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Archive for March, 2011

Podcasting saved my career

March 29th, 2011 by msurkan   |   No Comments

When I was let go from Microsoft in July 2009 I began podcasting with a vengeance, creating several shows (on business, job searching, software engineering, etc) as a means to keep myself busy and meet people. Nearly 200 podcast episodes later I am just AMAZED at how tremendously successful this has worked. More than anything else podcasting has opened doors and made it possible for me to meet people who would otherwise not have found the time to talk with me. The professional relationships I have made through podcasting got me my role as the manager for Linked:Seattle, found consulting work, and even full time employment.

I am SO passionate about podcasting (and so love doing it) that now I am helping others learn how to do it too!

You can learn about my secrets in the videos I have posted in the Members Area. You will have to register as a free member, but all the content is free.

http://bit.ly/PPlisecrets

Michael Surkan

 

SUBJECT: Podcasting saved my career (siu3)

 

When I was let go from Microsoft in July 2009 I began podcasting with a vengeance, creating several shows (on business, job searching, software engineering, etc) as a means to keep myself busy and meet people. Nearly 200 podcast episodes later I am just AMAZED at how tremendously successful this has worked. More than anything else podcasting has opened doors and made it possible for me to meet people who would otherwise not have found the time to talk with me. The professional relationships I have made through podcasting got me my role as the manager for Linked:Seattle, found consulting work, and even full time employment.

 

I am SO passionate about podcasting (and so love doing it) that I would like to tell others about it, and explain how easy it is to do, and how ANYONE can create their own show and build their own brand and network of connections with it. This is something every job seeker and salesman SHOULD be doing.

 

If you can think of any groups that might be interested in hearing me make a presentation on how to use podcasting for growing careers and business, please let me know. This would be useful for job seekers, people wanting to develop their careers, as well as businesses and sales professionals interested in finding good ways to grow leads and sales.

 

I am not asking for any payment. I just want the opportunity to speak and meet interesting people. It has been my experience that good things happen when I help others. J

 

Just e-mail me if you have any suggestions of groups that may want to have me speak to them on this.

 

Here is a 10 minute video I put together about my techniques for podcasting and blogging for networking:

http://bit.ly/podintro1

 

I am also giving a 1 hour webinar on podcasting at 7:00pm Pacific on February 2nd. You can find details and register here:

http://bit.ly/podcastintro

 

Thanks,

Michael Surkan

 

 

 

 

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SUBJECT: Podcasting saved my career

 

When I was let go from Microsoft in July 2009 I began podcasting with a vengeance, creating several shows (on business, job searching, software engineering, etc) as a means to keep myself busy and meet people. Nearly 200 podcast episodes later I am just AMAZED at how tremendously successful this has worked. More than anything else podcasting has opened doors and made it possible for me to meet people who would otherwise not have found the time to talk with me. The professional relationships I have made through podcasting got me my role as the manager for Linked:Seattle, found consulting work, and even full time employment.

 

I am SO passionate about podcasting (and so love doing it) that I would like to tell others about it, and explain how easy it is to do, and how ANYONE can create their own show and build their own brand and network of connections with it. This is something every job seeker and salesman SHOULD be doing.

 

If you can think of any groups that might be interested in hearing me make a presentation on how to use podcasting for growing careers and business, please let me know. This would be useful for job seekers, people wanting to develop their careers, as well as businesses and sales professionals interested in finding good ways to grow leads and sales.

 

I am not asking for any payment. I just want the opportunity to speak and meet interesting people. It has been my experience that good things happen when I help others. J

 

Just e-mail me at podcasting@surkan.com if you have any suggestions of groups that may want to have me speak to them on this.

 

Here is an article I wrote about my techniques for podcasting and blogging for networking:

http://bit.ly/gttkny

 

Thanks,

Michael Surkan

 

Linked:Seattle group manager

 

 

SUBJECT: Know any groups interested in learning about how to use podcasting to grow careers or business?

 

If you can think of any groups that might be interested in hearing about how to use podcasting to grow careers or business please let me know. I am eager to speak for free, outlining the strategies I have developed to use podcasting as a means to market individuals and businesses. More importantly, podcasting is the best tool I have yet to find for building relationships with the people you want to know.

 

I have been using podcasting to help my own career in the last year, having created several shows, and am thinking that this is something I would like to start sharing.

