LinkedIn Riches

Lee Cockerell is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort. As the Senior Operating Executive for ten years Lee led a team of 40,000 Cast Members and was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a shopping & entertainment village and the ESPN sports and recreation complex in addition to the ancillary operations which supported the number one vacation destination in the world.

One of Lee's major and lasting legacies was the creation of Disney Great Leader Strategies which was used to train and develop the 7,000 leaders at Walt Disney World.

Lee has held various executive positions in the hospitality and entertainment business with Hilton Hotels for 8 years and the Marriott Corporation for 17 years before joining Disney in 1990 to open the Disneyland Paris project.

Make sure you have a notepad handy for this episode as Lee shares his favorite leadership and customer service tips!

LEARN MORE: Visit Lee's website at http://www.leecockerell.com

In this episode, I talk with Tom Ziglar, CEO of Ziglar, Inc., about the "how" and "why" of my approach to personally rewriting his LinkedIn profile.

(NOTE: You can also watch our entire discussion online at: http://linkedinriches.com/TZ )

Tom is the son of the legendary Zig Ziglar, and an accomplished speaker, trainer and coach in his own right.

I had a blast rewriting Tom's profile, and, best of all, he immediately started seeing some quick wins as a result!

We broke down what we did to Tom's LinkedIn profile, what happened and the lessons learned in this discussion.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

And, as the man across from me continued talking, I became incensed.

I was 21 years old, about to graduate college with a degree in print journalism.

I wanted to apply for a prestigious fellowship with one of the biggest newspapers in the country - The Arizona Republic.

"You have to realize," the Dean of our Journalism department told me, "this fellowship goes to kids from Harvard, Stanford, USC ... not kids from here. Don't waste your time applying."

I was at the University of St. Thomas, a small school based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

As he prattled on, telling me all the reasons why I couldn't or wouldn't have a shot to win that fellowship, I decided to prove him wrong.

I walked out of his office, put together my application without his help and mailed it in.

And, sure enough, the kids who received that prestigious fellowship in 1997 were from Harvard, Stanford, USC ... and the University of St. Thomas.

When I showed up in Phoenix that summer, my classmates thought I would be from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands ... that's how obscure my little Minnesota college was.

The Real Secret to Success

“Remember: People who tell you it cannot be done almost always are unsuccessful people, are strictly average or mediocre at best in terms of accomplishment," says David Schwartz in his book The Magic of Thinking Big.

"The opinions of these people can be poison. Develop a defense against people who want to convince you that you can’t do it. Accept negative advice only as a challenge to prove that you can do it.”

The real secret to success is ignoring those who tell you something cannot be done.

For example, there are lots of "experts" out there who say you can't replicate the authenticity, connection and camaraderie of a face-to-face engagement online.

They're wrong.

Remember, plenty of people are going to tell you what you CANNOT achieve with your business or life.

If you want to be successful, you must surround yourself with people who believe in you and what you CAN accomplish - no matter how big or audacious your dreams are!

Known as The Podcast Answer Man, Cliff Ravenscraft joins Nemo Radio to share his best tips on starting, growing and monetizing a Podcast for your business.

We go deep on this longer-than-usual episode, with Cliff sharing how he first stumbled into Podcasting back in 2005, where it took him personally and professionally, and how he now entertains, educates and inspires others through his passionate podcasts.

EPISODE LINKS
Learn more about Cliff at http://podcastanswerman.com/about/

Sign up for Cliff's top Podcasting Tips at http://podcastanswerman.com/newsletter

Discover how to monetize your Podcast and Grow Your Online Business with Cliff's help at http://podcastanswerman.com/nextlevelworkshop/

I had no idea what it was until I read this simple sentence.

Once I did, years of confusion and chaos melted away.

Everything I've done over the past five years ... being able to quit my soul-draining day job and launch my own successful business ...

All of it happened because I followed this simple principle - without even realizing I was.

EPISODE LINKS
LinkedIn Riches Webinar: http://linkedinriches.com/webinar-coaching/

It started with a strange habit - especially when you consider the boy was only 14.

But it laid the foundation for a life-changing, earth-shaking impact - one that he still shares today.

The boy was Rick Warren, and his book "The Purpose Driven Life" has sold more than 60 million copies, not to mention make him one of the most well-known and influential leaders in all of Christianity.

Here's the strange habit that made Rick Warren a household name:

"When I was 14 years old, I started reading two books a week," he says. "At one point in my life, I was reading a book a day. I now have more than 35,000 books in my library. Why? The people you hang out with and the books you read will determine your future."

And there it is!

Books are almost an afterthought in today's always-on, endless-scroll-of-social-media-updates environment.

And yet, they (and the people you surround yourself with!) are the key to your personal and professional success.

I don't know about you, but I often "feel guilty" for making reading part of my "work day," thinking instead I should be doing a bunch of tasks, but I love when people like Rick Warren steer me back to this timeless truth about how to really get ahead in work (and life).

As the son of two English teachers, you think I'd never forget the importance of reading! ;)

LinkedIn lead generation is best done using “warm” leads, and this specific area of LinkedIn provides you a fast and easy way to find (and engage) them on the platform!

Here's a link to the blog post and video training I mention on this episode: http://linkedinriches.com/magic

I'll never forget standing in the middle of a busy street, cars swerving and honking as they zoomed past us.

My friend had just told me something that would change my entire professional life, and until that moment I hadn't realized the opportunity I was sitting on.

Discover what it is, and how YOU can do the same thing right now in your business!

As soon as the car pulled out of the airport, I knew I was in trouble.

But, locked in the back seat for the next 45 minutes, I had no way to escape.

