Building a brand that stands for something is challenging; it takes time and, most importantly, authenticity. Almost all companies hope to impart a positive emotion or gain immediate recognition upon someone viewing their logo, hearing their name or considering their story. Zippo is one such company that has been able to achieve that success.
When most people hear the word Zippo, they have immediate brand recognition. Its name and brand persona hold a reputation of tradition and durability that companies and industry leaders can learn from.
Zippo Conveys Quality and Personality
Zippo employs these important values throughout the company. Personality reflects the nature of the brand, right to its core. A Zippo lighter is considered an extension of one’s personality, a reflection of a person’s character right down to the color and design of the lighter. With personality in mind, Zippo has also made innovations in its manufacturing processes to emphasize design by making customizations available on itswebsite. Today, Zippo’s “Customize It” feature online enables consumers to upload any image they want imprinted on their lighter. This creates a unique Zippo, allowing users to make a statement about who they are and what’s important to them.
Zippo works each day to ensure that its brand promises shape its business decisions. It believes that quality starts at its roots, and that supporting consumers who share its values is the most effective way to fuel growth.
“We believe in communicating quality through our lifetime guarantee policy – ‘It Works or We Fix It Free’ – which is threaded throughout the company,” says Global Marketing Director David Warfel.
Marketers, entrepreneurs and company executives alike should consider the values that a company operates within before creating a campaign or advertising strategy. By tying efforts to a brand’s promise, you’ll be creating something that is more meaningful—to you, your company and your consumers.
Zippo Knows How to Communicate Directly with Fans
Zippo recently created an experience for fans by fans—a campaign inspired by consumer feedback and its long-held company values—#ShareThePain. In response to a growing number of consumers turning to social media to vent about the loss of their Zippo lighters, Zippo launched ShareThePain.com and created custom meaningful content unique to Zippo consumers. It engaged with consumers one-on-one via Twitter to commiserate the pain of losing a beloved lighter.
“The results from the campaign have been exceptional, and we’ve seen an organic increase of over 8,500 fans on Zippo’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. It is important for the future of the brand to have a strong presence on social media so that we can continue to nurture the relationships we’ve developed with our passionate fan base,” says Warfel.
#ShareThePain is an example of Zippo furthering its investment in consumer insight, knowing where its target audiences live and engaging with them in meaningful conversation. The key insight is that the entire campaign was built around quality and personality.
In the U.S. alone Zippo continues to see over 100 tweets each month about lost Zippo lighters, and these tweets are completely unsolicited. As a brand, this offers Zippo an ongoing opportunity to engage with fans and offer “condolences” for lost lighters. It also provides an opportunity to learn from consumers and turn feedback into ideas around how to better communicate with them, provide content and services they find most important, and continue to drive the brand in the direction that resonates with consumers most.
Zippo will continue to be a thriving brand because of its authenticity and ability to successfully communicate with its consumers. It’s revolving its business around its consumers, and that’s what people truly value in a brand.
00Shawn Parrhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngShawn Parr2014-10-21 11:00:322020-05-29 13:29:10Building An Authentic Brand: A Case Study
This year’s World Cup was without a doubt the best tournament I can remember in years. It was full of exciting games, dramatic outcomes, standout performances and unexpected surprises. What more could futbol fans ask for? After a month of watching every match intently, listening to the incessant post-game banter, and feeling the buzz and energy that came with every game, I have to say, I was in mourning the week after the finals.
As I savored the tournament and all it promised, I realized that there are many important takeaways that brands can apply to their everyday game. Your company is playing in a heated, daily competition where the whistle never blows. There is no rest between seasons and your players are on the pitch every game. Like a futbol team, you’re playing for results, rave reviews and relevance, so how you play the game really matters.
Great coaches guide teams to victory
The German coach, Joachim Loew, meant business. From his sideline presence of strategically coiffed hair, crisp black shirt and total composure, he knew the game he wanted his team to play and was a master at putting the right players in the right formation every game. If you lead people, the first order of business is to coach them proactively. Understanding their talents and encouraging them to develop and grow their skills is a coach’s responsibility. Great coaches lead their team from the sideline, but do the majority of their work during training, really learning about their players and understanding what each person needs to do their individual best. As a leader you have to know your players so they feel comfortable asking for help and guidance. It is also your job to put them into teams where each player feels as though their unique skills and hard work matter in winning the game.
Winning teams know when to pass the ball
Germany controlled every game because their players knew exactly when to pass the ball. They were masters of the pass. Every player on your team should understand the role they play and how to use their skills to support the other members of the team. They should know when and whom to pass the ball to, setting up the next player for success. Great players have amazing awareness of who’s around them, have perfect timing and know how to find space to pass the ball. Take a look at your executional problems, missed deadlines or relational challenges and you’ll likely find that the players on your team are holding onto the ball for too long, fumbling the pass or not passing off to the right person at the right time. Great passing is a key skill in well-timed collaboration. If you work with your team on the importance of passing and improve the timing and accuracy of the pass, you will greatly enhance your results.
Playing with the will to win, wins games and respect
The U.S. team went into the World Cup lacking a great deal compared to their counterparts––a coach who told them they weren’t going to win, an average lineup of players (compared to the teams in their group) and their best player was left in the locker room because of his own arrogance. The only true world-class player on the team was the goalkeeper, Tim Howard. So what did they do better than almost every other team? They showed up with the will to win and the heart of a team who believed they could go all the way. It wasn’t always pretty, but they played their hearts out and played to win. As a leader, it’s important to instill the belief in your team that they can go all the way. Talent and training gets you two-thirds of the way, but the heart and the will to win define how your team plays together and what they think they can accomplish. How you play the game as a company is as important as what game you are playing and gives you a distinct competitive advantage in driving culture, team retention and overall satisfaction.
Defense matters every day and superstars don’t make a team
The Brazilian team used to conjure up expectations of poetic genius and acts of sheer futbol perfection. Every Brazilian team that preceded this one built the reputation and depth of their brand, adding to the legendary status of their golden shirts. Their most admired and feared teams had showmen, tricksters and ball masters who all worked in magical harmony, sweeping up hearts and games as they went. Looking back at Pele, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho to name a few, these supernovas played on Brazilian teams that had a well-rounded lineup of players in offense and defense. This tournament’s Brazilian team was completely reliant on their one superstar, Neymar, and they muddled through the tournament with a totally ineffective defense. In business, relying on a single function like sales or marketing to win the game is a road to unsustainable success. As a leader you must ensure that you build a fully-rounded team if you want to win the championship. No doubt you need to have an amazing sales and marketing front line, but you must have an equally world-class customer care team and a masterful operations team to win the long-term game. Always focus on both your offense and defense.
Play for the fans, not for yourself
The goalkeepers were among the stars of the tournament. Whether it was Tim Howard or the German keeper, Manuel Neuer, they did their jobs masterfully. Rodriguez of Colombia was a wonderful surprise, and despite their theatrics, players Muller, Neymar and Robben were a joy to watch. The rise of the little guys like Ghana and Costa Rica had me on the edge of my seat. The heart and tenacity of the U.S., the dominant precision of Germany, the drive of the Netherlands, the spirit of Argentina honored futbol fans all over the world with incredible displays of talent, tenacity and unbelievable skills. But when all is said and done, there is no World Cup without the fans. A football team, like a brand, has no relevance if it doesn’t engage, entertain and deliver results for the fans. As a leader, ensure that your brand is fan-centric, that your team plays for, and attracts, new fans, that your brand is exciting and interesting to follow, that you play the game with spirit and that you win with style and good sportsmanship. And don’t forget, the best uniforms in the tournament get noticed, too.
00Shawn Parrhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngShawn Parr2014-10-13 07:15:402020-05-29 12:44:41Futbol, The World Cup And Brand Performance
Todd Wheatland straddles the boundary between employer brand and overall company brand. And to hear him tell it, that line is blurring. The face companies put forward to job seekers is increasingly just part of the overall brand message—making the employer brand more important than ever, says Wheatland, who has a background in both the talent world and the marketing arena. He currently serves as head of strategy at content marketing firm King Content, but spent eight years as global head of thought leadership for staffing giant Kelly Services. A sought-after speaker and one of LinkedIn’s Top 25 Social Media Experts, we were keen to get Wheatland’s take on the shifting landscape of employer brand.
In a recent interview, he shared his insight on brands and their importance in all aspects of today’s business.
Ed: You talk about the need for “convergence” when it comes to the overall company brand and the employer brand. Can you say more about that?
Todd: I’m a big proponent of content marketing, or basically companies acting as publishers. That model has proven so successful in terms of business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing. But there’s been this big gulf between what companies were doing to the outside world with those things, and what companies were still doing around the way they viewed talent, and brought talent on board, and managed talent. You’ve got different parts of the company responsible for different ways of dealing with the outside world. Increasingly, no one outside of your company cares about your silos.
Ed: Can you give an example?
Todd: Starbucks is a great example. Something like 80 percent of all job applicants to Starbucks are already Starbucks customers. So what kind of business impact is there when someone who’s applying to Starbucks has a negative experience? When they start sharing that negative experience with their networks, and you start multiplying that by the hundreds of thousands of people who take that step to apply each year.
Many companies now are starting to realize there’s something to this, and we’ve got to start acting more holistically. A company brand, the employer brand and the personal brands of our employees—these are all somehow strongly connected. And we’ve got to start thinking about them in a holistic way, because any one of them can have a negative impact on the other.
Ed: What’s the best way to promote an employer brand today?
Todd: Don’t fake it. Again, there’s been a huge change in the way companies market in the past five years. Instead of “pushing” a message out to the marketplace, you’re actually drawing people in through genuine exchanges. You’re not trying to shove a sales message down people’s throats. You’re trying to basically just talk about and help people solve their challenges. Rather than thinking, “Gee, what does our audience want to hear, and let’s give them that,” with employer branding, you’ve really got to start by looking within.
Put aside the external perception of what your employer brand is for the moment, and really focus on what the internal reality or culture of working for the organization is.
Ed: What if it stinks at the moment? How do you deal with a crummy culture on route to developing a better one?
Todd: People love stories of challenge and change. Companies are typically really bad at telling stories. A good story involves challenges and overcoming obstacles and mistakes. Companies don’t like to talk about mistakes. But if you try to tell a story that’s too removed from reality, you’re going to get found out. In this environment, that’s just not a sustainable way.
You need to lead with, “This is the reality now,” and paint a vision of the future: “This is how we see it, and you are part of the new guard and we’re going to work together to steer this ship in a new direction.” It’s a way of telling a story that’s a reflection of the reality.
Ed: What’s the role of employee voices in the kind of employer brand you’re talking about?
Todd: If people are genuinely empowered and allowed to share their positive experience of working in an organization, that has a net loyalty impact on the employee, as well as ticking those boxes, if you will, of what the external market is looking for in terms of communication these days. That is to say, genuine, lower-level employees telling true stories.
It helps to attract like-minded people to an organization. People who are more likely to fit in. Recruiters spend so much of their day just wading through hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of applicants for a job, many of which are totally inappropriate. It’s a bad experience for everyone, and a huge time waste for recruiters.
Ed: You’re suggesting a high level of transparency.
Todd: Tell the stories. If you have a culture where you have Friday night drinks every week, that would be fantastic or an absolute deal breaker, depending on the candidate looking at it. Am I going to have to work late, do an all-nighter because a project comes in on a Tuesday that no one was expecting? Tell that stuff. Historically, no one wants to tell that story. We think it is better to get the applicants than not to get the applicants.
But what the “culture branding” mindset leads to is that you can have the most impact by helping people deselect in the first place. So rather than having 100 applicants for a job why not have 10 who actually could be a good culture fit.
(About Todd Wheatland: Todd Wheatland is head of strategy at King Content, a content marketing agency in the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to this role, he spent eight years as global head of thought leadership for Kelly Services. Todd has been recognized as one of top 25 Social Media Experts by LinkedIn, a top 50 Social Media Expert by Stryde, and as one of the 15 B2B Chief Marketing Officers to Watch by FierceCMO. This year alone, Todd plans to speak at events in more than 10 countries around the globe. His new book is The Marketer’s Guide to SlideShare (www.slide-guidebook.com).
