At the beginning of 2013 I was invited to participate in an awesome group created by my friends Gina Carr and Terry Brock. The group name fascinated me. It is called Klout Matters:How to Raise Your Klout Score Book Group #KloutMatters. I am always open to learning new things and adding value to my clients. I had heard of KLOUT before but was not fully versed on it. I can not tell you how much I have enjoyed being a part of Gina and Terry’s group! I not only learned what KLOUT was all about I learned how important it is in today’s business world. Businesses are now using KLOUT to determine if they will hire someone for a position in their company and consumers are using KLOUT to determine if they will hire companies for the services they need. It is like doing a background check but for free. Modern technology sure has come a long way!
Terry and Gina’s group also provided me a way to connect to and with like minded people. One of the people I was blessed to meet was a lady named Lois Creamer. Lois works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money ,and avoid costly mistakes! Who would not want to work with her?
In one of our discussion in the KLOUT group Lois shared with us the importance of words and their meaning. The example she used was the word HELP. Help is something someone associates with volunteering. That struck a cord with me because my positioning statement was (and if you notice I use the word WAS):
“I help Authors and Speakers get more publicity to sell their books and products”
When I read what Lois wrote it bothered me for a few hours and I then decided to do what most would not do…I reached out to Lois to see if she could work with me to fix my statement. In my business I work with high end authors and speakers ,who count on me to get them noticed in the publicity world. I in no way wanted to be the cause of one of my clients not landing on the platform that they desired. My action plan was to contact Lois and make some changes!
Lois responded to me and we discussed how important the words we use impact the things we do in business. She conveyed to me that “Help” is a very benign word, not a money word. “Work” is a money word! It was like the preverbal light bulb went off in my head. I want to attract money to my clients and myself. How do we get money? We work for it. We don’t help with it! So here is my new “Positioning Statement” and the one I will be changing on all my platforms.
“We work with authors and speakers who want to get more publicity to sell their books and products.”
Once I read the statement back to myself I had that same feeling you get when the new outfit you purchased fits you perfectly and you know you look fabulous in it! Well I love my new “Positioning Statement” and I love the way it makes me feel when I wear it out I public. I feel like a million bucks!
For those of you who have tried on many “Positioning Statements” but have not been able to find the one you wear well I strongly suggest that you connect with Lois. Lois will work with you to find the perfect statement that makes you feel and look like a million bucks too!
I have not only increased my KLOUT score but I have built many relationships I would have not made had I not been open to learn something new. Everyday is a new day for us to grow ourselves and our businesses. Everyday is another day to not only invest in ourselves but in the lives of others that we can all make a difference in.
By keeping track of my KLOUT it has planted seeds of accountability in my learning model of achievement. I make sure to post quality content, engage with others, market my brand, and I do all of this by being authentic and aware of my clients needs.
I always stress to my clients that opportunity often does not come in the package that is presented to us. Opportunity often comes plentiful in our ability to unwrap the opportunity and fully appreciate all it has to offer. Make sure when you take the beautiful bow off your package that you look for the invisible lining. When we change the way we look at things the things we look at begin to change.
Gina Carr and Terry Brock have recently written a new book called “KLOUT Matters”. Make sure you check it out! And my new friend Lois has written an awesome blog post called- Do You Have A Positioning Statement? Get One! these are two valuable resources that will lead you on your journey to success and as I always say,” One step closer to living your Dream”.
Michelle Colon-Johnson
Great post, Michelle!!! You’ve got me thinking about my positioning statement now. Hmmmm…it currently begins with “I help others…” Back to the drawing board. Thanks for the hep 🙂
I know you will come up with the Positioning Statement that will knock the socks off of people , Linda! I mean look at the name of your book! To think I was just moments away from it being my title! The Law Of Attraction Is B.S. !! Brilliant!
Thanks for making my day with your generous comments Michelle! I am so glad that my words were valuable to you. I think you have a kick-butt statement that will serve you well! I too have gotten a lot out of being a part of Gina and Terry’s group. I’m recommending their book to my clients! Of course another benefit of the group has been connecting with you!
Awww Thanks, Lois! I feel the same about you. I could not keep you to myself! I had to share your knowledge! It truly is powerful! I will be doing the book PR work for Gina and Terry so I want to make sure that I am Positioned to Position them. “The joy in the journey come from the sharing for purpose filled paths were not meant to be traveled alone.” – Thanks for joining me on my journey! BIG Hugs! Now I know my job is to get all my platforms changed so I will have it done by this weekend! 😀
Hi Michelle,
Nice post! Thanks for sharing.
Your post makes much sense. I now see that “help” is a benign word for businesses. My own elevator pitch includes “I help businesses”. I will change my statement to “I work with businesses”, there is such.a difference here.
This is my first visit to your blog and I have enjoyed it!
Regards,
Craig
Welcome to my Blog ,Craig! I hope it is not your last visit! I am also glad you enjoyed the post! I can see my Lois smiling now– knowing that she has helped so many people! Have a Magical evening! -EM
Fabulous article, Michelle! I’m so glad that you have found value in our group! Yes, Lois Creamer is a magnificent human being. She has HELPED me so much in my career. 🙂
She helped me craft my positioning statement: I work with thought leaders and CEOs who want to leverage social media for more profits, influence, and success. I love mine, too.
Lois is brilliant at helping speakers get clear about what they do, who their best clients are, and how to get hired.
So glad to know that two of my favorite people in the world are now new buds! The world is indeed a better place because of the two of you!
Gina, and my world is a better place because of you! Now lets go rock the sales of your new book! So proud of you and proud to call you friend and that you trust me with a part of your dream!
Absolutely!
If folks are interested in joining our group, they can request to join at http://RaiseYourKloutScore.com.
Dear Michelle,
I agree with your insights. I do believe that “Help” is different from “Work”. Help is transformational word that does not expect. When you help someone, you do not take anything in exchange. Whereas when you work with someone, you expect something in return. Whether you work for someone or work with someone, you have expectation. And that is why work is money word.
However, I also believe that help is more important to connect than work. When you help someone to understand you and your intention, it provides freedom to think and decide. But when you offer to work with someone without helping ,then it does not provide much freedom. In that way, I think, help and work are related and in fact goes together. When you are working with someone, you are helping too. But when you are helping someone, it is not necessary that someone will agree to work with you. It depends upon the trust built in the transaction.
So, I believe that help and work both are important, but “Help” is more important as it has more power to connect with people.
AJay, Thanks for visiting my blog and for your feedback. So when you help someone you volunteer your time and when you work with someone you are getting paid for your time. I think you and Lois have the same understanding of the meaning but just explain it differently. :O)