Monday, December 17, 2012

Thanks for LinkedIn Endorsing Me as a Lingerie Model

by

Okay, admittedly, no one has ever LinkedIn endorsed me as a lingerie model. However, I do wonder about some of the LinkedIn endorsements I have recently received (and thank you if you have endorsed me), based on the talent that was being endorsed by the person endorsing it. So that got me to wondering…

Are people confused with how LinkedIn Endorsements work?

liblog1

There are two parts to LinkedIn Endorsements. The first being how to endorse another person’s skills, and the second being making it easy for someone to endorse your skills. Let’s tackle endorsing others first.

A LinkedIn Endorsement is a service that LinkedIn offers that seems to be a reaction to Facebook “Likes.” When you view the profile of one of your first level LinkedIn connections, a number of words appear that are supposed to be skills that your connection possesses. (Note that this doesn’t always happen and I unfortunately cannot tell you why on some profiles this feature appears and on others it does not). You can endorse the skills associated with the person by clicking the “Endorse” button. You can even enter words and LinkedIn will suggest additional skills. However, whereby Facebook “likes” are rather intuitive and easy to use, I think a majority of LinkedIn users are confused by the endorsement feature.

For example, people who have heard me speak and who have even written a testimonial for my speaking programs, on LinkedIn, endorse me for “advertising” even though I’ve never done any advertising for that person. Yet they don’t endorse me for my speaking. I just doesn’t make logical sense.

The answer can most likely be found in how LinkedIn presents Endorsements. Again, if you view a first-level connection, at the top of your connection’s profile, a big and bold box appears with a large headline that states “Does XXXXXX have these skills or expertise?” In the box are the skill words.

LinkedIn Endorsement 2

The logical next step based on the headline question would be to click on the words corresponding with the skill you want to endorse. However, THE EXACT OPPOSITE HAPPENS. When you click on a skill word you are NOT endorsing that particular skill. Rather, you are removing that skill from the Endorsement list. Then when you click the “Endorse” button, the only skills you are endorsing are the ones that remain.This is completely non-intuitive.

So in my situation, I’m wondering if people are clicking the “Public Speaking” button thus removing it from the list, and when they click the “endorse” button, what I’m being endorsed for is the word(s) that remain, e.g., “advertising.”

Also note that when reviewing another person’s profile, you can scroll down and review all of the skill words that are associated with the profile. At this point, if you do click on a word, it does actually provide your endorsement for that skill. However, since most people come across endorsements when first viewing someone’s profile, this more intuitive way to provide a skill endorsement is largely missed.

Linkedin Profile Menu 

So how can you control the skills that people endorse about you?

The good news is, it’s easy.

Once logged into your LinkedIn account, click the “Profile” tab on the upper navigation, and from the pull-down menu, choose “Edit Profile.” On your profile page, scroll down until you see the “Skills and Expertise” section. Click the small “Edit” link.

Once in the “Edit Skills & Expertise” section, you can delete skills that are not important to you to have endorsed, or add new skills. You can have a total of 50 skills. Unfortunately, there is no way to rank or prioritize your skills. Meaning, what shows up when someone looks at your profile is completely random, because only about a dozen of your chosen skills appear. So it may actually serve you better to limit the number of skills in your profile, so irrelevant ones don’t randomly appear.

LinkedIn Managing Endorsements

For those who have read my book and/or attended my Know More! programs, you know I am a HUGE fan of LinkedIn. The Endorsement feature can be very powerful one, once you know how to effectively use it.

Now that you know how to correctly endorse someone on LinkedIn (and no, picture aside,…I will not be adding “lingerie model” to my LinkedIn profile anytime soon), I hope you take advantage of this cool service and promote those with whom you’ve had a positive business experience. And now that you know how to have some control on what others endorse about you, I hope your business contacts share their positive experiences. You can become a power endorser user…now that you Know More!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

6 Must-Do New Year's Resolutions for 2013!




The Standard Ovation - New Year's Resolutions
It's time to start planning your resolutions - and we have the right person to help you reach your goals!

As you plan for your upcoming goals for the new year - we have the 6 must-do resolutions for 2013. Take a look - we may have the perfect solution for you to start the year off in the right direction! Cheers to 2013!
- The Standard Ovation Team | 913.498.9772

The Standard Ovation | www.thestandardovation.com
1 Dr. Gary Bradt, Standard OvationResolution #1:
Make a conscious choice to change.

“Change means making a choice,” says leadership and change expert Dr. Gary Bradt. You can ignite new passions and new levels of success, or you can sit still and watch the world pass you by. Leaders must choose to accept and adapt to change, lest their organizations fall behind, perhaps never to catch up. Gary inspires, challenges, and equips people with the tools they need to lead themselves and others through change, both at work and at home.

Dr. Gary Bradt:
Gary Travels From: Greensboro, North Carolina
Gary's Website: www.garybradt.com
Gary on Standard Ovation: (bio/presentations/demo): go here

2 Kit Grant, Standard OvationResolution #2:
Get out of your comfort zone!

Are you or your employees flailing? Kit Grant, known by clients as The Director of Comfort Zone Infiltration, teaches how to take action, change any negative self-talk, and set targets that push you beyond perceived limitations. Let Kit show you how to find success now through taking responsibility!

