I used to say that business cards weren’t going out of style anytime soon. With COVID-19, we're clearly not handing them out at meetings like we were pre-pandemic.

No worries. There are still plenty of meaningful ways to network in a virtual environment. The best news — no extra Zoom meetings required!

You can build a quality network to grow your business with the platforms right at your fingertips.

Consider Facebook.

These days there’s a Facebook group for just about everything.

Here's the key to finding the right one to grow your business. Join the groups and chats where your ideal client spends time.Know where they are...and GO THERE.  In my brilliance, I call this the "Know and Go " strategy. 💥

Then, jump into discussions to connect with others who have pain points around your expertise. Build rapport and a connection...and Be the Solution. More brilliance: 😎This is the B.S. strategy. 

When networking online: 

• Don’t go in "sales-first"
• Be genuine
• Treat every encounter a
...

The other day I got an email from author and entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz with the shortest marketing lesson ever: Be different. 

Easy, right?

 Not quite.

Michalowicz  shared a video explaining an offer he got in the mail from a company specializing in replacement windows and doors. It wasn’t typical junk mail. It was a handwritten letter on heavy stock paper.

It was different.

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According to Michalowicz, once you stand out by doing something different, you need to take it two steps further. Your content or marketing must be attractive with a strong call-to-action. 

The mailer looked enticing...at first.

But as Michalowicz  took a deeper dive, things didn’t add up.

First, the sender identified himself as Larry, yet the letter was written in bubbly cursive handwriting.  Michalowicz says the writing was more feminine than what he's seen from most men. Maybe it's a generalizat...

Posting valuable content consistently can quickly attract a community of followers and build your credibility.

Trust me, planning out your posts, Instagram stories and videos is much better than treating your calendar as a crapshoot. Showing up for your audience with solid content helps build relationships, trust, and business.

{RELATED: COMMUNICATE WITH CONFIDENCE IN 2020. SIGN UP FOR PRIVATE 1:1  COACHING WITH SUSAN AND GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY} 

As your online visibility increases, let's be intentional about your media visibility, too.

In a new webinar, I share the four kinds of content you can create to fill your content calendar (also called an "editorial calendar.")

Let's go day-by-day, week-by-week so it is manageable and actually...fun! It's easier than you may imagine because you're talking about your passion and niche while helping others overcome a challenge. 

Inside the webinar, (19:00 on the video counter), you'll get right to the part where I teach about what the med...

This is taken from today's Facebook Live in my  FB group, Communication Nation. Join the group to watch the full video training. https://www.facebook.com/groups/communicationnation/

What happens when an empath hires a badass for coaching?

It’s not every day that deep and revealing moments happen in our businesses and lives. Often, we work to “move the needle” and “plant the seed” and all the other clichés. We wait to see if our efforts bear fruit. We grow impatient. But we grow because we want to live our life’s purpose and share our gifts with others so they can be better, stronger. We all want to discover—and live—with purpose and make meaningful contributions to the world.

[FREE DOWNLOAD: THE VISIBILITY ROADMAP TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS & MAKE A GREATER IMPACT]

When the stars align and we can answer Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” and the “why you do what you do” makes sense deep within our souls and not our heads, we’re on the right path. It’s our calling, our purpose for being here in this moment called life.     

So, here’s the truth. MY truth.

A client –a self-described empath entrepreneur—Heidi Armstrong in Austin—hired me because she wanted to learn how ...

Most entrepreneurs enjoy a flood of ideas, creativity and a-ha moments.

How do you explain your idea to someone else, especially a busy reporter or online influencer who receives irrelevant email and phone pitches daily?

Here’s the secret: Take out your business card. Write your idea on the back of your card. If it doesn’t fit, rip it up and throw it out. Nobody is going to understand it if it’s not clear, concise and compelling.

[Join Communication Nation, our Facebook Group for Professionals Who Want to Communicate with Confidence and Clarity]

The “business card” approach is how you have to think of your pitches to reporters and online influencers. When emailing a pitch, for example, all you have is a few words in the subject line to grab someone’s attention.

The subject line must be a magical combination of just the right words…and in the right order. You’ll have to practice and edit. Being clear—and brief—are critical when trying to get publicity to grow your influence and bus...

Business cards aren’t going out of style anytime soon, but there is one serious misuse of these calling cards that I want to share with you.

I recently went to a networking event with about 300 people. A client had invited me and then got stuck downtown at jury duty. With the delay—and rush hour traffic—she didn’t make it. Did I run back to my car and say, “Oh well…” No.

Even though I didn’t know anyone, I stayed,  mingled and watched.

And I remembered a lesson from many years ago about business cards: Don’t give anyone your card unless they ask for it.

Why?

It’s a waste of our collective time –and paper. I’ll bet most business cards given without being requested land in a:

• Car
• Desk drawer
• Purse
• Jacket pocket—and then the garbage

When we take a few minutes to connect human-to-human with a meaningful conversation and rapport, we can then decide to hand over a card. Not everyone will be a good fit for your business and expertise. Some, though, may be willing to refer a frie...

I’m a middle child, and, over the years, people have asked me how I managed to get noticed. After all, my older sister was the (almost) perfect “Marcia Brady,” and my younger sister was “the baby” who could do no wrong.

The real lessons, however, on how to stand out, came from my extended family, sprinkled across New Jersey and New York.

[RELATED: FREE DOWNLOAD: CREATE 30 TOPICS IN 30 MINUTES FOR ANY NICHE! CLICK HERE TO GET THE #30/30 GUIDE.]  

I didn’t truly understand how “different” we were until I had children of my own. My “kids”—now 25 and 23—asked me questions when they were younger that most parents DON’T hear:

• Is our family loud?
• How did everyone get to be so funny?
• How do you come up with these 1-liners?
• Is it OK that I’m nervous to talk 'cause I’m not really funny?
• How do I get to be in the spotlight when there are 40 people around the table?

I’ve been incredibly close with my mom’s side of the family. Even though I’m one of three children, our home was always ...

“If you want to attract media attention, think like a reporter.”

It’s something many professionals who want to be more visible must learn. But what does it mean? How do reporters think? And why do you need to be privy to this information?

You can’t effectively pitch stories to anyone in traditional or social media if you don’t understand how their minds operate.

How do journalists, bloggers and podcasters decide what is newsworthy and what gets tossed?

[RELATED: FREE DOWNLOAD: CREATE 30 TOPICS IN 30 MINUTES FOR ANY NICHE! CLICK HERE TO GET THE #30/30 GUIDE.]  

I was a news reporter. Please, allow me to share these five common rookie mistakes small business owners should avoid when looking for publicity:

Rookie Mistake #1. I can sell my products and services with an article, post or interview. It’s all about me! When pitching a self-serving story that fails to connect with a specific audience, you’re missing an opportunity to become a trusted and credible resource.

If you want to...