Far more important than becoming a person of influence is to develop leadership skills. But develop the skills in the ‘the right way.’ Traditionally, we see leaders as egotistical and continually tooting their own horn. Today, the opposite is true for becoming a known leader or a person of influence.
The realization hit that to lead well, we share the best of what we know and encourage others to do the same. Collaboration is essential for getting our messaging and brand out to the world.
‘Learn, Teach, Learn – Repeat.’
My Story
Today’s story begins with last week’s surprise and works backward to almost the beginning of my developing Smooth Sale. The purpose is to point out what may extend beyond our expectations as we take baby steps every day.
Last week, I was caught off guard. Kred.com notified me that they created a web page on my behalf. It was due to my being rated as a Top 1% Influencer prior. My work caught their attention, and accordingly, they generously built the page. The top tab, ‘Books and Resources,’ features my new courses featured on LinktoExpert, podcasts, and books on Amazon.
The new products include:
- Create the Smooth Sale: How To Earn A Returning and Referring Clientele
- Inspired Quotes Booklet for Business and Life
- The Smooth Sale Get HIRED! Course
- The Smooth Sale Course for Entrepreneurs and Salespeople
Influence History – How Did I Get Here?
I was always a competitive individual. And the sales profession taught me to be highly strategic.
And then the announcement of social media stopped me in my tracks. It was evident that if social media were to perform as predicted, it would turn the sales funnel upside down. In other words, attracting clientele instead of relentless pursuit would be the new method.
After years of cold-calling businesses every day, I applauded the concept! I dedicated myself to learn all I could to make an effort well worthwhile. Every day, I tested the suggested tips and my novel ideas. Some days my following list grew, and others, I saw a decline. Over time, it became apparent as to what works best.
While everyone laughed at my idea, I was among the first to learn the strategies for using social media well. The person providing the instruction stated that being competitive will not work.
The essential success factor is to be collaborative.
Fear struck within upon taking in the word, ‘collaborate.’ But I had nothing to lose as I was temporarily in a town that laughed at the idea of being social online. So I gave the new method a try. What stood out from the beginning was I met similar-minded people who were:
- Willing to try the latest strategies in motion
- Agreeable to revealing their work on a give and take basis
- Enthusiastic about promoting one another!
The three points lay the foundation for my online activity. My only qualifier is to agree with what others post before I share their work. Moreover, I love international travel. It is a delight for me to meet people from around the world. Should you feel the same, you will want to read our upcoming guest post, by Robert Maisel. He has extensive travel experience and speaks to the benefits of travel and immersing in varying cultures.
Accordingly, the following occurred in the years to come:
- Invitations to be a guest on podcasts
- Invites to provide content for known magazines and websites
- Requests to collaborate with prestigious organizations
Slowly but surely, the online activity built my presence, and my content continues to be shared. Followings are not a contest, but mine steadily built. The growth led to my becoming known as a person of influence.
To summarize, those who share their best with communities and regularly collaborate will ultimately become known. It’s the newer type of leadership that works especially well.
Your Story: Do You Want To Be A Person Of Influence?
Being collaborative or competitive is a choice, as is most everything in life. You can grow networks regardless of your unique personality. The qualifier is finding people with similar values and priorities. They are willing to share their insights and yours. The question then becomes, are you ready to share and teach the best of what you know?
Some people concern themselves with the idea that someone else may steal their information. Should the thought be yours, know that your communication style is unique to you. No one else has the same genetics, childhood upbringing, or experiences.
In the case that someone else takes your theme, you will communicate the details quite differently.
Trust yourself to be a person of influence.
With a positive mindset, the collaborative efforts can offer more robust programs in front of larger audiences. And when multiple people promote your new services, the odds are in your favor to do well.
If you naturally are a competitive person, are you willing to:
- Target when and where to be competitive?
- Attempt a collaborative project?
- Join an organization to contribute your knowledge?
As you begin the process of connecting with others, verify there are commonalities or complementary interests. Reading the posted profiles is an easy and efficient way to make the determination. Begin the communication by pointing out what you have in common or what caught your interest to request the connection. Building a relationship upfront is the starting point for becoming a person of influence.
The next step is to prioritize your activities.
Sales Tips:
- Prioritize activities
- Set time aside each day to find new connections
- Seek out areas of commonality before connecting
- Convey to another what you find in common and offer ideas for collaboration
- Be willing to hear out unusual thought to take into consideration
- Decline any opportunity that does not sound ethical or fair
- Offer introductions as ideas of others arise
- Seek out organizations that can use your knowledge
- Donate time and knowledge for community service
- Celebrate Success!