Business-Building Action from Terry Brock
Things are different today. What was an “endorsement” years ago meant something different than it means today. Meanings change with time. Words are fluid and ebbing with the flow of time. We have to adapt and change.
This makes an impact in social media with LinkedIn “endorsements.” If you’re on LInkedIn, you’ve probably seen this. You are asked to “endorse” a person for a particular skill. I’ve heard people object to this, sometimes vehemently. “I barely know Herkimer so how can I “endorse” him?” Why am I asked to “endorse” Esmorelda when I don’t have a strong relationship with her?”
Well, you have to adapt to a new meaning for “endorse.” Think about the word “like” and how that has morphed in meaning thanks to Facebook. If you “like” someone’s page, does it mean you’ve studied it, analyzed it and can say emphatically that you “endorse” it (to mix some social media platform acknowledgment gestures). Twitter has its own word called “Retweet.”
All of these convey a similar meaning. It doesn’t mean you’ve done a full-scale vetting and investigation to vouch for Herkimer or Esmorelda that they are really noble people (they might or might not be). It is merely an acknowledgement that you know them and they are reasonably good people. That’s it. Don’t worry about it.
I’ve often said in my seminars that an endorsement on LinkedIn is like waving to someone across a busy restaurant. It is not always appropriate to get up and walk all the way over to them just to say hello. A wave across a room is a nice gesture. It acknowledges the person. It can lead to a physical meeting later. You might send them a note or call them later.
Communication and connection are different today. Don’t think of an endorsement as it was formally stated years ago. Today’s meaning is different. I think that is where the challenge comes.
Adapt with the ebb and flow of language changes. Hey, Chaucer had different meanings to his words than what we use today. Read some of the original text from the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence and you’ll quickly see how things have changed in just our short, American history.
This is not bad or necessarily good. It just is. Learn. Adapt. Adjust. Hang onto what really lasts. Relationships are the most important.
I think Jay Baer says it well when he says to “Skip the hard sell and be more useful.” http://ow.ly/mqHSA This is the essence of good connection and communication in the age of social media. I like what Chris Brogan says, “Grow bigger ears.” http://ow.ly/mqHwX We have to listen more to people and hear them.
It is similar to paying attention to your daily Klout Score. Klout is not about the score. It is really about being a good social media citizen and how to work in this crazy, new world. Getting a higher Klout Score is more about being a good social media citizen than anything. Chris Brogan’s admonition to “Grow bigger ears’ is what Klout really is about. Jay Baer’s idea of being more useful is what Klout is about.
Some will say that we’re not as connected today as before. I think it all depends on how you handle it. On a normal day I’m connecting with people from many different countries, sending email, video messages and exchanging messages with wonderful folks around the planet. I think we’re more connected than when we used a black rotary dial-up phone and only connected with a few.
Human connections are different today. It is not good or bad. It is just reality. We have to adapt to that reality and understand how communication and human connections work today. This has been true throughout history.
Understand reality. Adapt to it. Don’t argue with it. Too many people react instead saying that things “should” be a different way. Yes, it is good to try to make things better and work diligently towards that end. But it is insanity to live your life in hopes that some ideal might happen. Understand what is and adapt in a pragmatic way to that reality.
Don’t even worry about your Klout Score today (it will probably be different than it was yesterday or tomorrow). Success with Klout means to focus on what matters most. In business, that means helping others and being there for them to meet their needs. In business, it also means growing your business to have the excess you need to help others.
I’ll wrap this up with 3 key, must-do steps for success in social media today.
- Understand the new reality and adapt to it.
- Genuinely care for others and pay attention to their needs
- Grow bigger ears (listen carefully to their needs) and be more useful (find how you can really help others) and you’ll do much better. Thank you, Chris and Jay for sharing this!
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© Copyright 2013. Achievement Systems, Inc. and Terry Brock. All Rights Reserved. Terry Brock helps organizations leverage technology like social media and mobile devices to connect with customers and increase productivity. He is the Co-Author of the McGraw-Hill upcoming book entitled Klout Matters which is about succeeding in social media and generating business. Visit his website for a free report on how Twitter can help you boost sales – http://tinyurl.com/twitter4sales. He can be reached through his website at www.TerryBrock.com or on Twitter – @TerryBrock
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