Communication is central to success in any relationship. This truth holds across both business and personal realms. Master communicators make the communication exchange appear effortless. It is sometimes perceived as an intuitive, elusive skill, and an elite “art” that requires an innate genius bestowed upon a “gifted few.” In reality, being a master communicator can be learned. It is both art and science.  

The topic of deeply tapping into the meaning and thoughts in the minds and hearts of a listener or audience is central to this chapter. “Meaning is in people, not in words” is how Ogden & Richards (1932) (1) stated it in The Meaning of Meaning. Simplifying this, we can paraphrase this way “meaning comes from the pictures in the receiver’s head that motivate someone’s thinking and behavior.” Basically, when communication is effective, it lands inside someone else’s mind and consciousness as the sender intends. It is tempting to think it is an automatic, crystal-clear transmission. Nothing is further from the truth. 

Being effective in life and in business is often mistakenly simplified into being excellent at sending messages. This paradigm is flawed. Communication is never a linear transaction, in which a message “lands” with the same meaning as a sender intends. 

It is time to leverage these insights to tune in and adjust our own style so we can be better communicators. Strength and success in business leadership is tied to how we communicate and influence others. Three high impact areas in business communication are: Marketing, Leadership and Sales. 

Listener Priorities: From Epic Failure to Marketing Hall of Fame  

Let us look at the cost when there is a failure to tune into the priorities of an external audience. This illustration demonstrates the financial impact of doing it poorly as well as doing it spectacularly well. Both illustrations occur within the life of one historical figure: Steve Jobs.  

While at the helm of Apple, Jobs and his brilliant team of engineers pioneered and launched the Lisa Computer. It was revolutionary; it was among the first personal computers to have a graphical user interface. Jobs decided to communicate the information that mattered most to him about this new computer. He wrote a massive treatise to convince consumers to purchase the Lisa computer. He took out a nine-page advertisement introducing the computer, in The New York Times (Apple, 1983).  (2)  It did not land with the audience; the Lisa computer sold only 10,000 units worldwide. 

This epic failure in marketing ultimately paved the way for Jobs being booted out of his own firm. As we look at his outgoing message, it clearly displayed what mattered to him. He spoke in his own preferred style and completely missed the importance of focusing on what mattered to the receivers of the message. Take a look:   

This stunningly expensive ad space was replete with details about the hard drive, the interface, RAM and more. Feedback from this failure to communicate was impossible for him to miss. During his exile from Apple and his stint at Pixar, Jobs made a massive course correction. Jobs clearly and thoroughly revamped the entire paradigm at his next opportunity to communicate with Apple’s consumers.

There is no technical jargon. Apple’s revamped marketing message was a massive pivot.

It relied on two words: “Think Different.” It was simple, clear, and focused on solutions with emotional appeal. It went even further than emotional appeal; the message and implied stories effectively tapped into aspirational wishes in the minds and hearts of audiences worldwide.

Sales that resulted from this new marketing message were credited with turning around the fortunes of Apple and its’ subsequent valuation, which is currently in the top tier of most globally dominant firms.

This storytelling mastery and simple message that began more than three decades ago continues. It is considered a hallmark of the Apple brand. Steve Jobs communication brilliance is now studied in communication and marketing university courses worldwide. His place is firmly entrenched among the global hall of fame master communicators. The two words “THINK DIFFERENT” now create a wealth of stories, images, and feelings in the minds of the Apple audience. This message is considered to be significantly responsible for its stunning stock valuation of today.

Ask yourself if you are falling temptation to the most common marketing blunder of early-stage business leaders. Review your own marketing plan and ask: “Does the message reflect what we care about most (owner, sales leader etc.)?” If the answer is anything close to yes; change it. What YOU are focused on will NOT be what the customer cares about most. Potential customers and clients care about SOLUTIONS to problems they face, not features and benefits of what is being sold. Big difference.

Click here https://inmauthor.com/forwardimpact to get notified when book is available.

