Top Three Ways to Build a Loyal Following

It is important in the business world to have people respect you and want to be a part of your network.  Once this happens to you, you will have taken your personal brand to the next level. As a result, opportunities will come what your way that you are not expecting. So, how can you make this happen? Below are three techniques that will move you in that direction.

Become a Subject Matter Expert

Take the time to brand yourself around a topic of interest. Become an expert on this subject and make it very transparent to those around you that this is your expertise.  Your goal should be that you become the go to person for this subject for those in your network.

So, how do you brand yourself?  Chances are that you already have a subject matter expertise but keep it inside or don’t leverage it as much as you should.  Figure out what you have a passion for in the business world and then spend time reading and learning as much as you can about this topic.

Once you feel that you have enough conversational knowledge about this topic, you need to start incorporating it into everything you do.  Here are some examples of activities that you could do:

• Speak at an event
• Write industry articles
• Publish a blog
• Create a newsletter
• Develop a Website
• Add tagline in email signature
• Add language on your business card

You need to make yourself synonymous with your expert topic.  Over time, people will start gravitating towards you and will want to be in your inner circle.

Be Respectful, Offer to Help, and Follow Through

People want to be treated with the utmost respect.  As your mother has probably told you, “treat people how you want to be treated.”  No matter what environment, this holds true for all facets of life.  If you don’t treat people respectfully, they will remember this and won’t want to associate themselves with you.

Once you have any negative perceptions out there about you, your image will be tarnished and people won’t want to be around you.  So, make sure that you constantly portray a good demeanor when interacting with people.  Make others feel welcome by smiling and engaging in a good dialogue. Let people tell you about themselves without you interrupting.  Give them the attention and focus that they deserve.

Also, a great way to build long-term relationships is to offer to help whenever you can.  Of course, you need to follow-through, otherwise, your kind gestures will not mean anything.  Over time, you want people to know you for someone who is helpful and keeps his/her word. Once this happens, people will start coming to you for your guidance and help.  You should be flattered when this happens. Try to help people whenever you can. Don’t turn them away.

Be Yourself

When interacting with people, you need to be yourself. Otherwise, people will see right through you. Don’t fool people by acting like someone you are not.  You want people to like you for you.  If you put on a false front, then you will be found out sooner or later.

Don’t act like a different person in social and business settings.  You don’t want others to be surprised if you act a certain way in another environment.  As long as you are a decent human being, you won’t have problems connecting with people.

Let your personality lead much of how people will perceive you.   It is impossible to connect with everyone so some people will naturally gravitate towards you. 

It is very important that you always be honest with yourself and others around you.  As people get to know you, you will start to build relationships because they like you. 

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Comments

[Bob Brill]

Jason: Thanks, as always. This post is a good roadmap, and seems like a tighter listing of thoughts you have shared, and lived. A friendly typo-correction: respectively (caught my eye since a common patent term) should be respectfully. Yes, we are still on the family vacation but I had a chance to borrow a Blackberry.

[Jason]

Thanks Bob. Yes, these are tips from personal experience. Also, thanks for the typo correction.

[Anne-Marie]

We were talking about this at BlogHer in the Blog to Book session. Things like speaking engagements, guest blogging, writing a column, being interviewed (radio, tv, podcast) are all great ways of building your presence. Whether you're trying to build a marketing platform to get a book deal or just gain more work for your business, the same rules apply.

[Jason]

Great additional points Anne-Marie. It is very important to work on your personal branding to command a loyal following.