No fooling, being vulnerable has value. Author Brené Brown has proven that vulnerability can transform relationships, including those between customers and business owners. Being transparent is the new customer service, but do not confuse transparency for intimacy. There is a line between being vulnerable and oversharing.

Transparency should feel like a warm hug that lets others know you understand, you have been there. You may even be there at the current moment. Transparency should not feel icky, awkward, and uncomfortable. Some things are or the therapist’s couch, not your content.

Do Not Confuse Transparency for Intimacy

When creating compelling content, it is crucial to know the line between transparency and intimacy. Here are a few do’s and don’ts that will help you create compelling content that does not undermine your authority or make people feel weird.

Do: Do share authentic stories and current topics that are meaningful. Even if the subject is challenging, it...

One of the most critical skills a marketer must have is creating a tribe that knows, likes and trust them. Being able to rally people who have a common need, common goal, or shared interest builds a network of people who want to buy.

As your business grows, you have the opportunity and the duty to engage and deliver. Not only your goods and services but access to you as the leader and producer of the goods and services you provide.

Building a Tribe of People Who Know, Like, and Trust You

In most cases, people buy from people they know and trust. Much of sales are referrals and personal connections. People like to do business with the people they like. Unless your agency is so big, it doesn’t rely on advertising or marketing. It would be best if you made items feel personal to outshine the marketplace.

Here are the critical aspects of building a tribe that knows, likes, and trusts you:

• Be valuable
• Be credible
• Be generous
• Be accessible
• Be genuine
• Be Consistent

Creating a tribe takes time. It’s a lot like farming. You plant seeds, then water and fertilize them. They sprout, and with loving care, grow into healthy plants with root systems.

Your content is like seeds, water, and fertilizer. Compelling content raises great followers who are eager each time you offer them something new to consume.

Like farming, growing a loyal following is part tried-and-true practices and part artful experience with the unique soil you grow in. It takes a balance of trade secrets and personal experiences to raise a loyal following.

Here are some great tips for growing a loyal following:

Give things away- In a world where everyone is selling, give something away. Comedian Michael Jr. gave a Ted talk where he shared the value of giving a laugh rather than getting a laugh.

Getting a laugh focuses on getting something from the audience, whereas giving them a laugh focuses on giving something to the audience. When his intention shifted, his comedy,...

Our whole childhoods we were told to never speak to strangers. Then as we grow up, we discover that we need to do just that, again and again. A few strangers are easier to talk to than others, like a shop clerk or server in a restaurant.

Others are often more complicated, like strangers you meet in social situations or business meetings. These are strangers who have the potential to be future friends, coworkers, bosses, and clients. These are strangers who matter to you. To some women, meeting these types of strangers can be very daunting.

How do women get past the initial trepidation and talk to strangers?

• Dive in the Deep-End

When you always have someone to fall back on, you will never truly take the plunge. Go to new places alone, so you are not tempted to stick with who you already know.

• Make the First Move

If you are going to wait around expecting to get noticed, you may possibly have a very long wait. Be courageous! Start a discussion! Get up and join the fun ...

There is nothing worse than feeling alone when you are facing tough stuff. Isolation and alienation bring on shame and suffering that can lead to depression and hopelessness. In the modern age, people turn to Google to see if anyone out there has a solution.

Be that Person Who You Needed When You Looked for Compelling Content

If you suffered a severe setback pre-Google era, you might have weathered the storm enough to know that you do get through to the other side, but boy was it hard! What you would not give to have had someone there to guide you when you needed them most.

Thankfully, many bloggers, communities, non-profits, and organizations exist simply because they had an issue, saw a need, and filled it. In essence, they became the person they needed when they were in crisis.

You can do this too.

Creating content that compels people comes from a place of having been there too. Being able to go back in time to the feelings, thoughts, roadblocks, and traps th...

People learn and take in information in numerous ways. While some people love reading, others would rather listen. Some enjoy seeing things via illustrations, while others want a personal experience to feel something before they truly understand them.

The classic four learning styles are:

• Audio
• Kinesthetic
• Verbal
• Visual

Generating compelling content works best when you find a way to say the same thing in many ways, appealing to each learning style. Sending a message through various channels makes it easier to reach all types of learners and easier to put out additional content with less effort.

An advertising rule called the Seven Times Factor describes how viewers need to see an ad seven times before truly observing it. People need to observe a message more than seven times to remember it. This means you need to adopt the value of saying the same thing in several approaches.

You can use the same compelling content again and again.

You may well feel like a brok...

Marketing is the meat and potatoes of sales. It is the springboard for sales conversations and engaging your audience. Building a tribe that wants to buy from you is a beautiful thing, but there are times when having an eager tribe can be a bit overwhelming.

As the age-old saying goes, if you are not careful, your tribe can have you stepping and fetching. One critical skill set that marketers need is setting healthy boundaries that protect your worth and value.

Setting Boundaries That Protect Your Worth and Value

If you are new to the business, it can seem rewarding and a bit exciting to have customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders in your company wanting to connect. You might love engaging people and connecting one on one.

Your sales might require essential conversations, and customer service is always top of mind. As things grow, some snares can cause some problems in sales and deal with customers and clients.

Consider this:

Some people always want to negotiate p...

Marketers use a lot of skill sets to convey important information to their customers. Concisely explaining the benefits of goods and services is vital for sales and building relationships with your target audience.

The Power of Persuasion - Choose Your Words Wisely

What to say, how you say it, and why are essential things to pay attention to during all communications. In many cases, marketers only have a small window to grab a customer’s attention and get them to take action.

One of the critical skills marketers must master is the power of persuasion. How you say things are essential. Choosing the right words, phrases, and delivery can set marketers up for great success.

Here are three tips for choosing your words wisely:

Tip: Choose leadership language- Leadership language shows you are an expert. Leadership language, phrases, and directives set you up as the best person to buy goods and services from in your niche.

Make sure your marketing materials highlight you...

Why is it so tough to talk with people?

You must be able to communicate to succeed in any business and make money.  Oddly enough, we are constantly communicating. But living in an era of direct messages, emails, texts, and tweets, it is becoming harder and harder to talk to one another. The heartbreaking thing is a conversation is an art form that is necessary more now than ever.

To get ahead, whether in business or your personal life, you must know how to communicate with people using something more than content on a screen. If making conversation is intimidates you, then use these tips to master the art of talking. 

4 Tricks for Talking to Anyone

1. Ask Thought-Provoking Questions

Instead of asking questions that can be responded to with ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ try raising questions necessitating more complicated answers. For example, if you are in a networking situation, learn something about the people you will meet. Asking specifically about a project they are working on will ...

Speaking in public brings the heebie-jeebies to lots of women. Nearly 75% of all people suffer from speech anxiety (glossophobia). It is nerve-wracking, sweat-breaking, butterflies-in-the-stomach kind of panic. And it does not necessarily have to be before an audience of a hundred people. It could be that you are pitching an idea to three or four of your colleagues at a team meeting at work.

Public speaking terrifies us all because we worry about what people will think of us, which makes our brains freeze in panic. In turn, panic shuts down the rational part of our brain (the frontal lobe) responsible for our organizing, planning, thinking, and word production. Then chaos ensues.

But you can conquer glossophobia. Public speaking really does not have to be scary. It could be a lot of fun taking part in a wonderful experience, meeting new people, and learning new things. To make sure you and your listeners enjoy your next public speaking event, try these simple tips.

1. Know y
...