321: John Jantsch | Duct Tape Marketing: Why Everyone Needs a Personal Brand

Choose a word you can say you stand for. "You need to grab on to something that you say 'this is what I stand for'." -John Jantsch The Cheat Sheet: How long did it take him to write his first book? (10:50) You have to have a narrow niche: true or false? (13:00) What's the 6-week expert phenomenon? (15:00) The power of content creation whether you're an employee or a business owner (19:30) What causes the death of a great conversation? (26:50) How to avoid information pollution (35:00) And so much more... Many marketers and promoters in the Internet world today call themselves experts on a given topic. But check back in a few weeks and a lot of them have changed their field of expertise. And that is not how to become a recognized leader according to our guest for episode 321. John Jantsch is the author of his latest book: Duct Tape Selling. He's also the head honcho of Duct Tape Marketing, a brand and business devoted to practical, systemized marketing for everyone from employee to business owner. And in today's episode we discuss why everyone needs a personal brand, a content creation platform and specialized skills in speaking. And why these three things are so important even if you don't have a business or want to have a business of your own. Join us for all of that and so much more on this edition of The Art of Charm. More About This Show: John Jantsch has been called the world's most practical small business expert; he jokingly says all the other titles were taken and that's why he was given his moniker! But the truth is he is a practical expert and teacher for small businesses and employees alike. His practical teaching extends beyond small business to everyone when we discuss the necessity of a personal brand. John says branding isn't just for big companies or just for companies in general, it is for all of us. We must find something we stand for and take on a point of view, then share that viewpoint with the world. John's stance is practicality and his viewpoint has always been that marketing is a system. Others may teach and preach about the latest marketing technique, but John has always relied on his marketing system philosophy. Doing so has served him well. He's a widely-known speaker and author, the latest being the book Duct Tape Selling, but he also has penned three others. And he's been a podcaster since 2005 and a speaker even before then. When you're establishing your brand and what you stand for, it's important to tap into something you truly believe in and to stick with it. Far too many people today are what he calls the "six week expert", meaning they find a new topic and for about 6 weeks (or even less in some cases), taught themselves as the latest and greatest source for anything and everything related to that topic. Once you've found your thing, John recommends finding a platform to express yourself from. A blog is always an obvious choice since it's simple to get started and nearly anyone can do it. He also talks about the benefits of running a podcast and the access you can have to incredible thought leaders and experts, people you may not have been able to connect with otherwise. There are other platforms too, the important point here is to choose one and again, stick with it. Another great topic John and I chat about is how valuable speaking is for anyone and everyone. Speaking is like social interaction on steroids, everything you do and every way you are being is magnified on stage. Plus it's incredibly beneficial to face a fear like public speaking and act, despite that fear. To help overcome that fear, John gives us a terrific suggestion:take an improv class. He says it's absolutely humbling but it's also one of the most useful activities he's ever done for himself and for his speaking abilities. It's something he encourages everyone to do, even if they aren't interested in becoming a public speaker. One final suggestion he makes, another practical tip, is to turn our phones off for extended periods of time. He says it makes him exponentially more productive and reduces his distractions and recovery time from those distractions. Join me in thanking John for those useful tips as well as his practical insights on choosing a personal brand, sticking with your unique viewpoint and the importance of public speaking for everyone, whether an employee or a business owner. It was great to have him on the show and I hope you enjoy the episode! Thanks for being here and we'll see you next time. THANKS JOHN! If you enjoyed this session of the Art of Charm Podcast, let John know by clicking on the link below and sending him a quick shout out on Twitter: Click here to thank John on Twitter! Resources from this episode: John's web siteDuct Tape Selling, John's latest book John on TwitterFeedly Try Squarespace (free) and support our supporters! You'll also like: -The Art of Charm Toolbox -Best of The Art of Charm Podcast HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! If you dug this episode, please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review!This is what helps us stand out from all the fluff out there. FEEDBACK + PROMOTION Hit us up with your comments and guest suggestions. We read EVERYTHING. Download the FREE AoC app for iPhone Email jordanh@theartofcharm.com Give us a call at 888.413.7177 Stay Charming!