Your business model: how to move from diagnosis to action plan

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I often encounter misconceptions in the canvas business model. If you understand as a mere diagnosis of current situation, It will be unhelpful. Ideally raise it as a diagnostic + strategic model to develop a plan of action. Let's go by parts.

What is a business model? What is it for?

Expansion design thinking He has brought us many canvases to work with multiple strategic facets. The canvas business model most known and used is the Business Model Canvas, and personal application, the Business Model You.

essentially, the canvas business model It is a great tool to help you understand a business model in a simple and structured way. Using this canvas It will help you better understand the customers you serve, which offer value propositions through what channels and how to make money your company or personal business.

Utility work this canvas goes beyond understanding your business model, to analyze the models competitors.

The canvas business model It was created by Alexander Osterwalder, but Strategyzer. The Osterwalder with Yves Pigneur own published in 2010 the book Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers (Wiley). In 2011 the Spanish translation of the book was published under the title Generation business models (Deusto).

It's about a model lean or light based on a principle: imperfect better faster than paralysis by analysis the old "Business Plan" 800 pages and 12 months of work. It is designed for small businesses, departments of large companies, collaborative projects and individuals.

In the case of private individuals, on 2012 the authors of the previous alongside Tim Clark launched Your business model (Deusto), a "must" management your personal brand. This book is a great facilitator of ideas, as it includes actual cases of more than 400 professionals around the world.

The diagnostic phase of your business model

Knowing where you are today is essential to understand the changes you require to achieve your goals. So, I think also essential to define your projection lens personal brand: what area of ​​business you want to be a reference, what specialty, in what format (presential, online, mixed…) and what geographical area. Without setting a clear objective not know if your diagnosis requires an action plan to improve.

Your business model

Business Model You. Translation Samuel Villegas @ CC sam1meta

I often see that the diagnosis format developed without knowing before the goal, and therefore can be read as an exercise in self-knowledge. Big mistake. I think the original spirit of the model is strategic, not only diagnosis.

If I see a lot of notes Post-it the same color, I understand that the work done is pure diagnosis; a missed opportunity.

The strategic phase of your business model

This phase of that we have a projection defined key personal brand objective. This will allow us a very precise definition of the value proposition, our relevant difference.

To better understand the model, Ideally, work with sticky notes (or virtual) two colors: one for the place where I am today (and I want to keep) and another for where I want to be tomorrow (and what I need to activate, create…).

That enables us to create two action plans naked eye color: the maintenance plan shares and plan of new shares to create, develop and implement. We will have a strategy defending (we want to keep) and another attack (what we want to incorporate). And remember that any action plan must be measurable, for what we can work with objectives SMART that allow us to analyze the evolution of the indicators of success.

canvas example business model

Everything revolves around the value proposition

I often say that if they do not contribute, you don't matter. Work on your relevant difference it is imperative to differentiate yourself by offering value and growth potential for your customers, whether internal or external. That's the value proposition, the core of the canvas business model.

It is very important to set the work order canvas. Although some authors recommend defining the first customer segment, I think that It is more useful to start by the value proposition. Then, see what the customer profile who may be interested in the value proposition. After, what kind of relations we bring to our customers, what channels We use to move the value proposition to customers.

The second part of the canvas (the left side thereof) defines the activities which we take to realize the value proposition. Also they means necessary, and the key partners we will need to access more easily to our customers.

And the third part concerns the economic aspects. model expenses and model income. The current and future, which marks the target worked.

The business model is dynamic. From one day to another all you can change

Classical formats like business plan They offered no flexibility. Maybe it's because the markets were moving so slow today.

The canvas business model it is flexible, and considers that in 24h can produce a change radical.

Imagine your value proposition is the creation, production, sale and distribution of custom shoes. Imagine also that the 6 months starting your business you receive an offer from a major manufacturer in the industry to buy your business. This implies a major change, do you agree?

Also imagine your revenue model is based on the personal commitment of your time to your customers (limited model). Suddenly you propose an improvement through machine learning you allow a scalable online income and not dependent on your time.

In all these changes, it is easier to adapt the canvas business model a plan 800 pages. Canvases Business models with strategic format they are alive, They are dynamic, and it is good for us to review every six months or whenever a change occurs.

I hope I've helped. A good tip is to read these two books referenced, find a couple of friends or consultants who can help you and dedicate one morning to work on your own canvas business model: an essential step in managing your personal brand if you turn it into an action plan, Be, you measure and improvements.

 

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Your social networks are yours, they belong to your personal brand

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Your social networks are yours. You'll think "this guy has gone crazy, whose are they going to be?”

