Valerie & Company Blog

I just spoke for a large church’s unemployment ministry here in the Dallas area, which was one of the most insightful engagements I’ve had recently. Arriving early, I tried to meet as many of the people as possible. Looking around the room and talking with different ones, I was amazed at the diversity of age, experience, industry expertise and attitudes in that room. All of them came to hear the topic of Personal Branding: Differentiating Yourself for Greater Marketability.

These men and women gave their utmost attention, took notes and asked profound questions, all of which gave me such a sense of humility to be able to share in a short time at least some ideas they could implement immediately. Not only were they appreciative, but many have invited me to join them on LinkedIn. (That is one of the best business social media sites out there.)

Just after this talk, an article came out in the Dallas Business Journal I’d like to share. Pay attention to this information polled from 1407 responses when asked “What is the most common mistake job applicants make?” The information is important for all of us who are working on building a stronger personal brand and professional presence, internally or externally.

(Excerpts from the February 26-March 4, 2010 Dallas Business Journal)

• Applicants show up with mind and body but not passion and spirit.
• Not doing homework. Not enough preparation regarding the people to meet, company information, role expectations, etc.
• Failure to bring a pen (or bringing a plastic one!).
• Unprofessional business etiquette – arriving late, too much cologne, inappropriate clothing, overconfidence, not taking notes, wimpy handshake. Little things DO count!

Now for the stats:

28% had poor spelling or grammar
27% had weak verbal communication skills
22% were not qualified for the job
12% lacked confidence
9% wore inappropriate dress
3% other

So what’s the learning? Pay attention to the derailers that may seem unimportant to you, but are sending the message that you are not professionally prepared. There are lots of books on all this – read up and revv up for your next business opportunity.

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http://www.valerieandcompany.com/valeries-voice.html

Valerie

A writer once charged an executive $300 for writing a letter to stockholders about a rather complex situation. “But it took you less than an hour to write the letter. Why are you charging me so much?” asked the executive.

“It did, indeed, take only about 45 minutes to write your letter,” the writer replied, “but it’s taken me 20 years to learn how to write an effective business letter that quickly.”

Legendary Automaker Henry Ford once asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build some generators for his factory. One day the generators ground to a halt, and the repairmen couldn’t find the problem, so Ford called Steinmetz, who tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life—and soon Ford got a bill for $10,000 from Steinmetz. Flabbergasted, the tightfisted car maker inquired why the bill was so high. 

Steinmetz’s reply: “For tinkering with the generators, $10. For knowing where to tinker, $9,990.” Ford paid the bill.

I invite you to sign up for our newsletter and read more articles like this.

http://www.valerieandcompany.com/valeries-voice.html

Valerie

Branding is not just for products anymore. YOU are a brand.

Personal branding has become a MUST, not a maybe, if you want to progress in your career or transition into another one, build your own business, add value to your company and stand out from your peers and competition. Personal branding shows your uniqueness, your value, your goals… it’s the reason people choose you above your competition.

Five Key Things You Will Have Accomplished by the End of the Session

1. Understand your unique promise of value
2. Identify your personal attributes
3. Understand the VP’s of Brand You
4. Learn ways to “stand out” and be outstanding!
5. Learn the value of Social Networking

If you are serious about your career and are ready to proactively manage it then this program is for you! Join me for an interactive 60-minute webinar.

Free Webinar: Stand Out by Building Your Brand
- How to Brand Yourself to Success!
Presented by Valerie Sokolosky
Date: Thursday, September 17, 2009
Time: 2pm ET

Click here to register.

Hope to see you on the call!

Valerie

If you haven’t noticed, we live in a society of letters…no, not snailmail…letters…like PhD, MBA, NCAA and a plethora of others. But, some letters are better than others and, in some cases, if we didn’t have the letters, we’d be doing a lot more writing or typing. But, the letters that distress me the most are NIMBY and NMP. NIMBY, if you don’t already know, stands for “Not in My Backyard.” A brand new big box store is welcome in the area, as long as it isn’t situated too close to YOUR home. YOU want a safe place for the homeless in our community to find shelter – but NIMBY. You get the picture?

So, what about NMP? NMP means Not My Problem. When you go to the drug store and the pharmacist tells you she is out of the medication your doctor just prescribed, you listen sympathetically but deep down inside, you want to scream, “Not My Problem! Just find me the darn lotion before I itch to death!” When the computer repair person explains why the appointment was missed – because one technician is on maternity leave and another is sick with the flu, you find yourself screaming (albeit inaudibly), “Not My Problem!”

What should these people be saying? It’s really simple. They offer solutions. The drug store is out of medication you need, but the pharmacist can order it and it’ll be here tomorrow…or you can drive five miles and get it at another drug store in the chain. The computer technician who’s working short-handed should give you his or her estimated time of arrival to take a look at your system. Who cares who’s out for what reason. But, any time a vendor of any type service makes an excuse before offering a solution, they deserve an irate customer shouting, “Not My Problem!”

Drat those letters!

Valerie

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http://www.valerieandcompany.com/valeries-voice.html

The other day I picked up a management that featured a quiz on business “protocol power.”

A glance told me that the test was mostly about etiquette. Since I had learned which fork to use back in the sixth grade, I wasn’t too worried. I gave the magazine to a friend.

“Are you trying to give me a nervous breakdown?” asked Dallas stockbroker John Curtis a few days later. “Was that magazine quiz a hint or something?”

