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Ten Ways to Market Yourself in 2011

Guest post by: Jeff Beals

Article Overview: Whether you want more/bigger clients or a better career opportunity, make a commitment to market yourself ... here are 10 items to consider...

Ten Ways to Market Yourself in 2011

Here we are in the first month of a new year. This is one of those years where many professionals are feeling more optimistic than they were at this time 12 months ago.

That's refreshing. It's a much better feeling than we had at the beginning of 2010. But while the stock market has been rising, tax cuts have been extended and business is picking up, these are far from ideal times. High unemployment persists, and the economy still has a cautious, uncertain feeling to it.

Today's business environment remains somewhat perilous, but at the same time, there are great prospects for those who play their cards right. That's why it is so important for you to build your personal brand and create opportunities.

Whether you want more/bigger clients or a better career opportunity, make a commitment to market yourself in 2011. To get you started, here are 10 items to consider:

Live actively and focus externally - Be active and involved outside your home or office. Show up at networking events. Go out of your way to talk to people when you are in public venues. Remember that 75% of all jobs are never advertised and a similar percentage of big clients only come from relationship-building.

Determine what is most interesting - You need an "area of self-marketing expertise," something about your business or career that is fascinating to people outside your profession. Focus on this when you are networking or using social media.

Focus on results when networking - When you go to networking events, go in with a goal in mind. Sure, you should try to enjoy your conversations, but make it a mission to find a good lead or a golden opportunity.

Exploit social media - Don't just have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Make sure you post material that is interesting and not just inane personal stuff. Use social media to strengthen your reputation by building on your area of self-marketing expertise.

Make people feel important - When you are talking to someone, make him or her feel like the only person in the world who matters to you at that moment. This will help you develop advocates, people you can count on when you need help.

Build your "Google trail" - Rest assured, that people are Googling you on a regular basis. A prospective client will probably Google you to know who he or she is dealing with before meeting with you. That's why a Google trail is so important. If nothing or very little pops up when someone Google's you, there's a problem - they'll assume you don't have much going on. Therefore, Google your own name on a regular basis. If you're not very visible on line, deliberately get your name out there to build an Internet presence.

Ask probing questions - Don't just chit-chat and make small talk during networking conversations. Ask some questions designed to uncover the critical information that leads to new opportunities.

Refresh your elevator speech - Does your 20-second intro speech need updating? You need to be able to say what you do quickly, clearly and in a way that captures a person's interest.

Listen to your clients and colleagues - When we get too busy, it's easy to start making assumptions. Those assumptions can cause you to lose opportunities. Instead, ask the important questions and truly listen to the responses. Don't just go through the motions. Let the other person's words sink in and make an impression on your brain.

Never let up - When things are good, don't let complacency stop you from perpetually marketing yourself. When things are going poorly, don't let discouragement be an excuse for apathy.

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Article Tags: Google, Internet presence, Market, networking, personal brand, relationshipbuilding, selfmarketing, social media



Related Forum Posts
Re: Ideas For Business - Stas and lucy, Could you guys give us a recap of your entire business idea as it stands now. Seems like it morped a bit. Let us know: 1. Start date 2. Ways you will Market 3. What you will offer 4. How much will your charge for your offer
Merry Christmas everyone! - I'm just waiting for my son to wake up to start our Christmas traditions and I wanted to drop a quick note here to thank everyone for your support of the forums. We've have an exciting year and hopefully we can reach and help even more entrepreneurs in 2011! I hope you enjoy your families and have a fantastic holiday break... and then get ready to kick some butt with your business in 2011! Merry Christmas everyone!
Re: How should i promote a new website? - ignore this message IF it's already been stated. I haven't had a chance to read all the replies and i have to jet from the office... I suggest marketing where ever your Target Market congregates. If it's a forum of concerned parents - go there. Strike up a deal with the forum owner (JV) and have him promote it to the list of members (Integration Marketing). If you want to go with Forums then i would partner with a parent who is a frequent poster/moderator on a particular Target Market Forum and have him/her add your link to their signature. That was just a thought but it's not as intense once you get buy in from the Forum owner or high ranked poster/moderator. Hope that sparks some new ideas.
Re: Ideas For Business - Hello Lucy, you may consider this list for Ideas for Business: (Top 23 list) Rank Company 1 Google 2 Genentech 3 Wegmans Food Markets 4 Container Store 5 Whole Foods Market 6 Network Appliance 7 S.C. Johnson & Son 8 Boston Consulting Grp. 9 Methodist Hospital Sys. 10 W.L. Gore & Associates 11 Cisco Systems 12 David Weekley Homes 13 Nugget Market 14 Qualcomm 15 American Century Invest. 16 Starbucks Coffee 17 Quicken Loans 18 Station Casinos 19 Alston & Bird 20 QuikTrip 21 Griffin Hospital 22 Valero Energy 23 Vision Service Plan
Re: Do Women Play the Stock Market? - I also play Stock Market.....


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