00Great Rated!™https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngGreat Rated!™2014-07-17 14:30:222020-05-27 17:55:54The Great Rated!™ Interview: Todd Wheatland On The Brand Connection
Most of us assume that the best way to find a job is to look at what’s available in online listings, or to follow someone else’s advice. However, these methods often lead to unfulfilling career choices.
“Core genius” is the special contribution that each of us brings to our professional life. It’s what you are in this world to do that only you can do. It’s the unique package of skills, experiences, passions, interests, talents, abilities and attitude that you possess.
Take my client Laura Rolands. Laura was a hard-working Human Resources executive at Chrysler. She’s also a mom. When Laura’s son was diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), she got to work and investigated how to best help him with attention strategies at school and in life. Through this experience and through our career coaching work together, Laura realized she had a talent and an interest in helping people with attention issues.
It led Laura to start an attention coaching business shortly after accepting a voluntary buy-out from her position in the automotive industry. Her business is in a relatively new field, focused on coaching people to overcome challenges associate with ADD or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Actually, you don’t need a diagnosis to benefit — anyone who feels overwhelmed or distracted in today’s hyper-connected environment will find value in Laura’s services. Her clients have developed time-saving personal routines, and have improved their academic and business performance.
The Path to a Successful Career Fit
In 10 years of coaching, I have seen that we are each uniquely built to fulfill a specific purpose. And I am proud to have many success stories such as Laura Rolands. However, too often people take their unique talents for granted. In fact, the real challenge is that most people have no idea what their purpose is. That is where I help.
I believe the best way to find your purpose — your core genius — is to conduct a formal Soul Search, and get specific about all the elements of your ideal career. It starts with helping clients assess themselves in 8 essential dimensions, as part of the “Soul Search, Research and Job Search” process I developed.
These elements include: 1) your top interests, 2) key motivators, 3) skills you want to employ, 4) ways you want to contribute, 5) best qualities, 6) best work environment, 7) activities you enjoy most, and 8) salary and benefits.
Soul Search Before Job Search
By working through exercises and self-reflection questions, we prioritize what’s most important and brainstorm career possibilities that match those elements. You can gain even deeper clarity with my downloadable (PDF) Soul Search workbook.
This workbook contains over 30 pages of exercises to help professionals uncover the eight core elements of your core genius. The insights developed from each exercise are designed to correspond with a section of your own personalized career guide. This helps you easily organize and interpret the information as the basis for brainstorming new career possibilities and making sound decisions about the best options for you.
So stop looking at want ads and instead start talking to anyone and everyone about the ways you are already of service. Carefully process all of that input, and you’ll see viable new options ahead. Take seriously the value you bring to the table, and (like Laura Rolands) believe that you can get paid to deliver it. Let others know about the high-value service you are prepared to provide. Then deliver it consistently and professionally. Soon, you’ll find you have more than enough work in your new role — and you’ll be making a living while loving what you do.
Have You Discovered Your Core Genius?
Are you in touch with your core career strengths? What steps did you take to gain that awareness? And how have you applied it to your career? Share your thoughts in the comments area.
(About the Author: CNN dubbed Maggie Mistal “one of the nation’s best-known career coaches.” A former Learning & Development executive at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she is a certified life purpose and career coach who, for seven years, hosted “Making a Living with Maggie” on SiriusXM, and now airs a monthly podcast on iTunes. Maggie has been featured across major media, including NBC’s Today Show, Fox Business, CNN and The New York Times. Connect with Maggie on Twitter, or LinkedIn or Facebook.)
(Also Note: To discuss World of Work topics like this with the TalentCulture community, join our online #TChat Events each Wednesday, from 6:30-8pm ET. Everyone is welcome at events, or join our ongoing Twitter conversation anytime. Learn more…)
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/nature-203939_1920.jpg351700TalentCulture Team + Guestshttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngTalentCulture Team + Guests2014-02-04 09:30:062020-05-27 17:00:28Soul Search — Then Job Search
“I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not strategies.” –Lawrence Bossidy, Author & Former CEO, Honeywell
If talent is what matters most at the end of the day, why do so many companies struggle to provide a stellar experience for job candidates? And how can we finally fix that?
This is the hot topic the TalentCulture community tackled this week at #TChat events — with guidance from two of the HR community’s most knowledgeable candidate experience experts:
(Editor’s Note: See #TChat highlights and resource links at the end of this post.)
Building Brand Advocates One Job Opening At A Time
What is candidate experience, anyway? Of course, it starts long before a potential employee ever arrives for an interview. In fact, some #TChat-ters say it’s smart to think of it as an ongoing brand experience that begins the moment an individual envisions a future with your organization, and continues throughout the recruitment process, and beyond.
Smart employers consider all the touch points in that process, not just the tone and content of a job description. Every interaction helps shape a candidate’s impression — from the way a company website portrays its workforce, and the way it engages with employees on social media, to the pace and flow of ongoing communication with applicants. No detail should be overlooked.
Why do details count? Because, according to our guests (and the 2013 Candidate Experience Survey Results), these factors make a lasting impression on job seekers. And cumulative impressions can determine a brand’s destiny.
Early results from nearly 50,000 former job candidates confirms what common sense tells us. Once candidates develop a perception of an organization, they’ll share their thoughts with others. And that word-of-mouth behavior can have a measurable impact on your business — for better or worse.
Roadmap For Improvement
Early next year, The Talent Board will publish a detailed survey report to help employers make meaningful changes to their candidate experience. But in the meantime, here are some self assessment questions:
• Have you walked a mile in your candidate’s shoes? (And documented that walk?)
• What kind of first impression does your company project?
• Do you acknowledge job seekers when they apply or submit a resume?
• What proportion of inquiries are completely ignored?
• Is information about your company culture available, accurate and complete?
• Are your employees empowered as brand ambassadors?
These actions leave a lasting positive impression – even when candidates aren’t hired. Even when they’ve invested significant time and energy to conduct company research, customize a resume, apply for the position, prepare for and participate in interviews, and follow-up with hiring managers.
Of course, word now travels incredibly fast on social channels. And with organizations like The Talent Board paying close attention, the voice of the candidate is getting louder all the time.
So, if you care about influencing the way your organization is perceived by candidates, consider the resources and highlights from this week’s #TChat conversation, below. Thanks to everyone who contributed opinions and ideas. This is how we can move the meter in a positive direction!
#TChat Twitter: Immediately following the radio show, Meghan, Kevin, Elaine and Gerry joined the TalentCulture community on the #TChat Twitter stream, for an open crowdsourcing conversation centered on 5 related questions. See highlights in the Storify slideshow below:
GRATITUDE: Thanks again to Elaine Orler andGerry Crispinfor sharing your perspectives on candidate experience trends and implications. We value your time and expertise!
NOTE TO BLOGGERS: Did this week’s events prompt you to write about how companies can offer a more effective job candidate experience? We welcome your thoughts. Post a link on Twitter (include #TChat or @TalentCulture), or insert a comment below, and we’ll pass it along.
WHAT’S AHEAD: Next week, #TChat welcomes leadership development expert, Steve Gutzler, to discuss the role that emotional intelligence plays in our job performance and our effectiveness in leading others. Look for more details this weekend.
Networking. Some people consider it a guaranteed way to connect with industry luminaries. Others believe it’s the ideal way market your professional capabilities and build brand awareness. Still, others dread the concept, and try to avoid it at all costs.
Truth is, networking remains one of the most effective techniques for selling yourself, as well as uncovering new business opportunities, projects and jobs.
But there’s a key to networking success that isn’t often discussed — knowing how to conduct yourself in various social situations is essential.
While handing out business cards may work wonders for you at a designated networking event, the same strategy might not work in a different atmosphere. Is there a way to predict what techniques will be effective in a specific setting?
Let’s look at several common social scenarios, and consider an appropriate networking plan of action for each:
1) Work Events
Work events come in all shapes and sizes, from professional development courses to off-site meetings with colleagues. These events tend to be more formal and task-oriented. Typically these settings are not ideal for aggressive networking, primarily because your participation is tied to other business goals.
How to play it: Although you may know most people at a work event, you can subtly network by introducing yourself to other attendees. When it fits into the flow of conversation, you might also mention recent accomplishments or challenges you’ve overcome. This helps people in your internal network see where you shine, and helps them envision how you could contribute to future projects with them or others they know.
2) Office Parties
Events like the annual holiday party or your boss’s birthday don’t usually scream “networking.” Conversations are often focused on personal life, and you may not want to think about business. Although no one wants to “talk shop” throughout an entire office party, it can be an awesome opportunity diplomatically reinforce your strengths.
How to play it: Put the alcohol down and get to know colleagues you don’t know well, especially those in other departments. You don’t have to brag about your accomplishments, but you can weave in your expertise. Chances are, one day they may need your skills on a project. Be memorable and focus on how you add value.
3) Family Events
You probably believe family events are the last place to whip out your resume and market yourself, but these events can be a networking goldmine. Think about it. Your family wants you to do well in your career. It’s like preaching to the choir. You just have to know what songs to sing.
How to play it: Although members of your family probably don’t work in your industry, they’re likely to know someone who does. That’s why it’s advisable to touch base about business with as many people as possible while you “work the aisles” at reunions, weddings and other family gatherings. Bring a stash of business cards, in case someone expresses interest. In the future, if someone they know needs someone with your skills, you’ll be the first person on their radar.
4) Industry Conferences
Conferences are a great way to establish excellent connections who can help you expand your network. Sometimes the premise of a conference centers on networking. Other conferences are developed for you to learn more about your industry by listening to speakers, attending workshops and sharing ideas with professional colleagues.
How to play it: This is one of those obvious networking situations where you’ll need lots of business cards, a stack of resumes, and a variety of portfolio samples. Since conferences attract a plethora of industry colleagues, you never know who you’ll run into — so you need to be prepared. It’s also smart to refresh your LinkedIn profile before the event, so anyone who checks your profile afterward will see your most current information.
5) Running Errands
Picture this: You’re at the grocery store when you see an influential member of your industry. You don’t want to throw business cards at this important person, but you do want to make a connection. How do you approach a power player in public without appearing to be desperate?
How to play it: Look for an appropriate opening. Briefly introduce yourself and explain why you admire this person. Try to mention a recent article they wrote or compliment them on a recent accomplishment. Then, close quickly by asking if you could connect via email or on a social network. This opens the door to future conversations while downplaying what could otherwise be an awkward situation.
The ability to market yourself in any situation is a skill that should be practiced and polished. You never know who you’ll bump into and how they could help you out in the future. Look at every situation as a chance to boost your network and provide a possible stepping stone for your career.
What do you think about the power of networking in social settings? How have you marketed yourself at various events? What has been effective for you?
(About the Author:Lynn Dixon is the co-founder and COO of Hourly.com, an employment network that quickly matches people who are interested in flexible positions with the right opportunities. Connect with Lynn and Hourly on Twitter and LinkedIn.)
(Editor’s Note: This post is republished from Brazen Life, with permission. Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, it offers edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work. Be Brazen!)
(Also Note: To discuss World of Work topics like this with others in the TalentCulture community, join our online #TChat Events every Wednesday, from 6:30-8pm ET. Everyone is welcome at events, or to join our ongoing Twitter conversation anytime. Learn more…)
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/advertisement-216908_1280-2.jpg350700TalentCulture Team + Guestshttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngTalentCulture Team + Guests2013-11-28 10:14:192020-05-27 16:42:19Networking: 5 Ways To Work It Into Your Life
Marketers change jobs a lot. So every few months I hear from someone who’s job hunting again. Typically, we get together to grab coffee and chat about their situation. And at some point, they ask, “Hey, are there any recruiters you’d recommend I talk to?”
Now, imagine you’re an executive recruiter sitting nearby and listening in. Wouldn’t you like to pull up a chair and join our conversation? Sure you would. And maybe you’d also wonder how to influence me, so that I recommended you.
Social Listening Isn’t Enough
These days, you don’t need to hang out at coffee shops to listen in. You can just tap into your favorite social media news feed to discover what’s being discussed and shared at any moment. But pretty quickly you’ll get overwhelmed. Why? Because you don’t know which conversations to join, whom to engage, and how to influence them.