The truth is that from time to time I observe how many people believe that their personal networks belong to the organization for which they work. And it is not like that. Not at all.

Your social networks are yours. Or rather, they are personal

Well, they are not exactly yours. They belong to Zuckerberg (Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram is). They belong to Bill Gates / Microsoft (Linkedin). They belong to Jack Dorsey (Twitter). They belong to those guys at Google (YouTube)… So to be honest, your social networks are personal, even if they're not strictly yours.

Let's say their owners rent their space in exchange for something valuable: your data, your content and the analysis of your behavior (engagement).

If your social networks are personal, they are your treasure

To paraphrase Gollum, my personal social network "is my treasure". And that's why it is important to maintain that privacy from the moment to open your profile until you close it. To do this, think about taking the following precautions:

The contact mail for each social network should be personal

A classic mistake is to create a social network from a company email. Yes, we all have fallen into that trap sometime.

We're in business on a provisional basis. The same applies to collaborative projects. Work for life is over. Perhaps there is an exception for civil servants, little more. Now it's easy to get fired in American film format: You are fired, pack your things and go. Maybe it's you who's saying goodbye.

Since I went from branding to personal branding, a little more than 12 years ago, I have negotiated with social networks the elimination of 200 profiles. These are profiles of professionals who had only put their former company's contact email address. So you know, use your Gmail, Hotmail or the email of your personal domain.

In your profile picture you should appear, without logos

... And if you show up with a logo, just do it with yours. In your profile picture is better to show your best, your best. And if it is possible that you are the one who hires the photographer, better; this way, f you leave the company you will be able to continue using the image without problems.

Profile picture bad example social networks

Example of what is not interesting to do

Of course, if you feel the colours, you are a true employee advocate and want to show off your company, there are ways to do it. For example, use the image that many networks leave us as background (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube…). Here are two examples:

Good example social networking profile

Good example of how to treat profile picture and background

 

YouTube application profile

Another example, now applied to YouTube

The Linkedin title and summary are yours 100%

Another subject: Your company can train you on how to improve your personal brand and how to be the best brand ambassador. But they can not “dictate” by the professional title or the summary from your Linkedin profile. That belongs to you. You are under no obligation to include your company's name in your title; I can recommend that you do so if you think it adds value, but the decision is yours alone. The extract or summary is yours, and there you have the opportunity to show your value proposition and your core values.

On the other hand, I can agree that the company information you provide is aligned with those responsible for HR and Marketing. It is a question of giving consensual information. As a description of your job, If you do not lie, the company should not impact it too much.

The other issue: Are your contents yours??

Big question. We can already see that “your social networks are yours” is a half-truth. And the contents? In theory, the content you share on the networks are yours. The problem is that networks "require" have certain permissions on these files. Requirements means that if you don't accept them, you can't create the profile. .

These permissions enable networks to (literally) "host, use, to distribute, modify, maintain, reproduce, publicly display or communicate and translate your content". In other words, when you upload a picture or video or text to a social network, they can share it at will without asking permission. This means, in practice, to state categorically that your content on social networks is not just yours.

If you close your account, you theoretically you revoke permission. But of course, If someone has shared it, you have a problem. that a lot of your content will wander through digital space for centuries to come... until the social network closes down.

In summary

You see, your social networks are yours. They belong to your personal brand. But only from the perspective of your personal control. They don't belong to your company. They belong to each platform, who impose their rules, to the point of being able to use your content as they please.

Having control of your content can be considered a utopia. The closest thing to that control is to have your own blog, your true digital home. Are you ready?

 

Cover image by pathdoc on Shutterstock.com

What drives social conformity? (Asch's experiment)

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Some time ago I participated in an article with my colleagues Alicia Pomares & Jordi Collell and Celia Hil called De luciérnagas a estrellas refulgentes (From fireflies to glittering stars). It was not intrinsically about social conformity, but on whats is known as "Solomon Asch syndrome," a condition derived from Asch Experiment. This pathology could be summed up as the fear of difference.

Solomon Asch (1907-1996) was a world-renowned and prestigious Polish-American psychologist known for his pioneering work in social psychology

Today I deal with the main reason of Asch experiment, the social conformity.

What is social conformity?

In a simple definition, the social conformity happens when individuals in a social group change their behavior, opinions and attitudes to fit the views of the group.

Many times, and unconsciously, we "relax" our criterion not to swim against the tide and avoid possible conflicts. And this is not something that happens occasionally, it's just installed in our routine.

In a more complete definition, psychologists Gil Rodriguez & Garcia Saiz, authors of "social influence processes." (Ed. Pyramid) nuance:

"We could speak about conformity for commission (act in the line pressing group), and default (not to act in a certain way because the group does not approve). So, It is more appropriate to use the congruence concept rather than movement, when we refer to a group ".

