personal branding

7 Best Practices For Being a Conference Guerrilla

by paulcopcutt
July 5, 2016July 4, 2016

The following story is an example of how the actions recommended in this series of articles can work for you. Whilst they are intended mostly for longer conferences they can apply and work equally well to one off events.

How to be a Conference Guerrilla – Part 1 – Pre-Conference can be read here.

In our time-crunched lives and with the option of virtual events, physically attending conferences can be a hard decision to make. Approach events with more than just looking at the speaker line up, the complimentary networking sessions or in some cases to get the professional development credits checked off. Instead actually measure the ‘return on investment’ of attending a conference. Start using this mindset and you will see the value to your organization and your personal brand in getting out there.

I once went to hear Keith Ferrazzi, author of “Never Eat Alone” speak at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business. I learnt about the event from the organizer who had booked me to speak there a few months earlier.

I followed Keith’s advice in his book about ‘bumping‘ the speaker before they go on stage and engaging them quickly to gain a follow-up. I had brought my copy of the book and asked him to ‘sign it before he became famous’ – a quote from the book. He commented that I had obviously read the book and I said it was (and still is) my most referred and recommended book on networking. I have even given several people copies as gifts. I then told him that I would like the opportunity to follow up with him to discuss how to make his book the #1 business book in Canada. “Absolutely” he said and handed me his card.

As I walked away, someone behind him had taken my lead and asked for their book to be signed. I heard Keith ask the person….Read More »7 Best Practices For Being a Conference Guerrilla

How to Be a Conference Guerrilla – Part 1 – Pre-Conference

by paulcopcutt
June 21, 2016June 27, 2016

Recently I was the keynote speaker at the HR Leaders Conference taking place on a boat on the River Danube in Bratislava, Slovakia. It was a great conference and of course the location was pretty unique!

In our time crunched lives and with the option of virtual events, physically attending conferences can be a hard decision. I consider the speaker line up, the networking sessions or in some cases the professional development credits. I also consider the cost, both in terms of dollars and ‘lost production’.

However very few people actually measure the ‘return on investment’ of attending a conference. This is important because ‘getting out there’ adds value to your organization and your personal brand.

There is a lot more to it than showing up. Here’s how to plan like a conference guerrilla.

Pre-Conference

The meetings and conference industry runs into the $100’s of billions each year, so there are always plenty of conferences to choose from. With so much latest research and information available to access and use at the click of a mouse, going to a conference to hear the latest leading edge speakers should not be at the top of your priorities.

The true value of attending a conference are the relationships that you develop.

What is your goal? Is it to find new business for your company, network to find your next job or are there certain industry contacts you want to make? Are there less expensive ways you can accomplish this goal other than conference attendance?

You might also want to review where your personal brand stands right now with a Personal Brand Audit

Review & Research

First step is deciding which conference to attend. There can be a number of factors worth taking in to account;

Lead, Be Free, Find Success at Work

by paulcopcutt
June 14, 2016June 14, 2016

If you feel like a square peg in a round hole at the office, like the person who believes collaboration will lead to more success than competition, like people and passion come before transactions, and that your experience at the office can be different, then keep reading.

I’ve been invited to join an amazing lineup of experts who have come together to share their knowledge and strategies for how work can be done differently – both for you as an individual and for your company.

The Corporate Rebel Series is free interview training series for professionals who want to lead, be free, and find success at work – all at the same time.

It all kicks off tomorrow (June 15th) And guess what? (This is the awesome part!)

It’s free to join. Grab your spot here.

This training series is for you if…..

It’s Not What You Know, its Who You Know on LinkedIn

by paulcopcutt
June 11, 2016June 10, 2016

New Enhancements to the LinkedIn Job Board Experience Despite the increased amount of business development, networking and relationship and the many recommendations now to build a profile that is more than just a cut and paste of your resume, for many users of LinkedIn it is still predominantly used to help them find their next job. Even with lower unemployment numbers having the upper hand with some more insights can… Read More »It’s Not What You Know, its Who You Know on LinkedIn

17 Steps to Ensure You Ace Your Next Video Interview

by paulcopcutt
June 7, 2016June 7, 2016

This past week I was a guest for an experts interview series called Corporate Rebels. It was a Skype video interview and half way through the connection was lost, my hosts picture was frozen and I was talking away to myself (which can happen at other times occasionally!).

Luckily we were able to reconnect, finish the interview and with the wonders of editing the end result will hardly show a cut. But it struck me how many steps I had to take to ensure that the 30 live minutes were the best they could be.

I thought this experience would be useful to help you the next time you are getting ready for a video job interview or podcast;

SET-UP

It is important to have everything set up way ahead of time. The last thing you want to be doing, when you are trying to get ready for an interview is stumbling and fiddling and not thinking about the task in hand.

