LinkedIn Proactive Strategies Webinar March 1

LinkedIn Proactive Strategies Webinar March 1 After doing the two hour and twenty minute webinar on the New LinkedIn Profile, I realized there has to be a Part II.  Not because I want to string this on all year but because I am NOT a believer in if you build it they will come. I am a firm believer in if you want it, go after it.  And thats what this webinar is all about. On March 1 at 9am MOUNTAIN TIME I will spend at least 90 minutes (thats what I said last time, but there were so many good questions we went much longer) talking about the PROACTIVE side of your LinkedIn strategy. Having a killer Profile is, in my opinion, passive and reactive.  It is important even critical.  But if no one knows about you, and if no one hears from you, and if you are too chicken to actually reach out and start the conversation what good will the Profile do you? It might be awesome, but lets not sit around and wait for awesome. Lets proactively be awesome! I havent figured out what the bonus options will be yet for non-career professionals.  Career professionals have different bonuses (ask and Ill tell you, but I dont want to blog about it). Heres the information page with more information.  Heres the signup page. Same as January 17th: This will be start-to-finish full of meat and content.  No frills, no wasting time. This will be recorded and you can access it streaming, as often as you want, through your JibberJobber account. (not downloadable)  As long as I dont have emergency surgery the next day, the recording should be available within 24 hours. I will not use this as a time to try and upsell you on something else.  This is a content presentation, not a vehicle for me to sell more stuff to you.  No and if you buy NOW youll get a free pony! Want to get in on this?  Heres the link. Note: this webinar is optimized for anyone serious about getting value out of LinkedIn.  That includes job seekers, recruiters, entrepreneurs, business owners, career professionals, etc. LinkedIn Proactive Strategies Webinar March 1 After doing the two hour and twenty minute webinar on the New LinkedIn Profile, I realized there has to be a Part II.  Not because I want to string this on all year but because I am NOT a believer in if you build it they will come. I am a firm believer in if you want it, go after it.  And thats what this webinar is all about. On March 1 at 9am MOUNTAIN TIME I will spend at least 90 minutes (thats what I said last time, but there were so many good questions we went much longer) talking about the PROACTIVE side of your LinkedIn strategy. Having a killer Profile is, in my opinion, passive and reactive.  It is important even critical.  But if no one knows about you, and if no one hears from you, and if you are too chicken to actually reach out and start the conversation what good will the Profile do you? It might be awesome, but lets not sit around and wait for awesome. Lets proactively be awesome! I havent figured out what the bonus options will be yet for non-career professionals.  Career professionals have different bonuses (ask and Ill tell you, but I dont want to blog about it). Heres the information page with more information.  Heres the signup page. Same as January 17th: This will be start-to-finish full of meat and content.  No frills, no wasting time. This will be recorded and you can access it streaming, as often as you want, through your JibberJobber account. (not downloadable)  As long as I dont have emergency surgery the next day, the recording should be available within 24 hours. I will not use this as a time to try and upsell you on something else.  This is a content presentation, not a vehicle for me to sell more stuff to you.  No and if you buy NOW youll get a free pony! Want to get in on this?  Heres the link. Note: this webinar is optimized for anyone serious about getting value out of LinkedIn.  That includes job seekers, recruiters, entrepreneurs, business owners, career professionals, etc.

Reach Your Long Term Goals by Starting NOW

Reach Your Long Term Goals by Starting NOW Close your eyes and imagine your life in 5 years. Can you picture the life ahead of you? If you are struggling to put an image of your future together in your head, maybe that’s because you haven’t set your long term goals. Close your eyes and imagine your life in 5 years. Can you picture the life ahead of you? If you are struggling to put an image of your future together in your head, maybe that’s because you haven’t set your long term goals. Having a clear idea of what you want your future to look like is the secret to attaining them later on. Many people take the adage “live for the moment” out of context. You can still be in the moment without compromising your future. How? Take the steps below and set out for your goals now! Simply have no clue? Reflect on a general picture of yourself. You are not alone. Many people don’t really arrive at what they want to do with their lives even when they have a clear cut plan already for years. Circumstances change and so do goals. Don’t stress so much about having a 10-step plan for your future. You don’t have to have a blueprint right away. You can start with a general idea. Do you want to have a family and kids? Do you want to be a powerful career woman? Do you want both? Take it from industry giant Diane Von Furstenberg: “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew the woman that I wanted to be.” Celebrate the little things. Reached a smaller goal? Give yourself a pat in the back, and reward yourself. The key to rewarding yourself for a goal is to firmly remind yourself not to put it to waste. See a future with a banging body? If your small goal is to rid yourself of fast food, don’ indulge on a cheat day when you successfully go through a month without it. Instead, buy yourself a nice dress to show the world your achievement! See a financially stable future for yourself? A year after consistently saving a portion of your paycheck, don’t go on a big vacation. Instead, look up opportunities for investment and ways to grow your money even more. These steps are not new, but they are often overlooked. With the fast pace life that we career girls take on every day, sometimes it is easy to lose sight of our future.  Starting to envision your future life today, right now, will make a big difference in the years to come. Have you set your goals yet? Share it with us below or tweet us @mscareergirl!