Without context, social listening isn’t helpful. To make social media more relevant and actionable, you need to tune-out ambient noise. In other words, you need to move from social listening to social insights.
Case In Point: How Do Recruiters Engage on Twitter?
Let’s say you’re an executive recruiter who wants to know what other recruiters are up to on social media. Or maybe you work for a company that sells to recruiters. In either case, you’re looking for social insights about recruiting professionals.
That’s exactly what ERE.net asked my company to do recently. So we developed a report: How Recruiters Engage on Twitter. It summarizes how 557 North American recruiters participated, engaged, and were influenced on Twitter, from June-August 2013. During that time, our sample of recruiters generated 173,903 tweets, 106,343 shared links, and had a total of 1,533,429 followers.
Why look at Twitter activity? Because it’s a good proxy for social media behavior overall, and offers an advantage over other data sources (such as surveys, polls and focus groups), because it reveals what people actually do, versus what they say they do.
For example, here’s a visual representation of the people who are most retweeted by recruiters we analyzed:
This report also provides other useful social insights, including: most popular hashtags, most shared content sources, and the top 25 industry publications shared by these recruiters.
Best Practices of Top Influencers
Exclusively for this post, we dove even deeper into Twitter activity among the five people who influence recruiters most. They are:
@MeghanMBiro — Meghan Biro, Founder & CEO, TalentCulture @blogging4jobs — Jessica Merrell, Editor of Blogging4Jobs @jimstroud — Jim Stroud, Director of Sourcing and Social Strategy, Bernard Hodes Group @YouTernMark — Mark Babbitt, Founder & CEO, YouTern @GlenCathey — Glen Cathey, SVP Talent Strategy and Innovation, Kforce
What did we discover by examining the behavior of this elite group?
• Influencers tweet a LOT. 4 out of 5 of these top influencers tweet 15+ times a day. (Meghan blows them all away, with an average 107 tweets/day!)
• Influencers develop a “brand” of their own. Each top influencer has a style and focus that’s unique. For instance, @JimStroud focuses on social recruiting and job search strategy, while @GlenCathey’s approach is decidedly more tech-and-data driven.
• Influencers don’t lean on retweets. All 5 of the top influencers go light on the RT, keeping them to less than 15% of overall tweet volume. Instead, they share lots of links and often mention other folks.
• Influencers embrace the community. 3 out of 5 of these influencers will most likely follow you back (they follow 70%+ of those who follow them), and 4 out of 5 include an “@” mention in most of their tweets.
• Influencers tweet with a goal in mind. Whether it’s to get the word out about their next event, to sell their services, or to grow their audience, these folks tweet links that drive traffic to their other online channels (websites, other social media sites, etc.) 10%-50% of the time.
While these “best practices” come from observing the Twitter activity of only 5 key influencers, they also provide insights into how you may want to consider approaching Twitter and social media to boost your influence.
Tips To Increase Your Social Influence
How can you move from social listening to social insights (and perhaps have an impact on the right people)? Here are 5 tips:
• Listen to your target audience. Who cares what anyone and everyone is saying? Instead, listen to what’s on the minds of customers, prospects, and key influencers. • Be where the right conversations are happening. So many social networks, so little time! Invest your efforts in the social platforms where your target audience is active. • Talk about relevant topics. What issues, news, and events have captured the attention of the folks you’re looking to engage? Shouldn’t you be talking about that, too? • Discover who’s doing the influencing. Which publications and people do your buyers read, share and interact with? Pay attention to who is popular and influential, and how they engage. • Work the aisles. Just being present in social media is not enough. You must cultivate relationships with a community that you develop over time. Eventually, you’ll be in a position to influence those who matter most to you.
Now, imagine we’re back in that coffee shop, where you’re listening to my conversation with my marketing colleague. Let’s say you decide to introduce yourself. Wouldn’t it be great if I said, “Thanks for coming over, I actually follow you on Twitter! I love your comments and the content you share.”? That means you’ve done a great job of influencing me, before our conversation even begins!
Now It’s Your Turn
How are you generating social insights today? What strategies have you found successful in becoming more influential on social media? Share your thoughts in the comments area.
(About the Author: Carter Hostelley is the Founder and CEO of Leadtail, a B2B social media and insights agency. He and his team have developed and implemented social media programs for leading business brands and technology startups including WageWorks, Alcatel-Lucent, Symantec, Adaptive Planning, NetBase, and PunchTab. They also publish periodic social insights reports on senior marketers, HR professionals, and recruiters. These reports have been covered by publications such as: Forbes, Business Insider, Huffington Post, ERE, MarketingProfs, AllTwitter, and Social Times. Carter also has over 15 years experience working with venture-backed technology startups in numerous executive roles, and is a contributing author at CMSWire. Connect with him on LinkedIn, Twitter or via email.)
(Editor’s Note: To discuss World of Work topics like this with others in the TalentCulture community, join our online #TChat Events every Wednesday, from 6:30-8pm ET. Everyone is welcome for events, or to join our ongoing Twitter conversation anytime. Learn more…)
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Leadtail-Chart-Social-Influence-21.jpg349699TalentCulture Team + Guestshttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngTalentCulture Team + Guests2013-11-20 08:18:152020-05-27 16:32:44What Drives Social Influence? Insights From Recruiting Circles
“The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and influence their actions.” –John Hancock
Wherever you find people, you’ll find influence. The concept is as basic as civilization, itself.
John Hancock understood its importance in business contexts. But as business moves to the digital space, the way we gain, use and respond to influence is shifting into overdrive. How does this digitally-enhanced version of influence affect the way we engage and motivate others across organizations and in the world at-large? And why should it matter to everyone in today’s workplace? These questions were top-of-mind this week at #TChat Events, as the TalentCulture community welcomed two influence experts:
(Editor’s Note: See #TChat Twitter slideshow and resource links at the end of this post.)
Defining Social Influence
What is a “social influencer” anyway? If a static persona accumulates social media followers, is that enough? Or is it about behavior that attract the attention and interest of professional peers? Is it when your presence (or absence) affects the nature and flow of conversations on social channels? Or is it when you write blog posts that draw an extraordinary number of readers and comments?
Of course, it can involve all of these elements and more. Effective influencers use social tools as a means to an end. It’s not just about building an audience. It’s about engaging and interacting with people in ways that leave them enthused, passionate, and eager to tell others about that experience. As word spreads about influencers, word also spreads about their company, product or service.
Social Influence In Action
Take a look at some of today’s most prominent business influencers — people like Richard Branson and Arianna Huffington. They really put the “social” in social media. Unlike “image-first” personalities like the Gagas and Biebers of the world — social influencers invest in real community connections and conversations.
It’s smart to focus first on quality rather than quantity. (What would you prefer — 100 engaged industry peers, or 100,000 random followers, who may not even care about you or what you represent? Where can you add value, and get value in return? I would pick 100 targeted connections with whom I can have purposeful interactions. If those interactions create a gravitational pull that expands my sphere of influence, then I’ve done something right. As someone mentioned last night at #TChat — don’t be mislead into thinking that it’s a quick process.
Why Should We Care?
I think of social influencers as “go-to” resources. When I want advice or inspiration, I turn to my network. These are trusted professionals, and use their influence for broader purposes than self-promotion. They build relationships based on integrity, transparency, vulnerability and humor — all the best traits we look for in humans. No doubt that’s why TalentCulture CEO, Meghan Biro, encourages everyone to “live your brand.” It’s the most unique, powerful asset any of us can offer.
Social media is an extraordinary tool that helps us establish immediate connections with business leaders, employees, customers, stakeholders and others. It can provide companies with valuable insight about market perceptions. It can be a powerful force that shapes business brands, cultures and communities — if organization are willing to show up, listen and participate. This is where leaders can make a difference. Committing to an active social presence is the first step toward empowering employees and customers as brand ambassadors. There’s nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
#TChat Week-In-Review: Social Influence as a Competitive Advantage
See the videos in the Preview Post now…
SAT 11/2:
#TChat Preview: TalentCulture Community Manager Tim McDonald framed this week’s topic in a post that featured brief “sneak peek” hangout videos with our guests. Read the Preview: “The Rise of Influence in Social Business.”
Related Post: Guest blogger Paul Bailey helped us look at influence from the outside-in, with advice for job seekers on using social media intelligence to get hired. Read: “How Social Sleuthing Can Land You A Dream Job.”
#TChat Twitter: Immediately following the radio show, Meghan, Kevin and guests joined the entire TalentCulture ommunity on the #TChat Twitter stream for an open conversation focused on 5 key questions. For highlights, check the Storify slideshow below:
#TChat Insights: Competitive Advantage of Social Influence
GRATITUDE: Thanks again to Mark Willaman and Mark Fidelman for sharing your insights on the evolving meaning and importance of influence in the social era. Your knowledge and experience are invaluable to our community.
NOTE TO BLOGGERS: Did this week’s events prompt you to write about influence-related issues or opportunities? We welcome your thoughts. Post a link on Twitter (include #TChat or @TalentCulture), or insert a comment below, and we’ll pass it along.
WHAT’S AHEAD: Next week, we take a closer look at how the social/mobile/cloud revolution is redefining the entire hiring process. So save the date (November 13) for another powerful #TChat double-header!
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/32964_2936.jpg350700Chantal Bechervaisehttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngChantal Bechervaise2013-11-08 06:41:322020-05-27 16:30:12Can You Hear Me Now? Influence Goes Social #TChat Recap
Think for a moment about the brands that have the deepest impact on your professional life.
What companies and people do you look to for credible information, relevant insights and valuable connections? And which ones would you include on your “who’s who” list?
More importantly, how would you develop that list?
Influence Isn’t What It Used To Be. Or Is It?
In less than a decade we’ve seen a dramatic shift in the logic and tools we use to create and shape our professional circles. “Influence” is no longer limited to an elite and somewhat static class of highly prominent organizations and individuals. Today, social channels make it possible for anyone to claim a corner of the marketplace, earn a share of voice, and develop a loyal following.
So, what do these new social dynamics mean for the future of employer and employee brands? And how can we all do a better job in leveraging the “currency” of influence? That’s what we’ll explore this week at #TChat Events, with two experts in the art and science of influence:
• Mark Fidelman, CEO of RaynForest, an influence marketing platform • Mark Willaman, Founder and President of Fisher Vista LLC, owners of HRmarketer software and Fisher Vista marketing services
To frame this topic, I spoke briefly with both guests in separate G+ hangouts. First, Mark Willaman discussed the “what” and “why” of influence:
Then Mark Fidelman offered a quick take on how influence is measured:
What are your thoughts about the role of influence in today’s world of work? Join us this week to share your ideas and opinions!
#TChat Events: Social Influence as a Competitive Advantage
Immediately following the radio show, we’ll move this discussion to the #TChat Twitter stream, where Cyndy Trivella will moderate an open chat with the entire TalentCulture community. Everyone with a Twitter account is invited to participate, as we address these questions:
Q1: How can “industry influence” impact the world of work? Q2: In what ways does social listening shape culture, marketing and branding? Q3: Why would brand influencers make better employees? (or not?) Q4: How do leaders know who is an influencer, and how does this impact culture? Q5: What social tools do you use for brand marketing and talent recruiting?
Throughout the week, we’ll keep the discussion going on the #TChat Twitter feed and on our LinkedIn Discussion Group. So please join us share your questions, ideas and opinions.
We’ll see you on the stream!
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Publication1.jpg350700Tim McDonaldhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngTim McDonald2013-11-03 04:11:122020-05-27 16:29:33The Rise of Influence in Social Business #TChat Preview
(Editor’s Note: This week at #TChat Events, the TalentCulture community is looking at what it will take to prepare the next generation of leaders — regardless of current age or organizational rank. We think the following commentary by Dan Newman, author of “The Millennial CEO,” is an ideal backdrop for any discussion about what is at the core of an effective leader. What are your thoughts? We welcome your comments below.)
By definition, leadership is grounded in action and not in title. We may tend to associate leadership with professional titles — such as president or CEO. But of course, simply holding an executive title doesn’t make anyone leader. In reality, the only way to be a leader, is to lead.
