Linkedin recognises the importance of Learning by creating Linkedin Learning

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

Today, LinkedIn has launched LinkedIn Learning — taking its $1.5b www.lynda.com acquisition in 2015.

The idea, says LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, is to help its 433 million-plus members get the skills they need to stay relevant in a world that’s increasingly reliant on digital skills, robotics and automation.

“It’s increasingly important that we can provide a just-in-time, always on learning platform,” Weiner says.

The new product combines the Lynda.com classes with LinkedIn’s social network. If you find a job you want on LinkedIn, for instance, you can pull up a pre-determined list of recommended classes that will help teach you the skills you’d need to apply. Once you’ve cleared the course, you can add it to your profile so you look better to potential employers.

The Unstoppables; a winning format for future business collaboration?

Graham RossSustainable sportswear pioneer, creating clothing that causes minimal impact to the planet.

It takes a grand vision to throw 55 A-type entrepreneurs together, a touch of genius to take them to one of the planet's most treasured areas - the Amazon, and a strong sense of purpose to achieve the goal: to meet, collaborate and create ideas and businesses that will deliver social and economic benefits to a global population. All in just 10 days. 

I was one of those 55. South America seemed like a great idea from my Sydney office. The reality is a 30 hour multi-airline flight across four countries. Last year's Unstoppables trip named Fire and Ice was held on a luxury boat in Antartica. The Unstoppables is much like any start up, it’s never plain sailing. In fact last year's event almost didn’t happen due to an incoming weather front. Like most entrepreneurs, founder Julio de Laffitte, made the almost impossible happen. 

This year's event, set on a floating resort on the edge of the Amazon rainforest was aptly called Ideas Gone Wild.  It's a place of intense beauty, extreme danger and for every inhabitant on Earth, a life source - where 20% of our planet's oxygen is generated. It makes you wonder why we continue to threaten its existence. 

Ideas Gone Wild drew a list of impressive attendees and not just by achievements or bank balance. The scope ranged from entrepreneurs just beginning their journey, to those ready to grow their venture to the next level, and successful business owners with exits under their belt now mentoring and investing in the next generation.  

With a marketing pitch of amazing people, amazing places, amazing results, the Unstoppables had a lot to live up to. What they delivered for me, was unexpected. By inviting people to travel long distances to a remote exotic location, they embedded a sense of comradeship from the outset. This foundation paved the way to build trust and collaboration and opened pathways for business deals. 

As Skyhooks lead singer, Shirley Strachan once belted out, 'ego is not a dirty word' and as every entrepreneur knows, you need a heathy ego. Of course there was ego aplenty and strong personalities vying for attention.  But what I found within the conference room, out in the wilderness and in the daily rituals of living in close quarters was simply, respect.  

I came away with both personal and business development. The Unstoppables concept shows the opportunities to do business are everywhere - especially if, as Julio puts it, ‘you see the other person’. If you engage and listen to others, finding ways to collaborate or even better, starting a new venture is easily accessible. When you have trust and respect, sharing your IP or knowledge comes more naturally and openly. Ideas can be given oxygen and with the help of others, can grow into real change. We found a rawness within the group, laughter and tears came spontaneously and in equal measure. 

As expected, we did deals, made investments and created new businesses, but the real value of becoming an Unstoppable didn't end in the Amazon. The opportunity to share deeper conversation, knowledge and do business with the other 54 members has only just begun.

And what better way to facilitate this as a BBG unstoppables forum - www.bbg.business - creating a forum where people can gain that deeper knowledge and get to know like and trust one another! 

Written by

Graham RossSustainable sportswear pioneer, creating clothing that causes minimal impact to the planet.

A Tom Hanks gem

"Help, and you will make a huge impact in the life of the street, the town, the country and our planet. If only one out of four of each one hundred of you choose to help on any given day, in any given cause, incredible things will happen in the world you live in."

"Spirit of generosity" 

Don't you dare ask for a referral. Are you crazy or something?

Great advice by Stan Mann 

You worked so hard to build a strong trusting relationship with your client. You wowed him by serving his favorite fresh-baked cookies at your office. You even reserved a parking spot for him right by your office door. "This space reserved for Mr. and Mrs. Client."

You enjoy him. He enjoys you.

You know there are others in his affluent family you would love to meet.

So you want to ask him for a favor and refer these people to you.

The Problem

But your gut tightens up. You feel like you're begging. He might resent it. You would destroy that beautiful relationship you have.

There's more, when you think about it. You're not just asking for names, you're asking them for permission to call on these referred friends.

One of these friends may well resent it. They may not want a salesman (that's you) calling on them. That'll hurt the relationship with the friend and your client. And that will hurt you.

Here's the way they want it to go. They want the friend to express a need and your client to recommend you.

When the friend talks to your client about his question or problem, your client says, "I got a great advisor. He's taken good care of my portfolio and treats me like a king. Want to talk to him?"

The friend says, "Yes." The client gives his friend your contact information and, if you trained him well, your client tells you all about it. That way, you can be sure to follow up the referral as a welcomed advisor.

When you understand this, you probably think, "Yes, I was right all along. All I have to do is give terrific service. Then word-of-mouth will get me plenty of referrals." You sigh with relief.

But you're the victim of a myth.

Surveys show word-of-mouth by unhappy customers goes like this ...

>>           They share their bad experiences with about 12 others.

>>           Each of the 12 will mention it to six others.

Those are good numbers, but word-of-mouth by happy customers results in ...

>>           Telling the good experiences with just a few friends.

>>           Those friends do not share that with anyone.

Basically, positive word-of-mouth stops with the satisfied customer and his few friends.

No wonder just providing superior results and service for your clients generates so few referrals.

