Waarom Kijk Je Nooit Eens In Je Digitale Spiegel? – Rodric Leerling

De ‘waarom vraag’ leidt vaak tot nieuwe inzichten in het leven en ontkracht tegelijk fabels en hypes. In dit geval draait het eigenlijk maar om een woord (en werkwoord): Google. Deze zoekmachine bepaalt tegenwoordig wat mensen van je vinden. Of je dat nu wilt of niet. Het gebeurt gewoon. Geen hype en geen fabel.

Grappig is dat we dagelijks (off-line) tijd besteden aan ons uiterlijk voordat we naar kantoor, meetings of congressen gaan. Maar we accepteren eigenlijk heel makkelijk dat we online als sjofel en onopgemaakt door het leven gaan. Je off-line en on-line imago moeten in evenwicht zijn. Zorg dat je zakenrelaties en prospects een gebalanceerd beeld van je vinden als ze op je googelen. Want dat doen ze. Regelmatig, en zonder dat je het zelf beseft.

Je digitale image is wat we online reputatie zijn gaan noemen. Wat heb je drie jaar geleden gezegd of gepost? Vaak vergeet je dat snel weer, maar Google niet. Haal die negatieve reacties en impulsieve opmerkingen op LinkedIn gewoon weg. Check wat je op Facebook hebt gezegd over anderen. En haal die foto’s weg die je kort na een event nog leuk vond, maar nu inmiddels niet meer. En ga dan eens op jezelf googelen. Wat komt er boven? Herken je jezelf in de digitale spiegel?

Dan is het tijd om zelf het heft in handen te nemen. Je begint met een content platform in je eigen naam (WordPress is ideaal) en start met tweewekelijkse blogs. Zet die uit op social media zoals LinkedIn en Twitter en laat je netwerk hierop linken. Denk aan onderwerpen die spelen in jouw sector. Doe maar gewoon en schrijf over zaken die prospects en je huidige zakenrelaties interessant vinden en bereid zijn om te gaan delen. Topics die typisch voor jou zijn en waar relaties je op herkennen. Gebruik de juiste tags en spel je naam eventueel ook opzettelijk foutief.

Zodra het linken frequenter wordt gaat Google verwijzingen naar jouw naam oppikken als relevant en kennelijk interessant om te lezen. Je indexering gaat omhoog en je verschijnt op pagina 1-3 van Google zoals jij dat wilt in plaats van dat Google dat ongevraagd voor jou doet. Je digitale spiegel wordt nu snel scherper en je online reputatie krijgt vorm. Herken je jezelf al een beetje?

Succes ermee. We helpen graag als je hulp nodig hebt.

 

Laat Je Het Social Media Management Over Aan Een Stagiair? – Rodric Leerling

Je piekert over de vraag hoe en welke social media platforms te gebruiken voor je bedrijf. Welke kanalen passen het beste en hoe vul je die met goede content? En wie zetten we daarop, en vertrouwen we dat hij of zij snapt wat er gebeurt als je het domein social media betreedt? En gaat het wat opleveren?

Social media is geen nieuwtje meer maar inmiddels een serieus kanaal om je b2b zaken te laten groeien en verstevigen. Je wilt immers relevant zijn en blijven voor je klanten. Goede content op social media is daarbij de ultieme sleutel tot succes. Maar het is niet zoals het oude ‘broadcast’ model waar je media zoals vakbladen gebruikt om je producten aan te prijzen. Met social media content ontwikkel je traffic richting je website. Je content wordt gedeeld in andere netwerken en de olievlek breidt zich uit. Het maakt uiteindelijk van lezers business leads, en uiteindelijk ontstaat de conversie naar nieuwe klanten. Die weer je ambassadeurs worden. Een lange adem soms.

Maar ik hoor gelijk een zucht, want social media is nog niet helemaal je terrein. We hebben toch een strakke website waar klanten ons kunnen vinden en onze producten en diensten bekijken? Waarom niet de social media overlaten aan een stagiair die dit beter snapt dan wij? De generatie-Y zit bijna constant op die platforms en weet beter hoe je dat moet inzetten. En ze zijn nog eens goedkoop ook.

Maar ben je bereid om het social media management uit te besteden aan een student? Meekijken en een beetje gokken dat het wel goed zal gaan? Besef wel dat toekomstige werknemers, potentiële investeerders en prospects, voordat ze de bedrijfssite zoeken, vaak eerst googelen op je naam en bedrijf. De op Google page 1 genoemde social media slots worden bezocht om te beslissen of ze wel of niet contact gaan opnemen. Denk aan aspecten zoals of je interessant bent en betrouwbaar. Of de bedrijfsmissie met passie uitgedragen wordt door de CEO. En of er dynamiek in het bedrijf zit en er een visie is voor de sector. Hier kan zomaar de externe belangstelling ophouden.