 1. TALKS ABOUT HASHTAG

A hashtag filter has been added to the search function when you do a People Search / All filters. This is WONDERFUL search engine function to connect with people that are interested in topics you teach about or have expertise in! Think of this tool as an index to find people that are aligned around topics that matter to you.

2. STATUS PAGE

Want to know if what you’re experiencing on LinkedIn is an individual problem or a system one?  Good news! At this link you can access an incident history so you can see what’s been reported the same day  https://www.linkedin-status.com/. It covers a significant amount of LinkedIn’s tools and products. Love this one!  

3. WAITING ROOM FOR LIVE EVENTS

When waiting for a LinkedIn Live about to start, in the past you couldn’t tell if you were in the right place. Good news – now there’s a waiting room so you can know you’re in the right spot. Event page. 

4. ARTICLES AND NEWSLETTER SCHEDULER

This works the same as for scheduling posts, which has been in place for several months.  However, you do have to get to the Share promo post page before you’ll see it (or not if it’s not yet rolled out to you). If you are doing a newsletter on LinkedIn, this is exceptionally useful.  

5. STAR MESSAGES IN INBOX

You can now Star (and unstar) messages from the (…) menu at the top right of the message. FINALLY! An easier way to track key messages that are SO easy to lose track of. To do more detailed follow up, I use a tool that Michelle Denio created, which is outstanding at monitoring several elements of conversation. DM me if interested and I’ll connect you to that & her.  

6. COMPANY PAGE NOW HAS A BELL FEATURE AS WELL

Makes it simple and clean to stay in touch with your tribe. And now that you can invite 250 each month to follow your company page, it keeps growing. Plus your company page has the ability to interact directly. I expect a lot more changes to continue to roll out on the ever evolving company page capabilities.

How many of us have heard the phrase, “Sales is a “Numbers Game”.

I’ve heard it many times, and my professional training has never been formally in sales. Sales is much more a people decoding exercise than anything else. There are numbers in that, but let me not get ahead of myself. I’ll show the numbers later. Now there is research that validates the above statement. But, if you will indulge me for a moment to highlight a bit my journey, I’ll share.

I’ve spent my entire professional career focused on working to understand how people communicate. OR DON’T. I think I was drawn to this, as I was a kid growing up in a rather “stoic” family of Scandinavian heritage. Words were minimal. Communication was often mysterious actually. Misunderstandings were common.

During career exploration and then in my twenties I was fascinated when I discovered personality science. Specifically my first exposure was the “Everything DiSC©” tool which illustrated how people are wired SO differently and therefore, misunderstanding was statistically bound to occur often.

Several certifications and a few decades later, I launched my business in training. I found that none of the personality assessment tools at that time were 100% dialed into my area of struggle at that time – SALES. As a solopreneur at the time, I was the only one driving sales, which were essential.

Then, I discovered a tool called B.A.N.K, which is a personality assessment tool that was research validated to predict buying behavior in less than 90 seconds. My inner nerd became SO happy!

The well-known personal development guru, Tony Robbins is quoted as saying “Let your prospect determine your presentation”. Absolutely. If only there was a quick way to do so – most personality assessment tools require a prospect to purchase an assessment and spend 15-60 minutes complete. Not a fit for a sales scenario. Millions of people take personality assessments annually. BANK is the first of the personality science tool assessments to focus on the science of buying behavior. That’s why this tool is getting notable recognition globally.

Don’t use a script and a template – respect your buyer more than that. Let their “language style dictate how you approach communicating with your prospect. Below is a graphic with the quick breakout of what each letter in the B.A.N.K. methodology represents.

Without understand who is in front of you, it’s common to use your own preferred style as your default. However, that has a one in 25% chance of actually succeeding, since 75% of the population is different than you.

Research from the Chaly group pinpoints that only 18% of buyers who have a different personality style than the person selling get to the sale. When a seller can quickly understand a prospects “buying style” preference, those numbers change by up to 300%.

Circling back to the power of understanding OTHERS with personality science tools. While it’s helpful to further gain personal insight, it becomes transformative to understand the motivations, fears and challenges that others in your sphere face that are so different from one’s own.