Let me explain. During the past few years I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to meet and work with some fantastic business leaders. I’ve also met some individuals with great titles who couldn’t even lead a conversation about the weather, let alone a business organization. Yet somehow these people have risen to enviable professional positions. It’s impossible not to wonder — how can that happen?
Enter The “Extroleader”
One of the most interesting leadership trends I have noticed over the past several years is the emergence of the “extroleader.” What is an “extroleader,” you ask?
The term is one that I created. It applies to leaders that operate effectively as the face of an organization to the public — customers, investors and other stakeholders. The anomaly about the “extroleader” is that many of them have no internal leadership skills whatsoever.
So, while they are able to shape public opinion and they give the appearance of success to the outside world, they may not even be able to convince their assistant to schedule a lunch appointment.
Often this type of leader is driven by ego and excessive interest in personal branding, more than by interest in developing the organization and its brand.
This can be a subtle, but deadly nuance for growing organizations.
Here’s what is most interesting about this type of leader. Typically they find a way to the top because they are so capable at driving behavior outside the corporate walls. The world at-large may be enamored of an “extroleader” CEO that looks charismatic. But looks can be deceiving.
Leadership Inside Out
Great leaders are genuinely able to drive the best from everyone around them. Because they’re human, they have deficiencies, but that’s not what sets them apart. What makes them effective is their ability to make others want to be better.
For leaders in any organization, the biggest mistake is building a leadership facade that speaks to the outside world, while inside the corporate walls, your army will not fight for you. Because organizational culture is essential to achieving your business vision, you must have all hands on deck. This starts by demonstrating and reinforcing your vision, message and values within your organization.
It requires commitment to an inside-out approach — recognizing that you’ll be paid dividends by earning the respect of your team and closest stakeholders before focusing on external constituents.
A Higher Degree of Leadership Difficulty
Coming up with witty and charming content for the outside eye can be quite easy. Think about how we are often fooled or misled by politicians, athletes and media celebrities as we hang onto their every word, wanting to believe them. It’s much harder to prove yourself, day in and day out, to those with whom you work.
This is because the things you say can’t stand on their own. Others will look to see how closely your words actually match your behavior and your value system. That is critical as your team determines whether or not to follow you.
The more difficult path actually builds a more loyal following. When you prove your vision, mission and values to your team, they will fight to build and protect your organization and its brand. Ultimately, that brand will be built on a stable platform that is far sturdier than the glass house that “extroleadership” creates.
External Leadership IS OKAY!
Having said all of the above, let me clarify one important point. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a strong outside-facing leader. In fact, an effective public “face” is an important part of growing any organization.
But here’s the key: Outside leadership must match communication and behavior within the walls of the company. It’s all about consistency.
It isn’t egomaniacal to want to create an impressive organization, if the intent is good. However, when a leader paints a picture that the employees can’t see, trust or respect, the organization will struggle endlessly to reach to its potential.
So, if you’re a leader — or if you aspire to lead — I encourage you to take a close look at the source. Ask yourself honestly: Are you looking outside, first? Or are you starting within?
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/666036_37740810.jpg351700Daniel Newmanhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngDaniel Newman2013-10-15 22:00:232020-05-25 18:04:15Anatomy Of A Leader: Not Just Skin Deep
(Editor’s Note: This week, TalentCulture founder, Meghan M. Biro is speaking at the Peoplefluent WISDOM2013 Conference about a topic that is central to the world of work: “Leadership, Workplace Culture and Brand Influence.” In the spirit of her presentation, we’re sharing one of many articles Meghan has written about this topic. We hope it’s the next-best thing to being there!)
Recently, I consulted with a software company as it navigated through a treacherous sea change — the upheaval of its organizational culture. This shift was triggered when my client hired a Chief Technology Officer from another company – not exactly a competitor, but a company in an adjacent market space. However, technology market spaces aren’t entirely independent — and in this case, the overlap only added fuel to an already volatile clash of personalities. Needless to say, the change wasn’t graceful or happy. In fact, it was a nasty, stressful process. And for those of us who mopped up the mess, it was a sobering wake-up call.
Faceoff: Old Workplace Culture Meets New
The previous workplace culture was cut-throat and intensely political. However, the workforce knew and accepted those rules. The organization had been socialized.
When the new CTO arrived, he imposed his own culture – one that obscured motives and withheld explicit information from employees. Suddenly without warning, people were receiving email messages saying that their jobs had changed and their staffs had been reassigned. Plans and strategies were were not discussed. Details were not communicated. Nothing was socialized.
The company quickly began hemorrhaging top talent, much to the dismay of its puzzled CEO. This exodus was good news for industry recruiters (fresh job vacancies to fill), but it was clearly a bad scene for the company and its employer brand. Even worse, a few former employees started blogging about the drama. The message wasn’t pretty, and in today’s socially hyper-connected world, word traveled fast. That made recruiting high-caliber talent a far more challenging task. Even today, recovery remains a long, rough road.
Social Connection: The Missing Link
Of course, none of this had to happen. What could have prevented the chaos? In my opinion, if the organization’s senior executives had been socially adept, I would be telling an entirely different story. Perhaps to some people it sounds insignificant, but social leadership can make all the difference.
Socially savvy, engaged leaders share a set of skills that help protect their organizations from the havoc of sudden, devastating change. Don’t get me wrong. I recognize that change can be healthy — and often it’s necessary. But successful large-scale cultural change requires finesse and an understanding of the “human side” of business.
In this case, the company hired an outsider to change its technical direction. That part is normal and appropriate. But the CEO didn’t anticipate the painful change in culture that would follow, or the subsequent loss of valued employees. It’s not because the CEO is weak, but because he lacked critical social skills.
In my practice, I work with lots of leaders seeking to expand their teams and make their workplace culture attractive for both potential new employees and current ones. Some clients are very socially aware and engaged. Some are socially tone-deaf and isolated from what’s happening both within the walls of their own companies, and across the broader business landscape. Both types of leaders can be successful to a point – the point where trust, loyalty, values and expectations affect financial performance and company growth.
Being a socially engaged leader is not an innate skill. However, it’s increasingly necessary in today’s networked business environment, as today’s multi-generational workforce puts more strain on corporate cultures to “open up” communication, and social media creates direct channels that reveal what it’s really like to work at various companies.
No doubt about it — today’s brave new connected world of work requires brave new social leadership. Here are 5 must-have social skills that every business leader should develop:
5 Skills To Master As A Social Leader
1) Recognize non-verbal cues. A skilled social leader does not rely on only one form of communication, but is informed by all – verbal, written, non-verbal, viral and so on. Being sensitive to non-verbal cues is difficult because much of today’s communication is digital. However, to effectively interpret non-verbal cues in face-to-face interactions, you must be able to recognize how your personal perception filters input. You don’t have to be a paragon of mental health, but you do need to shut-off the noise in your head long enough to read other people and understand what’s going on with them.
2)Interact regularly. You don’t have to know everyone’s name or how many kids they have. However, you do need to be aware of how employees, peers, partners and customers are thinking, feeling and reacting. This means you must engage others proactively — even through digital forms of communication. How can you expect your organization to be cohesive internally, or build a coherent brand externally, unless everyone shows up to “represent”? You don’t need to tweet or send email round-the-clock, but you must be comfortable connecting in person and on social channels. By reaching out early and often, you’ll learn valuable insights that you’d never anticipate otherwise.
3)Openly discuss your values and purpose. People join companies for many reasons, but what’s more interesting is why they stay. They stay because they feel a sense of shared values, purpose, mission and vision. If you’re a leader and you don’t regularly reinforce the company’s value and purpose, be prepared to do a lot of remedial recruiting when you lose more talent than you’d like.
4)Encourage a community presence. Like it or not, social media is vital in the world of work. Paternalistic managers and top-down leaders sometimes have trouble with this skill, but it’s no longer an option. Companies don’t function in a bubble. They move in a social sphere, where business reputation and results can be shaped by online communities – even when they’re not your customers. Are you blogging on behalf of your company brand? Is anyone in your organization tweeting, blogging or developing a virtual community? Is that even encouraged?
5)Demonstrate authentic interest in your employees and others. You can learn some skills and fake others, but it’s tough to fake sincerity. Some might argue that this is a personality attribute, not a skill. But for me, sincerity makes the difference between a leader and a task manager. If you’re not sincere, you’ll do things that might make business sense, but eventually they’ll backfire. Think of the company snapshot at the start of this post. The CEO thought it made sense to hire new senior technology talent. But because neither he nor the CTO valued sincerity or honest communication, the company is paying a heavy price.
Social engagement is not a management overlay on a toxic culture. It’s not a Band-Aid, a work-around or a cure-all. It’s a way of thinking about business, and doing business. It’s about operating with awareness and engagement — using the power of social networks to demonstrate your brand promise in today’s dynamic marketplace. It’s how the world works. It’s how you need to work. So make your move. Your company’s future depends on it.
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/martial-arts-116542_1280.jpg349700Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2013-09-24 08:44:112020-05-25 17:59:065 Social Skills Business Leaders Must Master
If It Looks Like Marketing And Sounds Like Marketing, Is It?
As Kevin W. Grossman says, “Fact is, first impressions truly do make a difference. The recruiting process contributes greatly to employee engagement, productivity, retention and improved employment brand. And getting it right from the beginning makes all the difference in the end.”
Of course, this increasing interdependence between marketing and HR functions raises some challenging questions about roles, responsibilities and best practices. That’s why we’re tackling this topic at #TChat events on Wednesday, September 4th.
To set the stage, Chris talked with me briefly about the importance of tying recruitment efforts to an organization’s marketing strategy. Watch the sneak-peek Hangout now:
Do you agree with Chris’ opinion? Either way, this week #TChat promises to be provocative. So bring your ideas, questions and concerns, and let’s talk!
David Bernstein and Chris Fields join hosts, Meghan M. Biro and Kevin W. Grossman to discuss what it takes to drive recruiting like a marketing professional — and why it make sense for marketing and HR professionals to work in alignment. Listen LIVE and dial-in with your questions and input!
Immediately following the radio show, we’ll move the discussion to the #TChat Twitter stream, where HR marketing expert Cyndy Trivella will moderate an open chat with the entire TalentCulture community. Anyone with a Twitter account is invited to participate, as we address these questions:
Q1: Why don’t recruiters market companies more accurately? Q2: What should companies measure to align recruiting with talent retention? Q3: Do you think most job titles & descriptions are deceiving? Q4: Should employment branding be a function of marketing or HR? Q5: How can technology better support recruitment marketing and HR analysis?
Throughout the week, we’ll keep this discussion going on the #TChat Twitter feed and on our new LinkedIn Discussion Group. So please join us share your questions, ideas and opinions.
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” -Oscar Wilde
Looking for yet another staggering social era statistic? Try this from personal branding tools provider, Brand Yourself:
Google processes more than 80 million “people” searches each day. Yep. 80 million. Chances are someone will be searching for you soon. So ask yourself this — if someone “Googled” your name right now, would the results do you justice?
Brand Positioning: It’s All About The “C” Words
As a marketing and communications professional, I’ve spent years persuading business organizations to mind their messaging, so the world will understand their brand promise. I preach the “5 C’s” of brand positioning: Clarity, Completeness, Cohesion, Credibility and Consistency. And now, after a week of “brand you” discussions with the TalentCulture community, I see how those very same concepts can be an equally powerful force in our professional lives.
Turns out, I’m not the only one who likes “C” words! Earlier this year, after #TChat conversations about how professional recommendations influence personal brands, our very own Kevin W. Grossman offered some handy “C” advice of his own on the Reach-West blog:
“…Ensure your online profiles are as consistent and accurate as possible across all social points of presence. In other words, whomever you say you are, and whatever you say you’re doing (and have done) is close (if not the same) on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, G+ and the many other industry and association niche networks and communities where you’re visible.
Consistency and accuracy are critical keys, because those searching for you and reviewing your profiles will be looking for anomalies that don’t add up — and you want everything to add up. You want to stand out, but you want to add up — and for goodness sake you want to be accurate and truthful about everything. That includes your recommendations and endorsements. Never over-spin, or allow others to go there. Not only that, but at the very least once a quarter review and update your online profiles, and kill those you no longer want to maintain, even if you’re not looking for work.