After explaining how he'd spent decades in the military as a trained killer, my Uber driver began telling me how he'd spent years in Afghanistan and Iraq guarding a top secret team of U.S. archaeologists that were searching for the ancient remains of a secret alien ship that could be used as a weapon of mass destruction.

I also learned that, according to my driver, one family secretly controls 75 percent of the governments, countries and wealth on the entire planet, Americans have been intentionally brainwashed since birth starting with the nursery rhymes(!) we're taught, and that catastrophic, earth-shaking events are imminent thanks to a "pole shift" that could happen any day now.

Did I mention the ride was 45 minutes long?

Your Worldview + Certainty is Everything in Marketing
What was most fascinating (and terrifying) about this driver was his certainty regarding his worldview.

He had zero doubt that these crackpot conspiracy theories were absolute fact.

Nothing I could say (and I tried not to say much) was going to change his mind.

It reminds me of this from Seth Godin's book, "All Marketers Are Liars":

"A consumer's worldview affects the way he notices things and understands them. If a story is framed in terms of that worldview, he’s more likely to believe it ... no marketing succeeds if it can’t find an audience that already wants to believe the story being told."

Now, if I were selling an online course about conspiracy theories, I have zero doubt my driver would have pulled out his wallet on the spot and signed up.

Alas, I didn't think he was going to be a fit for my online trainings on how to sell with webinars or how to use LinkedIn for lead generation.

The Key - Find People Who Want The Story You're Telling!
Here's my point - if you're a Business Coach, Consultant or someone else wanting to generate leads, build your client base and grow your business online, you have to find an audience that is going to share your worldview when it comes to your area of expertise.

For example, the audience I want to serve through my online courses has this worldview:

"I know I need to take my business and lead generation efforts online, but I just don't know how. I'm willing to invest in strategies and systems that are going to help me do that."

However, if your worldview is "No, you can't do personalized, 1-on-1, authentic interaction and lead generation with LinkedIn," then I'm not going to waste my time arguing with you.

In reality, I have scores of case studies and testimonials from Business Coaches and Consultants proving my side of things, but, as Godin notes:

“Don’t try to change someone’s worldview is the strategy smart marketers follow. Don’t try to use facts to prove your case and to insist that people change their biases. You don’t have enough time and you don’t have enough money. Instead, identify a population with a certain worldview, frame your story in terms of that worldview and you win.”

Take that same lesson and apply it to your marketing messages and stories with your ideal customers and clients, and success will follow.

Finding Your Next Ride
Back to the Uber driver.

Somehow, I made it to my destination (a special Business Mastermind event at a resort in the Pacific Northwest) in one piece.

"Hey, do you need a ride back after your event?" the driver asked me as I threw the back door of the car open and jumped onto the sidewalk.

I'm thinking, "Dude, I will walk back to the airport before I get in a car with you again!"

Instead, I mumbled something about already having transportation lined up, thanked him, and ran for the hotel lobby like my hair was on fire.

Can't wait to see what lessons my next Uber ride contains!

"I told John Nemo I thought he'd be some boring, pole-up-his (read end), corporate suit and tie guy because he teaches LinkedIn."

"Turns out he is hilarious, fun, and LOUD."

I just got back from a Mastermind Event at a fabulous lake resort in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

It was hosted by top copywriter Ray Edwards and featured a small group of high-level online marketers, entrepreneurs and business owners.

I earned my way into that room of top performers by helping Ray launch his Copywriting Academy online course a few months back.

Among the many lessons I learned inside that meeting space was a reminder of the "online" version of John Nemo versus the "real life" version of John Nemo.

For those who only know me via my LinkedIn profile photo, and the fact that I'm a LinkedIn Trainer, it could lead them to believe I would be a certain way.

(Boring, stiff, etc.)

My LinkedIn profile photo, for example, has me in a suit and tie.

Confession: That is the ONLY time I've worn a suit and tie in the past 5 years!

LESSON: My online profile / persona was NOT matching up to the "real life" version of John Nemo.

One of the many big takeaways I had during my time in Idaho was realizing that people do not buy your product or service.

They buy you.

They buy how you make them feel.

They buy the story you are telling.

They buy the likability, prestige or result that comes with being a part of your client base.

For example, I once met a debt collector who was a big fan of Motivational Speaker Tony Robbins.

And, when I asked him about what events or products of Tony's that he'd bought or used, he replied,

"I know Tony. I've walked on fire with Tony. Tony has changed my life."

This guy didn't buy Tony Robbins' products or events - he bought Tony Robbins!

See how this works?

The same is true for you - especially if you are a Business Coach, Consultant or anyone else who is the "face" of your business and brand online.

Make sure that, whenever possible, your online presence and your content reflects your true personality, communication style and passion.

Otherwise, people might mistake who you really are and dismiss you before they ever get a chance to know, like and trust you.

It is a critical lesson to be reminded of, and one I hope you take to heart!

P.S. I've had a lot of Business Coaches and Consultants asking me how they can translate their "personal" or "face-to-face" style of relating into their online marketing efforts.

One of the BEST ways I've found for this, believe it or not, is Webinars!

In fact, I went ahead and put together an all-new, complimentary training specifically for Business Coaches and Consultants on this very topic.

FREE TRAINING: How To Grow Your Coaching or Consulting Business, Generate Quality Leads and Build Your Client Base with Webinars!

REGISTER HERE: https://webinarsthatwork.net/coaching-webinar/

I actually went so far as to share the exact words, phrases and strategies successful Business Coaches and Consultants use when pre-qualifying leads, booking discovery calls and enrolling clients into a program using Webinars.

Make sure you check it out!