I am a student of success. I learned a long time ago it’s faster to learn from someone more successful than me, rather than bumbling along trying to figure it all out myself.
Recently, I was at Mike Stelzner’s amazing Social Media Marketing World conference in San Diego learning from the pros. This was a collection of over 80 top presenters who have mastered blogging, podcasts, publishing, and building huge followings. It was a real treat to be able to easily meet so many of the people that I have been learning from. I got to meet a lot of the presenters (some are listed in this blog) and even interview some of them for upcoming episodes of the Expert’s Enterprise podcast. I was exhausted, but pretty happy by the end of the two days.
Here are some lessons that I have pulled from the pros about building an audience (and I’m using one of them right now).
MICHAEL HYATT (www.michaelhyatt.com)
Every year Michael Hyatt surveys his followers. This is one of those slap-on-the-side-of-the-head ideas that we all should be using. Michael uses the information from his annual survey to redirect the content of his blog and podcast. Given the volume of original content (blogs, videos, courses, speeches) he creates in a year, this is an incredibly powerful strategy. He learns what people want and they are reminded he cares. It’s a win/win.
LESSON LEARNED: Ask your people what they want, don’t assume. A simple survey, meet-up group, or phone survey can tell you loads about what your followers want. We use Survey Monkey, it’s free for under 100 responses and easy to use.
NOW DO THIS: Today, ask one person you are working with for feedback. No biggie – just ask (and then be quiet) a question like: “I’m curious, if there was one thing I could do differently that would help you even more, what would that be?”
PAT FLYNN Smart Passive Income podcast (www.smartpassiveincome.com)
The enviable success of the Smart Passive Income podcast, blog, and business is no fluke. Host Pat Flynn (who is also a nice guy) is very deliberate about continually delivering great content. And he also does something a bit unusual – he lets us in. Since the launch of “SPI” (one of the top five podcasts on iTunes with eight million downloads), Pat has been giving us glimpses of the man behind the microphone. We have learnt about losing his job, having children, getting overwhelmed with work, creating solutions, learning how to become a keynote speaker, and more. Listeners can’t help but become loyal fans as they follow the triumphs and struggles of the self-confessed “crash-test dummy of entrepreneurs.”
LESSON LEARNED: Don’t hide behind your company – let people get to know you.
NOW DO THIS: Include something about a favourite hobby in your bio, mention your family in your blogs or newsletters, or share some personal news in your social media updates. You can even upgrade your promotional photograph to show yourself enjoying a hobby (a realtor friend uses a picture of him waterskiing in a business suit on all his ads). Show yourself and customers will show up more often at your door.
MICHAEL PORT (www.michaelport.com)
It’s easy to think that successful on-line empires are run by wide-eyed, adrenalin-pumping entrepreneurs who sleep three hours a night and relentlessly pound out fresh content 24/7 to salivating fans. Not so with Michael Port. My last interview with Michael found him fresh off two months on his sailboat (with limited internet connection, which he likes.) He is also a smart marketer that readily “repurposes” content when necessary. “Why would I start from scratch to create something I’ve already slaved over months before?” He asked me in an interview. “I’ve already done the work,” he added “now it’s time to repeat the rewards.”
LESSON LEARNED: Be smart about what’s important. We can either think we are indispensable and do everything ourself or we can get our priorities right and spend as much time as possible on what counts.
NOW DO THIS: Here’s a simple test. Cut back your work hours by 30 minutes every day for one week. And notice the difference. Maybe you get home (or close the door to your home office) more relaxed. Maybe you make dinner for your family more often. Maybe you just catch up on some reading. The point is to challenge your assumptions about your time commitment and then decide what really is important.
LESLIE SAMUEL (Become a Blogger)
It’s hard not to smile when you are with Leslie Samuel. The native of St. Maarten, who now lives in Michigan is simply excited about his work – and it shows. He first venture into the internet space was teaching biology on his very popular www.interactive-biology.com show. Yes, he can make even biology exciting. Now, he is even better known as the host of Become a Blogger, where he teaches and inspires thousands of entrepreneurs to share their message and create a successful on line business. “You have a gift, a talent, a lesson” he told me in an interview “that you can share with the world. Why not make it interesting?”
LESSON LEARNED: If you love it, let it show. I’m not going to enjoy a meal in a restaurant if the waiter is bored and just going through the motions. I want some enthusiasm. Go to any Disney park and watch how employees can still be enthusiastic, even after answering the same question 10,000 times.