For example, getting awareness of the fact that roughly 75% of the world is “wired” to see, think, be motivate and value priorities that are so different than my own, unlocked a transformative dynamic in my personal relationships and was significantly responsible for being quite successful in my corporate career.

It was insightful for me to understand why others in my personal life made no sense to me. Sibling, spouse, and others were SO different than me. Now, I understood that when someone in my life was acting like a “crazy person” to me – it didn’t mean the same thing if I were to behave in that exact same way. Now, I could effective and objectively “tune into their language” and not simply conclude it was an alien creature (LOL – keeping it real!) on the other side of the desk, dinner table, etc….

Check your own approaching to making buying decisions. Receive a complimentary online assessment (valued at $99 each) to understand your personality natural “wiring” here at this link: https://my.bankcode.com/ic

Let me know if how close it is, or isn’t to your own perception of how you approach purchase decisions. Interested to know. Reach me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ic-growth/ or comment here and I’ll reply.

Extra material

Circling back to the power of understanding OTHERS with personality science tools. While it’s helpful to further gain personal insight, it becomes transformative to understand the motivations, fears and challenges that others in your sphere face that are so different from one’s own.

For example, getting awareness of the fact that roughly 75% of the world is “wired” to see, think, be motivate and value priorities that are so different than my own, unlocked a transformative dynamic in my personal relationships and was significantly responsible for being quite successful in my corporate career.

It was insightful for me to understand why others in my personal life made no sense to me. Sibling, spouse, and others were SO different than me. Now, I understood that when someone in my life was acting like a “crazy person” to me – it didn’t mean the same thing if I were to behave in that exact same way. Now, I could effective and objectively “tune into their language” and not simply conclude it was an alien creature (LOL – keeping it real!) on the other side of the desk, dinner table, etc….

LinkedIn has introduced several new features in the most recent 6 weeks or so.

Here is a quick summary:

✰Collaborative articles are being created by LinkedIn Editorial, with experts chosen based on the skills in their profile. Community Top Voice badges are awarded to those who contribute insightful comments to these articles.

If members find you as one of the most [💡Insightful] voted contributors to these collaborative articles you could earn a [Community Top Voice] badge.

✰Status Page provides information on any LinkedIn problems being experienced and you can see if the LinkedIn problem you’re having is being experienced by a large number of other members at https://www.linkedin-status.com/. It includes an incident history so you can see if anything has been reported in real time.

✰Who’s viewed your profile is now a Premium member-only feature, with the ability to filter results by date, company, industry, location, and Interesting viewers.

✰[Waiting Room] added to LinkedIn Lives for those who show up early (or if an event is running late), Just click Join on the Event page a few minutes before the Live begins.

✰[Sound effects] is now a settings option, which defaults to on. It will now occasionally will play a sound effect to draw your attention to something that’s happened, such as receiving a message or when you join an event.

✰Notifications section now has separate tabs for activity, posts, and tags or mentions.

✰[Connect if you know each other] adds a quick (Connect) button on your profile if you have the (+Follow) or Creator Mode option turned on.

Group Changes

✰Group analytics now provide Owners and Managers with 90 days of analytics on group member growth and content engagement.

✰Admin badge has been added to Groups.

✰ Pre-approved group membership is also available, where users are automatically added to groups that AI analyzes as potentially useful.

Group Changes

✰Group analytics now provide Owners and Managers with 90 days of analytics on group member growth and content engagement.

✰Admin badge has been added to Groups.

✰ Pre-approved group membership is also available, where users are automatically added to groups that AI analyzes as potentially useful.

Recruiting

One is AI-powered job descriptions, where Open-AI ChatGPT creates job postings and drafts a description for review and editing.

✰Enhance your profile (BETA for Premium Accounts) is an AI-powered assistant designed to simplify writing your profile by identifying the most important skills and experiences which it summarizes. The result is a set of your career highlights and aspirations written with just a few sentences. You can use this to begin to create your About summary and Headline sections.