Light Source

Natural light is ideal. If not, then ensure that there are lights casting enough illumination on you from more than one angle. You do not want only one side of your face showing or to find that the sun is shining right behind or across you, and the interviewer cannot see you. Windows or any source of light should be in front of you. If they are behind you, the viewer may only see your silhouette.

Backdrop

You want your interviewer to be focused on you so do not have anything like last weeks laundry hanging up in the background that could distract them. Stark blank walls are too bare. Plan for a pleasing backdrop like, perhaps a plant or tidy book case.

Set Design

You might use this set-up for future interviews or business meetings. Use set up marks for your computer, lighting, and chair or standing position. That way for the next call, you can set up quickly.

Build A Branded LinkedIn Header Image You Will Be Proud Of

by paulcopcutt
June 4, 2016June 7, 2016

Unless you are one of those fake profiles, you would not want to use a stock photo for your headshot on your profile. So why are you doing it with the most important piece of visual real estate you have?

One area of a LinkedIn in profile that is really under used is the header image. LinkedIn offers you a few stock photo options, but once you have seen a few of the same one on a few profiles that loses its effect quickly.

This probably more than any other area is a perfect place for you to communicate your personal brand.

Some of my clients have uploaded pictures of their personal passions, hobbies or pursuits. Alternatively some have used it as an opportunity to highlight parts of their personal brands from a professional perspective.

Part of the image area is covered up your profile but with some clever editing and a little trial and error you can get a very effective representation of you, your message and your brand, like mine above.

First here is the template to use so you know which areas are visible all the time and which ones may be covered depending on the device.

10 Personal Brand Tactics to Ensure That Next Promotion

by paulcopcutt
May 31, 2016June 7, 2016

30 years ago you were told to expect to work for one employer for life,
20 years ago you were told to plan for extra leisure time because of automation, 10 years ago one quarter of the new jobs being created had never existed previously.

Now graduates are told to expect to be back at school every decade to retrain.

NEWSFLASH: The world of work is changing. Forever. Always.

We have been hearing human resource, organizational development and career guru’s telling us that for years. Gone are the days when ‘Personnel’ came and tapped you on the shoulder and told you about your next career move.

“You can no longer rely on anyone for your career, except YOU”
Paul Copcutt

Once you make it to the next promotion, there are on-boarding programs, online courses and books, like “The First 90 Days” to help.

But what about before all that happens?

7 Steps to Making Your Personal Brand Irresistible

by paulcopcutt
May 19, 2016June 1, 2016

My Dad had a huge love of genealogy and, tracked down distant family members, wrote letters and, visited local churches for old records of births, baptism’s marriages and deaths. He did it all the old fashioned way without the internet. His legacy is that I have his handwritten, 42 foot long , family tree.

He loved nothing more than to welcome a visitor to his home village and, take them to meet all the relatives – in the local graveyard! Then he would invite the visitor back for a strong cup of English tea, pulling out the family tree and recall stories of Aunt Edith’s love of a shot of gin or the size of Uncle Bert’s nose, which I swore got bigger every time the story was told!

He was telling their stories, who they were, what they did and what they stood for. If someone were to do the same about you, what would they say?

Your challenge is that you may not be the best person to tell your personal brand story.

If I were to ask you right now to tell me what your personal brand is, how confident would you be of doing yourself justice?

7 Steps to Building Your Personal Brand Story

Will The Easter Bunny Really Make You Happy?

by paulcopcutt
March 27, 2016May 10, 2016

I always wonder, as my kids get older, whether Easter and the fun of an egg hunt will lose its charm. Based on a slightly alternative version that my two got involved in on Good Friday, it would appear not. My girlfriend’s family and another family have an annual golf ball hunt,. Their Grandfather started the tradition and they still use the original golf balls !

It’s a highly competitive event, the adults joining in too. Each ball is worth certain points, with some coloured golf balls being worth more. Once all of them are collected, the points are tallied and prizes handed out or chosen. It was a lot of fun.

My kids were motivated to get involved and they rushed around…….Read More »Will The Easter Bunny Really Make You Happy?

STOP Damaging Your Personal Brand & Reputation on LinkedIn With Fake Connections

by paulcopcutt
March 3, 2016May 10, 2016

There have been a number of articles and press reports about the increasing use of LinkedIn by spammers and other types using false LinkedIn profiles.

If we are honest most of us have been there. Taken in by the deceptive profile that wants to connect on LinkedIn we accept, we might even take time to thank them. Almost immediately the spam or phishing message comes in and we either ignore it, delete it or wish we had been more vigilant. Maybe next time we will be.

Don’t worry, you are not alone. Many of the most connected and most professional on this network are doing the same, without knowing or perhaps, I hope not, caring.

The profile above was…….Read More »STOP Damaging Your Personal Brand & Reputation on LinkedIn With Fake Connections

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