When I was 19 years of age, I started working in sales with a Fortune 500 Company.
The training was truly non-existent, other than a Zig Ziglar Sales Training Video. The video was on VHS. If you know what that means, you might just be showing your age.
Even though the company training was minimal, that Ziglar training video had a big impact on my life – just as Ziglar had a big impact on millions of people around the world during his life, and career.
I was interviewing his son Tom recently, and he shared a story about how the passengers on a plane gave his late father, Zig, a standing ovation on a flight Tom was on; as a way of paying homage to his father’s massive impact.
Zig Ziglar was truly a master influencer.
That tape, and the man himself were major catalysts in me deciding to launch a Speaking Program to help others realize the impact one can make as an influencer. Zig was also in a way one of the catalysts for the writing style of my upcoming book.
The man, and his work, had a big influence on me.
Influencing to me means being able to inspire and move people into action because they know, like and trust you, and because they believe that change is possible, if it is desired.
To that end, speaking on stages isn’t the only way people can influence and impact others.
Here are 3 strategies for becoming a master influencer:
Give Massive Value
Gary Vee released a great book recently called “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook”. The premise is that you should give and give and give before you ask for anything from your tribe or clients. The jabs are the gives, and the right hook is the ask. Gary is relating it to social media in his book, and social media is a major influencing platform today, but I believe the idea of giving massive value before expecting anything in return relates to offline business just as much as online.
If you can find a way to truly deliver massive value regularly, offline or online, in a way that has a positive impact on those you are giving to, you won’t have to worry about future business, and you might just find yourself becoming a master influencer in the process.
Create Other Influencers
There is a great quote, which I believe is by leader John C. Maxwell, that states, “If you’re a leader but nobody is following you on the journey, you’re really just out taking a walk”. I believe this is the same for influencers. The true master influencers aren’t just sharing their insight, they are making people aware of other top influencers, and their insight.
Trying to be the only influencer in the world is kind of like living in a cave hoping people will want to read your cave wall carvings, while ignoring the carvings of others.
What I’ve learned after interviewing more than 5,000 influencers is that master influencers love to help raise other’s up and help them influence as well. They know that if they can help other’s share their message, they will, in turn, be seen as not just an influencer who lives in a silo, but a master influencer who wants to see everyone grow together. Not only that, other influencers, who might just have a bigger network, will be more apt to share the original influencer’s message in return.
Find the Right Platform
Speaking is just one-way people can become influencers and reach many with their message. There are many others. Authoring and releasing a book. Posting on social media regularly. The key thing is you have to find the right platform for your voice.
Some people are comfortable with video, and that might be the best way for them to share their message, and influence in the process. Some are more comfortable with written word, and blogging or social media may be the best route for them.
Going even deeper, some may really enjoy sharing messages with images and so a social platform like Instagram may work well in their case, and some may like to share longer stories in which Facebook may work better than the 140-characters on Twitter.
The key thing is to find the right platform for you so that you can share your message in the way that works best for you, and feels most authentic for you.
If you share that message consistently, using the right platform, and in the right ways, and aiming to lift others, and positively impact others, in the process, I think you’ll find yourself becoming a master influencer much sooner than planned.
At the very least, you won’t be just another influencer out taking a walk, or carving your own messages in the cave hoping that nobody will notice yours aren’t actually the only ones.
-Corey