Asch's experiment

Asch conducted a set of experiments related to visual identification tasks. The task was actually simple: the subjects had to indicate which of the three lines of the card had the same size as the model contained in another cardboard.

This task was done in groups up to 9 people, and all, except for one (experimental subject and both "naive subject"), were accomplices of the experimenter. Accomplices were instructed to answer correctly in the first two trials and answer incorrectly and unanimous remaining (in the twelve critical essays), which they were interspersed by four other trials in which accomplices answered correctly. Subjects were publicly express their judgments in the order in which they were sitting. The position of the test subject, placed in the penultimate, allowed the views of most members of the group before giving your answer.

This video shows the sequence:

The results

The results were surprising, even for Asch himself. Although the task was simple social conformity occurred, so that the experimental subjects gave wrong answers in a third (36,8 by 100) of critical essays, which it did not happen hardly ever if they performed the task alone (control group) and, so, without knowing the views of others.

Most of the subjects indicated that they had been carried away because they believed that the majority was right, and they were wrong because they did not understand the instructions well or because their visual acuity was not good.

Only a subject which followed the judgment of the majority believed that the answers were correct.

Here is another video about social conformity in a tv show format showing identical results:

A small number were aware that the answers were incorrect, but they answered following most not be displayed alone or different.

Personal brand and relevant difference

As my professor, the social psychologist Dr. Ricard Faura says, "In social conformity is not only shame that people express, it is a profound doubt of their own criteria before the collective consensus".

We settle for not publicly display the difference. This is the fact. From the perspective of personal brand, not to show the difference makes us automatons dumbs. But just being different isn't everything...

I appeal to the relevant difference. When we work the value proposition we always wonder why they should choose us? And the answers are 1 It is because we can solve a problem or meet a need. And 2 because we do it in a different way. The two answers complement each other, both are needed.

Cover image by Iconic Bestiar on Shutterstock.com

What's new (Integra Personal Branding)

Although the news came several months ago, I inform you that I have the honor of being personal branding consultant and partner of Integra Personal Branding, the most important personal branding agency in Mexico and Latin America.

Staff Integra Personal Branding

We have been working together with Nancy Vazquez and Alan Urbina, founding partners, some time ago, and now part of my job will be to help develop in Mexico and LATAM the area of corporate personal branding (Executive Branding, Personal Branding and Employee Advocacy programs).

Our next collaboration is on the Dominican Republic from 29/5 to 9/6. We will run various workshops of Personal Branding and Employee Advocacy for companies such as Banco Popular and RE/MAX. We also plan to give two lectures on storytelling and social selling, within the framework of the #BrandingWeekRD, all coordinated by QUIFER Consultants (+ anabel@quiferconsultores.com).

Your personal brand name: how do you want to be recognized??

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One of the mistakes I've made, listed on my extensive CV error is the fact that I've not been using always the same personal brand name. That is what is known like "beating around the bush".

What is the personal brand name?

It is the name by which we want to be found and recognized, both in real and digital environments. It can be a real name, A nickname (nickname) or a combination of both.

The most important thing is regularity. You bet what you bet, keep it in time.

The two brand assumptions

The easy assumption is that you have a unusual name, like mine, unique. I say it's easy because here logic cries out to use your name and surname as a personal brand name.

The most complex assumption is that your name and surname are very common. Just look up your first name and first surname ((in quotation marks) ) in Google to see how many results appear. Most important, how many of those results correspond to you.

In this second assumption, you can create a nickname, ideally related to your value proposition. The key here is that your value proposition must be strong and sustained over time.

Examples of personal brand name redirected

We started with the wrong name, and is never too late to fix it:

  • I started with the brand lateralconsulting, now my brand name is GuillemRecolons, and I hold the same in my web, social networks…
  • Andrés Pérez Ortega started with the web marcapropia.net, and corrected a few years ago to his own name andresperezortega.com. In social media, nevertheless, It works with other brands such as @marcapersonal on Twitter…
  • África Lucena began with unaideabrillante on her website and her online profiles and now she uses africalucena on her site and all her social profiles.

In all three cases, it's about unusual names (For Andrés, with the second surname), so it was unnecessary to resort to other brands.

The general advice is that it is easier to associate your name to a concept that a concept to your name. Thus, in case of unusual names, keep using them as personal brand names.