✰ [Fair Chance Employer] returns to help you find work if you have a criminal record, applying with these safe companies, you won’t have to worry about getting to the kill question “Do you have a criminal record?” at the end of the application.

✰An “I’m Interested” feature now available enables users to signal their interest in working for a company.

Company Page

✰Only Companies who use LinkedIn’s Recruiter products will be eligible to display the [I’m Interested] option.

✰Messaging a company page is now possible, which was not available previously.

✰[Subscribe link] & [Subscribe button] will help Newsletter Authors grow their audience by publishing these on their social, email, and web channels. Members will automatically subscribe to your newsletter when they click them.

These are the 5 key elements strong LinkedIn profiles possess and how you can use them to make your profile produce

With 880 million professionals using LinkedIn to generate business, create partnerships, and find new roles or fill their talent pipeline, it’s critical to have an appealing profile. 

After analyzing hundreds of LinkedIn profiles, here are is five elements that the strongest LinkedIn profiles have in common. 

1. THE BEST LINKEDIN PROFILES SPEAK TO A SINGLE AUDIENCE

At its core, your LinkedIn profile is marketing you, as a professional. Like any good marketing piece, your LinkedIn profile needs to be customized to speak to a specific persona about the needs and pain points that person experiences. 

If you try to please everyone, you’ll please no one. Get granular on regarding the problem your client struggles with; share how your service provides transformational results.   

If you’re a solopreneur offering a professional service, speak to the transformation you provide.  

If you’re a job seeker, what are the results you deliver for a future hiring firm? 

EXERCISE 1

Think of a specific person you’d like to read and respond or direct message you. Then, jot down quickly the 3 elements that would want to understand about you: 

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Now let’s apply this to your LinkedIn profile, using this checklist: 

◻️ Take note of anything in your LinkedIn profile that doesn’t appeal directly to this audience — and consider removing it. 

◻️ Consider how your audience expects to see you. Does your profile photo show that? Is a business suit something they expect, or will that be too stuffy?  

◻️ Identify keywords your audience will be looking for (e.g., “DiSC certified for example, or Lean Six Sigma”). Place in prominent spots throughout your profile. 

2. THE BEST LINKEDIN PROFILES CONVEY AUTHENTICITY

You’re more than just a plain–vanilla professional — you’re you! Go ahead and showcase some of your personality in your profile.

Revealing your character has the dual benefit of making you more attractive to people and organizations for which you’re a good match, and discouraging those for which you’re not. In other words, showcasing your personality can help ensure you’re spending your time on the best opportunities. The goal of marketing is to repel the people who are not a good fit, while attracting the firms or individuals who are a fit. If you try to appeal to all, you will never get traction. 

EXERCISE 2

How do you want to reader to interpret your personality when they read your LinkedIn profile (e.g., edgy, humorous, pithy, nerdy, intense)? 

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Now think about how you can apply this to your LinkedIn profile. Here are some ideas: 

◻️ Along with your photo and cover image, the headline is the first place where you have the option to define yourself. What can be a fitting way to blend in an element of your personality there? For example, “Entrepreneur | Numbers Guy that Counts & Sells | Intentional Father. Greatest Content Editor” conveys humor, competence, and confidence. 

◻️ Your “About section” needs to speak DIRECTLY & SPECIFICALLY to your audience. Although this section is titled “about”, the best use of this spot is to be so crisp, clear and compelling on who you serve and how you create impact for your clients. That is what is called “client facing”. It should cover your expertise as well as your personality. This important write up is successful when someone reads these several paragraph and at the end of the write up, feels like they just had a brief exchange with you at an in-person networking event. It should tell your professional story as well as provide a slice of insight into how you think or show up in the real world or IRL (in real life). It should communicate your personal and professional story.  

◻️ Unlike the profile photo, which is typically a traditional headshot, you can demonstrate some visual flair in the banner or cover image. This image should carry a key part of your brand message visually. Choose a cover that supports and carries your personal brand message.  

