Want to be known as a go-to person? Then you better learn how to “Fame,” says Richard Laermer, co-founder of The Bad Pitch Blog, president of NYC-based RLM PR and founder of “How to Fame,” a program designed to inform and instruct us on how we can achieve Pragmatic Notoriety.
No, not like Fame-the-TV-show (though those characters certainly struggle with some of the same issues).
“Faming,” according to Laermer, is the process of creating and maintaining a consistent image that reinforces your credibility and professionalism, and builds confidence in others in your ability to get the job done. It’s being known for all the right reasons, becoming a true go-to person. Faming makes apparent how you’re different---and why people should know you.
Over the past few months, Richard has been sending out specific “faming” tips to a select group of "smart self-aware types." My favorite tip thus far: Tip #2: Stubbornness = Failure.
In this tip, Laermer notes, “Stubbornness comes in various forms. There are those of us who are too stubborn to recognize when change is needed; and those of us who know things need to change but are too stubborn to do anything about it. We might think we shouldn't have to change because we 'are who we are,' and that's that. Or we're just too, ahem, busy to pay attention to the signs. Unfortunately, 'who we are' is a vague concept that can vary wildly between our own notion of our public persona and everyone else's impression of it. Your personal and business relationships will be affected by stubbornness. And, in order to fame, we need to make certain the rest of the world is aware of our true public personality, instead of allowing them to create false impressions."
An effective way to get past the stubbornness is to step out of our own head for a few minutes. Take five minutes and write down exactly what you think your public personality is. Be honest. Write every detail. Start with "I am ..." (funny, smart, forward-thinking, compassionate, unique ... ) Go ahead. What adjectives best describe YOU? Then, read what you wrote as if you were someone else. Ask yourself: If another person who knew you found that piece of paper and read it, would they know it was meant to describe you? What do you do that reinforces your internal perception?
The point is that, for most of us, our public personality probably doesn't match up to our internal ideas. Until it does, we aren't getting enough fame for our buck. We need to implicitly tell people what to think of us. Others aren't going to figure it out on their own! To fame requires action on our part, and we must choose to change something about the way the world sees us. We must break down the wall of stubbornness and embrace new, better ways to shine ... "to fame.”
For more information on How to Fame, download the How To Fame Manifesto. For the complete tip list, email giveme@howtofame.com.
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