Give and Grow Rich

Okay, it's time for me to practice what I'm preaching! (In the previous post, I encouraged you to share your gifts or resources or knowledge).

So here's me, sharing some of my knowledge: In this video (click HERE), I'm sharing some of my knowledge of Marketing Arithmetics, and will upload more videos shortly.

What I did was basically create a video using Camtasia (which captures anything happening on my computer screen, while capturing my voice via a microphone as well). I then uploaded it on Youtube, and embedded the URL in the Wordpress blog.

How is this relevant to users of Linkedin?

It's relevant because at some point, you have to start GIVING something of value to your Linkedin connections. You can have 300 or 500 or even 2,000 connections. . Yet, having connections is not going to do anything for you if you're not giving them something of value.

You can easily record your voice and create a video which shares some of your knowledge and expertise. Then, you can share the resulting video with them, like I did in the above link.

Actually, you don't even have to create the videos yourself. You can copy the URL of good videos that you come across on Youtube (although you need to create your own Wordpress blog account, which takes only 2 minutes max to set up).

Will giving value to your Linkedin connections bring you any money?

Yes. But it's a long-term investment.

In my case, it generated nearly $10,000 in revenues from a corporate contract (email me at peter.idealcareer@gmail.com with "$10,000 from Linkedin" in order to receive, for free, the video where I explain how I did this).

The fundamental idea here is, Give and Grow Rich. (It sounds a bit like Napoleon Hill's best-seller, Think and Grow Rich).

GIVING is simpler and clearer than THINKING (although I do recommend Hill's book).

Here's a secret that rich people know, which most people do not know: create systems through which you can easily GIVE value to people, and these people WILL enrich you.

Take Oprah, for instance.

The ONE lesson that she's teaching women (and men, too) about wealth creation, is not clearly understood by her viewers.

Indeed, HOW EXACTLY did Oprah become rich? By creating Harpo Productions Inc., her media company which oversees her TV show.

Her TV show enables her to GIVE VALUE to millions of women in North America.

THAT is how she became rich: through GIVING.

Now, before the advent of Youtube, you wouldn't be able to do what she's done.

But now, you CAN!

Just create a video and share on Youtube. As you create and share more and more videos, it will become addictive, and at some point, people will start paying attention to you.

They will trust you. They will buy from you.

So whether you're looking for a job, or for contracts (if you're a freelancer), or for customers (if you're a business owner), people will FLOCK TO YOU!

You will attract people and money and opportunities, simply because you understood the secret of wealth, which is (once again):

GIVE AND GROW RICH!

Notice that people who give little, receive little (in terms of a salary etc.).

People who give a lot, receive a lot.

And because they receive a lot, they are motivated, encouraged, driven to GIVE EVEN MORE!

That is the reason why the rich get richer. Most of the time, it's not because they are GETTING more from people, it's because they keep GIVING MORE AND MORE!

Think of Ted Turner, for example. He conceived of the idea of a news channel 24 hours a day!

At the time, it must have sounded ludicrous. I mean, WHO would want to receive news 24 hours per day?!

Yet, that was Turner's way of GIVING MORE VALUE TO MORE PEOPLE.

Okay, let's get back to Linked for a minute.

Let's be practical.

How can YOU make money from Linkedin (either in terms of a better job, more contracts, or more customers).

Two things to consider:

1. Number of connections
2. Amount of value given to each connection

Just multiply the two above, and you'll have a good idea of how much money you can make from Linkedin.

Obviously, then, you must first increase the number of connections. If you have 200, that's okay, but you can easily increase to 500 or 800 or 1,200 (which is my case).

Then, after that, you have to create value which you can deliver to each connection.

This "value" can be an audio, video or PDF file (or even an executable file, which I'll teach you later on how to create; it's like a mini-software application that runs itself after you press a button).

As you give away these files to your connections, they will TRUST you more.

And so, when the time comes for you to sell something (e.g. if you're looking for a job, then you are selling your package of experience, education and skills to potential employers), you are more likely to obtain their help since they view you as a trusted connection or even friend.

So that's how the Give and Grow Rich principle works. You have to give FIRST.

Indeed, it's not "Grow Rich and Give"!

Giving must precede receiving, in the same way that you must sow before you can harvest.

Or in banking parlance, you must make regular deposits to a bank account before you can withdraw money!

(to be continued)

Super Rich, by Russell Simmons

Yesterday, I stumbled across the book Super Rich, by Russell Simmons, and I just couldn`t put it down!

It's full of good stories and inspirational advice on how to become rich by... evolving spiritually.

Yup, that's right. Simmons offers little or no "practical" advice on business or marketing or wealth or finance.

Yet, his wisdom really resonated with me (maybe it's because I've embarked on a spiritual journey myself).

He wrote, "Give it until they can't live without it," explaining that one should give away one's gifts freely, and the money will come.

