| So you want your network to take you seriously and | | | | that has little to say or contribute. If you want to be |
| take action on your message! You want what? You, | | | | recognized you must put yourself out there. Do not be |
| want a response out of your network! What makes | | | | a spectator. Conversations are not spectator sports. |
| you think that you deserve a response from your | | | | Quality Happens When You Are Able to Make a Point |
| network? | | | | and Support It With Facts |
| There are a lot of people on the Internet that feel that | | | | Quite often I will read things that are technically untrue |
| simply having a lot of connections, friends, and | | | | or off base. If your disagreement is over a matter of |
| followers; means they should be able to get lots of | | | | opinion; that is a whole different story and must be |
| action. The reality is that it just does not work that | | | | addressed with a totally different approach. |
| way. | | | | If you are involved in conversations or when you get |
| Overwhelming action happens because of | | | | involved you will find situations where there are |
| overwhelming: | | | | technical inaccuracies. As you respond remember that |
| | | | you are addressing the comment and not the individual. |
| 1. Honesty. | | | | There is no faster way to destroy your credibility and |
| 2. Credibility. | | | | trustworthiness than by attacking someone. |
| 3. Trust. | | | | You Must Demonstrate Your Expertise |
| 4. Compelling messages. | | | | Your conversations must demonstrate your expertise. |
| This article focuses on the last point: Compelling | | | | Do not go out bragging that you are THE expert or |
| Messages. | | | | even an expert, that is just positioning yourself for |
| Compelling Messages Come from Great | | | | failure. What you must demonstrate is your expertise |
| Conversations | | | | and that you have valuable information that you are |
| Your compelling message will originate from having | | | | willing to share. When someone advertises themselves |
| great conversations. These may be conversations that | | | | as THE expert; they put a big target on their back. DO |
| you initiate or those that you join. It really does not | | | | NOT DO IT! |
| matter. You must be having quality conversations with | | | | Getting the Response You Desire |
| your audience. If there is no quality your efforts are | | | | When you add quality and start the process of |
| wasted and you will get nowhere! | | | | establishing your expertise you move to the point of |
| Quality Happens When You Add Value to the | | | | creating your honesty, credibility, trust, and brand. |
| Conversations | | | | These are the necessary ingredients to start the |
| When you participate make sure that your contribution | | | | response process. |
| has value and adds to the conversation. Do not go out | | | | As you can see these are not instantaneous results. |
| and post a one or two line entry and think that is a | | | | They take work, effort, and most of all consistency. |
| contribution. In some cases that may be the case, but | | | | Your audience does not want to see you today and |
| you cannot do that all the time and think you are doing | | | | then not see you for weeks or months. That process |
| something great and building your reputation. | | | | will destroy all that you are working to accomplish. |
| Your contributions must be relevant, helpful, and | | | | You can find all kinds of promises to build your Twitter |
| information packed. There is no holding back in this | | | | following to 10,000 in one month or other outlandish |
| process. | | | | schemes. Unless you have something to back it up; so |
| You Do Not Want a Reputation of Someone with | | | | when people visit your web page, blog, or read your |
| Little To Say | | | | articles the numbers mean nothing. |
| No, you are building a reputation: it is one of someone | | | | |