Examples of personal brand name with a nickname

If your name is common, you can resort to other solutions, as have done these professionals:

  • Alfonso Alcántara. Known as Yoriento, both its web and social networks
  • Pedro Rojas, @seniormanager alias on social networks, but keeps its name in its web pedrorojas.es
  • Álex López, alias @retailmeeting in social media, also keeps his name on his web alexlopezlopez.com

These cases are advisable with very common names, and here, as I said, as I said, the key is that the nickname must be consistent over time. If Alfonso ceases to be counselor, his nickname lose sense.

The issue of influencers is another matter. These professionals create a character, and therefore a name-brand commercial and mask. El Rubius, La Vecina Rubia, Auronplay ... they are what we know as artistic name. It has very little to do with personal brand, is brand character.

How do you want to be recognized and found?

Here's another question. Many people do not know your name or your nickname, but they look for the skills you have. Are you ready for that? That's called the personal brand SEO. It's about positioning one or more keywords that lead potential customers or other stakeholders to your website.

This is the test of truth. I must warn you it is very difficult to appropriate a keyword without own platform (web, blog…) and remember that social networks are not ours and there indiscriminately compete with thousands of people.

Some years ago, I decided it was important for me to position three keywords in Spain: Personal Branding Empresa, Executive Branding and Employee Advocacy. That is not based solely on a question of will, but to address the issue professionally, and above all, be very very very persistent.

So far, I have the top position in Google with Personal Branding Empresa and with Executive Branding, and with Employee Advocacy I have been advancing position from 54 (Google Page Six) to 7 actual (page 1).

You see, the personal brand name It is important, but it's not everything.

Girls image by Dean Drobot on Shutterstock.com

What's your best brand asset?

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What is a brand asset?

Actually you are your most important brand asset. An asset that nobody can take away. Your knowledge, skills, performance, looks and experiences you make you a single person, unrepeatable.

But do not be fooled: Personal branding, managing your your personal brand Is NOT about finding your best YOU. That's a very nice phrase, but unrealistic, or at least incomplete. It's about finding, developing and making visible your real YOU. And measure it. And modify elements of your strategy as needed.

If I had to list here my resume of mistakes, I would need an ebook. And almost always these errors have come from self complacency, sometimes to believe that a pat on the back or like on a social network could be assimilated as signs of success.

What do you want your brand assets to represent ?

As mentioned, your brand asset is YOU. Now you need to do an exercise in empathy to understand what positioning, the brand territory you want to occupy in the minds of your stakeholders.

I emphasize the word "brand" for something important. If only you embrace a proposed generic value, not unique, you're closer to represent a product that an active brand. I always like to remember the old definition of brand used by most advertisers: unique value proposition.

If you bet on functionality (hard skills) not related to emotional intelligence skills, you just compete by price. Low price. We are always willing to pay more for a brand, its field of meaning is very rich, and it solves rational and emotional needs. Ask yourself if you meet these types of needs, and if you do differently: you've identified your value proposition.

Surround yourself with unconventional people

If you surround yourself with gray people, you will not be better than those people, you will be gray. Jobs told the Stanford students "Stay hungry, Stay foolish". I could not agree more. Only curiosity and desire to try new things save us. And the gray people are conformist, who prefer to live in a safe mediocrity to risk and go every day the roller coaster of life.

It has always been my best when I have met with exceptional people. They spread curiosity, enthusiasm and a point of madness.

Do not ask those people what they do, asks how and why they do. Ask them for their purpose, looking for that utopian side, irreverent it is having an impossible dream and go after it. Their brand asset will be yours. Someone said we are the average of people we dealt with. I do not know how much truth is there in that, but just in case, better surround yourself with people who are paid to my insight of the value proposition: “If you don´t add value, you don't matter”.

Tomatoes images by Ed Samuel on Shutterstock.com

Personal Branding news on books

We are having an unbeatable 2019. First it came Andrés Pérez Ortega with his fifth book “Monetízate” (Alienta). Then it followed Eva Collado with his second book “El Mundo cambia, ¿y tú?” (Alienta). And now I am pleased to announce the imminent release of the second book of Ami Bondia “Mundo de Valientes” (Círculo Rojo) and the third edition (Not just printing) which was the debut of the mother of the personal brand, Neus Arques, with his “Y tú, ¿qué marca eres?“(Alienta).

Mundo de Valientes And you what brand you are?

Personal Branding World, the personal brand specialists GeoLocator created by Fran Segarra

My friend Fran Segarra had a great idea: put on the map to personal strategy specialists worldwide. A complex task “non stop”, but very useful to know where “the tribe” of personal brand is placed. A great post I invite you to read and “manipulate”: Personal Branding World.

Personal Branded Content as personal brand culture

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Lets start by the beginning, what's branded content?