Kit Grant, CSP:
Kit Travels From: San Francisco, California
Kit's Website: www.kitgrant.com
Kit on Standard Ovation: (bio/presentations/demo): go here

3 Michael Hoffman, Standard OvationResolution #3:
Make your company become #1 on purpose!

Ready to master your tornado so you can enjoy your job more? Ready to learn new skills to have more effective and tactical conversations that lead to better leadership, customer service and even increased sales? With a highly interactive style, Michael Hoffman's unique delivery provides companies with the necessary steps to become #1 on purpose!

Michael Hoffman, CSP:
Michael Travels From: Dallas, Texas
Michael's Website: www.ignitingperformance.com
Michael on Standard Ovation: (bio/presentations/demo): go here

4 Gregg Lederman, Standard OvationResolution #4:
Get Engaged!

Engaged employees, that is! Employees who are committed and motivated to act in the best interest of your company every day help you gain and keep more loyal customers. Tall order? “Only if you aren’t quantifying your company’s experiences and linking them to financial results,” says customer experience and employee engagement expert Gregg Lederman. Stay tuned for Gregg’s soon-to-be-released book, ENGAGED!: How To Get The Workforce To Outbehave The Competition And Delight Customers.

Gregg Lederman:
Gregg Travels From: Rochester, New York
Gregg's Website: www.gregglederman.com
Gregg on Standard Ovation: (bio/presentations/demo): go here

5 Sam Richter, Standard OvationResolution #5:
Make More Sales!

To get a competitive-edge with a customer or prospect, you need to "take the cold out of cold-calling!" Sam Richter shows you how to build meaningful and relevant relationships (and warm up those calls) by using the internet as a tool. He teaches you how to tell your company's story in a manner that your buyer cares about and wants to hear. His intelligence-gathering tools can help you see an 80% increase in close rates with a 70% increase in revenue.

Sam Richter:  
Sam Travels From: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sam's Website: www.samrichter.com
Sam on Standard Ovation: (bio/presentations/demo): go here

6 Marilyn Sherman, Standard OvationResolution #6
Get a front-row seat in life!

Ready to lose weight? Or just get in better shape? Ready to be the one who gets promoted this year? Want to become more productive at work and achieve a better work/life balance? Whatever your personal or professional goals are, Marilyn Sherman can teach and motivate you to reach your goals by getting you out of the balcony, and taking a front-row seat in life!

Marilyn Sherman:  
Marilyn Travels From: Las Vegas, Nevada
Marilyn's Website: www.marilynsherman.com
Marilyn on Standard Ovation: (bio/presentations/demo): go here
About Standard Ovation
standard ovation is a management agency for a very select group of some of the most sought-after keynote speakers in the industry. the speakers we represent all share what we believe are the core attributes of a remarkable speaker. how did we identify them? it’s part science, part instinct, and part magic. we measured those attributes against every great speaker we've seen, and with over fifteen years’ experience in the industry, we’ve seen a lot. we hope you, our bureau partners, will appreciate us finding the speakers whom we are most excited and passionate about, so you can book them with confidence.
remarkable people, remarkable experiences, remarkable events. that’s our standard.

www.thestandardovation.com | 913.498.9772 | info@thestandardovation.com


Monday, December 10, 2012

Why I’ll never feed the homeless again…

Marilyn Sherman
This blog post was written by motivational speaker, Marilyn Sherman. The first time I read it - I was truly inspired! I re-read it again today, and thought it was worth sharing to our readers, too. If you haven't read this - take 2 minutes... You'll be glad you did!

Why I’ll never feed the homeless again…
Written by: Marilyn Sherman | Posted: December 4, 2012


Friends in Las Vegas invited my husband Yves and I to gather at their church and go offer Thanksgiving food, fixings, and love to the homeless community. We jumped at the chance to be a part of such a loving, caring, self-less group.  

The day was amazing – my job was to be a 'Greeter' welcoming the homeless at the entrance of a park where we had set up a long table of everything you can imagine to eat for Thanksgiving. As the homeless started to gather and line up, I was there to shake their hands, offer a smile, and welcome each one.  Some were very friendly and open about their gratitude that we were there. Some were a little more reserved, offering a simple thanks. One man touched me specifically because he said "I often ask Why, why why doesn't anyone care that we are out here? But today, I see that you do."
The day went quickly, with roughly 300 meals given with love to people who were simply hungry. I was very moved and so glad for the opportunity to be of service. My sister called me to wish me a happy Thanksgiving and asked me what I was up to. I told her that Yves and I were going to feed the homeless. Yves quickly interrupted me and said, "You feed the dogs. You serve the homeless".  Wow. What a distinction. One small change showed me how I never want to feed the homeless again, but when I can, I would like to serve them instead. Serve with love, gratitude, and hope and with the intention of showing them that someone cares.
Yves and I were so moved by this experience that we signed up for serving at Catholic Charities soup line for the homeless when our schedule permits. Our first day was Friday and all the feelings from Thanksgiving came flooding back – gratitude, hope and joy of being able to serve (and not feed) the homeless.
From your grateful to never feed the homeless again motivational speaker, Marilyn Sherman