 

I would be happy to come and speak with any group in the greater Puget Sound area in person. I can speak on-line to any other groups that may also be interested in this.

 

Here is an article I put together about my podcasting strategies:

 

 

Thanks,

Michael Surkan

 

 

 

 

SUBJECT: Podcasting saved my career

 

When I was let go from Microsoft in July 2009 I began podcasting with a vengeance, creating several shows (on business, job searching, software engineering, etc) as a means to keep myself busy and meet people. Nearly 200 podcast episodes later I am just AMAZED at how tremendously successful this has worked. More than anything else podcasting has opened doors and made it possible for me to meet people who would otherwise not have found the time to talk with me. The professional relationships I have made through podcasting got me my role as the manager for Linked:Seattle, found consulting work, and even full time employment.

 

I am SO passionate about podcasting (and so love doing it) that I would like to tell others about it, and explain how easy it is to do, and how ANYONE can create their own show and build their own brand and network of connections with it. This is something every job seeker and salesman SHOULD be doing.

 

If you can think of any groups that might be interested in hearing me make a presentation on how to use podcasting for growing careers and business, please let me know. This would be useful for job seekers, people wanting to develop their careers, as well as businesses and sales professionals interested in finding good ways to grow leads and sales.

 

I am not asking for any payment. I just want the opportunity to speak and meet interesting people. It has been my experience that good things happen when I help others. J

 

Just e-mail me at podcasting@surkan.com if you have any suggestions of groups that may want to have me speak to them on this.

 

Here is an article I wrote about my techniques for podcasting and blogging for networking:

http://bit.ly/gttkny

 

Thanks,

Michael Surkan

 

Linked:Seattle group manager

 

 

SUBJECT: Know any groups interested in learning about how to use podcasting to grow careers or business?

 

If you can think of any groups that might be interested in hearing about how to use podcasting to grow careers or business please let me know. I am eager to speak for free, outlining the strategies I have developed to use podcasting as a means to market individuals and businesses. More importantly, podcasting is the best tool I have yet to find for building relationships with the people you want to know.

 

I have been using podcasting to help my own career in the last year, having created several shows, and am thinking that this is something I would like to start sharing.

 

I would be happy to come and speak with any group in the greater Puget Sound area in person. I can speak on-line to any other groups that may also be interested in this.

 

Here is an article I put together about my podcasting strategies:

 

 

Thanks,

Michael Surkan

Podcast Your Way to a Job

March 29th, 2011 by msurkan   |   No Comments

So you’re looking for a job?  You have been sending out your resume’ and going to interviews and have had no call-backs.  Have you ever wondered why that is?

Few people ever think that perhaps you should be interviewing them and asking all about them and their business and finding out what they need help with and why they are looking to fill the position you are applying for.  Tell them that you would like to help them and ask them what you can do to best serve their needs for their business.  This will absolutely turn the tables and suddenly, they will want you and be asking you more about how you can help them.  Suddenly you are not an imposition because they have to take precious time to be interviewing tons of prospective employees with no results.  What if you could shorten all this?

What if you could get to the key HR executives and let them talk all about what they need and are looking for in prospective employees without feeling that they have to be scrutinizing you as a potential employee?  What if you could befriend these HR executives and have them ask you to come for an interview?  They will be asking you to come for an interview, if you build a professional friendship with them.  By building a friendship, you will naturally have a positive relationship with them.

Professional relationships are the key to getting a great job.   We all want to work with people we know, respect and appreciate.  The people you build professional friendships with will want to keep you working with them, once you are hired.  There will be far less chance of  ”being laid off”. 

What better way to build these types of long-lasting relationships than by the use of podcasts.   

Learn why podcasting is the most effective tool there is to help you build the friendships you need with HR managers at companies you want to work for.

Podcasting your way to increased sales

March 29th, 2011 by msurkan   |   1 Comment

Are your sales where you would like them to be?  

There is one particular key to increasing sales.  In my observations over multiple years of being involved in the Sales and Marketing business, I have found there is one thing all businesses have in common.  That one thing is the need to get and keep customers.  Now, why is it that every business struggles with this one simple challenge?