The Branded Content is considered a marketing strategy based on creating content sponsored or produced directly by a brand.

It is not something new. In the years 30, before the advent of television, brands such as Procter & Gamble sponsored radio programs with tips for housewives. The result was brilliant for the brand… and consumers. Other historical examples of Branded Content are the book Guinness World Records, the Michelin guide…

Of course, in the digital and ad saturation age, the Branded Content It is acquiring an extra dimension. A good recent example is the space jump Felix Baumgartner / Red Bull already covered in this blog some time ago with the post The most watched ad in history is not an ad. Goodbye, advertising.

Are we sure that the Branded Content is marketing?

Few days ago I read a fantastic article from Patricia Weiss on Branding Strategy Insider that caught my attention. Weiss questioned the Branded Content as merely a marketing strategy. Instead, the expert believes that this is a mindset (mentality) that builds brands, transcending marketing.

One thing is certain, the Branded Content explicitly does not sell and does not hide corporate brand messages. These are stories about people who connect emotionally because our values ​​related revolve around aspects, goals…

Perhaps a new form of storytelling?

The part I like more on Branded Content is that many of the stories we're seeing are aligned with a purpose, and notice the coincidence: It is the brand purpose. I think today is key that both trademarks as every personal brand has worked extensively the purpose.

Everytime a trademark promote a purpose such as being market leader, a kitten dies. The same happens when I ask a person what their purpose is and tells me “earn money”. Something as serious can not be instrumentalized in this way. We talk about a utopian dream, a vision, the reason of being (Ikigai), or our "why".

And that brings us to a new narrative that can transcend the marketing and become a brand new culture, either corporate or personal.

And what about the Personal Branded Content?

Many of the professionally shared content could be included in the personal marketing, or if you want Personal Marketing Content. -The intention is to sell directly or indirectly- our services, our products. When it comes to position ourselves as specialists (experts, if you want), this is Personal Branding, and the key here is involving others as supporters of our professionalism.

I don't deny that some of the articles in this blog -very few- have this intention. But if each item was personal marketing would end up hating readers, and this could be boring even for me.

I think there is a part of research and altruism necessary in the content we share. And that's what we call the Personal Branded Content.

Thinkers & doers

As my colleague and “thinker” Arancha Ruiz says, in every professional sector there are thinkers and doers (pensadores y hacedores). Of course, there are also hybrids that combine both profiles (I consider myself one). But you are more than one or the other, If you have identified a way you can generate short stories to transmit.

The big brands are doing a good job providing us with stories that connect human values. And as humans we have the opportunity to open our secret passions box, hobbies… stories to show how we are, what are we doing to improve the world and what really matters.

grelatos

Relevance, truth and meaning

Resuming Weiss, the story of your brand integrates three essential boosters: relevance, truth and meaning, and it is always oriented people, not products or services. The hero and heroine are others, not you.

An example of Personal Branded Content are the series of photographs with story that many igers (Instagramers) they give altruistically and cheer us on. Recently, I decided with my passion content: historical photography. I created a hashtag called #GRelatos and every day I tell a little story about a photo that has left mark.

We must change our way of thinking: the Brand Content is not a discipline, or a department. It is pure brand culture. And it's also personal brand culture.

Today, 17 of March, St. Patrick is my birthday. I'll drink a Guinness. Have a nice week!

Cover image by HowLettery on Shutterstock.com

#TEDxEixample19: the moment of truth

This week will be the first event TEDxEixample. As a volunteer member of the organizing team'm more than proud of the work that is being done, under the inspirational thrust of Pau Samo. Thanks Pau, Ana Reyes, Robert Ferrer, Carmen Gibert, Rubén G. Castro, Helena Casas, Alba Espejo, Eva Soto, Irina González and Oscar Martinez! The 22/3 it will be a great day.

You are on time, I think ten or twelve remaining tickets. The tickets can be purchased here.

speakers TEDxEixample 2019

Getting an invisible personal brand

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I know. Getting an "an invisible personal brand"Is an oxymoron, a contradiction. Our personal brand exists because there are others, and if it is invisible it doesn't leave your personal brand.

For once, let's go to the heart of the matter. You don't want anyone to find you, neither in a phone book, or in lists of alumni college or Internet. You will leave brand in a closed inner circle, but for purposes outside the circle, you want an invisible personal brand, undiscoverable, non-existent at all.

Is it possible to get an invisible personal brand?

It's hard, but not impossible. I know, although I do not share, your motivations. Perhaps you are not what is known as a "social being”. Perhaps you have a criminal past and you do not want to be found. Maybe you're a "big shot" and you prefer to remain anonymous. And I do not rule out that, simply, you're very jealous person of your privacy and does not want a trace.