The Solution

So what can an ambitious advisor do?

Good news, there's plenty you can do to get referrals.

Turn the whole system on his head. Don't ask for referrals. Don't ask for a favor. It'll hurt you. Give a favor instead.

(Spirit of generosity)

Instead of saying something like;

"I need your help. If you can help me build my business, I can spend more time helping you. Who do you know? "Get out your roledex."

Use Referron to use someone you know like and trust to them

This used to work in the past. There are books out there recommending it. But clients and prospects are much more sophisticated now. They don't like that approach.

Here's what you can say instead;

"I very much value you as a client and as a service to you, I'm willing to help your family, friends, and colleagues with their financial questions. Does anyone come to mind that might benefit from my help?"

Hear the difference? You're offering a favor. You are a giver not a taker.

Don't expect any names then. Only two out of 100 will give a name when asked. It has to happen on their time, when a friend has a need. What you're doing is conditioning them to think of you when the time is right.

You still have to wow your clients. You need to wow them with things like ...

>>           fresh-baked cookies,

>>           reserved parking spots,

>>           birthday cards,

>>           anniversary flowers and

>>           maybe even birthday parties and client appreciation events.

This is the foundation. It's the price of admission. It only gets you in the ballpark and the chance to hit home runs with offers to do their friends a favor.

Conclusion

So don't you dare ask for a referral. Offer a favor instead.

Best,

Stan

Be the best you can with Stan the Mann

Giving one for the team!!! Why have I not stopped laughing at this video?

Scott Sterling - smashing it out of the ball ark - Tar-Heel!! Why have I not stopped laughing at this video!!
relevance to this blog.. giving one for the team with a "Spirit of Generosity"

Do something different!

Good day, Friend!  Here's your Cornerman's Daily Striving for excellence and attaining new goals necessarily bring your best, often unknown, talents forward. Inside you is a treasure chest of possibility that begs to get to the surface to produce its best work. Pursuing goals in different categories is an important way your hidden talents surface. Do something simple this week in a different category than most of your life is lived in. An electrician friend of mine baked a cake to help his wife and loved it so much they now work together in the very successful cake shop they created. You just never know….  Onward and Upward!

The 7 Techniques To Influence Anyone Of Anything

James AltucherEditor at The Altucher Report

September 13, 2016 • 1330 Likes • 59 Comments

If I can tell my children to read one post of mine, it would be this post.

Influence is how they will navigate a world of uncertainty.

Robert Cialdini is the most influential person in the world. And by that I mean, he wrote the book, “Influence”, which sold 3 million copies and defines the six critical aspects of all influence.

Now he has a new book, “Pre-Suasion“, going 10x deeper into the concepts of persuasion. I got him on my podcast so I can ask the 1,000 questions I have.

Small story from the book: If you name a restaurant “Studio 97” instead of “Studio 17” people are more likely to tip higher.

If you ask a girl for her phone number outside a flower store (triggering feelings of romance), she is more likely to give it to you than if you ask her outside a motorcycle store.

And 500 other stories. The environment is just as important as what you say.

Before the podcast began, I gave him a book as a gift: “The Anxiety of Influence”, a history of poetry.

What would poetry have to do with influence and marketing?

In all art, since the beginning of time, artists have built on the work of the artists the generation before them.

Beethoven depended on a Mozart to be a Beethoven. Picasso depended on a Cezanne. Without Michelson, there would be no Einstein.

But poets, for some reason, would deny being influenced. “I never even read Ezra Pound,” shouted one poet at a critic. Poets want to be seen as original.

Nobody is 100% original. This is the anxiety of influence.

Almost all of our decisions and even creativity are outsourced to the people around us who influence us: peers, teachers, religion, parents, bosses, etc.

Our personality is our own particular mishmash of influences.

How we deal with that anxiety, how we recognize the influences, learn from them, build from them, is the birth of all of our creativity.

Let me summarize the seven aspects of influence:

1. Reciprocity – if you give someone a Christmas card they will want to return the favor
2. Likability – make yourself trustworthy. For instance, outline the negatives of dealing with you.
3. Consistency – ask someone for a favor. Now they will say to themselves, “I am the type of person who does James a favor.”
4. Social Proof – if you are trying to get someone to do X, show them that “a lot of your peers do X.” For instance, if you are at a bar and you are a guy trying to meet women, being your women friends and not your guy friends with you.
5. Authority – “four out of five dentists say..”
6. Scarcity – “only 100 iPhones left at this store!”
7. Unity – you and I are the same because: location, values, religion, etc.

I’ve used each of the above in business. They work. They will make you money.

The entire purpose of language is to influence. We are not strong animals. We are weak. The language of influence saved us.

Probably a word like, “Run!” was the first word spoken. A word of influence. And it worked. I’m still running from the things I fear.

So speak to influence. Don’t speak to call a flower yellow. Speak to breathe spirit into an idea, to be enthusiastic, to convey emotion, to influence. This is the only way to have impact with your unique creativity.

I gave Robert the book as a gift (“reciprocity”), assuming we would have a great podcast. And we did.

But then I thought later, I can’t even remember how Robert got on my podcast. I highly recommended his book in the podcast and even in this post.

As he got into his car after the podcast in order to go to his next interview, I started thinking, “Hmmm, who influenced who?”

Listen to my podcast with Robert Cialdini : http://apple.co/1ewcX8D

Related Post: How to Win Friends and Influence People

James Altucher is the author of the bestselling book Choose Yourself, editor at The Altucher Report and host of the popular podcast, The James Altucher Show, which takes you beyond business and entrepreneurship by exploring what it means to be human and achieve well-being in a world that is increasingly complicated.