You are RICH!
You have something in your possession, something that’s incredibly valuable.
You can make a million dollars with it and reach and impact people all over the world.
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Your most valuable possession is YOUR NAME.
Dale Carnegie said it first, and now I’m reminding you of his wise words. Unfortunately, many of us overlook the power of our names.
I remember when I started working for myself, I underestimated how much value was attached to my name. But if you actually spend time building your name and becoming an authentic authority, you can yield SO MANY results later down the road in your life.
Generally, it’s wildly underrated how much you can achieve with the value of your name. That applies whether you’re a student or adult, working offline or online.
No matter your current position, you have a personal brand. I will give you 4 tips that you can use to start building your name today and increase the value of your personal brand from scratch, without a budget, website, network, or offer in place.
Tip #1: Use free platforms to distinguish yourself
If I could start over again at university, I would spend my time a little differently. When I studied, I was always working and rarely partying.
Although my choices back then have led me to where I’m today, I’m still looking back and thinking I wasted a lot of opportunities by not connecting better and more with my fellow students.
On the one hand, I was so insecure back then, overwhelmed with the number of people, and on the other hand, I was so busy working.
If I could go back, I would connect more with the other students. I would go and talk to more of my peers in class and sit next to different people instead of always sitting next to the same people.
This might apply to you right now if you’re working at a big company or attending a party or an event. Make connections everywhere you go, and make sure you consolidate those connections by adding these people to your Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Don’t use Facebook and Instagram to lurk and spy on other people, but use these free platforms to put your name and your brand, out there to distinguish yourself.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a service or a business. You have your name, remember? You are unique and the way your brain works is unique too, and I want you to tell people about it.
People are paying more attention to you than you think. For instance, for every Like on Facebook, there are probably 20 people who saw it and didn’t engage, BUT they paid attention and saw what you were up to.
RECAP: use these free platforms to your advantage and build a name. Don’t share every meal you eat, but share the interesting parts of your brain. If you like politics, share. If you like an article, share it. Be opinionated, share your musings and share some snaps of your lifestyle.
Tip #2: Network like your life depends on it
Networking tends to have a sleazy reputation, but what I mean by networking is sincere, honest conversation and connection.
During class, at events, at parties, or whatever get-together you attend, connect with people. Network to build real connections with people you genuinely care about.
For instance, if you’re attending an event, connect with the speakers, try to engage with them, and reach out to them afterward through any social platforms you use.
Thank people for their valuable insights or good performance, genuinely thank the speaker if you liked their talk. Not many people will do that, so if YOU do it, I tell you, it will stay with the speakers. They WILL remember YOU.
If, later down the road, you need a speaker or connection you have met in the past, you can reach out to them. They will see that you already reached out with honest and sincere appreciation in the past without expecting anything in return.
A good book on real networking is Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. This is one of my favorite books on this topic. I have included a link for you right here to check it out.
To sum up, connect with others without needing anything, be sincere and show appreciation. Humans need appreciation, and that applies to team members, kids, partners and basically any living, breathing human being. We all need and value positive feedback.
Maybe you're also interested in this: 10 Lessons From our $790,000 Launch
Tip #3: Remember people’s names and important details
Maybe now you’re thinking, “Oh, but Amy, I’m so bad at remembering names.”
Alright, I get that, but then you need to find a way that WILL help you remember names.
A good trick is this: repeat the name when someone is introducing themselves to you. If you don’t hear their name straight away, ask it again. No one minds that you ask to get their name right. If it helps you, ask how to spell it.
When you got the name right, write it down. Gather other details, too, and write down facts if they share something about themselves, for instance, about their spouse, company, kids, childhood, and so on. It can be anything.
Often we think we only need to create a contact in our phones for someone’s number, but we should be using contact cards for so much more, like storing people's details.
Keep track of your connections in your contacts, add the name with a description of where you met that contact, and don’t forget to add any essential facts that will come in handy later on.
You think you will remember all of these things, but you won't. So write them down!
Needless to say, be sincere and don’t even think about using this information to manipulate people. Use it to practice your mind, networking, and soft skills.
Definitely check out another favorite book of mine on this topic; How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. You can find it here.
Tip #4: Be of value to people
Even if you don’t have a service or business set up (yet) ,offer your help.
Be of value to people; be of service. Offer your time and attention wherever you can.
For instance, if you have time left and want to build your personal brand, but you aren't looking yet to start your own business, go volunteer, attend free lectures, and try to connect with as many people as possible.
For example, I love what happens in the Discovery Channel series Undercover Billionaire. In the series, we follow several billionaires going undercover to build a million-dollar business from scratch in just 90 days.
From the moment the project starts, the undercover billionaires connect with every person in the street and in the store.
Because remember, your network is your net worth.
When you’re of service and genuinely want to help people, you will discover that there are so many opportunities lying at your feet. Jump on those opportunities when they present themselves.
You always have something of value to offer, and that’s YOU.
You’re unique, and you’re worthy. Show the world your uniqueness and always be of value.
Don’t act from your ego, but act to make an impact. If you do that, the rest will follow, and you have a chance at becoming wildly successful.
Watch this episode on YouTube or listen via iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and search for episode 80 of The FastForwardAmy Show.
P.S. Monday, June 14th at 5 PM I’m hosting a FREE online webinar: Design Your Online Business. There are only 500 live seats available (and there's no replay!) so register now via www.fastforwardamy.com/designobw!
I can almost hear you thinking… ‘Should I attend this webinar?’
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- Are you starting a new online business and do you want to make the right decisions from the get-go? Then the answer is also YES!
The best time to start your online business was two years ago… The second best time to start your online business is NOW! Seize this opportunity and take action by registering for my live online Design Your Online Business webinar worth €199, now for FREE! Grab your spot at www.fastforwardamy.com/designobw!
We do not take any responsibility for the financial decisions or any other business-related decisions made by listeners/businesses based on our podcast content. Every business has its own specifics, which we cannot take into account in this podcast.
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