THE END OF BUSINESS CARDS BUILD YOUR REPUTATION, GET NOTICED FOR WHAT YOU DO (AND SAVE LOTS OF TIME AND MONEY) by Kareem Taylor

Transcription

1 THE END OF BUSINESS CARDS BUILD YOUR REPUTATION, GET NOTICED FOR WHAT YOU DO (AND SAVE LOTS OF TIME AND MONEY) by Kareem Taylor

2 Becoming a Trust Champion 3 The Death of Business Cards What Is Networking 6 You Are A Business Card 7 Building a Reputation 9 Keep Your Promise 11 Go and Create 13 Talk With Me 14 2

3 Becoming a Trust Champion The death of business cards Over the last year, in case you missed it, here s who built and profited from their reputation alone: August Alsina made Def Jam Records pay attention and quickly offer him a deal. Issa Rae broke the rules and landed a production deal with HBO. Dear White People turned the movie industry upside down and is coming to theaters. Latoya Lee is now Director of Worldwide Urban A&R at Warner Music Group, without a resume. Tristan Walker raised $2.4 million and is changing the way Black men cut their hair. And the list goes on with others who aren t waiting for their business cards to come in the mail. It s obvious that how we connect, build relationships and collide with opportunities, is changing. Networking, 3

4 as we once knew it, is a thing of the past. What then, do the above mentioned have that you don t? How do they build followings, connect people and get noticed on their own terms? What is it? Here s the answer: Become a Trust Champion. And right now, if you have something good to say, you can be one, too. In Sweet Nectar, I argued that anyone who should make a difference, should start now. In this very short manifesto, I want to take things a step further and teach you how to do it. In order to become a Trust Champion, you must be able to: stop making excuses and start building reputation keep your promises provide value to others without keeping score find a community and lead them At the core, becoming a Trust Champion is about what else trust. If I have a project coming up, will I call you to be part of it? If I trust you, I will. If I can 4

5 count on you, I will. If I know what you re good at, I will. If others speak on your behalf (your reputation), I will. Being a Trust Champion makes these decisions a lot easier. And it creates the perfect environment for your work to get to the right people, and spread. Don t spend another dime on business cards. They re just an excuse to keep waiting. 5

6 what is networking I ll give you a hint, it has nothing to do with going to a dinner party and giving out your card to every person who will listen. That s not networking. That s why business cards are dead. Networking is a system of trust, value and genuine relationship building. Before you reach in your wallet to give someone your card, join in on a conversation with them. Find out about them, what their interests are and what you have in common. Just engage in dialogue. The person you are talking with has already made up their mind about what kind of person you are and if they ever want to see you again. The key here is to understand that networking is not about giving your card aimlessly to people. It s about having real conversation, building a genuine trust with someone and then finding out how you can provide value to them. You see what s happening here? Find out how you... can help them. Now, we re getting to the core of networking. To be a Trust Champion, it s essential. 6

7 you are a business card What you stand for, what you create and share, the way you talk, the things you promote, what people say about you, is your business card. You don t need Vista Print to send you 250 free cards for that to be true. Build your own, let your work speak for itself and have organizations calling you instead of the other way around. As social media is at its peak of popularity, it has become harder and harder for people to stand out. But at the same time, it s become very easy playing field for Trust Champions. For the ones willing to stand out and be heard. The next time you send an , shake a hand or reply to a tweet, keep this all in mind. Everything you say and do is your business card. You don t need a card for people to get to know you. 7

8 If they like you enough upon meeting (or hearing about) you, they ll Google you, find you and get in touch with you. 8

9 building a reputation You are only as good as the reputation that precedes you. When building your brand, build knowing that every thing you do counts. Three years ago when Trust Champion Issa Rae appeared online with Awkward Black Girl, she d already created two web series before that. Both of those series never caught steam. But during this time, Issa was building up her reputation. She was an independent content producer, making stuff and putting it online. So when it was time to start putting together Awkward Black Girl, it was a no-brainer for cast and crew to come on board. It was a no-brainer that her following only grew bigger. Every week, Rae delighted fans with new episodes, keeping her promise. And if you can do all of this with no help from the majors, they ll be calling you to figure out how they can get involved. 9

10 Calls came to her phone, and the rest is history. This is what Trust Champions do. Your reputation is what you do, and who you are. It s what people expect (or don t expect) from you. Build it by remaining consistent in what you do. In Sweet Nectar, I advocate for trying one more time. Going back to play ball isn t always easy, but it s necessary. Continue focusing on what s next. Is it bigger? Is it worth anyone s time? Then, go. Go do it. 10

11 keep your promise At the core of trust, is keeping your promise. When you say you re going to do something, do it. If a new episode is to be uploaded every Sunday at 7, do it. If you offer a discount to the first ten Twitter mentions, give them their discount. Keep your word. And remain consistent. If every week you have something new going on, there s a chance no one s going to trust you. You know, the person who every year has that big idea that never catches on. It probably could catch on, but they can t keep their promise on even one thing, let alone several projects. The bottom line is this: Remaining consistent, and following through on your promise, increases trust. When August Alsina left Houston for Atlanta, he came knowing he was ready to break through. After building a huge following via social media, and keeping his promise by releasing music, Def Jam Records knocked as his door. 11

12 Already in tow with millions of views on YouTube, and connecting with the right people by building his reputation, Alsina became a Trust Champion. He could do things on his terms. That s what happens when you keep your promise. Stick with it, all the way. And don t stop until you get there, even if it s tough. It may be what you need to do. 12

13 go and create As you can see, once you ve built up the trust and reputation, you can get away with practically anything. And you don t need a business card to do it. Just build your reputation, keep your promise and continue breaking the rules. The economy is no longer rewarding mediocrity. Now, it requires that you think outside the box and take matters into your own hands. Go, create something. And genuinely build your reputation. It will pay off very big. 13

14 talk with me Let s connect on social media: Twitter.com/KareemTaylor Facebook.com/KareemTaylor or you can me at kt@kareemtaylor.com 14