Dus naast de bedrijfssite vormen social media het dynamische raam waardoor bezoekers naar je bedrijf kijken. Instappen op deze platforms is een prima move, maar is het het risico waard om het management ervan over te laten aan een stagiair? Kan die wel goede long- en short form content maken, zoals blogs, interviews en tweets? Video interviews en reportages plannen, opnemen en editen, en professionele fotografie maken? En niet te vergeten een goede content planning en consequent het management er aan houden. Dit bij elkaar vergt senioriteit en ervaring.

Bezuinig er niet op en huur een professional. En tenslotte …. Google jezelf nou eens?

 

Be Aware When Referees Start Seeing Things in Slow Motion – Rodric Leerling

Last weekend, an interesting tournament final was played in preparation for the FIFA WorldCup next year in Russia. Called the Confederation Cup and played between national teams who recently either became world or regional champion.

And for the first time on a big FIFA tournament, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was used to prevent referees from missing major fouls but also to help checking off-sides, which player did what, or unclear corner kicks situations. You would expect that when the referee gets such a VAR call and viewing the replay in slow motion, it would either lead to a red card or no card at all. No VAR calls are made for yellow card situations, as it just would make things too complicated.
Recent research commissioned by FIFA shows that referees watching things in slow motion are faster in pulling a red card because things seem to be much clearer all of a sudden. Well, not last night. The referee clearly missed an elbow boxing hook and was told by his VAR to check the video replay. He did and walked over to the innocent looking player but reached for his wrong pocket and pulled a yellow card, leaving most TV spectators in shock. Clearly a red card should have been given. Especially after watching the replay. The fouling player almost broke his opponent’s jaw bone, totally on purpose.

The danger of using VAR’s is that most fouls in slow motion just look more serious than in real time and in fast paced action. As amateur referees we don’t work with video in my games, so I should decide in split second anyway. And you can be wrong sometimes. Colleague referees and football commentators last night tweeted mostly about the fact that referees tend to ask advice for crucial fouls where the obvious direct call would suffice. But with the VAR looking over their shoulder, they seem to want to stay on the safe side. Thanking them for their advice and still take the wrong decisions after watching the replay. Hard to grasp. Work to do for the FIFA referee committee!

When Your Doctor Says You Should See Another One – Rodric Leerling

After weeks of taking different meds to kill the sudden burst of pain and reduce my knee swelling, the first diagnosis by my GP has been drawn. There are fractions of cartilage around the knee that should be ‘cleaned up’.

Why and how this ‘cartilage delivery’ works is not clear, but the X-ray results showed it clearly. The loose fractions around the knee are causing the body to react and produce moisture to encapsulate the danger. An orthopedist has been asked to examine me further and probably come up with a surgery proposal to do a ‘clean up’.

I can’t wait as this has been dragging on now for seven weeks already. The moisture in my knee prevented the GP to track the cause of the pain and swelling, as it basically formed a medical ‘cover-up’. Only after weeks of meds and eventually a reduced swollen knee, the injury could be diagnosed and the X-ray picture requested.

So much for the Dutch medical ‘1st line care’: patients should be seeing their GP as much as possible ‘in the 1st line’ and only when really necessary visit a specialist in hospital, called the ‘2nd line care’. This is believed to lead to a reduction in medical costs. But in my case, this has so far lead to 8 weeks of limping, a painful and swollen knee, 4 GP visits and 3 different medications, before finally an X-ray was requested and steps to surgery taken. Who knows how long this ‘2nd line of doctoring’ again will take. Keep you posted.

 

The Time You Should be Preparing for Next Season – Rodric Leerling

It’s been a full month since I wrote my last blog. I really surprised myself. As if I had nothing to share. The opposite is true.

To my shagrin, I had to cancel all play-off games and football tournaments I wanted to help referee. Not just for the extra cash, but mostly for the comradery among colleague refs. Nothing this year. My knee didn’t allow me to do anything. It blew up suddenly and filled up with moisture. hindering me from any sort of exercise.

The doctor tried several roads to get the knee back in shape so he could examine it carefully. He at first thought it was jout, especially after my complaint of severe pain during the night. Then, after first swallowing the wrong meds and by accident ending the others too soon, I finally had my knee back in shape and pain-free after five weeks. Then, while laying on his treatment table, after twisting it left and right, we both heard the crack-crack sound. Maybe a jout combined with a meniscus break-off?

