Impress everyone by knowing nothing

Don’t let anybody fool you (including me):

You’ll never be able to read people.

The only thing you can do is second guess them.

The more I interact with people, the more I discover that I know a lot about people but I never know as much about these people as they do.

The world’s greatest authority on knowledge about who’s sitting in front of you is … most likely the person who’s sitting in front of you.

I believe that nobody knows yourself better than you do. And that this is true for most of us.

(Just before you let out the narcicist in you, keep the following in mind: no matter how well you are acquinted with yourself, you may always discover something new about yourself thanks to somebody else.)

As a marketeer and advertiser (or listener) it’s tempting to forget that. After all aren’t we the ones who are supposed to know what people need?

Yes we are, but in order to know, we have to ask them, don’t we?

But what if we have asked them? What if I have done my research?

Then we usually come up with models and segmentations.

Now don’t these contradict what I’ve said about knowing a lot about people but still not knowing as much as they do about themselves?

It tells you something about how these models and segmentations can be approached. You should use your research as a way to define who you should talk to and where, when and how you can approach these people.

But once you have done that then you’re barely halfway. Once you’ve reached them, it’s time for you to engage.

If you want to engage then that’s when you’re really going to find out what sets these people apart from everybody else. That’s when you’re going to discover whether you really know something about people and what I mean by writing “I never know as much about these people as they do”.

If you value and respect these people’s personal authority, chances are they’ll respect and value your knowledge and experience as well. Chances are they’ll reward you for your research since it may add something to that particular thing they are most familiar with, themselves.

And if it doesn’t, so be it. But by showing what you have in common – call it mutual understanding if you like – , you’ve nevertheless given them a strong reason to connect with you. You’ve proven that ‘we’ know what we are talking about.

So what’s with the headline then? You tell me. ;-)

Picture: “Body Language @ Nomad Gallery #5885.jpg” © amayzun

Personal branding: Don’t be Billy Joel pt 2

What’s the fun of trying to become Billy Joel? (If you want to know where this Billy Joel reference is coming from, click here to read the first episode of this series, link opens in new window)

Try to be (like) me is the number one marketing decoy of all times.

It’s so successful because it appeals to one of the most primary instincts we have: to try and copy the alfa-male or -female, to be as successful as the most successful member of your tribe in order to improve your chances to survive.

Does this sound familiar?

Just think for a minute about who you’re trying to be (like).

Think about the clothes you wear, the haircut you have, the girlfriend or boyfriend you sleep with, the friends you have, the house and place you live in, the tv-shows you watch, and so on.

Chances are you’re probably trying to be (like) a lot of people at the same time.

I know I am.

I know it’s not really satisfying too.

It probably never will be.

Not until you understand what you stand for. Not until you know what your strategy is.

Copy-branding yourself, dressing up, getting the right friends or haircut, it’s all just tactics.

And it will never make any sense, no matter how hard you try, until you’ve figured out what you really want (your passion) and what your strategy is to make that happen.

After all, you don’t want to be a second Billy Joel, do you?

You want to be you and you want to be admired and respected for who you are.

You want to prove that you know what’s beyond the branding.

You want to understand what really connects people, people like you, your friends and, who knows, Billy Joel.

Personal branding: Don’t be Billy Joel pt 1

“So what the difference makers going to be now, I’m sorry to say, are the people that are going to come up with good ideas and execute and understand how to move the freackin’ needle. That’s how you break through the noise, ‘coz everyone is coming and everybody’s playing. And while everybody has the ability to play the piano not everyone is Billy Joel.”

Gary Vaynerchuk, How do you cut through the noise? (video, opens in new window)

Whatever you think, it’s not important to become Billy Joel.

In fact, there’s no way you can ever be Billy Joel. You can be like Billy Joel, but then again, it depends on who’s judging you.

Why would anyone want to be Billy Joel? Because he was a successful piano player?

Billy Joel was probably successful because he was a great piano player and because he was Billy Joel.

Billy Joel was Billy Joel because of how his world was and how he has made his way into it.

Point is: don’t try to be like somebody. Be the somebody you’re really good at.

Be you, for example.

Thanks @duvalguillaume for the link to Gary’s video.