTION ABOUT WHAT YOU DO

One out of 20 interactions (or fewer) can be something that you want to promote to your audience. This is when you can share a new product your company offers, a special discount for social followers, or other content of a promotional nature.

Most people sell way too much, and, as such, their social feeds don’t have much interaction. People just don’t want to be sold to. However, if you are helpful and engaging and responsive on your social feeds, then you build an audience who will want to hear from you and who will be receptive to learning more about what you and your organization does.

SOCIAL SHARING ON INSTAGRAM GROWS BUSINESS

Nantucket Island is my favorite surfing spot. When I’m there, I’ll occasionally take a lesson at Gary Kohner’s Nantucket Island Surf School. Kohner grew up on Nantucket and started surfing in 1984. He founded the school in the summer of 1999 to share his love of surfing and the ocean with others. Besides offering lessons for people of all ages and weeklong surf camps for kids, Kohner also rents surfboards, stand-up paddleboards, and wetsuits. He is an avid photographer and shares photos almost daily on his @nantucketsurfing Instagram feed.

Kohner’s Instagram is a great example of the “Sharing More than Selling Rule.” He shares images all the time and very rarely sells his services directly. Yet the beautiful images help to market his business.

Kohner uses simple equipment that anybody can master: a GoPro in the water and an iPhone on land. “I’m a little OCD about certain things I enjoy,” Kohner says. “I enjoy taking the pictures. I enjoy playing with the editing tools on Instagram and then putting it out there. It doesn’t feel like it’s a work thing. It’s something I do for fun. I try to keep it fresh and keep it interesting so I figure it gives people something to look at.”

Gary Kohner, Nantucket Island Surf School, Instagram @NantucketSurfing

Instagram is a great social network to share about any product or service that has a visual component or customers who use the product in interesting ways. It also allows those who don’t feel as comfortable creating written content to get their ideas out there.

Kohner shoots a bunch of photos from the water and then looks to find the best ones to post. “If I’m using the GoPro while surfing, I usually have it on an automatic setting. I’ll come in sometimes with over 1,000 pictures. I go through them quickly and weed out the ones that are junk, because a lot of those pictures are just not good and you can tell right away,” he says. “I will pick out the top 50 or so that look the best, and out of those 50, I usually pick the top three or four that I really like. I’ll save them and use them for Instagram. That’s why I’m able to post stuff daily. If I go out surfing one day and take a bunch of shots, I can save those up and post them over the next week.”

Kohner sometimes posts epic shots of a really good surfer on an awesome wave, but he also posts beginners standing up for the very first time during a lesson. “It’s a nice moment to capture,” Kohner says. “I wish I had a shot of my first ride when I was a kid. [My account is] an Instagram for the surf school, so it makes sense not just to have surfers inside a tube [a cresting and breaking wave that is challenging to surf], but have it more accessible to everybody.”

When Kohner posts shots of people surfing, they often repost on their own Instagram accounts, which extends his reach. “I have a lot of kids who taken lessons with me follow me on Instagram,” Kohner says. “I’ll ask the parents, especially if they’re younger kids, ‘Hey, I’m going to take some pictures; if I get a good one, is it cool if I put it on my Instagram?’ And the parents almost always agree. I tag the surfer and the kids love it. They say: ‘Oh, I’m on Gary’s Instagram! I’m on the surf school Instagram! I’m famous!’ And they share on their Instagram with their friends. So much of my business here in Nantucket is word of mouth; I’m sure that my Instagram is helping.”

Gary Kohner, Nantucket Island Surf School, Instagram @NantucketSurfing

I know for a fact Kohner’s Instagram is helping market his business. When people who know I love surfing ask how to get started, I just point them to Kohner’s wonderful photos. That often leads to them signing up for lessons.

Instagram allows users to comment on each other’s photos. Many people pay attention to those who tag them in these comments. If you use Instagram for your business, you should pay attention, too. For example, when I shared a photo of me wearing my Nantucket Surfing T-shirt and hat on Hawaii’s North Shore, I included this caption (tagging Kohner’s Instagram ID): “Showing my @nantucketsurfing colors at Sunset beach prior to watching the Vans Triple Crown.” Kohner responded to me: “I’ll be there tomorrow! How long are you going to be around the North Shore?” And I replied: “Hey Gary. I just left. . . . Have fun! It was my first time and loved it.” A friendly approach like Gary’s is a great way to acknowledge or endorse customers who take the time to talk about you and your product or service.

Kohner’s Instagram helps keep his business top of mind with the typical family that visits Nantucket for a few weeks each summer. When the kids follow Kohner’s photos all year long and Mom and Dad ask the kids what they want to do while on Nantucket Island, the first thing they’re going to say is that they want to go back and take some surfing lessons.

