When was the last time you were able to take the time to step away and plan for your career or develop personal goals or dreams about what’s next for you?  We’re all so busy that often our own personal marketing falls to happenstance. Here are 3 hacks to help you sharpen your focus and improve efficiency in your personal marketing to capture those amazing opportunities that you dream about! Simple Personal Marketing Plan – There are 3 quick things …

When sending an email or a letter to someone in your network, applying for a new position, or corresponding with a senior manager, make sure to connect the dots. It’s amazing how often people forget to give the reader the context of your message. For example, explain the reason for contacting them: Following up from a past meeting Passing along a new piece of information that is of value from past conversations Saw him/her speak A mutual friend that you have A …

It is always important to have an elevator speech that is 30 seconds or less about you as a business and what you do. Yet, if our attention spans are getting shorter, it is even more important to have one that grabs interest and plants your brand in the other person’s mind. To grab attention during a quick attention span, consider these key things to include in your personal brand message: Benefit – What problem do you solve for someone …

Aren’t we all suckers for a great story? If a story touches our heart, our emotions, we are also more likely to remember it. So what is your story? Here are three ways to get started: Create a compelling mission that includes what you want to accomplish, the difference you want to make, and the ways you are making people lives, relationships, and/or businesses better. Describe a situation that illustrates how you came to understand your mission that made it …

Are you a good business development professional? You need to be! Whether you serve on boards or have joined the Chamber of Commerce or other community organization, you are the face of the credit union to people you meet. More importantly, wherever you go in the community you serve, you are a business development rep, first for your credit union and second for your own career. Thinking of yourself as a business development rep helps you build your own Success …

The best way to succeed in your career and personal life is to listen to your intuition. Some may say they get a “gut feeling” to describe when making a decision.  Here are 5 ways to recognize when you can likely trust your intuition: You have an “aha” moment that everything clicked with a clear recognition of being on the right track. Listen to your inner voice and train yourself to follow it like when it told you to check …

The old adage, “It’s who you know,” is still alive and well today as a thought process to building a really good success network. The contacts in your Success Network will ultimately be the launching point for new opportunities, and better success in your career. So, here are the starting point if you can’t readily present a list of your own Success Network. Your list should have: Personal friends Acquaintances Co-Workers Former Bosses Former Co-Workers Volunteers with You at Community …

While you may be aware of the benefits of a marketing audit at work, what about for yourself?  With a Personal Marketing Audit, you make sure to be well positioned for professional success. Whether you are looking for the next big promotion or hunting for a brand new job, make sure your self-promotion is keying in on your value. Here are some questions to consider: What is your own personal goal and objective in your career and who in your …

“Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not.  A sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is.” —Horace Walpole, Man of Letters Did you know that most creative ideas come when your mind is allowed to play? For example, the initial melody for “Yesterday”, by Paul McCartney of The Beatles, came to him in a dream. “I just fell out of bed and it was there,” McCartney told Rod Granger of …

Taking a vacation?  Here is something to do while sitting on the beach or relaxing by the pool. This isn’t about “working” or “being serious about your future.”  The idea is to ruminate, dream, and imagine while you’re relaxing using these questions: What is my guiding light in my life? Is it being successful in terms of money, fame, achievements? Is it the success of being surrounded by family and friends who love me? Is it traveling, buying a new …