I didn’t know what he was talking about. I thought he might enjoy the magazine’s story on vintage cars. And why was he so worried about manners? He had good manners.

But Mr. Curtis said he wasn’t so sure about his business manners. The test was an eye-opener, he said. He’d missed a lot of the answers
Read more here:

http://www.valerieandcompany.com/market-press/etiquette-for-power.html

Within days after his death, Michael Jackson tunes took the top nine places on Billboard’s Top 100 List. Retailers sold out of his CDs and his videos were in high demand. Even in death, the power of his mega-brand was very much in evidence.

However bizarre we might consider this entertainer, what lessons can we learn from Michael Jackson and his brand?

Here are a few:

• Jackson took time and care in establishing the power behind his brand. He wasn’t in a hurry – so it took 40 years or so.
• With few exceptions, every Michael Jackson product reached for – and achieved — the next level of excellence.
• The singer’s popularity and appeal as a performer was leveraged among several generations of consumers.
• Each Michael Jackson product (tours, television performances, music videos and video games) carried consistent elements, i.e., one spangled glove, white socks, military jackets and his signature dance moves. 
• To reinforce his brand, Jackson took creative risks to remain on the cutting edge of his industry.
• He crafted a style that was unique in an industry of look-alikes.

Of course, Michael Jackson’s branding wasn’t without its dings and dents over the years, but – for the most part – even the most bizarre behaviors and lawsuits didn’t extinguish the passion of his fans…or the appeal of his music across the generations.

Read more about branding here:

http://www.valerieandcompany.com/personal-branding/strategic-personal-branding-and-you.html

There is nothing usual about how we are doing business today is there.

I had a speaking engagement on this topic and would like to share a brief video clip of this with you. View it here:

http://www.valerieandcompany.com/speaking/

If you could do anything you wanted to do today? Maybe read a good book, catch up on interesting information still in your “read later” file, cook,  grab a game of golf, visit a friend or make personal calls just to say hello. Who’s got time to do that? Not me. Or do you?

Just for grins, I looked at my calendar recently and saw how few times I had done personal “for me” things this past year. Oh, there were lots in things scheduled that was doing for others and that made me smile. But my body and mind had not been refreshed and I was sensing the stress.

So last week I took an extra hour at lunch one day (granted, I own my business and can do that) and went to the mall just to look around. Yes…just to look around. I learned this from my daughter who window shopped for a break from a heavy exam week in college). I didn’t need anything, but thought it would be nice to simply check out the trends. (Believe me when I tell you I wasn’t even tempted!)

Well, it was, in fact, a refresher. In fact, I admitted my get away to my husband and on his day off, he decided to tinker in his workshop area instead of typically using the day to run errands. He, too, admitted it was a nice feeling to just do what he wanted to do.

So what’s the point? It’s simply to remind you that perhaps time passes without those refreshment hours that physically and mentally renew your human need for relaxation and mindless activity. Just in case you can’t take a block of time for refreshment, here’s a few tips anyone can do while at work.

1. Listen to quiet music or your favorite song
2. Take a walk outside if possible – but take a walk!
3.  Close the door or put your head down on the desk, close your eyes and remember a wonderful memory. Relive that memory for a few minutes. One client said he has a toy train on his shelf from a memory of he and his dad playing with a train set as a child. When he needs to de-stress, he focuses on that little toy train and is flooded with joyous memories from his childhood. I take time to look at family pictures on my desk and can’t help but smile thinking of memories. And those times when I’ve had a difficult day feeling like I’ve not accomplished what I intended, it helps to reflect on successes shown visually by plaques on the wall denoting those times I’ve over delivered and been recognized for that.
4. Stretch – here’s an easy one.  At a door frame put your arm up 90 degrees and turn your body in the opposite direction. This relieves tension that is bound to happen if you’ve been sitting at a computer for any long period of time.
5.  Last – but not least – never eat at your desk. You may be overeating without realizing it. Extra pounds only add to the stress dilemma.

Take care of YOU.  That’s one thing you can control.

Valerie

http://www.valerieandcompany.com/

The strongest personal brands in the world have a few things in common: they are clear about what makes them unique; they consistently communicate to their target audiences; and they ensure that everything that surrounds them sends the same on-brand message.

Want to see how you measure up? I offer a  personal branding quiz to assess the current strength of your brand.  You can access it here:

http://www.valerieandcompany.com/branding-quiz/

Valerie

You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating: many of us may have taken courses in speech or public speaking – in high school, college or in our professional lives.  But none of us – or a rare few – have ever studied listening.  So, here are five quick tips to improve the quality of your listening skills:

• Be present – and that means stop talking or thinking about your gym workout after work.
• Listen empathetically – that means put yourself in the other person’s situation. Are they trying to move ahead on a project and need your help? Are they on deadline and need a quick answer? Are they trying to work in the aftermath of a messy break-up?  Do they just need someone to listen?
• Send signals that you ARE listening. This means nodding your head when you get it. It also means maintaining eye contact (but this doesn’t mean staring a hole in their forehead). It also means, periodically, interpreting what you think you’ve heard.
• If someone makes an appointment to speak with you, give them your full attention. Don’t multi-task! Don’t take calls. Don’t try to eat lunch while they’re speaking.
• Finally, be aware of your weaknesses as a listener. If you don’t know, ask your friends – and they’ll tell you. Then, begin working to strengthen these weak spots in your listening skills…and practice every chance you get.

Valerie

I invite you to visit my site and read more articles and tips.

http://www.valerieandcompany.com/