If you’d like to  have a customized one created that does just that, you can get that at: LinkedIn Banner Image

3. THE BEST LINKEDIN PROFILES BUILT TRUST

Although it’s likely that your prospective business leads or job leads come from networking and word–of–mouth, it is vital that your LinkedIn profile shows up well in search–engine results. This is a crucial piece to create the trust needed for prospects to take the next step with you.

So, let’s maximize the numerous spots that LinkedIn offers for you to demonstrate competency and credibility which becomes foundational to trust and credibility building. There are awards, publications, patents, recognitions, endorsements and recommendations. Take advantage of them all that fit you. 

EXERCISE 3

You’re distinctive!  Figure out how to proclaim that within your profile. Your profile should not read like ANYONE ELSE on the planet. No one does you!  Excavate the elements that are specifically YOU.  

Pull together “social proof” such as listed below. Choose the ones that are most relevant for your ideal client and place those at key spots on your profile.  

Here are some places you can search for credibility builders: 

◻️ Awards you or your team has won or recognitions you’ve received. (e.g., “Featured in ABC News or ”, any “Best of…” list) 

◻️ Testimonials from people with whom you’ve worked and results provided.  

◻️ Summits or speaking engagements you’ve been featured in. 

◻️ Articles you’ve written or talks you have delivered.

4. THE BEST LINKEDIN PROFILES CREATE AFFINITY

When you meet someone at a networking event, you intuitively explore interests or commonalities. Perhaps it’s the shared experience or the same university, or sharing hobbies or such. These commonalities help us move from strangers to acquaintances.

Your LinkedIn profile needs to showcase how you have relatability.  Including that  supports the  human tendency to look for commonalities before building a relationship. 

EXERCISE 4

Create opportunities for someone to identify something they have in common with you by sharing specific experiences and passions. 

To get you started on your list, here are some ideas for affinities you could pepper throughout your profile: 

◻️ Schools and universities you’ve attended 

◻️ Volunteer experiences 

◻️ Hobbies and interests 

◻️ LinkedIn groups, influencers, and organizations you follow 

◻️ Places you’ve lived 

5. THE BEST LINKEDIN PROFILES ARE EASY TO READ

Your readers will spend a few seconds (yes, seconds!) getting a first impression about you. If they’re interested, they’ll invest a couple more minutes reading or scanning the rest of your profile. That’s not a lot of time! 

Make your profile easy to scan and ensure the most important information pops off the screen. 

Divide the “About Section” into readable chunks of text, either through   paragraph spacing, judisciosu use of emoji’s or both.  Edit ruthlessly.  If your about section starts something like this: (With more than 20 years of…), kick that opening to the curb and   look further in your write up to start off with something with more impact.  

If you don’t like to write, hire it done – IC Growth and other firms offer that service. . Don’t sckimp on your online brand. When you “google” yourself, or others do, 99% of the time, it will be your LinkedIn profile that shows up as the first result.  

Make it  look and sound great!.  

EXERCISE 5

Here are seven things you can do to make your LinkedIn profile super scannable: 

1.) Write a concise and impactful headline. 

2.) Be intentional with keywords but avoid buzzwords or jargon that doesn’t mean much. Not sure which ones are overused and worn out check out Most Overused Buzzwords  

3.) Write a clear and compelling about section. The 3 lines before the button “see more” are especially important. If you don’t spark interest with a clear message and or value proposition, no one clicks to keep reading. Be certain this section is client facing and make the story you tell in this section be hyper focused on results you deliver for your client or employer if you are in a search. Results is the language of business; ensure you are speaking that language.  

4.) Avoid the “sea of gray” that comes from a lot of text without white space breaks. Use bullet points or sprinkle in some emojis, even if just simple arrow bullets. The reader gets distracted easily, so use visual markers to help organize the readers thoughts to keep going.  

5.) Pin the top three skills to the top that are relevant to the role you are doing now, not just those for which you have the most endorsements. 

6.) In the featured section, include high impact videos or downloads of your free or paid offers that highlight your specialized expertise.