NOW DO THIS: Today I want you to practice being enthusiastic as a consumer. REALLY thank people. Take any opportunity you can and let people know you appreciate them. You can practice when you are buying groceries, getting a coffee, or gassing up your car. Now notice how they respond. They love it, don’t they? Plus it feels good. Enthusiasm is infectious – spread it around.
ERIK J FISHER (Beyond the To Do list Podcast)
One of the best podcast hosts I follow is Erik J. Fisher of the Beyond the To Do list podcast. Not only does he attract remarkable authors, bloggers, and entrepreneurs (I’ll be on it soon!), but he lets them talk. The purpose of a podcast is to share information and Erik lets his guests do that. Instead of interrupting with his own story, he asks the kind of questions that take the conversation to a whole new level of insight (it keeps me glued to the end of every episode).
LESSON LEARNED: Let people talk. A good question always trumps more talking.
NOW DO THIS: If you want to know what your customer wants, ask and then be quiet. If you want to know why your employee didn’t call the client back, ask without judgement. And if you want to know why your boss moved the deadline up, ask without being defensive. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
AMY PORTERFIELD (Marketing Made Easy podcast)
One of the smartest and classiest ladies I know is the founder of the Marketing Made Easy podcast, Amy Porterfield. Not unlike most “over night successes” in the music industry, Amy spent many years working for Tony Robbins, Harley Davidson, and Social Media Examiner before claiming her spot as a top blogger and podcaster for entrepreneurs. And years before most of us might reach out for help, she built a team to support her rise to the top of celebrity podcasters.
LESSON LEARNED: Create people systems. You will get more leverage of your time and time freedom if you start delegating and outsourcing before you really need it. All too often, entrepreneurs allow a need for control and perfection to get in the way of sharing responsibility. But, in fact, that is the only way to grow your enterprise – you have to create people systems.
NOW DO THIS: Look for one repetitive, boring, must-do, type task and either delegate it or outsource it. It may feel a bit scary, at first, but it will be worth it. I have one person I delegate to and two I outsource to – I would never go back.
JAIME TARDY Eventual Millionaire podcast
When you are running a small business it’s easy to focus on what you, but it’s smart to focus on what other people need. Jaime Tardy built her success by sharing the insights and strategies of other people. She built her reputation by connecting people. I first noticed her knack for connecting after she interviewed me for her popular Eventual Millionaire podcast. Jaime was generously referring to me in guest blogs and interviews. My name was being included in her conversations and be promoted to hosts of other top podcast shows.
It goes back to the old parable “Seek first to give and then to receive.”- the more we give, without expecting anything in return, the more we receive. Whether you are responding to an email request, leaving a feedback on a blog, or passing on a referral, it will all come back to you in spades. The trick, I have found, is to do it because you want to, not because it is “strategic.”
LESSON LEARNED: Help others first.
NOW DO THIS: Think about someone you can help today. It could be with advice, reaching out to help, or just sending them a card to say you are thinking of them. A few minutes on your part could mean the world to someone else.
JEFF GOINS (Goins Writer)
In one year, Jeff Goins built his list of followers to 100,000 and it all happened because he declared he was a writer. He could have said he was also a social media expert, copywriting expert, or book publishing expert. He said he was a writer. “I wanted to take my voice”, he told me in an interview “and share it with the world.” This is what Goethe meant by “…boldness has a genius power and magic in it…”. In our twitter-mind world of 140 characters, and thumbing reply emails in cafe line-ups, taking a stand and being bold is remarkable.
LESSON LEARNED: The world can’t guess – you need to declare your expertise and then let people decide.
NOW DO THIS: Here’s a quick test. Can you explain in one sentence what you do? Maybe you’ve had this happen at parties, or when you go to pick your kids up at school. Someone asks what you do, and three minutes later you are still trying to explain it (and they look even more confused.) Sound familiar? Write in one sentence the one thing you want people to most know about how you serve people. Now read it to ten people and notice their reaction. Here’s mine: “I help speakers, consultants, coaches, and on-line marketers who want to grow their influence and income.”
Did you guess right? Yup, the one tip from a pro was from Jaime Tardy: Help others first. That’s what this blog is all about. I want to help you to be successful. Whether you are an entrepreneur building your audience, or you have a job but you want more, I want to help.
My raison d’être is to help people get real results and create a rich life. Stick around, there is more good stuff coming your way to help make that happen for you.
Someone once said “Success leaves clues.” (Tweet this out) and I think if you look hard enough every successful person can teach you something. The eight lessons in this post have been huge pivot points for me as I grow my business and my influence. I hope they have the same impact on you.