“A lot of people are away doing their thing in the winter,” Kohner says. “They don’t surf year-round, so I remind them of that memory of surfing, the time they spent in Nantucket. If they’re coming back, it’s going to be ‘Let’s go surfing!’”

Header image © Shutterstock/Twin Design

David Meerman Scott

David Meerman Scott is an internationally acclaimed sales and marketing strategist who has spoken on all seven continents and in 40 countries, including Tony Robbins’ Business Mastery events. In partnership with Tony, he created the New Marketing online training program, which teaches entrepreneurs how to align their marketing with the way that people buy.

Source: https://www.tonyrobbins.com/career-business/are-you-sharing-or-selling/

10 Essential Networking Tips - Great For the Holidays & Terrific All Year Round

Well... Here come the holidays, and in full force. I don't know about you, but my schedule is BUSY... jam-packed, full to the brim. There are networking events, association and club meetings, family gatherings, friends' parties, Meetups, Facebook events, Evites...

This can be a very interesting time of the year for many businesses (and tough for some). So much to do and so little time, lots of running around from this meeting to that event, back to work, downtown to run errands, to the mall for presents, back to that other event that I almost forgot about...

And if you're a business leader, your productivity or sales might slow down as people gear up for the holidays, unless you sell reindeer feed, like my uncle in Alaska.

All this can drain your energy, cause stress and send some of us straight to "Bah, Humbug!" land. (Didn't know that was a real place, did you?)

But, is that the kind of presence you want to have when you meet someone new at one of these many parties, networking events and meetings? Are you going to let out a cry for mercy as someone new approaches you at the eggnog bowl and tries to "pitch you" their services while grabbing a mini pizza roll?

I know the feeling. I've woken up late in the night and cried out for help and a break from all the holiday overload. But then I discovered the formula of classy, valuable, easy networking... well, it makes everything so much more enjoyable and worthwhile.

Here are "10 Essential Networking Tips." They are especially useful during the holiday season to make connections that count, and they will help you keep your energy, sanity and holiday cheer.

1.) Make a good first impression

It counts OH, SO MUCH!

2.) Be polite, respectful & honest

This is how you want to be treated, right?

3.) Maintain a "giving" mindset

Just like the holidays, successful networking is all about giving. It should be easy to remember this time of year, but it's an important mindset to have all year-round.

4.) Ask for their contact info

So you'll be able to get in touch with them if you are interested in talking further.

5.) Don't sell without permission

If you're turned off by someone launches into a 5-minute sales presentation about their awesome pens that write underwater, in the dark and without gravity, don't assume others are dying to hear about your slick wheel bearings, even if you KNOW that's exactly what they need. This is a very important step - maybe the most important of all. You do want to tell people what you do, but in a classy, stylish way that gets their attention... (See below for more about this one)

6.) Avoid opening with "So, what do you do?"

It can kill rapport building before it begins and can condemn the interaction to being nothing more than boring, robotic and mindless chatter without exchanging the truly important information. If you open your conversations this way, you can miss an important opportunity to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

7.) FOLLOW UP - aka Don't rely on them to contact you

Just because they said they were thrilled to have met you and learned about your slick wheel bearings, doesn't mean they will really call you. They may have intended to at the time, but life happens and no one is perfect. So get their info so you can ensure the follow-up.

8.) Always carry pen, paper & business cards

You never know when a great opportunity might present itself. Yes, even while you're fighting for that last "Cosmic Raymond" action figure.

9.) Do not get out of a conversation by dumping them on someone else

Making another person suffer is no way to get a good reputation during the holidays. Kindly excuse yourself, tell them you need another drink, see someone you need to speak with, or even that you have to "go" really bad! And don't get caught lying as that will kill all of your credibility really fast.

10.) Enjoy yourself!

Relax and have fun! When you're smiling and enjoying yourself, you are more likable to others, and this can lead to a lot of business. Be kind, considerate and magnetic!

I hope these tips help you as you network your way through all the parties this season.

All the best,

Jason

If you would like more tips on how to grow your business while cutting your stress, check out the resources at http://www.DistinctiveCoaching.com

Jason Rosado helps business owners and executives to multiply their revenue by 50-300% while cutting their work hours and creating more personal time, freedom and flexibility. For helpful leadership, time management and growth ideas, to contact Jason or have him speak at your event, go here: http://www.DistinctiveCoaching.com

Jason E. Rosado

1-773-829-1276

Business & Executive Coach

Distinctive Coaching for Business Success

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jason_Rosado/180135

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