Reputation

The purpose of selling is building profitable friendships. How do people feel about you? What do they say about you? You control this it's called reputation management. Decide now what you want them to say and feel about you 3-5 yrs. From now. Many of us have been taught to write our epitaph, the words we'd have on our tombstone. Why not do it for now? Write a paragraph of how you'd like them to be said for each of these areas of your life:

Extended Family members: Do they even know what you do for a living? Can they accurately describe it?

Friends: Do they know what you do?

Co-workers: Do they know and get what you do?

Customers:

Upper leadership:

Community:

Industry:

This will produce 7 little paragraphs that contain the response you'd like in each of these areas. Take them and summarize them in one about how you want the world to look and think about you.

First we need to create it. We need to earn it.
What are some of the elements that help earn it:

Credentials: the person you intend to become what credentials do you need, what can I do today to help obtain them.

Experience: Having been through situations develops my reputation.

Education: there will be education that is necessary to earn that reputation. Continuing path up where you'd like to be.

Skills: The more they increase the better.

Personal Appearance: The way you look is how the rest of the people determines who you are as a snapshot. Dress a little sharper than who you are meeting with. Builds credibility but you don't want to be overboard.

Connections: the more networked you are the better. Civic groups, chamber of commerce, etc....

Demeanor: How you carry yourself, your posture. How are you like when the heat's on, when things aren't going your way. People notice this stuff. We have to be able to look at our actions to grow and change. Become someone who can handle tough situations well. Become someone who can apologize easily, otherwise you carry that anchor with you.

Wealth: people will pay more attention to you if you are a mult-millionaire. Decide now to become wealthy. Easy to do as long as you keep on doing it.

Follow-through: are you known for being great at following through with what needs to be done.

Service: do you help others?

Attitude: what is your attitude towards the world, people, yourself? Be optimistic and excited about all of them. Find reasons to like. Explore the potentials.


Expand your reputation. Get known well. Get involved in your community. Send announcements when something new or good is happening to your network. Send newsclips. Speak up in different networking opportunities, sometimes people hearing us will draw them to us. Offer to do interviews and speaking engagements. People need to know what you do first. When you are involved in events get involved, don't just observe.

Start behaving today as the person you intend to become.

Create, expand, and manage your reputation.