Why? Because you never know when that great new opportunity will be looking for you to add up. It’s your personal employment brand. Take care of it.”
DIY Brand Makeover
Learn more about “Reinventing You”5 C’s of Brand Positioning
Hmm. I guess I’d better spend the dog days of summer cleaning my personal brand “house.” How about you? From what I saw on the #TChat stream yesterday, few of us would disagree with the importance of proactively managing an online persona. But for some people, focusing on themselves is almost as enjoyable as flossing their teeth.
That’s why we asked a fearless brand management expert to lead the way this week — Dorie Clark, author of Reinventing You. Dorie clearly understands the issues that hold people back from “owning” their brand identity, and she offers practical tools to make it work.
Below, we’ve captured the week’s highlights — including a tweet-by-tweet Storify slideshow from #TChat Twitter, and other resource links.
We hope this sparks a desire to start your own brand makeover. Let us know about your progress…here or on the stream. The TalentCulture community, is always open and ready to offer ideas and support. Rock that brand!
#TChat Week in Review: Reinventing Your Personal Brand
#TChat Radio: To kick-off this week’s #TChat double-header, Dorie spoke with Meghan M. Biro and Kevin W. Grossman about the power of proactively managing your brand. Even if you’re not in the market for a new position, you’ll hear ideas you can use. Listen now to the recording.
#TChat Twitter: As the radio show concluded, we fired-up the Twitter chat engines for a dynamic, community conversation about the role of personal branding in our professional lives. As always, the crowdsourcing energy was breathtaking. Thanks to everyone who contributed! To review highlights, see the slideshow below:
#TChat Twitter Highlights: “Reinventing a Personal Brand”
GRATITUDE: Thanks again to Dorie Clark for helping our community think more intelligently about the “why” and “how” of personal brand management. You inspire us to reach higher!
NOTE TO BLOGGERS: Did this week’s events prompt you to write about work/life integration issues? We’d love to share your thoughts. Post a link on Twitter (include #TChat or @TalentCulture), or insert a comment below, and we’ll pass it along.
WHAT’S AHEAD: Next week at #TChat events, we’ll continue our summer “professional restart” series with a special crowdsourcing forum. Check for details in a preview post this weekend.
In the meantime, the World of Work conversation continues each day. So join us on the #TChat Twitter stream, or on our new LinkedIn discussion group. And feel free to explore other areas of our redesigned website. The gears are always turning at TalentCulture, and your ideas and opinions are always welcome.
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/httpwww.sxc_.huphoto450108-002.jpg337677Kathleen Krusehttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngKathleen Kruse2013-07-18 19:09:062020-05-25 17:38:45Will The Real You Please Stand Up? #TChat Recap
Thinking about reinventing yourself professionally so you can switch fields or move up the ladder in your current career? A good way to start is by giving yourself a “Personal 360” interview.
At some corporations, employees receive performance reviews based on what are called “360 reviews” (360, as in all directions). In a 360 review, the key people you work with — your boss, peers, subordinates and clients — provide anonymous, aggregated feedback about you and your performance. Firms conduct these reviews partly to uncover the suck-ups who get along perfectly with their bosses but are tyrants to everyone below them.
What a Personal 360 Interview Can Do For You
By pulling together your own Personal 360 interview, where you talk with assorted people about your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll be able to begin leveraging your best talents for the next stage of your career. These people are not only your best hope of receiving honest feedback, they’re also the ones you’ll turn to for mentoring and (eventually) new business and referrals. It may seem like an imposition to reach out, but the truth is, it takes a village to reinvent yourself.
First, create a list of questions you think would be helpful in enhancing your self-knowledge. Executive coach Michael Melcher suggests paired questions. For example: “What’s my strength?” and “What’s not my strength?” Or “What career can you see me in?” and “What career can you definitely not see me in?” That format, Melcher says, “gives people permission to give the full picture; they don’t want to be too negative.”
A few good questions that aren’t paired:
What 3 words would you use to describe me?
If you didn’t already know what I do for a living, what would you guess, and why?
I’m trying to go from field X to field Y. What steps would you suggest?
What are my blind spots?
Picking Interview Targets
Next, identify the people you’ll be tapping for your 360 review. You need to be careful, especially if you don’t want to tip your hand to co-workers that you’re considering a career change. Focus on friends, trustworthy colleagues and family members you can depend on to provide honest feedback (no frenemies need apply).
Phyllis Stein, a career consultant in Cambridge, Mass., and the former director of Radcliffe College Career Services at Harvard University, suggests identifying up to 20 people who exemplify the interests, skills and values you admire. Ideally, you’ll want to corral a diverse assortment of men and women in different fields so you can get a broad perspective.
Once you’ve selected potential members of your 360 posse, it’s time to approach them. Melcher suggests making it clear that you want them to set aside time, but not for friendly chitchat. “If you tell your friends you’ll be interviewing them, they’ll take it much more seriously,” he says. Explain that you’ll be spending about 20 minutes asking them about your personal brand so you can see how you’re perceived.
Face-to-face interviews often yield better responses than phone calls, emails or Skype chats because they let you probe answers further. But they’re not always possible. You might be in Miami and the interviewee in Mumbai, for instance. Or the person you want may be so busy that the best you’ll get is an email pecked out on a smartphone between layovers.
However, be prepared. You’ll need a thick skin to conduct face-to-face interviews. Sometimes the truth can be painful. So if your poker face isn’t up to snuff, you might just want to stick to doing your Personal 360 electronically.
No matter how you conduct the interviews, be sure the people you’re talking with agree to be brutally honest. New York–based career coach Alisa Cohn says you almost have to be forceful about this with friends because their desire to protect you is often so strong.
“Say, ‘I’m trying to develop myself and I know you love me, but I’d appreciate your candid feedback about my limitations,’” Cohn recommends. If your friend says, ‘You don’t have any,’ insist he or she takes your request more seriously.
How to Prompt Honest Answers
One trick, she says, is to bring up negatives about yourself so your 360 team doesn’t have to do so. “You can say: ‘I’ve gotten feedback in the past that I’m a tactical thinker — not strategic. I wonder if you’ve seen that and what you think?’” Cohn says. “When you rat yourself out first, they can add on.”
Conducting a Group 360 Interview
In addition to (or instead of) one-on-one conversations, another possibility is hosting a group gathering in your living room with 8-10 trusted friends and colleagues, assuming your network lives nearby. The benefit of this is that you can leverage the wisdom of crowds when one person’s idea sparks another. Think of it as a focus group where the focus is you.
Make sure you have enough comfortable chairs and, just as in real focus groups, bribe people with dinner and/or copious, high-quality snacks. If you’re able, it’s a classy gesture to provide each attendee with a small token of your appreciation, like a gift card for a coffee shop or bookstore. Keep the whole shebang to 90 minutes max, with 30 of those minutes upfront for mingling and to accommodate late arrivals.
Essential Jobs for a Group Interview
Two roles are critical: the facilitator and the scribe. If you’re a terrific moderator — you can keep meetings going efficiently, politely hush ramblers, probe interesting statements — take on the facilitator role yourself. But for most people, this can be a tricky assignment when the subject is you. So you may want to ask a friend or co-worker to fill the role. Just be sure to coordinate in advance with the moderator so you’ll be able to slip him or her notes for follow-up questions.
You might, however, be comfortable as the scribe. If so, sit silently in the back, don’t interrupt and just take notes. It’s a good idea, with your group’s permission, to record the session so you can play it back and review it in the future.
You may want to set aside five minutes at the end of the session to ask attendees to write down a short summary of their perceptions — three words that describe you, the most important skill you should develop and so on. Since some participants may be too shy to offer their thoughts out loud, this is a good way to ensure you’ve captured their insights.
It could also be useful to supplement your 360 interviews by reading over previous performance reviews and recommendation letters you’ve received at work, as well as by seeing what people have said about you online — positively and negatively. (A Google search can help you accomplish the latter).
Once you’ve gathered all the input, it’s time to synthesize that information. Be sure you’re assigning the appropriate weight to what you’ve heard. Rather than obsessing about something one person mentioned in a 360 review, look for consistent patterns across comments you’ve received.
It’s easy for something negative to stick in your craw. But the power of one harsh appraisal can cloud your understanding of how you’re perceived in general. Remember, you’re trying to find patterns. To uncover them, ask yourself the following questions:
What adjectives did people use to describe me?
What skills did they say I possess or lack?
What aspects of me or my brand were most frequently mentioned?
Were any of those aspects cited as unique or unusual?
Now you have to determine what it all means. Be careful not to confuse kind words with traits that will serve you well in your career reinvention. “People may say, ‘I see you as thoughtful, methodical, and nice,’” Cohn says. “Those are lovely professional qualities, but they aren’t describing a leadership brand like the word ‘decisive.’ They’re not going to get you to the C-suite.”
(Author Profile: Dorie Clark is the author of “Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future.” She is an adjunct professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and is a consultant and speaker for clients such as Google, Fidelity, and the World Bank. She also contributes frequently to Harvard Business Review and Forbes. Learn more about Dorie at dorieclark.com and follow her on Twitter @dorieclark.)
Editorial Note:Reprinted with permission by Harvard Business Review Press and Adapted from “Reinventing You,” copyright 2013 Dorie Clark. All rights reserved.
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/woman-106821_1920.jpg352700TalentCulture Team + Guestshttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngTalentCulture Team + Guests2013-07-16 08:40:432020-05-25 17:38:33Considering a Career Change? Take a 360 Snapshot
“Act as if what you do makes a difference.
It does.” -William James
It really does. Live who you are and be the difference not only in your own life, but in those around you as well. Each and every moment is a opportunity. The subtle inter-connectedness we have with those closest to us ripples outward from the pebble plunk touching even the most distant connections.
However, it’s our responsibility to manage the plunks. Being mindful and purposeful is what makes all the difference in the ripple effect.
Every Point of Presence is a “Plunk”
This is the new age of transparency and personal branding; you have to own each and every moment and every opportunity. Even for those of you who stay in the social shadows online, the light will find you at some point. Professionally speaking, that is. The world of work has new rules of personal branding and marketing today. Even if a prospective employer requires you only to submit a traditional resume and cover letter, odds you’re being vetted online in every way publicly possible – starting with a search engine query.
You are your own subdued reality show — so why not exploit the new branding and marketing rules for your own benefit? Why not be accurate, consistent, accessible and personable in every point of presence you “plunk” in?
The Medium is the Message
Brand marketers today know that everyone consumes content a little differently, so keep that in mind as you create content that supports you and your personal brand. Diversify the ripple with a variety of good stories about who you are and what you aspire to be and do — bring those stories to life across multiple media — written word, video, audio and/or visual imagery.
Make a difference and be a difference. Those who feel the ripples of warm, reassuring water passing them by will stop and take notice. That’s the bottom line lesson from this week’s TalentCulture community focus on “brand you.” Below are several other takeaways to consider, along with links to archives of the week’s activities.
1) Every Brand Tells a Networked Story
Each of us has a professional pathway, triumphant successes, and painful failures. All of these “brand you” elements are increasingly visible, and connected with others. Whether or not we proactively develop a personal brand strategy, our collective actions and associations reflect upon us, individually and in relation to our employers. And similarly, our employer’s brand reflects upon us. It’s a delicate symbiotic relationship.
2) There’s Nowhere to Hide
Assume everyone is watching, even if no cameras are in the room. Social media captures and exposes interactions. It blurs the lines of communication among job candidates, employees, customers, business partners, organizational leaders and recruiters. So, what are the issues and opportunities that come along with this fluid, open digital village?
3) Listen to Smart Brand Guidance
That’s why #TChat called-in brand management big guns to lead the way this week:
If you missed any of this week’s events – or if want to revisit insights anytime – just follow the links below…
#TChat Week-in-Review
SUN 2/24
In a Forbes.com post, TalentCulture CEO, Meghan M. Biro outlined the premise for this week’s focus on career strategy and branding: “5 Steps to Discovering the Brand You”
Listen to the #TChat Radio recording
MON 2/25
#TChat Weekly Preview laid out key questions for the community to consider: “Empower the Brand You”
WED 2/27 #TChat Twitter: Rayanne returned to moderate our freewheeling #TChat Twitter forum, and we set the stream on fire! By the end of the hour, the #TChat hashtag was trending globally on Twitter – a sign of tremendous “signal” strength. But we care most about the quality of the conversation. What were people saying? And did others find it useful?
