Building your following: Have more questions than answers

Liz Strauss–perhaps one of the best online community builders out there–posted a quick, thought-provoking video clip on her blog, which is targeted towards bloggers.  But as with so many things, what works for promotion online and in business works equally well when it comes to “promoting” yourself.

We’ve talked about how job search is a sales pitch.  But what truly makes a sales pitch successful is more than a glossy presentation and a hard push at the end.  Consultative sales, where the goal is to partner with the client to learn their business and identify the best solutions, is a much better model.  And the only way to create these kind of solutions is to ask the right questions and develop an understanding.

So, if you want people to get on your bandwagon–be it to assist you with your networking, giving you a job, embracing you as a leader, respecting you as a manager–it has to be about them first.

How will you make their priorities yours today?

photo credit: treehouse1977

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