RE:THINK

Dan Schawbel has recently finished his book “Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success”

Given the title of the book, I wanted to explain what this means for YOU 2.0.

We have all heard of Web 2.0, and we all know the 2.0 stands for the 2nd version of the web right?  WRONG.  This is part of the story, but the interesting thing to know is that the 2.0 also means there are now 2 people in the conversation.  Web 1.0 was all about direct advertising, and pushing messages at you with little engagement or consultation.  As consumers, we now demand more than this, we want to be engaged, involved, listened to, and asked of our opinion.  Web 2.0 is all about the online tools that allow for this interaction - like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and blogging!  Media now needs to engage others, and involve them in the conversation…if you doubt this, just spend a moment to reflect on Barack Obama’s recent successful Presidential Campaign!

So what does this mean for YOU 2.0?

Not only does the media need to reflect the values of Web 2.0, but so too does your personal brand!  Like any successful web 2.0 and Social Media campaign, you should be considering how your personal brand delivers on the four essential stages of the 2.0 world!

1.  LISTENING - what are your target audience talking about, and what are they demanding from your personal brand.  Do they need you to be available or knowledgeable or to simply respond when they ask a question…either way, you need to be listening to you target audience (this is difficult if you do not know who you target audience is!)

2.  TALKING - do you encourage conversation about your skills, talents, products or services..what are you selling?  How do you encourage this conversation.  Do you take 2 or 3 customers to lunch on a monthly basis, do you introduce your network to one another?  You know your personal brand is powerful when others do the selling for you!

3.  INVOLVING - when was the last time you asked a customer or prospect for feedback on your services and your brand attributes?  When was the last time you asked friends or colleagues to explain you in 3 words or less.  If you ask for this feedback, be sure to thank them for it, and then demonstrate how you have taken this feedback on board.

4.  SUPPORTING - you know your personal brand is super effective when your prospects and customers are now solving one another’s problems, and speaking to one another about your services in a positive light!

5.  ENGAGING - the final stage in the YOU 2.0 process is the engagement of your target audience in the process of product and strategy development.  Who developed your last product or service..your customers or you?

So, how are you going to start listening to your target audience?  Think about these 5 steps and how you can integrate them into you business or life.  You can be assured that by following these 5 steps, you will find your personal brand will engage others, and draw them to you.

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Lost your job lately?

Even if you have not, it is not too late (or early!) to be following these tips…

And remember, it is a good time to RE:THINK your future.

1. Get a Gym Membership! If you already have a gym membership, get yourself along to the gym the very next day! This is important for many reasons including; it helps you establish a routine (which is CRITICAL during stressful times), exercise makes you feel better, exercise makes you healthier, it is another environment to meet people and network!

2. Revisit your contact list! Download your list of contacts from your email client, or take out your business cards and work through them. Discard those who you think are worth discarding, and then make contact with everyone else either through email or a written note to say. “Hi, I have recently left ABC Pty Ltd, and I wanted to get back in touch to let you know of what I have been up to” Give them a run down of your skills and achievements and what you would like to do next!

3. Update your resume - NOW You should have already been doing this, but if not, then get to it. This will serve many purposes, but most importantly it will force you to think about your skills and experiences, and commit you to writing them down. If you have not had a resume for some time, I would recommend you get a resume professional like Meg Guiseppi.to help you out. A well written resume can make a big difference.

4. Get online You should at least set up a profile on LinkedIn, and consider other sites like Facebook, VisualCV, Tasty Nectar and many other social networking sites that will help you meet new people, and communicate your skills and talents to a wider audience in the search for your next opportunity. For those a little more ‘technically inclined‘ I would most DEFINITELY recommend starting a blog and writing about your passions and interest. It will act like therapy (writing can be calming) and will introduce you to a whole new world of opportunity (I guarantee).

5. READ - now is a great time to read all those books piling up on your bedside table. Visit www.amazon.com or the like and search for the recommended reading under subject areas that interest you. Seek out the best blogs and websites on these subjects and take time each day to read them, stay informed and LEARN!

6. Get invited - seek out some interesting events, and get on th einvite list. Even if they cost good money, these events can be invaluable for meeting new people, starting new relationships, and improving your confidence. The longer you spend away from social situations, the more uncomfortable you will become - so stay social!

7. Be Grateful - self help and personal development guru’s like Bob Proctor or Jack Canfield of the Secret talk all about ‘The Attitude of Gratitude” and how it can change your life (here is a good post on the 5 ways to develop and attitude of gratitude! Be grateful for the great skills you have developed and for those dearest to you like your family and friends. Be grateful for your good health!

8. Take some time out and work on #1 Don’t rush into your next opportunity (unless you have to). You may be surprised how easy it is to simplify your life, get rid of some unnecessary expenses, and afford to take little time out to ’smell the roses’ If your past role took a lot out of you, then it would be a good idea to recharge your batteries and take some time to get to know yourself. This would be a great time to work on DEFINING your Personal Brand, and working out what it is that excites you, and what is unique about you - do you have a Personal Value Proposition?

Notice I did not mention getting yourself in to your nearest search consultant? This is not that I do not think they can do great work, it is just that this post is about the BEST things to do, and right now, search consultancies may not have too many jobs on offer…your next career step is up to YOU..it is time for YOU 2.0 - reinvented!

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