Participants included job-seekers, recruiters, consultants, writers, thought leaders, social media specialists, marketing professionals, and even a couple of CEOs. Now that’s proof of the relationship between individual brands and the world of work! And what were they talking so fast and furiously about?
To see highlights from yesterday’s #TChat Twitter forum, please watch the Storify slideshow below: #TChat INSIGHTS Slide Show:“Empower the Brand You”
[javascript src=”//storify.com/TalentCulture/tchat-insights-empower-the-brand-you.js?template=slideshow”]
Closing Notes
THANKS: Again, thanks to Rayanne Thorn and Chris LaVoie for sharing your personal stories, aspirations, and professional expertise with the TalentCulture community this week. You bring context, dimension and personality to the concept of employer/employee branding.
NOTE TO BLOGGERS: Did this week’s events inspire you to write about career management or recruiting issues? We’re happy to share your thoughts. Just post a link on Twitter (include #TChat or @TalentCulture), or insert a comment below, and we’ll pass it along.
WHAT’S AHEAD: Next week, we’re looking at the power of collaboration tools and techniques in helping diverse minds work together more effectively in today’s workplace. Save the date for #TChat Radio, Tuesday, March 5, at 7:30pm ET. And #TChat Twitter Wednesday, March 6, at 7pm ET. Look for more details next Monday via @TalentCulture and #TChat.
Q2: Does the world of work need a reality-based TV show? Why or why not? #TChatRayanne
A2: No, we live business/opportunities all day long. The last thing I want to do is come home and live even more. #tchatMichael Chopp, PHR
A2. Ughhh. Reality shows are NEVAH “needed” for anything and they’re never real either. #tchatHeather Bussing
A2: We are all interesting but THAT interesting? I don’t throw TV-worthy diva fits at work. Sorry. #TChatJoel Peterson
A2 I don’t think reality tv would add value, too much distrust on the truth #TchatLisa Larter
A2: Hehe, if it’s a real “reality” based recruiting show, let me give em a challenge!!! #TChatJanis Stacy
A2. It could be a good way for job seekers to see the other side of the process and see what recruiters look for #tchatKimPope
A2:I think we can re-design reality shows – They don’t all need to be Sleazy Shore! #TchatRayanne
A2: All reality shows are somewhat “scripted” so a reality show about life at work would only be worth it if it was not “managed.” #TChatJoel Peterson
A2: The Apprentice & Trump is a gr8 lesson in what not to do as a leader. #tchatJohn R. Bell
A2: We don’t need another reality show – just better editing of the stories we’re already telling. #tchatAndy Janning
A2: (Raises hand with puzzled look) What’s the point of a world of work reality TV show? Who for? #TchatLara Zuehlke
A2. Job seekers can see how other job seekers epically fail on this show and hopefully learn not to do it themselves :) #tchatAshley Lauren Perez
A2: There is too much “Truman Show” in our lives today. No more reality TV #tchatJen Olney
A2: Most ppl I know think of Reality TV as a *freak shows*. Is this the way 2 portray the hiring process, or is it too late? #TChatNancy Barry-Jansson
A2 Ready for a career makeover show. Needed. #TChatMarla Gottschalk PhD
#Tchat A2 Work is reality… Eyeballs flow to quality Information and topical authority is transferred to producers of relevant content.ALEX BOTTOM
A2 The question to ask is how real is the Reality show? Is there a transparency enough for people to see?#tchatSonalee Arvind
A2: I have to say that I have a lot of time for Shark Tank’s principles. #tchatJohn R. Bell
A2: But, if we can deliver good story for a cause, even ever so embellished hyper-reality, them I’m in. #TChatKevin W. Grossman
A2 Not helpful. Reality TV edited to serve up hype and drama. We watch world of work through unreal lens of show editor #TchatSejual
Online vetting can create tunnel vision. Traditional interviews, experience, references, 1 to 1 are essential. #Tchat A2Lois Martin
Here are my office digs, as requested. Small but cozy. (See top right corner for various board games.) #Tchat http://twitpic.com/c7cw1qJoel Peterson
Q3: Do we really live in an online peer-vetted playing field? Why or why not? #TChatRayanne
A3 Digital life and “real” life are increasingly overlapping #tchatChristopher Yeh
A3 Smart people don’t show “everything” online – that’s what branding is about – you can be honest without being “naked” #tchatAnnette Richmond
A3: To an extent. Tech has placed us in a peer-vetted environment but employers (or recruiters) are stuck in the 90’s. #TchatDamon Lovett
A3 The online part is important but ultimately it’s the human to human relationship that makes all the difference #tchatHolly Chessman
A3 the peers of old were too limited/ing. Add the online dimension & a world of opportunity opens to one who cultivates presence #tchatBrian Rensing
A3. I think we have the beginnings of a broad peer-vetting field but there’s room for a universal currency of trust. P2P Yelp! #TchatAndrew Marshall
A3. Think about our #tchat community of peers. Haven’t we all learned so much from one another? #tchatTerri Klass
A3: Don’t we keep each other honest? Hey, I saw that… #TChatKevin W. Grossman
A3. We’re having a lot of fun! Social business is essential for ROI on attention, time, energy. #tchatMichael Clark
A3: I’m still trying to figure out what an online peer-vetted playing field is. Reality gamification? #tchatHeather Bussing
A3. I think it depends on your confidence level HUGELY #TchatLisa Larter
A3: How do we know online personas are authentic? In face 2 face meetings, you can’t take time 2 construct the “perfect” response. #TChatKavita C.
A3. Networking outside of your organization can help ensure you don’t get yourself stuck with stale ideas #tchatKimPope
A3 Impressions are formed fast on #SoMe #tchatAlli Polin
A3: Problem is, I’ve not seen this actually happen in the real world. #tchatRob McGahen
A3: Call me old-fashioned but I still love real-life high-fives, handshakes, and HR-approved hugs. #TchatLara Zuehlke
A3: Don’t believe everything you read – back up it with gut feel and real references #tchatJen Olney
A3: If a tree falls in your forest, and nobody cares… #TChatKevin W. Grossman
a3 It’s like real-time back-door references on #SoMe #tchatAlli Polin
A3 But when u Google yourself, ur only seeing what Google thinks u want to see. Indv filters break the self awareness clarity. #tchatStephen Abbott
Currently at @panerabread during #TChat http://pic.twitter.com/0j8OFxsPqyMary Beth Huffman
Q4: Should we film our daily body of work? What other technologies should we use to empower our personal and corporate brands? #TChatRayanne
A4) Playing sports taught me, “the eye in the sky, doesn’t lie” It gives you opportunities to correct ur flaws. Would be interesting #TChatVinnie Levine
A4. I wish there were documented videos and realistic views of jobs when I was choosing a degree/career path in college #tchatAshley Lauren Perez
A4 If used correctly, video can definitely help convey a brand quickly and beautifully–in a short amount of time too. #TChatSendgine
A4: We’re all using social media to empower our brands, aren’t we? #tchatVizwerxGroup
A4 Film, if you must, with a few softening filters…reality can be too ugly sometimes. #TChatEnzo Guardino
A4: We should think like new world marketers and use all mediums to brand and promote ourselves. Every one consumes differently. #TChatKevin W. Grossman
#Tchat A4 Filming daily wouldn’t make sense for many firms but video chats will likely grow as older workers become less & less influential.ALEX BOTTOM
A4. Sharing without intent is personalized SPAM. If you are recording your life be mindful of why and for whom. #TchatAndrew Marshall
A4: We are not far off. Google glasses here we come. HR / Privacy Nightmare #TChatSean Charles
A4: I am all about knowledge sharing BUT there are limits – there has to be. #TchatDamon Lovett
A4: If I filmed my daily activities it would be me playing on Facebook, eating Bon-Bon’s in my Pajamas > (according to my husband) #TChatSusan Avello
A4: Plus wouldn’t there be huge implications legally? #TchatLara Zuehlke
A4: No matter what the subject, every story has to be crafted. Nothing worth learning from is just “unscripted” if its filmed. #TchatJoel Peterson
A4: Filming an engineer working probably wouldn’t be something most would like watching. Type Type, coffee, type type. #TChatJanis Stacy
A4: Not everything needs to be shared. Pick your spots and create content that is worthy of the brand #tchatJen Olney
A4. Just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you should. #TchatPatty Swisher
A4: A powerful brand can stand out even without technology. MLK did not need twitter ! #tchattanvi gautam
A4 Hmmm. In my practice everyone would have to sign a waiver. :) #TChatMarla Gottschalk PhD
A4: For #SoMe projects it would be awesome to view & record screens of my team to coach & reward #TChatSean Charles
A4. We keep moving forward, not resisting but embracing tech, (almost) anything’s possible. #tchatMichael Clark
Q5: What should business leaders do to better improve the recruiting process and the candidate experience? #TChatRayanne
A5: Keep it simple and put yourself in the position of candidate – would you want to work with your organization? #tchatJen Olney
A5. Know exactly what they are hiring for rather than just who they like. #tchatJohn Baldino
A5: Realize: talent isn’t free. There’s an initial #investment to hire & ongoing investment to retain. A good employee = hard 2 find. #tchatEvelyn Eury
A5 Do good work, provide excellent service, and care about how you do it. #tchatHeather Bussing
A5. Respond to each applicant if even with only a form email letting them know there candidacy is over and someone else got the job #TchatGuy Davis
A5: Don’t force yourself to be someone you’re not. This rule also applies to social media and candidate experience #TChatMeghan M. Biro
A5: Don’t assume that if you build it they will come. Those days are gone. #tchattanvi gautam
A5 #tchat Have a complete understanding of the transferable skill set needed for the position.Michael Chopp, PHR
A5: Get creative. Ask your teams,: “given what U know about our culture now, would you accept a job w/us if U were a new candidate? #TchatJoel Peterson
A5: In all seriousness, tell me HOW to apply to their company. Then treat me with respect as a human being. #TChatJanis Stacy
A5 manage expectations how and when you will respond to job applicants #TchatPeter Clayton
a5 The recruiting process should use the ATS as a tool, not as ‘the answer’ Still need to pick up the phone & connect #tchatAlli Polin
A5 It’s all about value value value. #jobseekers and #employers need to outline how they mutually add value #tchatGoldbeck Recruiting
A5. The recruiter’s purpose is not to stump the candidate. #tchatTerri Klass
A5) prob unrealistic given legal climate, but would be great to get honest feedback – why wasn’t I hired or interviewed? #tchatRich Grant
A5. If you always do what you’ve always done you will always get what you’ve always got. Want different? Be/Act different. #TchatAndrew Marshall
A5: #Job applicants need to understand that #hiring isn’t personal. So easy to think it is. Keep branding yourself & strengths. #TchatLara Zuehlke
A5 Improvements come from honest engagement in recruiting process. Better experience when leaders’ training cultivates better EQ #TchatSejual
A5) it would save time for both empl. and job applicants if employers provided a salary range #tchatRich Grant
00Kevin W. Grossmanhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngKevin W. Grossman2013-02-28 21:59:372020-05-25 16:23:08Mindfully Managing Your Personal Brand: #TChat Recap
“I feel my spirit resist, but I open up my fist, and lay hand over hand over, hand over fist.” –Neil Peart
The last bag left the belt. Another golfer from the group of four men hauled his clubs onto the floor and continued talking excitedly about the weekend ahead. The metal-banded belt continue to circle round and round like an empty plane waiting for its signal to land.
Once it stopped, there was no one left in the small baggage claim area, only me standing there willing my suitcase to appear. When it didn’t after a few more minutes, the pastor from my parents’ church who was picking me up waited patiently while I filled out the requisite lost baggage forms.
“My dad’s remains are in my bag,” I told the guy behind the counter.
He looked at me, legitimately sympathetic, and then went back to viewing his computer screen. “I’m really sorry. The good news is that your bag is still in San Francisco and hopefully we can get it on the next flight here tomorrow.”
