Building your know, like and trust factor (aka KLT) is a critical component in a successful career. Whether you have stepped into a new position, or soon will do so, know that it requires sustained engagement with influencers and advocates in your industry to be known, liked and trusted.
Yes, knowledge and experience are first steps, yet to be trusted as an expert your must also be known and develop clout, both in your organization and your industry. To build trust, you must also market your expertise and your results.
Begin to build your visibility by assisting others and by being a strong brand ambassador for yourself and your organization. Grow your external visibility by volunteering and staying connected to channels of trade that support your industry. This allows you to stay engaged with key influencers inside and outside your industry and organization.
Share your knowledge and passion in relevant ways. Write for a newsletter or mentor others. Talk regularly to your boss and other key influencers. Understand who the thought leaders are in your field and follow and engage them — making sure you have a strong online presence.
Here are three actions not to overlook:
- Actively manager your online profiles, keeping them accurate and up-to-date.
- Build your own thought leadership. Write articles or a blog. Curate and share content about your field/industry. Become known as a subject matter expert.
- Engage and stay engaged. Relationships do count — both in person and online. Read, comment and share information. Introduce like-minded people. Connect with thought leaders at meetings, conferences, and online. Make phone calls. Write notes and send them by ‘snail mail’.
Read the reports and articles of others in your organization and industry. Learn what is important to them. Note what they are reading and watching. Listen twice as much as you talk. Social media has made connecting and sharing information with individuals in your industry so much easier than in years past.
Creating KLT is an ongoing process. It requires that you build and maintain expertise; build and maintain relationships and share what you know. Doing so provides proof of your influence and shows hiring managers that you are liked and trusted by people in your organization and industry.
Wonderful advise for people in the job business which is extendable to other fields of endeavor as well. I personally like the “snail mail” one. Writing (as opposed to telegraphing/tweeting/statusing) is becoming a lost art. It does take more time to do, but it is so worth it.
Thanks for the reminder that I need to keep up with tip #1! 🙂
Great article! I especially appreciate the intention of building your own thought leadership and including curating and sharing other’s content. Thank you so much!
Dorothy and Kelley, glad you found the information helpful.
Off to do #1 ~ i made some shifts in the past few months and looked at ONE of my profiles and it has not shifted! Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Well said Cindy! So important to keep on top of these things – and it can only take a few minutes a day!