So, today it was X-ray time at the local hospital. Two pictures that should tell if there is indeed cartilage floating around, making the tissue around it swell as result of inflammation. And if it’s there, how can it be taken out?

Is this the result of forcing my knee to perform to the max? It would be extra dire with my recent promotions in the pocket for both futsal (indoor) and field football. We will know by Wednesday. Still time to get in shape for a new football season. I’m still hopeful and optimistic, as always.

“Labeling the people I met in life: Odd Ducks, Funny Ducks, Psycho Ducks”

Last week, I met an old business acquaintance, and as always we talked about the different people we have met in life. The ones we worked with as colleagues or whom we reported or sold to. Some you will remember your whole life, whereas some others you really try to forget.

I mentioned a mental list I’ve drawn up of different kinds of ‘business ducks’. Starting with the ‘Odd Duck’ and the newly created categories to the extreme: ‘Funny’ and ‘Psycho’. The Odd Duck are just funny and OK to work with, nothing special. They pass and you stay in touch on LinkedIn or Xing.

But you will remember the ones in the ‘outside categories’. My friends for life are often made in the Funny Duck category. People you connected with, whom you shared your dreams and fears. The ones you told you were becoming a father, or that your mother just died. They would do the same to you and we would just hug or ‘high-five’ on Skype, depending on the situation. I’ve still got many friends in business whom I know well, even when the direct business ties are gone. It’s just good to talk to them again, or preferably meet in person when you are around.

The business relations that will also stay with you for life, despite efforts to delete them from memory, are the ‘Psycho Ducks’. The people who were just interested in themselves and their career. Who didn’t want to talk about the relativity of things and never showed their emotions. Or worse, the narcissists who think the whole world orbits around their pitiful person. Who bullied other people, including yourself, played with contracts and didn’t keep their promises. Showing their domination, often with a high IQ but mostly with very little EQ.

Funnily enough, the lists on both ends of my business spectrum are quite evenly filled. I’ve once started writing down my mental lists and they showed a good balance. Well, that’s life, I guess. One thing I learned from all this: always try to stay the Funny Duck yourself and make new friends, keep doing business with the unavoidable Odd Ducks but learn to avoid the Psycho Ducks.

 

 

“Making Plans While Your Body Says ‘NO’ – Rodric Leerling

I was excited and busy making plans for a great Summer football season. The field play-offs already started with a last-minute mid-week AR assignment and another AR one for this weekend. On top of that, I received a last-minute futsal play-off game to ref as well. And I was invited to a company field tournament in June and was enlisted for Beach Soccer reffing again soon. Exciting!

But then suddenly, my body told me it was enough for now. Last weekend, my right knee suddenly swelled like a balloon. No pain, just stiff and impossible to bend. Well, I thought, it sure will be better tomorrow. But it stayed bad so I had to see a doctor who did some basic tests and said the swelling could be reduced with medication. If it doesn’t change, come back next week. Bit surprised, but didn’t want to argue.

Well, it is next week now, and the knee not only still looks swollen, but is also hurting now. Medication doesn’t seem to work, so I’m planning to see the doctor again, this time to ask for physio therapy. In the meantime, I had to cancel the futsal play-off game and two field play-off games. I’m slightly worried about the rest of the upcoming field play-off games. Maybe it’s season finale for me, before it even started. Maybe I pressed myself too hard to get the futsal promotion, who knows. Combination of futsal and field games getting too much?

So, it’s time to do some other things. Write another personal blog. Visit some friends. Make myself useful around the house. Limping.

“What no business owner should ignore – managing his online footprint” – Rodric Leerling

Everyone owning his or her own business should be aware of this: by working and communicating online we are growing our digital footprint. Combine this with a search-happy business world and you will realize your online footprint can in fact make or break your next business goals.

Before we buy a product or hire a service, we google and search for clues on reputations. The same happens with you as entrepreneur. Who are you and what is your online reputation? Make no mistake, before you can even speak up and have a meeting, Google has already presented your personal profile. And within seconds your new job, the much needed investment or the potential customer is gone.

Have you Googled yourself yet? Do it now. I’ll wait.

So, what does page 1 of Google search tell about you? Is your online reputation in line with who you really are? Or is it a blurred image, due to weird pictures, lousy comments made once or just a mixed bag. We are convinced that a strong online reputation will generate more business opportunities. Because you made sure it’s you who’s drawing the picture and not Google.