The traditional methods of securing customers who buy from you have all been geared toward “blasting” or overwhelming the marketplace with a multitude of media, such as newspaper ads, flyers, direct mailers, posters, signs, emails, faxes, phone calls, cold calls, newsletters, etc and etc.  Today, we have the added multi-media and new media.  All the sales numbers have been traditionally based on “mass blasting”.  It has always been totally about the numbers…the numbers of people we get our message out to.  Yes, many customers have been secured from these types of marketing techniques, however, the marketplace, and customers are getting numbed to all this “blasting”, and anything emailed is usually deleted; anything mailed is “binned”; but who actually reaches out to the customer and asks what they want, or “how can I help you”?

Most of the traditional marketing techniques are very costly today.  Few businesses can afford to continue with them for any extended period of time, which is required in order for people to begin to trust you as a business.  The print media statistics say that a business needs to place an ad in the same paper/magazine 17 consecutive times before you begin to see results.  With the cost of advertising today, that can be well beyond most marketing budgets.  So, what is a business to do to actually increase sales.

There is a key ingredient that is missing from all the previous marketing techniques.  When a business finally realizes how to capture this final piece of the marketing puzzle, the sales will come to them without them having to spend much, if any, time or money.  That basic need for business to connect with their potential customer base or their target market is the need for building relationships.  Relationships are the key to sales.  

Marketing is the “bag of tools” we use to build those relationships.   It is how we use our “bag of tools” that determines the quality of the relationships we build.  We use marketing “tools” to get the word out to our target market in order to bring them together in a “face-to-face event/meeting.

Do you want to get away from pitching and cold calling?  The key to finding and keeping customers for life is finding ways to use the “tools” of marketing to help qualified customers want to call you.  –And if you want customers to contact you, you absolutely must provide an experience they will always want to remember.

Enter, podcasting.  Experience a podcast with someone and you will want to be their friend for life.  Podcasting is the most effective tool there is to help you build the relationships you need with qualified customers.  Once your potential customers have experienced the “gift of a podcast”, they will be your friend for life!

From the horses mouth: Podcasting maestro explains how to use podcasting to build professional relationships

March 15th, 2011 by msurkan   |   No Comments

From the horses mouth: Podcasting maestro explains how to use podcasting to build professional relationships Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode, Michael Surkan explains how podcasting can help you connect and build relationships with the right people. For instance, it is a valuable tool for sales and marketing professionals who need to develop relationships with potential customers. Podcasting can be used by everyone and Michael has helped many people, including college graduates and job seekers, develop their own podcast show. To get started, it is important to develop a clear objective, identify your target contacts and create a name for your show.

More details on how to use podcasting for your career or business can be found here: http://bit.ly/gttkny

 

 

Podcasting – The Indispensible Tool for Building Relationships

March 14th, 2011 by Michael Surkan   |   No Comments

Why are relationships so important in growing my career or my business?  How do you open  doors to the people and businesses you want to know?

It is all about having conversations with key people you want to know and building friendships.  Having an audience of listeners is almost beside the point.

Once you have established your target market and have your plan in place, you can begin to build friendships.  Then you build those relationships with the pure thought of being a true friend.  So, how do you figure out what your target market is and how to find those key people to build these much desired friendships with?

Ask yourself, “Who would want to use my service/product?” and “Where would these customers be found?”  Then concentrate all your efforts on how you are going to find this target market and how you can help them.  Always remember that it is all about “them”; it is never about “you”.  When it is all about “yourself and your business”, suddenly you become the inconvenience to your potential customers.  When you make it all about “them”, suddenly they want to learn more about you and what you can do for them.  A great book to read that clarifies this point is How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.  Believe me, by concentrating on the other person, you end up getting what you want in the end.

Find more details on how to use podcasting for business and careers in my Podcast Quick Start Guide (note: you will have to register as a member of my site to access the content in the members area, but it is all free).

Check out my own podcast shows to get an idea of how I use this tool for both growing my career and finding business.

Entrepreneurs Northwest
Tales from the job search trenches
Practical Software
Linked:Seattle Radio

For more ideas, check out my show on economics, which is strictly as a hobby.

The Optimistic Bear

With your permission, we would love to make a presentation on the value of podcasting and how it is done the right way to your group.  We can speak in person to groups in any area around the world.  Just e-mail podcasting@surkan.com if you would like to inquire about having a seminar on podcasting.