Dont Wallow In Indecision - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Don’t Wallow In Indecision - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Every decision is a calculated risk. Problems are solved by making decisions; problems are avoided by making good decisions. The sooner you make a decision, the sooner you benefit from it. The earlier you make a bad decision, the sooner you can correct it. The unanimous response from CEOs and C-level executives when I’ve asked the question, “What’s the most difficult part of your job?” has been “Responsibility for decisions.” And when I’ve asked them, “What’s the best part of your job?” the nearly unanimous response has been “Freedom to make decisions.” These CEOs have given me some of their insights on decision making: “It’s better to have the burden of making them yourself than having to work under decisions others make for you.” “You will never be sure that you are right, but you have to make them anyway. It’s never the slam dunk that you want.” “If you are absolutely sure you’re going to have a successful outcome, make it clear that your team came up with it to share the glory in the decision making. If you are not sure, take it upon yourself and say, ‘I recommend this’ so you don’t share the blame and defeat.” “If you take a chance and it’s rewarding, great. If it’s a kick [in the] ass decision, you have to deal with it.” “You will have many sleepless nights trying to make decisions because you know they can adversely affect people and their families.” “You want to be the one who makes others’ choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours. A good decision is to tell a subordinate ‘You decide’ and then support him. “Decisions need to be what’s best for the whole, not just what’s best for you.” Debra Benton is co-author with Kylie Wight-Ford of The Leadership Mind Switch (McGraw-Hill, 2017)

What is involved in Marketing New Health Products

What is involved in Marketing New Health Products In this day and age, maintaining a healthy, fitness-themed lifestyle seems to be the norm. Not surprisinglyâ€"as a resultâ€"many new health-related products and services are being research, developed, manufactured, and marketed. These products and services all claim to combat an array of conditions ranging from vitamin deficiencies to skin abnormalities, and of course, aging, among other things. However, I think it is safe to say that these products and services are enveloped within a cloud of mystique. Do these products really possess such miraculous qualities? Regardless of whether a hot new product works or not, they still seem to fly off of store shelves. The reason for this is quite simple. Clever marketing! Unfortunately, many health-product manufacturers employ “dirty” marketing tactics, playing on the consumer’s naivety and lack-of-knowledge. If we dive deeper into the realm of health-product marketing, a grim truth reveal’s its ugly face; and trust me, it’s not wrinkle free! Twisting Medical Terminology This is when a seller or manufacturer uses a select set of words when describing a product. Sometimes the words describe the product accurately, but typically there is a “bending of the truth” employed somewhere in the description. It is easy for marketers to do because most consumers aren’t medical professionals. Therefore, as long as the descriptions sound legitimate and professional, most consumers will follow blindly. Take the common body cleanse (sometimes referred to as a “colonic.), for example; most people are under the impression that these are legitimate medical procedures, administered strictly by professionals. Think again! In many cases, absolutely no medical knowledge or skill is necessary to properly perform these so-called “procedures.” In fact, most medical professionals would advise against this type of procedure. However, because those peddling body cleanses and colonics are clever when they describe their products and services, many buyers are unwittingly lured in. The same concept applies to the vast array of new health products hitting the stores each and every day. This Includes Pet Owners Too Many pet owners want their animals to live the same healthy lifestyle they think they are living. Unfortunately though, there are many manufacturers putting out pet foods that are described as being healthy, when in fact they are no different than the average brand. A stroll down any pet-food aisle will reveal an overwhelming number of different brands. The average price for a regular bag of dog food can range anywhere from $15.00 to $30.00, while a “healthier” brand can be priced as much as $40.00 higher. Blue Buffalo is a dog food brand that would be considered healthier; “All-Natural” to be exact. However, in recent news, pet food giant, Purina, has called the brand out for false advertising. According to an article on SFGATE, Purina’s chief marketing director states that Blue Buffalo’s healthy food claims are based on lies. He touts the company further by saying that their, “key ingredient claims aren’t true, and they have a history of exaggerating what their products do.” Is this true or not? I suppose the opinion is yours to make. The average dog food contains beef, poultry, or pork. A “healthier” brand may include more exotic meats such as turkey, lamb, or venison. However, if you look at the ingredients you may notice they also contain substantial amounts of beef, poultry or pork. In the end, it is a judgment call. The best thing to do before purchasing any one brand of pet food is simply to consult a vet. What These Product Promise What do these new health products promise consumers? Surely they must offer something, right? Their exponential rise in popularity of new health products can largely be attributed to the marketing tactics employed when they are sold. New health products like body cleanses or colonics promise a “whole, new you.” You might be familiar with their promises to help you feel better, look better, or even feel younger. Other advertisements might say that these procedures help with a plethora of illnesses. Naturally, most of these promises might seem too good to be true. Not surprisingly, that is because they are. In all honesty, most claims made by marketers have not been vetted by any organizations or federally-regulated institutions. Linking Their Products to the Health Craze Arguably the most successful health tactic by far, is linking all these new health products to the recent health phenomenon sweeping the United States and beyond. Advertisers say that these new products and procedures promote better overall health. However, in a world obsessed with being healthy, this can be a very powerful claim. Some advertisers even claim these all-natural products and treatments can help consumers avoid medications or costly medical procedures. Scare tactics about traditional medications or treatments might also be employed. Ultimately though, if important medication is foregone in place of an exaggerated health product, serious medical complications (including death) can result. There is Truth to Some Marketing After reading this article, you may think that behind every product there is a shady marketing campaign shoving lies down your throat. However, in most cases, there are legitimate and truthful marketing firms that won’t even bother with a shady, unknown product. Koeppel Direct for instance, has conducted effective marketing many pet-related manufacturers including PetSmart, Nature’s Recipe, Innotek, Science Diet, and Peticure. Likewise, there are many reputable marketing campaigns for useful, medically-sound health products. Ultimately, before you purchase any product or service package, you should do your researchâ€"not only on the product itselfâ€"but the manufacturer or seller behind the product as well. There are many sites online that house reviews (both positive and negative) as well as consumer reports too! 0