This is not a fancy, impractical or farfetched idea, by the way, Many recording artists have become quite rich and famous doing precisely that: they're giving away their free music online, via Facebook etc.

That's how they build a following. Come to think of it, that's how I built the subscriber list for this blog! :)

Another pearl of wisdom from Simmons: "If you ain't giving away your gifts, you ain't playing the game. And if you ain't playing the game, you're not going to win."

The above piece of advice was offered after he tells the story of how some people will wait till they have a job before they start working. He drives the point home by stating: "If you're a comedian, you're funny ALL THE TIME. Not just when you have a gig!"

I totally resonate with him because since August 2005, I've been giving workshops and consulting to help people find their "ideal" career. The two-hour workshop can actually be summarized like this: "Find out what you love to do. Then, do THAT till you're rich!"

At this point, you're wondering, "What does Simmons' book have to do with Linkedin or how to use Linkedin?"

Well, the BEST way to use Linkedin is to USE UP your talents and gifts by SHARING them with all your Linkedin connections.

It's funny that so many people connect to so many other people on Linkedin (now, there's 90 million users!), yet few people make the first step of STATING what their talent or gift is.

They won't state it in their Linkedin profile, and they certainly won't share that information with their Linkedin connections.

Why not? Why don't Linkedin users clearly state what their talent or gift is?

I have over 1,200 connections on Linkedin, and I know the talent of only ONE of them. Oh, and he happens to be very good at what he does -- he's also a millionaire.

Do you see my point?

People who are not afraid to do what they love to do and excel at, usually become very rich.

So what can YOU do to use Linkedin better?

One simple thing you can do, is write a personal email (not a mass email) to 5 or 10 Linkedin connections, and explain to them what your passion or talent or gift is, then invite them to contact you if they need help in those areas.

It doesn't matter how they respond, or if they respond at all.

What's important is that you clearly and confidently state what your passion or talent is. In so doing, you will have changed EVERYTHING in your life.

In other words, you will have become the kind of person who is confident enough about his/her talent, and can offer this talent to the world freely.

Remember, your email is NOT a pitch to hire you. It is simply an email expressing your desire to help your Linkedin connections in any way you can, by stating your talent and seeking to be of service.

This simple email (which should take you no more than 15 minutes to write -- keep it simple), will impress them. They WILL remember you because they have, most likely, never received this kind of email from their Linkedin connections.

In so doing, you will have begun the process of turning a "connection" into a potential "relationship" since you took the first step of "opening up."

Social media vs social SEDUCTION

Social media, including Linkedin, is exciting because you can SEDUCE people and you don't even have to put on make-up or a fancy dress.

Anyways, that was my insight as I woke up today: social seduction is MORE powerful than social media.

Everybody is talking about social media today, and there are many people suddenly becoming social media "experts."

They even teach others about how to use social media like Facebook. Now, nothing wrong about that. The advanced users of any new technology, have always taught the less advanced people. It's people helping people, and that's great.

But here's the killer insight if you want to REALLY benefit professionally, economically and/or financial from social media: FOCUS ON SEDUCTION, NOT ON MEDIA.

Media is just the means, seduction is the end. Let's not confuse the two.

Linkedin -- especially Linkedin Answers -- is a social media that I use as the MEANS to achieve the END, which is SEDUCTION.

Social media, then, is like a giant party, everybody is invited. But it's not because you find yourself physically at a party that you suddenly become popular and people become attracted to you.

You've got to be "sexy" AND "seductive."

"Sexy" means you "obviously have what they desperately want." Let me explain this so you don't get the wrong picture!

On Linkedin, for example, you've got to look successful and distinguished and experienced and KNOWLEDGEABLE. In short, show your best assets. If you've got it, flaunt it. Your career assets, I mean.

"Seductive" means your every word will serve to draw people to you. This means you master language enough to influence the mind of your interlocutors so they feel good every time you speak or write.

That's what I mean when I say that one should focus on SEDUCTION, not on the SOCIAL MEDIA.

In other words, what is your MESSAGE?

On Linkedin, your message is only about one thing: What you are the best at.

Your Linkedin profile must be screaming, "I'm the very best at ____________ so please get in touch with me and let's work together."

Better yet, include PowerPoint presentations in your Linkedin profile to PROVE your claim that you are, indeed, the best at what you claim to be the best at.

Bottom line is that if your message is not clear, then being connected to 1,000 or even 10,000 is not going to be useful or beneficial to you. None or few of those people will remember who you are, anyways.

So the key is really to explore who you are and determine what you are the best at (or what you commit to being the best at).

In 2009, I developed a workshop for McGill University to teach people how to discover what they are the best at. Send me an email at peter.idealcareer@gmail.com and I'll be happy to send you the workshop slides (at no charge) so you can discover the area you naturally excel at.