Hopefully, I thought. This was now the second time in a row in just over a month that my bag hadn’t made it from San Francisco to the small town of North Bend, Oregon.
“My mother’s memorial is tomorrow and I really wanted his remains to be there with her,” I added.
“I’m really sorry, Mr. Grossman. If we could get it here today we would, but again, there aren’t any more flights to here or Eugene until tomorrow.”
That same night, I ranted a little online, and with a little help from a “socially” influential friend, Jessica Merrell, who got the attention of United on Twitter. The response was immediate — the authenticity of their outreach and customer service was a human touch not spoke of frequently about the airline industry (even if you fly Southwest a lot).
Two days later my father’s remains arrived in Oregon along with my belongings. Granted they didn’t make it the next day, but the humanity I felt every time I checked in with United, the sincere condolences they gave me and my family, and at every touch point since, eventually receiving reimbursement for replacement items and other compensation, was enough to quell the frustration and helplessness I felt.
This is what brand humanization means to me, one common touch at a time. “Hand over hand is the strength of the common touch.” This is the large enterprise and the individual communicating and connecting with one another as if they were two people bumping into one another on a busy city street, only instead of cursing, glaring and moving on our un-merry way, we stop and apologize and shake hands. Even if we never see each other again, we’ll never forget the common touch.
Brand humanization is all about mindful civility and courtesy in commerce in an otherwise harsh, unrelenting environment, like living on the farthest planet from its sun. Creative marketing campaigns and social media democratization aside, it’s the common touch and connection that humanizes our personal and the corporate brands today.
Because it’s always personal, isn’t it?
“Take a walk outside myself in some exotic land. Greet a passing stranger — feel the strength in his hand, feel the world expand.”
00Kevin W. Grossmanhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngKevin W. Grossman2013-02-22 21:48:102020-05-25 16:21:00One Common Touch At A Time
Let’s demystify “brand humanization.” It’s a nice-sounding term, fluffy and a little sweet, but we need to figure out what it stands for and how to make brand humanization happen.
Social media facilitates the humanization of brands, making them seem more accessible to customers and candidates alike, but things can get messy fast, and the result doesn’t necessarily equal brand humanization. It’s just, well, a marketing mess.
When combining these ingredients can we breathe life into brands? This week, we’re going to look into what that looks like and build the case for giving brands vibrancy and a human dimension. Following are our questions:
Q1: What is brand humanization? What does it mean to breathe life into brands?
Q2: Where does brand humanization begin, and who starts it, leaders or someone else? Why?
Q3: How does social media facilitate brand humanization? Is there other technology that helps? What?
Q4: Is brand humanization possible without technology or, especially, social media? Why or why not?
Q5: What are some innovative examples of brand humanization that you’ve encountered? What did you like?
Click to see the show preview & and to listen live on Feb 19
Then please tune-in to #TChat Radio Tuesday Feb. 19 at 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT when Jamie will join yours truly (@MeghanMBiro) and Kevin W. Grossman (@KevinWGrossman) to dive into a discussion of brand humanization.
And as always, don’t forget to join us on the Twitter stream for an all-hands #TChat Twitter conversation, on Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 7-8 pm ET. Jamie Notter will be on hand, along with his Humanize co-author, Maddie Grant (@MaddieGrant). We look forward to exchanging ideas about this topic with the entire TalentCulture community – so come on over and let’s chat!
Social channels and tools offer a tremendous opportunity for business to create and sustain valuable relationships with customers, partners, employees and others. Digital technologies make it possible for brands to interact with their constituents in ways that are far more immediate, direct and authentic.
In short, it means that companies can “humanize” what the world has previously considered to be a distant, faceless brand entity.
But tools and technologies, alone, aren’t enough for this “brand humanization” to take root and flourish. What really makes a brand more “real” is its organization’s commitment to engage in a whole new level of open communication. And that’s the rub.
Stepping Outsidesnea the Brand Comfort Zone
Transparent, open communication can develop positive attitudes and behaviors that ultimately translate into business value. But opportunity often brings challenges along for the ride – and brand humanization is no exception. This concept challenges organizational structures, processes and norms at every level.
So, what does all this mean for professionals who focus on the “human” side of business? How can we lead constructive change and help our organizations breathe life into brands?
That has been the focus of our TalentCulture community this week, as we’ve examined brand humanization up close and personal – each of us adding our own experience and interpretations to the mix.
Humanization – New Term, Classic Approach
We invited an expert to help shape and guide the week’s conversations. Leadership consultant, speaker and author, Jamie Notter is deeply familiar with brand humanization. In his latest book, “Humanize: How People-Centric Organizations Succeed in a Social World,” Jamie examines effective social business strategies, as well as the operational impact of embracing a social business philosophy.
It’s not easy. Cultural transformation never is. But by remaining focused on classic “human” principles, “Humanize” offers a roadmap that organizational leaders can use to navigate through disruptive waters. These principles served as a useful backdrop for our community’s exploration this week. Here’s what happened on our journey…
NOTE: For complete highlights from yesterday’s #TChat Twitter forum, be sure to watch the Storify slideshow at the end of this post.
#TChat Week-in-Review
SAT 2/16 Sneak Peek video: TalentCulture Community Manager, Tim McDonald, kick-started the week by asking featured guest, Jamie Notter, to define brand humanization and its benefits. Thought provoking!
SUN 2/17
TalentCulture CEO, Meghan M. Biro called upon business organizations to rise to the challenge in her Forbes.com post: “Dear Leaders: Humanize Your Brand”
TUE 2/19
#TChat Radio Show: Our hosts sat down with Jamie Notter for an up-close and personal discussion about the “human” side of business brand stewardship.
WED 2/20 #TChat Twitter: Jamie returned, along with his Humanize co-author, Maddie Grant. This time, he moderated our freewheeling #TChat Twitter forum, as 250+ participants shared more than 1000 tweets that delivered 1.5+ million impressions. Now that’s what can happen when real humans show up and open up in a live digital exchange!
NOTE: For highlights from yesterday’s #TChat Twitter forum, be sure to watch the Storify slideshow at the end of this post.
Closing Notes & Highlights Slideshow
THANKS: Again, thanks to Jamie Notter for sharing your insights with the TalentCulture community this week. You brought clarity, context and dimension to this important topic.
NOTE TO BLOGGERS: Did this week’s events inspire you to write about brand humanization or other organizational issues? We’re happy to share your thoughts. Just post a link on Twitter (include #TChat or @TalentCulture), or insert a comment below, and we’ll pass it along.
WHAT’S AHEAD: Next week, we’ll look at branding from another angle, by exploring branded entertainment and the World of Work! Save the date for #TChat Radio, Tuesday, Feb 26, at 7:30pm ET. And #TChat Twitter Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 7pm ET. Look for more details next Monday via @TalentCulture and #TChat.
The more we use social media, the more our personal interactions are crossing over into the workplace. While it makes sense to be authentic in the digital realm, this new level of transparency can touch some major pain points in your corporate culture, and challenge processes that don’t accommodate this new type of open communication.
What does it all mean for organizations as well as individuals? These are the issues we’ll address this week in the TalentCulture community.
To kick-off the conversation, I spoke with Jamie Notter, co-author of the book, Humanize (How People-Centric Organizations Succeed in a Social World). Jamie will be a featured guest on #TChat Radio, Tuesday Feb 19 at 7:30pmET, and he’ll join #TChat Twitter Chat as a moderator on Wednesday Feb 20, at 7pm ET.
Here’s a quick look at how Jamie defines brand humanization – and why he feels it’s important for everyone to understand it better:
Click to watch “Humanize” co-author Jamie Notter in this #TChat sneak peek interview
00Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2013-02-16 17:17:592020-05-25 16:19:45When Brands & Humans Meet: #TChat Video
NOTE this post is mine from 2010. I’m still here talking about this topic I’m passionate about. Why – You ask? Because we have more work to do. Our next Social Talent Show is tomorrow with the one and only Libby Sartain, former HR executive for Yahoo and Southwest, who will focus on these topics and share tips on how to align employee and company brand. One of my very favorite topics for many reasons.
Very often, leaders believe a company’s brand is just a marketing tool, and that it doesn’t have to do with the people working for the company. That’s exactly the opposite. The best talent will be attracted to your business because of its appealing brand, the image it conveys to the public, and your employees will want to stay and give their best because of your workplace culture.
The big tech companies understood that very early: The talent war is rampant in technology, and engineers are now attracted not only by financial aspects, but mostly because of a brand’s name, and when they do join these companies, the workplace culture is so strong, every little detail embodies what the company stands for – that employees all feel part of a kind of family.
Now I’m not saying you need to build a cult or anything like that, but workplace culture and the employer’s brand go hand in hand, becoming the best ways to attract and retain talent that is slipping away.
And that leads me to my second tip: If you have both, great, but it’s incredibly important for the employer’s brand benot only to be appealing, but also to genuinely reflect “what it’s like” to work there; otherwise, after a few months or weeks, employees will feel fooled and start looking elsewhere.
In the same manner, when a company “oversells” their employer brand in the recruiting process, leaders run the risk of losing talent in the long run due to poor communication in the recruiting, hiring, and onboarding process.
So how to avoid that? As a company, build a brand that is true to you, to what the company is really about, nothing more, and then LIVE your brand. It will be that much easier if it’s genuine, and workplace culture will get reflected in everyday life at work.
It’s a little bit like the story of a pet store that wouldn’t allow employees to bring their dogs in. Not very authentic. But if the pet store’s brand promise is the love of dogs, then everybody working there should feel that love: The company can even have a dog sitting system, or employees’ dog contests, to truly live the brand.
Build a workplace culture that is consistent with the brand displayed to the public. You can win!
That’s my take. For more on these topics, join us tomorrow with Libby Sartain, HR expert and employer branding guru, at 2pm EST and 11 am PST – Register here! Share your story and join the conversation to build the future of work!
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.png00Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2012-04-24 14:53:532020-05-22 14:08:18How to Get Ahead in the Talent War
Your brand is how your company tastes inside and out. This includes your your employment brand and B2B and/or B2C corporate brand.
Used to be that all we ever saw of the inside was what was printed on the outside — the pretty packaging and marketing spin as well as what was regulated by the Federal government (which most of us never really read, and if we did, we didn’t understand it and still don’t).
The brand tastes were still pretty much similar and controlled by the company. In fact, until recently it was only the sugar coating we ever really tasted, no matter how much we bit off.
But mercy, if we really knew the stuff that was on the inside…
Then a little phenomenon came about called social media that threw flying monkey wrenches into the batter. As I’m sure you’ve gathered, flying monkey wrenches are bittersweet and can give both employees and customers a horrible belly ache.
Not that eating highly saturated fats around the water cooler wasn’t/isn’t fun when talking smack about your employer and other employer’s gut bombs you consumed recently. But now you have access to online forums and review sites and social networking sites and unreality TV shows that delve deep into the inner workings of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
Another interesting phenomenon? Most of you didn’t stop buying Wonka bars when you found out children had fallen into the chocolate lake, the one that was supposed to be child free. And those of us with kids know just how dirty kids can be.
Here’s another example: we were on a family vacation on the Oregon coast this last week where my folks live and we made multiple runs to Walmart. For tons of cheap stuff including stuff for our two little girls. Some of you may scoff, but hey, we know Walmart is the low price leader and price. We also know that they’ve had discrimination lawsuits filed against them by female workers, have been chastised forever about not allowing their employees to organize, have been accused for paying employees lower wages than other major retail chains, have been accused of buying marginal product in bulk overseas, etc.
In other words, the sugar coating for us overrides the flying monkey wrenches. That’s why we still see such a differentiation of company and employment branding today, when in the optimal organics world they really should be aligned.
So, who controls employer brand today? We do, the employees and the customers. But does that stop us from buying Wonka bars at Walmart? Or even working there?
Q1. What’s your definition of company or employer brand?
Q2. How does employer brand differ from a consumer brand? Personal brand?
Q3. What makes a strong employer brand? A weak one?
Q4. How does employer brand play into talent acquisition? Retention?
Q5. What effect does social media have on employer branding?
Q6. Who controls employer brand: the company, employees, public, etc.?