Before the Internet was somewhat easier now to get an invisible personal brand. Now the plot thickens, since even the most passive Internet users can make a mistake and give your data to malicious sites regarding privacy.

There are two scenarios to leave no trace, for simplicity we will call it the easy and difficult stage.

Easy scenario. Today there is no trace of you on the Internet

If your personal brand digital is nonexistent today, the first, congratulations. Is not easy. You belog to the 0,1% living beings "connected" undetectable. You had to overcome many pitfalls, or rather, e-traps.

To ensure that this continues, I give the infallible key: Become anchorite. What you read. Forget the smartphone, the wifi, returns to the role, recover old Olivetti. Go away, lonely, a chapel or a monastery of monks / nuns who have taken a vow of silence. Get changed the name, ideally with surname García or Rodríguez.

Of course, forget family and friends, coworkers, collegues of studies. Your upcoming events of networking of will be with spiders, birds, butterflies, a serpent, and plants, a lot of plants.

The difficult scenario. There yours trace on Internet, and you would like to remove it

Here the plot thickens. But do not despair. There are solutions, although you are in the 99,9% of people (in the OECD) which has left digital trail.

You have your own motivations, and certainly they are justified. Leaving a personal brand is something natural, it means what you say and, above all, what you do, has consequences for others. The problem often is in the lack of control of the digital world. Internet is full of trolls with bad intentions that, in real life, pretend to be good fellows.

Thus, let me give you some clues to clear trail and avoid leaving it.

Key 1. Join the Robinson list

Have you heard about it? I think only exists in Spain, for the moment. It is a service that prevents companies send you spam. Is free, easy to manage. You can avoid calls, mails ... from companies that have not authorized to do so. Here's the link to the Robinson List.

Key 2. Remove all your social networks, websites and other environments that are within your reach

If you want to disappear, obviously you'll need to start by removing things. This is the easy part. The problem is that sometimes we create network profiles for years and do not remember neither the mail with which we joint. In this case, send an email to customer service (notice, It's not easy) and you explain the case. Eventually they will understand you and delete the account.

Where is the problem? Well, you can delete your Twitter account -for example-, but the retweets that have made you other will not be cleared. There you will find the material you have yours (before deleting profile) and ask those who have shared to delete those messages. I know, It is laborious, but I have already warned that we are in the difficult scenario.

Key 3. Locate external websites that mention you and negotiates remove your tracks

This can be done by specific engine searches, for example putting your full name in quotes. That includes images, content writing, videos ... The difference in unquoted or is not important:

For example, If I search Guillem Recolons I get 61.100 results, but from page 4.000 Many of Google results refer only to Guillem or only Recolons. If I search "Guillem Recolons"encounter 44.000 results, but all allied and accurate. That means there is no more accurate results near 20.000 results that have nothing to do with me.

From this point, you must begin negociation. According to the so-called "law of forgetting" Google, if it is content with many years, you have the right to have it removed. My advice is that you do with a lawyer, you may spend some money, but you'll gain hours of life and you will save many concerns.

If you're census in any country of the European Union, Here's the Google form called "Withdrawal according to the Privacy Act EU”.

Nevertheless, we have some very complicated: eliminating official positions in companies. If you are or have been administrator, attorney, treasurer or any deed required function, my advice is to go directly to a law firm.

Key 4. Do not point it at official competitions (or Leete before the fine print)

If you're runner in Spain, possibly you know that anyone can see your brand on the web Runedia. How? What you have not asked permission? Surely yes, But we do not read the fine print.

There are plenty of traps on the Internet that can give us a distaste. I know many of my clients before the first session I knew his home address and home phone. How is it possible? For websites with bad intentions, kind Softonic, that in exchange for download a "free" software are left with your details and sell them to third parties. You can avoid reading the fine print or just looking for a payment page. Everything too cheap it's eventually expensive.

In general, distrusts everything on the Internet bears the word "free" as for me, give my data is breaking my privacy.

Key 5. Remove your email accounts, telephone number and applications

All email accounts you used so far for social networks, online shopping, business groups, school, gmail, must be removed. You can create a new, yes, from an internet cafe, from a non-recognizable IP, and does not contain your name.

Same with mobile phone. You can now sell or give away, and make a model vintage Nokia without an Internet connection with a new number. Waivers to instant messaging, logically (Whatsapp, Messenger, Telegram…) because if not, your data is held by giants like Facebook ...

In consecuense, remove all applications, but not before unsubscribe officially, with elimination of your data. On the contrary, will continue running through the digital underworld and not achieve one Invisible personal brand.

