There’s a common theme I have heard from numerous self-educators recently. It’s an idea that almost every successful dropout, entrepreneur, and freelancer attests to.
This concept is the power of networking. Yes, it’s cliche. Many do not understand it fully simply because the word “networking” has been overused. Continue reading People Power
Module 2 of the Praxis boot camp challenges each participant to complete a portfolio project. Projects are learning in action. Participants build new skills and showcase them through the projects they create.
My project was a podcast. Or in better terms, my project is a podcast. This venture will be the focus of the next six months of my life. As of today, I have completed four interviews. They will all be released during the month of April.
But I wanted more than just a podcast. I needed to show something at the end of the month for all my hard work. So I added a sales spin to the heart of my project.
What are the biggest things that many people in sales struggle with? What do many think when the word “sales” pops into their head? Cold calls. Cold emails. Reaching out directly to people about a product or service.
I decided to jump off a limb and run right into those issues that scare every person seeking a sales career. So I created a list of all my phone and email contacts. The ones I could call, I did. Otherwise, I sent them emails.
In the emails I sent, I pitched my podcast. I tried to develop an approach that would reach each individual on a personal level. For some, I spent considerable time detailing the idea behind the podcast. For others, I created a conversation surrounding other events in their lives. I focused on connecting directly to the person behind the email I was sending. Then I asked to add their email address to my mailing list.
I found that it takes a large amount of time to create an email that is personalized. The 50 emails I sent during the month of February took an average of 15 minutes of my time apiece. Out of the 50, I got 20 positive answers. Only 1 who answered declined the offer of being added to my mailing list. (However, he was a perfect candidate to interview, so I benefited from the email either way.) The other 29 simply did not answer.
Maybe those people felt bad telling me that they didn’t want to join one more list. Maybe they thought my email was spam. Regardless, I developed a new desire to be competent and quick with my email communication. I appreciated the one “no” I got more than the emails that never got a reply.
I also made 30 cold calls over the course of the month. 14 of those 30 calls were never answered. I left voicemails and sent texts to the numbers I didn’t get through to. Out of the other 16 calls, I only got a negative answer from 1. I successfully added the other 15 people to my email list.
When averaging the amount of time I spent calling phones and typing emails, the end result was 25-30 minutes of time spent on each email added to my list. Maybe if I was older and busier this project would have taken too much time. For many people, the cost would have been too high per email to be considered worth the time. But for me, it was so, so worth it.
To a teenager who is passionate about teaching people and learning, and whose goal is to build relationships, every minute was worth it.
What is life, if I live with little impact?
What is freedom, if I do not free another soul?
My life cannot have meaning if I have no legacy.
My life will be in vain if I miss my destiny.
My destiny? to break the chains that bind the broken hearts;
To give the suffering spirits wings to soar the heights of life.
To thrive, and spread the message:
“Life is meant for living!”
So I hold close each heart entrusted to me.
I speak, to fill another soul with hope.
I love, that in my love another may find truth.
I’ll walk with passion, never looking back,
And live one moment at a time:
And as the moments turn to hours,
The hours into years,
Mark my words: my destiny will be completed.
What makes Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People such a long-lasting, unforgettable work?Sure, it’s great writing and the ideas set forth are monumental. But if you narrow it down to a single concept, the success of the book has largely to do with Carnegie’s masterful use of stories. Every point he makes comes tied to an anecdote of someone who tried the idea and succeeded. Or he uses a historical figure we all know and love as an example of a concept working. The ideas draw you in with an unimaginable force: would that force be present in the book if Carnegie had simply laid out the facts without the use of stories? I highly doubt it. Continue reading Storytelling: the Art of Conversation
Anybody can say they have drive. Many people claim the skill of communication. Anyone can talk about how great it is to build relationships. But these ideas only come alive when they are molded and grown in the life of an individual. I believe no one has the same combination of innate skills that I do, and I intend to develop as a person in order to change the world using the skills I have been given. Here are my top three skills, showcased in their uniqueness to me.
