Are you creating TRUST or DOUBT?

Are your actions saying, "You don't care?" Are you creating TRUST or DOUBT?

Yesterday I noticed that the house next store "SOLD" as they had place the rider on top of the FOR SALE sign. Since the sign is proximate to my driveway, I noticed a yellow post-it note on the "SOLD" part of the sign. Curious, I took a closer look. It simply had the address on the note "204 E. Maple Ave." The person placing the "SOLD" rider on the sign did not remove the instruction.

It made me wonder WHY; why did they leave the post-it note on the sign? Is it because they forgot? Is it because no one told them to remove the note? Or is it because they simply don't care about the quality of their work? Whatever the reason it's sloppy.

Although this is a tiny thing, it would make me think twice about hiring this particular Realtor, even though he is THE Realtor in our neighborhood.

Real Estate transactions are riddled with small details on so many levels. Could I trust this Realtor's office to handle my sale if they can't even get a sign right. This lack of detail introduced DOUBT, which caused me to discount any trust I had in this realtor.

Now this reaction maybe a little extreme, but I am doing it to make a point. Details count. Audience counts. How you are displaying yourself and your company to the world counts. Remember with each action and interaction you are either building DOUBT or TRUST.

DOUBT is poison. It only takes a small amount to contaminate a large amount of TRUST.

Today, will you build TRUST or DOUBT?

7 Reasons To Be Loaded With Trigger Talk

Have you ever stumbled over the question “What do you do?” When you are prepared you can engage, inform and even “Wow!” the other party.

At ShoutBrand we called these prepared responses “Trigger Talk” because you are ready to “fire them off” at any given time. “Trigger Talk” sentences are carefully crafted, edited, rehearsed, tested, refined and finally memorized. The "Elevator Pitch" or "30-Second Self Commercial" are forms of “Trigger Talk.”

Be sure to create “Trigger Talk” for the most common questions people ask, especially these two: What do you do? and Tell me about yourself...?

7 REASONS TO BE LOADED WITH TRIGGER TALK
IT GIVES YOU:

1. The WOW FACTOR
2. TIME to think about what you’ll say next
3. INCREASED TRUST as you come across smartly
4. The ability to DELIVER INFORMATION you want them to have
5. An ENGAGING edge
6. A MAGNETIC energy which draws people to you
7. A great IMPRESSION every time

You will want to have a lot of “Trigger Talk” in your back pocket. The more you have on “Trigger” the better. Get loaded-up and give your Personal Brand fire power.

What questions do you have a hard time answering?

Personal Brands: Use a professional email address.

Many people use their email as a database. You want them to be able to easily find you when they want to reach you. If your name is not apart of your email address it makes it much more difficult. If you are not easy to find you are loosing out on opportunities. Using an unprofessional email address is a big mistake.

For example: I come across a job opportunity that might be perfect for a young man, Randy, who I met a networking event and connected with via email several months ago. I make a new email message and start typing "Randy" in hopes that his address will pop-up. I search my brain for his last name. I think it starts with a "C." I type in "rc" in hopes that his name will pop-up. Again nothing. The phone rings and my attention is taken in a new direction. That is the end of emailing Randy. He was not easy to find and as a result he did not receive the job lead.  I didn't remember his email address was surferdude23@yahoo.com.

I personally know many highly paid professionals who surf and that doesn't stop me from thinking "slacker loser"when I read "surfer dude!" With the free yahoo email address, it reads "slacker loser cheapskate." Who wants that refrain the the brain!?

I prefer and recommend people buy the domain name of the name they are using. For example: SarahAlexandriaJones.com or RandyCorcoran.com. Surferdude23@yahoo.comnow becomes: randy@randycorcoran.com.

The next best thing is using  a gmail account.With the popularity of gmail, your name may already be taken. Take your time in selecting a name. It is tempting to rush into a name that won't serve you in the long term.

People often put the year of their birth in their email address. For example: SarahSmith64@gmail.com.  This is not information you need to be delivering in this fashion. It may even work against you.

Many older non-technically savvy people are still using their aol email addresses. When one come into my inbox I immediately assume the sender is behind the times when it comes to technology.

Many hosting providers offer "email forwarding." You may be able to have your old or other email addresses forward to your new professional address.

The more consistent you are with your personal branding, the better. Your name is the cornerstone of your brand. Be mindful of how you use your name. Be sure to use a professional email address.