OK, I welcome you to 1990

You've got it. No need you to go to Mt., but remember to take the life we ​​led up 1990. Go to a pay phone to call. Send letters with no return address. Do not use any electronic devices, and lead tracking or less if geolocation. Read newspapers and books on paper (while there)…

You've got nearly a Invisible personal brand. At least, It will only be visible to you who you choose. It is a life choice, and you have every right to do so. I still do not know anyone who has gotten, this social isolation is complex. If you know someone, I invite you to have that experience in the comments, Maybe we can write a book ...

Have a nice week!

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Our way of writing reinforces (or destroys) our personal brand

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I read a while back on the blog Dan Schawbel that all our emails, messages and other writings become key elements to strengthen our your personal brand. I would add that these elements can also damage our personal brand. We never know who will end up reading it, so you better make sure that we are on the right track.

Writing strengthens our brand. Keys:

The shorter, is better…

The more simple and brief, better. More than once, after writing a phrase we say "What I'm meaning is…”. We must avoid complexity, try to be as clear as possible. The use of assertive language It is essential to our way of communicating. In a world where attention economy sets the tone, best to avoid circumlocutions.

Lets anticipate questions and make answers easy

People are busy. It's not so difficult to add document links, refer to specific dates, provide data. Attach documents in universal formats (Maybe a .PDF a .docx). That will save a lot of time to others.

I am very grateful that when I call for a meeting, or videoconference call me several well explain the objectives of the meeting and would provide the necessary background information.

Let's aboid mistaqes taht make us seem dumbs

It hurts, doesn't it? It's not that hard to review a text, use a concealer (They are free). It takes a few seconds to check a text that has passed through a corrector.

To e-mail includes free correctors (like GMail). Make some mistakes is human in a long text, but wrong in a headline, a brief bio on Twitter or Instagram, It implies sloppiness, you have not even read what you've written.

Count up to 100

Reflect before answering a complex email. One of the virtues of a professional is the ability to remain calm. If we receive an email unpleasant, you have to think a bit. First of all, fairplay.

You have to let tempers cool and not create negative labels. In addition, emotions can be misinterpreted. In these cases, written appeal should be the 2nd option. It is always better face to face or, if there is no choice, a phone call.

Communicate frequently

It is very interesting to send messages thanking just after meeting new people. Ask questions to our colleagues, bosses…. Provide useful items to our colleagues, customers, contributors…

Finally, you see that it is common sense, absolute sense. I recently found a restaurant slate in text 15 words containing 8 misspellings. That tells us a lot and bad personal brand owner of this restaurant. In addition to misspellings, the text does not make sense, not know where the starter, the second or dessert. You may eat well, but surely we avoid an intellectual discussion with the author of the copy. Write reinforces our personal brand… or destroys it.

Girl photo by The Everett Collection on Shutterstock.com

Few days left for TEDxEixample 2019 Do you have your ticket?

The next 22 March will take place in Barcelona the first edition of TEDxEixample 2019. More information on the webpage www.tedxeixample.com. If you do not have clear why go here I give you nine compelling reasons:

speakers TEDxEixample 2019

Now, someone is looking for your name on Google somewhere

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Yes, right now, as you read this, someone somewhere is writing and searching for your name on Google

Like it or not, your whole life passes at the speed of light in front of that person you are looking for your name on Google to find out information about you. This information can help him or her make a positive or negative decision for your interests. At that time four scenarios arise:

Google search results scenarios

  1. Your name is common and appear in 30.000 pages related to it, but is not really you the person of the results, and no one can know what they are. This is the most common scenario.
  2. You don't show up. As if you hadn't been born.
  3. You show unequivocally, but things linked to little or nothing interesting: crazy binges, scams, litigation, insults or the dreaded affiliation PRSF (politics, religion, football sex and its derivatives)…
  4. Show up correctly, adequate information, updated and unequivocally yours.

These are four very different scenarios that require different strategies. As an appetizer, here are some clues:

You have a common name

If you have two names or two first names, use them, surely thus you avoid matches. If both names are common (García Pérez, for example), get yourself a good “nickname”, a key name to be associated only you or put a hyphen between Garcia and Perez, this way: García-Pérez (pure digital license).

For more information about other alternatives I recommend reviewing posts The pain in the ass of the name Garcia, First part, Second part, Third part.

Your name is not on Google

It is better not being there than appearing in a bad way, but today is in practice appear to NOT EXIST digitally talking. Clearly you need to start giving your personal brand visibility in the network.

I would start with a profile About.me, Linkedin and Instagram. While only you complete your profile on Linkedin and post once a week in Instagram soon, magically, your name will be perfectly indexed at the top and if someone is searching for your name on Google you will stop being a ghost.

