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Below is screen shot of what you see on his  LI profile. Click here to view in full.

For a more comprehensive portfolio of Rob’s work see his site at
www.robsitbon.com

We are visual creatures. Did you know that we absorb about 93% of our information from sight and sound alone? In the 1960s, Dr. Albert Mehrabian developed a communication model known as the 7%-38%-55% rule.  His research states that we absorb information through:

• 7% = Words
• 38% = Tone of Voice
• 55% = Non-Verbal (e.g., Facial Expression, Body Language)
  

This rule can also apply to how people perceive online profiles where many people unknowingly violate the 7%-38%-55% rule on LinkedIn.  For example, they have:

• No picture
• A blurry or half of a face picture
• A blank or minimal profile
• No Summary
• A summary that lacks “storied” content and poorly written
• A too detailed resume posted

It begs the question. Would you buy a product without knowing what it looked like OR if the advertising copy was poorly written and anything but engaging? As visual beings, we want to see what or whom we are interacting with; therefore it’s important to have a very clear professional picture on your profile. To engage a customer for a product or service “storied” content has been proven to be more effective. This applies to the SUMMARY of your LI profile where you want to engage the headhunter or hiring manager.

Take a look at your own LI profile and critically review your photo and content. Contact me if you would like an initial assessment from an objective point of view. bmartin@visibilitybranding.com

As a follow up to my workshop I was invited to attend a class and chose the “Secrets of Macaroons”. Shhh don’t tell anyone but one secret I learned from Chef Jean-Jacques Tranchant ….. egg whites MUST be a room temperature. It was a 3-hour class, group of 12 and left with a box full of Macaroons – flavor – white chocolate aniseed cream and fresh raspberries. Was a fun class but do not have aspirations to be the next Julia Childs, preferring instead to help Chefs and aspiring Chefs message their brand and tell their story. Side note: the film Julia Julia that came out last year is a must see about the famous American Chef who studied at Le Cordon Bleu.

Speaking of stories there are two graduates from Le Cordon Bleu who appear in my book…..Storytelling About Your Brand Online and Offline. One is Chef Kyle Shadix who wrote the endorsement below and Chef Dzintra Dzenis who moved from Paris to Austen and hosts a Supper Club offering alternative dining and fusion cuisine from around the world. An excerpt from her story is featured in my book but read the “rest of the story” here Plate by Dzintra.

“For chefs, aspiring chefs and all who are ensconced in the culinary world and passionate about what they do…sometimes the hardest thing is to market, promote, and brand yourself…yet we all have an interesting and different story. In her book, Bernadette Martin explains the importance of storytelling and crafting the Branded BIO tool…a good start for chefs launching their career.” Chef Kyle Shadix, Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Author, Speaker, Spokesperson

For the un-initiated but curious here is a shortened definition off of Wikipedia. A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.

In his books on Mind Maps author Tony Buzan suggests using the following guidelines for creating Mind Maps:

1. Start in the center with an image of the topic, using at least 3 colors.
2. Use images, symbols, codes, and dimensions throughout your Mind Map.
3. Select key words and print using upper or lower case letters.
4. Each word/image is best alone and sitting on its own line.
5. The lines should be connected, starting from the central image. The central lines are thicker, organic and flowing, becoming thinner as they radiate out from the centre.
6. Make the lines the same length as the word/image they support.
7. Use multiple colors throughout the Mind Map, for visual stimulation and also to encode or group.
8. Develop your own personal style of Mind Mapping.
9. Use emphasis and show associations in your Mind Map.
10. Keep the Mind Map clear by using radial hierarchy, numerical order or outlines to embrace your branches.

More on Mind Maps in future posts.

Here is one I created entitled Spring Run in Paris…it’s 30 seconds long.

Spring Run in Paris

‘Philanthropy etymologically means “the love of what it is to be human” or personal initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of life. This can be in the giving of time, resources or valuables. In my book I refer to this as your PSR or Personal Social Responsibility. My favorite is giving to Kiva where, for a minimum loan of $25, you can choose an entrepreneur in a developing country to help finance their endeavor. On the Kiva site you can read the “stories” and view photos of the entrepreneurs in need and choose the one you wish to support.