Be Memorable...

Hey You,

TGIF...

Phew, it's been that type of week, huh?

Trust me, all I want to do right now is crawl under my bed for the next couple of days and disappear. I've had a rough week. To be honest, the fact that I am writing this letter to you at 11:41 PM is enough evidence of how crazy my week has been.

But you know, I would never leave you guys hanging, so here I am, ready to sign off on this week with you... Let's jump right in.

Take a moment, look at that header, and ask yourself, "Are you memorable?"

Scratch that, more importantly, "Are you findable?" I mean, people have to find you before you can dazzle them enough to leave them with a lasting impression of you.

What exactly are you known for?

I remember when I was at this company I used to work for as an intern on their marketing team. Our lead strategist (I don't miss this person, lol) asked during a strategy meeting: "Brand XYZ has X amount of dollars to spend on influencer-generated content; whom do you think we should suggest? Who fits best with our brand?

I remember a cacophony of voices blurting out names and "hms" and 'ahs", with others nodding in agreement over specific names of influencers they resonated with and believed in. I think about how we also choose vendors or products through a similar process. Who should we give this opportunity to? I have watched different people argue about who is best, who is deserving, and who will have the best impact. What is fascinating, though, is that most times these people have no personal relationships with these people, yet they go out on a limb to fight for this person, to recommend this person, to help this person get paid, or to get whatever opportunity is available.

A couple of hours ago, I was arguing passionately with a close friend, trying to convince him to buy into the Apple ecosystem, while he went on and on about how Androids are better.

Blah, blah, blah ( He doesn't know ball, don't mind him).

What do the above stories have in common?

So much is determined by the ability of people to find and remember you.

That life-changing opportunity that you need, that goal you've written down, and so much more are likely to be achieved based on conversations happening in your absence. Passionate staff, fighting to recommend you or that recruiter who just can't get your name and profile off his mind. I wrote an article about how to make a recruiter want you; it's called Professional RIZZ. Check it out.

Jeff Bezos doesn't make all his decisions himself. Instead, he asks the opinion of his friends, family, staff, etc. And guess what?

No one will ever mention your name or your brand if you are not searchable, findable, and then memorable.

We often talk about how we wish to do great things, like Burnaboy said: chop life, make money, work in that dream company, work with that brand, build global businesses, etc. These are things we talk about when we are asked about our goals and that is great. However, a big part of career, financial, or business growth lies in the hands and tongues of other people in rooms we are not present in or don't have access to.

How can you get those tongues wagging?

Here are my suggestions:

• Do good work and showcase your work: Do quality work that matters and resonates with people. It doesn't have to be perfect; you'd be surprised at how much your journey will make people buy into you and your brand. Do something that makes you feel good. Share and test what you know, share your journey, and show us the BTS (behind the scenes). Put your work out there. Post consistently on LinkedIn and your social media pages. Don't wait until it's perfect. Fail even, but if you fail, fail epicly. This will help people resonate with you.
• SHOW UP!: Yes, show up. Create a routine, make a timetable, and set alarms if you will. Incorporate sharing into your routine. Don't underestimate what you know and overestimate what other people know. I once saw a YouTube video about "how to boil an egg" with over 40 million views. Are we saying that over 40 million people don't know how to boil an egg? Maybe. But someone is solving that problem. So get up, pick an avenue, and start sharing, if professionally, on LinkedIn. Talk about what you know and what you love, and share your journey. This will help people trust and remember you.
• Don't be scared to network & collaborate: Team up with other people within your industry and your niche to do great work. Partnerships are amazing, and they yield extraordinary results. Build a community of people around you; they could be mentors, peers, or people willing to learn from you. Don't wait until you need people before you build a relationship with them; start building relationships now. Also, take a couple of breaths and ten steps back before you burn bridges. People are like water; you just never know where your paths might cross in the future.
• Contribute: Be a part of conversations and contribute to other people's ideas. Comment under their posts and share your perspective. When you read something and you have a thought, share that thought. Engage people; it'll make it easier to network. Give what you have or what you know to someone; they may be able to make it better than your wildest imaginations; you've contributed. Answer questions your audience has if you know the answer; if you don't, recommend someone who might be in a better position to offer a better opinion or solution. It doesn't make you less competent; it makes you connected. Don't monopolize your knowledge; this will make people value you.

You see, what happens naturally after you do these things, especially on a specific subject or niche? People will start to find you, resonate with you, and, most importantly, remember you. Some will not only find you, but they will also believe in you, and opportunities will find you. After a while, people will become invested; they will take ownership of your brand, just like Ronaldo and Messi, Apple, and Samsung.

It'll be you vs. others.

So tell me, what are you going to do to become memorable?

Cheers;

Fikayomi Duke Famakinwa

The Sproutly Team.