How we do that? Check me out … on Google. Then give me a call or email me: rodric@coolbrandspeople.info

 

“Yes! I’m an Indie Business Entrepreneur and an Ambivert” – Rodric Leerling

I started listening to one of my recently subscribed podcasts The Fizzle Show (FS211). For starters I learned I should start labeling myself as Indie Entrepreneur: people who are “creating businesses to live life on their own terms”. The confirm that “yes, it’s amazing, it’s difficult, but it’s also possible”.

The podcast show is designed to help Indie entrepreneurs growing their small and solo businesses. Those people like me who are running their independent living, not looking to eventually become internet millionaire, but enjoy the business freedom and be free to change or add different projects. Using and improving their talents in another way.

The second learning was by listening to their show guest Vanessa Van Edwards teaching about the Science of Personality. Use your unique voice to positively influence the world. To put it simply: you can’t appeal to everyone. By behaving that way, you in fact won’t appeal to anyone and waste tremendous amount of energy faking things while saying ‘yes’ to everything. Where is your energy to say ‘yes’ to only the good things?

It taught me there are more personal types than just intraverts and extraverts – how about an ‘ambivert’? Very interesting to realize you can even be both, switching between these personality traits, depending on the situation, depending on who you meet and deal with. In fact, the majority of us have both introverted and extroverted tendencies. The direction ambiverts lean toward varies greatly, depending on the situation. The way you deal with different situations and how social you are is largely driven by dopamine, the brain’s feel-good hormone.

People with a natural high level of brain stimulation tend to be introverts—people who try to avoid any extra social stimulation that might make them feel anxious or overwhelmed. On the opposite, there are people with low levels of this brain stimulation and who tend to be extroverts. You will notice in social interaction like with networking events – the under-stimulation leaves extroverts feeling bored, so they seek social stimulation to feel good.

I realize I might be an ambivert too. What to do? It seems that the trick is knowing when to force yourself to lean toward one side of the spectrum (extra or intra) when it isn’t happening naturally. Will keep that in mind at the next networking event!

“Did the Futsal Secretary Kill my Promotion Chances?” – Rodric Leerling

It was an important futsal night last Friday. On the roster a real futsal champions game. I checked the tables and realized the home team being nr.1 could become champion with just a draw, whereas for their opponent, nr.2 of the table, only a win would suffice. And on top of that my 3rd assessor’s report would be drafted based on this game.

I had ordered two chairs for penalty times and moved both sub benches five meters from the middle line and told both teams that they were facing the player sub area so don’t mess around! The indoor futsal hall was slowly filling with spectators.

I even requested a linesman to help me out. This is only required at next level games, but I didn’t want to take chances. The guy who was planned to be my secretary offered to take on this role while a former player was told to handle the scoreboard and clock. When I saw his sullen face, I suddenly realized I knew him as I had cautioned him in the past for dissent. A bad omen. OK, so this is how you start and stop the clock. And give me the last minute ok?

The game was tense from both sides but I hardly made any errors and was in full control. No cautions needed, so the chairs stayed empty. The shit hit the fan at the end of 1st half when the secretary forgot to give me ‘my last minute’. And shortly after, at the start of the 2nd half, he now forgot to start the clock and only after me shouting across the hall he did with 10 secs delay. Everything went fine and the home team was hitting home fast to become champion and get promoted to 1st class.

But my lousy secretary wasn’t paying attention again and he forgot to stop the clock at the last minute. Being fully concentrated, I noticed this immediately and started shouting across the hall to stop ‘the bloody thing’. And just when I looked up and then to my secretary, a home player took revenge (at least that I was told later) and tackled a guest player exactly at the same time. I only saw him drop and scream of pain, but didn’t see what caused it. I was still yelling at my lousy secretary, running across the hall and suddenly realized I missed a massive foul.

Spectators and players were yelling and screaming for justice. Why no cards ref? Come on, at least yellow? I quickly decided a free kick which seemed the minimum to everyone around me, but I didn’t know what else to do. I just ran the last 50 secs of the game with a deep feeling of frustration. The home team had won fairly easy and were celebrating their earned promotion. The away team realized they had just lost against a much better team.

Handshakes from both teams but I was still dazed and confused. I told the linesman that I was very upset about the stand-in secretary letting me down so badly. But he didn’t seem to care as the champagne bottles were popping and he just thanked me for a good game and walked away. Would the assessor have recorded what happened (from my perspective)? If not, I’m toast and can forget the hard worked promotion. All for nothing.