#1 Method to Find Companies - Weak Ties - Career Pivot

#1 Method to Find Companies - Weak Ties - Career Pivot Weak Ties In a previous post, 4 Methods to Find Companies Who Can Hire You, I discussed that weak ties can be a valuable resource in finding companies that may hire you. The concept of weak ties originally came from some research by Mark Granovetter from Johns Hopkins University. His paper, The Strength of Weak Ties, was published in 1973. The simplest explanation comes from the Changing Minds website which says: We have both friends and acquaintances. Our friends are often a part of a close-knit group who largely know one another. Our acquaintances are far less likely to know one another. In terms of connection with general society and staying in touch with what is going on in the wider world, the weak ties with our acquaintances are paradoxically much more important than the inwardly-focused conversations with our closer friends. Indeed, the information we discuss with our friends often comes from wider sources. In the familiarity of strong ties, we use simple restricted codes, where much is implicit and taken for granted. In communicating through the weak ties, we need more explicit elaborated codes for meaning to be fully communicated. When elaborating, we have more scope for creativity and the thought that it stimulates makes innovation more likely. The more weak ties we have, the more connected to the world we are and are more likely to receive important information about ideas, threats, and opportunities in time to respond to them. Our acquaintance’s networks and our own networks have a very small intersection. They know people we do not. This makes them very valuable during a career move. When you communicate with friends, i.e. strong ties, you tend to use a lot of implicit communication. They know you are unhappy in your job or out of work or having financial issuesâ€"there is no need to provide background information. When you communicate with acquaintances, i.e. weak ties, you need to be more explicit. You need to state exactly what you want and why. Listen to the most recent episode Finding Weak Ties This is where LinkedIn and other social networks are a tremendous resource. Build a list of people you have worked with over the last 20 years. Divide this list into two: People who worked in the same function as you (HR, Engineering, Programming, Sales, etc.) People who worked in a different function Find your weak ties using LinkedIn Advanced Search. You will navigate to the Advanced People Search page by clicking on “Advanced” at the top of the LinkedIn home page or click here to go directly to the LinkedIn Advanced People Search. Search using the Current Company or Past Company options found in the center column to help you locate weak ties. For people who worked in the same function as you, see who they are currently working for. Did they change functional areas? If they did, reach out and ask them how they did it. For people who worked in a different function, what company and industry are they working in now? Have they changed industries? If they did, ask them how they did it. Approaching Weak Ties In general, weak ties are easy to approachâ€"you once worked with them. Send them a personalized LinkedIn connection request that sounds something like this: Jim, We worked together at XYZ company in the mid-1990s. I am reaching out and reconnecting with former colleagues. If you are willing, I would like to schedule a short phone call with you to see how you are doing. In the meantime, please accept this invitation to connect. Marc Miller This is when you ask for AIR â€" Advice, Insights, and Recommendations. Ask them for advice in your job search. Do they like working at their current employer? Can they recommend other companies that you should research? Will they introduce you to anyone at their current company or at another company? I just had a client go through this process and find his next job. He was amazed by how many of his weak ties were delighted to hear from him. He was even more amazed by how many were willing to assist him in his job search. This greatly expanded his network and his visibility to companies and jobs. His weak ties proved to be invaluable. In my next post, I will go much deeper into how to use LinkedIn Advanced People Search to find people and target companies. Are you going to reconnect with your weak ties? Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...