You appear, but bad

The problems of Online Reputation (which they are not always mirror real reputation) have become a headache for many professionals. The big problem is that internet footprint is virtually ineradicable. Recently, and following a statement known as “law of oblivion“, it is possible to negotiate the removal of very old and prescribed information about us. Slow and laborious, but that's one way if someone is searching for your name on Google and find damaging information.

If that route is not viable because the information is recent or have not prescribed, there is a plan B I call “the carpet law”. It is simple, It is to publicize your positive part . With that, you can “hide” the negative news that the network has you beyond the first page of Google, in places that no visit. A carpet.

The strategy “carpet” is simple, which does not mean it is not laborious. Possibly you need to open a blog, work fine positioning online (SEO). A second tip is to interact in other blogs, in social networks, and try to make a positive mark with “broom effect”.

If the problem persists, because you're a person high direction and there binding reports against you, my colleague Paula Fernández-Ochoa and I have recently launched a specific program to defend consulting companies and executives cases like this.

Congratulations. Your personal brand online works

If you also have clear who you are, where you want to go and how, double congratulations, you PERSONAL BRAND it is well placed. If someone is searching for your name on Google you will find what you want. And if you want to count on an interesting project, ¡bingo!

Anyway, the solutions of the first two assumptions are tactics. One tip is that you plan a personal brand strategy, more complex and possibly requiring some external support, but effective.

Ten advantages of offline networking

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What is offline networking?

Offline networking is pure contact management . It is detaching from the computer screen, leaving home or office to attend events, reading books, watching movies or giving talks, among many other things. Perhaps this may seem boring or politically incorrect in 4.0, but believe me, it's fantastic.

I spend many hours in front of the screen, but I wish they were less. Out there there's a world. Few days ago, talking to a colleague, We talked about the power of offline networking compared to online. I'm not quite much about “ten advantages” and all that, but the numbers are magical and allow succinctly explain what has offline networking that has not (yet) online:

Benefits of networking offline

  1. Breaking the sense of isolation it produces be a few hours or all day at the computer. No videoconferencing can replace a good hug or a good handshake.
  2. Have a beer or coffee with a friend, a client, a collaborator. That does not even exist on the network. And our message can work in a relaxed way, with storytelling included.
  3. Exchanging paper cards. It may seem vintage, but I still have cards of the 90. Possibly they are useless, but remember it's like a photo album, It stimulates memory and can cause a desire to search for someone who left their mark. Although today it is easy to connect via many channels online, there's nothing like meeting in a real event.
  4. Put a face and voice people whose profiles are really old pictures and tunned. Do you imagine putting a face geek (freak digital) you've met before in a social network?
  5. The emotions, the senses, are transmitted more efficiently “Live”. The sum of verbal and nonverbal gives a complete result, which together with odors, tactile sensations, it becomes almost perfect.
  6. The ability to distinguish between friends, known and greated -paraphrasing Josep Pla-, It is greater in the street network, where we receive friend requests from people you do not know anything. I claim that differential treatment. Not the same a close neighbor beyond someone who was young couple or a customer. Our your personal brand is activated to bring up the networker within us.
  7. Share information it is easier. If I have a computer problem you can solve a I online forum. But those who were born before 2000 we prefer to tell someone before us and tell us what buttons you need to press. Perhaps augmented reality will change some of these issues, but even today I do not see that this technology is applied massively.
  8. The qualitative value of a meeting is greater, since it involved the 5 senses. No vintage photos, our face is real, our actions speak for us. You may know attending a conference at 10 people, many fewer than possibly read this post, but its value will be higher.
  9. It is where it is generated true elevator pitch, a short speech where our value proposition should achieve a second meeting with a prospective client or stakeholder.
  10. To summarize I will say that, in person, real interactions often create a more favorable environment.

TED and TEDx, an opportunity for offline networking

TEDx and TED talks are a unique opportunity for the offline networking. While that remains are the videos, a publisher, The moment is unique and unrepeatable.

If you have occasion to be for Barcelona 22 of March 2019, Do not miss TEDxEixample 2019 in Antiga Fàbrica Damm. A place to learn, know, to experience. And the poster of this year can not be more powerful:

speakers TEDxEixample 2019

Some time ago I wrote a post titled There is a coffee that wants to know us, it is still valid. Of course, there is nothing wrong with continuing our networking online; metrics are always interesting. But sometimes, and today is a day to do it, we must reclaim handshakes and hugs as the great humorist Victor Parrado, a real fan of offline networking.

 

Business card image by Unuchko Veronika on Shutterstock.com