7 Steps to Go From Unknown to Powerhouse Influencer

It’s likely you’ve heard (and you know) the more visible you are, the better. Whether you are an author, speaker, coach, consultant or entrepreneur, the more visible you are to your “sweet spot” clients, the easier it is for them to make a decision to invest in your products and services. And the more influence you have.
Yet, it’s not just about being visible, it’s about being visible to those who are interested in who you are and ultimately, what you have to offer.
With as resistant as many people are, you would think the process of gaining visibility is as difficult as climbing Mt. Everest. Truth be told, it’s easier today than ever before to gain visibility AND to be extremely targeted about it.
Often, resistance to anything happens for a few reasons.
1. Not knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing.
2. Fear of judgment.
3. Thinking it’s way too difficult.
4. Believing you’re way behind where others are, so you don’t bother getting started at all.
5. Not sure how to start.
Visibility comes in a variety of ways; online, offline, at conferences, in the media, in your local community and through social media.
Countless books have been written on how to gain visibility. A quick Amazon.com search with the word “visibility” brings up over 2,000 choices. At the top of the list (at the time of this writing) is Visibility Marketing: The No-Holds-Barred Truth about What It Takes to Grab Attention, Build Your Brand and Win by David Avrin and Jeffrey Gitomer.
No stranger to visibility, Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of dozens of books, many of which have been bestsellers. He is a recognized authority and incredibly visible to his market.

Yet, there was a day no one knew who this quirky expert was. Like most people, he was a complete unknown.

Then there’s Pamela Slim. My first exposure to Pamela was during her keynote presentation at BlogPaws 2016. Entering the stage with her husband, young son and daughter and some of their four-legged family members, Pamela exuded a level of confidence and presence in a very understated way that immediately got the attention of everyone in the room.

Pamela is the author of several books including Escape From Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur. With her circle of influence including some of the most recognized experts in a variety of industries, Pamela made no secret of the fact at one point in her career she was a complete unknown who dreamed of being a recognized influencer.

Watching Pamela share stories of how she took her son, then an infant, on walks in his baby stroller, never imagining how one flash of insight would change the direction of her life forever.

As several hundred animal enthusiasts and business owners hung on her every word, Pamela told of the day she had the thought to send a blog post she had written to Guy Kawasaki, not sure if he would even read it. Not only did he love the post, he asked her to expand on a few points and then posted it on his blog (giving her full credit).

In essence, here’s what she said.

“I had no way of knowing how much one choice, one action, would change my life,” she said with a laugh. “I’m fully aware how much Guy helped my career. And I’m fully aware had I not acted on my hunch, my life would not be what it is today.”

Today there is no question at all how influential this woman actually is. Ironically, her message had similar undertones as my message during my presentation earlier in the day.

1. Get out and be seen.
2. Do what you are here to do.
3. Don’t let fear hold you back.
4. Play big... as big as you possibly can.
5. When you focus on truly serving your customers and clients, do the footwork and keep at it, the money will be a natural bi-product of your efforts.
6. Let intuition guide you and take action on the “downloads” you get.
7. Remember... this is NOT a dress rehearsal; it’s the real thing called life.

It is very evident Pamela and I both have an urgency in encouraging people not to let anything stop them.

Almost verbatim, Pamela said something I had said in my session. Actually, many experts and influencers are sharing a similar message, which is, “Get out and do what you are here to do. Get out of your own way and let yourself be guided to those things you are meant to do. Don’t hide out, but rather, do what you can to get your message out in a big way. There is so much work that needs to be done and you owe it to yourself and your market to do all you can to do the work.”

If you’re reading this, you KNOW you have work to do. You also KNOW today is the day to quit hiding out and do what’s in front of you. Whatever motivated you to begin your business (or if you are thinking of starting a business) stay the course with this so you can go from hiding out (at whatever level) to being a person of influence to those you are meant to impact.