Thanks to everyone who stopped by and to her TC majesty @MeghanMBiro for moderating! Hey, quick plug – #TChat Radio is coming July 26! Great guests lining up from our #TChat family. Join us!
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.png00Kevin W. Grossmanhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngKevin W. Grossman2011-07-13 09:00:462020-05-20 17:21:41Brand Reality of Buying Wonka Bars at Walmart: #TChat Recap
The average worker today has more brands to deal with than a Texas cattle rancher, but one that most never really give a whole lot of thought to, at least compared to the ubiquitous (if ambiguous) concept of “personal brand” is that of employment branding.
Which makes sense; after all, many talent acquisition and HR professionals don’t pay a whole lot of attention to it, either, with many companies often outsourcing or ignoring this brand management function. By contrast, other employers spend millions of dollars a year building and managing carefully crafted and focus group tested campaigns that look more like a Super Bowl ad than a classified employment listing.
With practitioners seemingly split on the importance, or even existence, of employment brand, it begs a few questions: which side are you on? What side should your company be on? And, most importantly: does it matter to the workers to whom these efforts are targeted in the first place?
We’ll be exploring these questions, and their implications for the evolving world of work, in tonight’s #TChat: “Is Employer Branding BS?” No matter which side of the fence you’re on (or, like most, neutral or undecided), if you’ve ever visited a company career page or read an industry blog (like this one), you’ve been exposed to employer branding – that is, if it really exists.
To help prepare, and inform, your participation in tonight’s conversation (or even if you can’t make it), here are the questions we’ll be discussing, along with some recommended reading designed to give you background – and perspective – on employer and company culture branding.
Tonight’s sure to be a lively discussion; we look forward to seeing you (and your brand) for #TChat at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT!
Q1. What’s your definition of company or employer brand?
Visit www.talentculture.com for more great information on #TChat, as well as other great resources on careers and hiring.
Monster’s social media team supports #TChat’s mission of sharing “ideas to help your business and your career accelerate — the right people, the right ideas, at the right time.”
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.png00TalentCulture Team + Guestshttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngTalentCulture Team + Guests2011-07-12 09:49:052020-05-20 17:21:29Is Employer Branding Best Practice or BS? #TChat Preview
Googling “social media policy” returns nearly 5 million hits – obviously a topic getting lots of attention. Modifying the search to “personal social media policy” reduces the hits by 99%. That’s relatively scant attention to how individuals could or should formalize how we conduct ourselves personally across various social media channels.
My sensitivity to this grew recently when the opportunity developed to meet a couple of people in a city I was traveling to for business. Each of them had reached out and tweeted with me quite actively leading up to the trip. Our Twitter conversations had been very friendly and both appeared quite outgoing online. Out of a real interest in getting together, I suggested a tweetup along with another local person. Given how visible they appeared to be in the community (based on their online interactions), I composed a tweet inviting others interested in joining us which included their Twitter names, the location, and the start time.
Something must have told me I was pushing the boundaries since I scheduled the tweet for the next day to allow time to think about sending it. My thoughts obviously moved on to other topics, however, and the tweet published the next morning. This led to a rapid direct message from one of the participants expressing concerns about the tweet and the tweetup’s broad disclosure.
I apologized profusely (via direct message and later phone call) and deleted the tweet, but not before it had already been retweeted and shared on Facebook. Suffice it to say, this additional round of sharing led to more concerns, and a negative spillover from someone else who saw the message on Facebook.
My initial hesitation was obviously well-founded. This tweet felt like it was in the social media grey zone, but based on cues from their online activities, I determined my new friends would be comfortable with it. My conclusion was based on very incomplete information, however, and could have seriously damaged a budding online friendship.
So how do you approach personal social media guidelines? What directs what you communicate and how you interact with others through via social media?
Since it’s clear I don’t even have all the answers for me, let alone for you, here are some questions I’m revisiting:
Can I explain who I follow / like / link to?
The answer differs by social media platform. My short answer for Twitter is “people who are intriguing.” Pretty vague, but on LinkedIn, I expect to have met someone or have a traceable tie to them. Occasionally, I’ll go through my network on LinkedIn and undo connections with people whose connection history I can’t readily recall. Facebook is sketchier for me. I’ve kept my total number of friends small, and there’s no rhyme or reason to the group. My favorite Facebook guideline was from a conference speaker who said he only friended people he “loved.” If you’re using Facebook for personal interactions predominantly, that’s a pretty clean standard.
What specifics do you share about yourself?
Some people share seemingly every detail – career, personal, location, etc. I know some people who contend this level of sharing is a part of online transparency. Not me. What I share is a single view of my thinking and professional life. If details and specifics aren’t necessary to help someone understand the context or meaning of what I’m sharing, they’re just unnecessary characters taking up precious space.
What specifics do you share about others?
You don’t have to share much content online to traipse over into potentially disclosing information about your family, employer, friends, etc. On Twitter especially, I try not to draw others into the social media fray any more than they have already done themselves. As the opening story showed, however, this is far from a fool-proof criterion. The challenge is to avoid disclosing details unwittingly in the course of having online conversations. It requires a pretty active filter, continually asking what could be read into any mention of someone else. As I’ve learned, if there’s any hint of a question about what another person would be willing to share about themselves, avoid specifics, or better yet, ask them directly what’s in and out of their comfort zone.
How often do you participate on social media channels?
Regularity and frequency are vital factors in establishing a successful social media presence. There are clearly different frequency expectations by platform. Tweeting 10 times a day might be fine, but Facebook or LinkedIn connections aren’t likely looking for updates anywhere near that frequently. It’s important however, to get to an ideal update frequency and become predictable with it over time. Nothing worse than making a splash online, building relationships, then letting them evaporate after you disappear for weeks or months.
What steps are necessary to deepen the level of interaction?
Generally, Twitter connections can seem much more sketchy than those on LinkedIn or Facebook. If Twitter interactions are your basis to get a sense of someone, what makes you comfortable deepening the relationship? Doing it in stages (i.e., email, then phone, then maybe in person) or jumping directly to an offline meeting? While I’ve moved from tweeting/direct messaging to an in-person meeting without even an email in the interim, that doesn’t make sense for everyone. Proceed with caution and the patience to build a connection over time.
How do you put the brakes on heat of the moment responses?
You see lots of passive-aggressive behavior played out online. You have to know the steps to keep yourself out of this pattern since social media interactions tend to cultivate more aggressive interactions than might be typical. Even if it’s not your usual interaction pattern, it’s important to know your potential trigger points, and harness the emotional intelligence, self-discipline, or other circuit breaker to keep you from responding harshly online.
Summary
That’s my starting point for formalizing what I’m doing after a number of years of heavy online activity. How about you? Does it make sense for you to formalize your personal social media guidelines? If so, what questions will you be asking yourself?
00https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.png2011-02-18 12:42:112020-05-20 16:53:13What's Your Personal Social Media Policy?
I’ve been thinking a lot about brand abandonment lately. My next series of thoughts immediately go to how creating and maintaining a brand-based corporate culture can help businesses avoid brand abandonment, and help recruit and retain the very best talent.
I will refer way back yonder back to my post on building culture, which requires a company to establish several modes of interaction with employees, job seekers and customers. These modes of interaction – transactional, transformational and tacit – build trust with employees and candidates, enable competitive advantage, and may even facilitate the establishment of a social community within a larger organization.
A company that sees the benefits of building a brand-based corporate culture has a very distinct advantage in the hiring marketplace. Say you are running a small business. How do you attract talent? By creating a strong, desirable culture brand. A recent post at the Wall Street Journal speaks to the steps a small company might take to attract talent: communicate your success, share your excitement about the business’s potential, make a point of linking that potential to the applicant’s interests. Link corporate culture and brand with your people and the magic really starts.
Think you can’t compete on benefits and salary? Remember that your brand and culture are your biggest attractions. As Tim Hackett writes at MonsterThinking, most candidates want to work for a brand they admire. People love Nike because it’s cool, IBM because it’s a leader, Google because it’s an innovator. We can’t all work at those places, but we can observe their brands and cultures, and learn. Be your brand, treat people well, and don’t waiver or abandon your position.
Treating people well and running an ethical business is the secret sauce for really good brands. Bill Taylor says brand is culture, and culture is brand in a recent article at Harvard Business Review. When there’s a tight link between the two forces, customers will know, employees will know, job seekers will know. No risk of brand abandonment in this scenario: it’s baked right into the workplace culture as a foundation.
As the economy rebounds, employees may become restive. Job seekers may start flooding well-known brands with resumes in the hopes that finally someone will open the envelope, click on the email, or even a tweet. Your best defense, as an employer, is to have culture and brand in place. Be irresistible to your employees. Be desirable to candidates. Be your brand, revel in your culture, and never abandon either. The price is just too high.
00Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2010-11-05 09:54:182020-05-20 16:34:48Culture Brand: Create Magical Distinction to Attract the Very Best Talent
Disclaimer: I have never used illegal drugs and I do not advocate the use of illegal drugs or controlled substances illegally. Drugs and the repercussions of their use, do irreparable harm to the user, their families, their coworkers and the community at large. Stay clean, stay sober or stay home.
One of the things I love about teaching Sanera Camp is I get to hear the awesome ideas the recruits come up with. This was one of them.
Earlier in class this week, we talked about building relationships versus push marketing and how technology has helped us do that better than ever because the new tools allow us to share information across wider audiences. We also talked about the shift in mindset from protecting our information to sharing our information so more people can get to know us, our level of expertise and what it would be like to work with us.
Then this conversation broke out:
Person 1: Alicia, I was thinking that drug dealers are a great example of this.
Everyone else: A combination of silence, belly laughs and dropped jaws.
Me: How?
Person 1: Well, they’ve given out samples for years and years and it works. Their prospects know what it tastes like, what it feels like and the quality of the product.
Person 2: You’re right! I never thought about it before.
Person 1: Look at it. It’s a successful, multi-billion dollar industry that has world wide distribution. The use of illegal drugs has increased, not decreased even though it’s against the law. Their clients know where to find them, know how much the product costs and they tell everyone else about it. It’s perfect word of mouth advertising.
Person 3: But what we’re selling isn’t addicting.
Person 2: But can’t we make it addicting? If we give out some of what we have to offer, won’t people want more?
They are right. It’s hard to find a better example of how giving things away can drive revenue. But Person 3’s observation is pivotal – certainly one advantage the drug dealers have over us is that their product is physiologically and sometimes immediately addicting. So what can we do to drive our revenue without breaking the law and harming others?
How To Market Like a Crack Dealer
1. Know your target customer
Who wants your product/service? Better yet, who craves it? Who needs it so badly that the moment they get it, they will have an insatiable desire for more of it?
2. Analyze your market
Where does your target market hang out? What kinds of activities are they doing? Is it in a certain zip code, metaphorical “corner,” in an industry meeting or somewhere online?
3. Make distribution easy
Ensure your target customer knows who you are and where to find your products/services. Make the purchasing process as simple and seamless as possible. You will jeopardize your chance of closing a sale if you make them:
Talk to lots of people
Click too many times online
Give too much personal information
Look at too many options
4. Give away the right samples
Here are some examples of things you shouldn’t give away:
Cheesy tchotchkies that people are going to throw away. If you’re going to give away promotional items, make sure they are things your prospects will use and value.
Proprietary information. Enough said.
Low quality products. I know this sounds obvious, but come on. How many of you have received a sample and discovered that it was someone’s attempt to get rid of their non-selling inventory? It’s happened to all of us. You will be associated with your samples. What do you want people to say about you?
Some things you should give away:
Consumables – when they run out, they will want more from you.
Useful, actionable information. This is not limited to service industries. If you are in retail or a product-driven environment, you have valuable information to share about your store, your products, care of your products, upcoming sales, etc. Err on the side of education & information vs. “selling.”
A piece of what you want them to purchase. Giving “everything” away eliminates the incentive for your prospects to want more.
5. Give them to the right people
If you give everything away, you won’t make money. Be selective. Find the influencers, the people who will spread the word and give to them.
It’s pretty unconventional, but think about it. Any lessons here you can apply to your own business?
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.png00Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2010-10-02 00:45:232020-05-20 16:30:035 Marketing Lessons from Crack Dealers
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