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Secrets to Success
Deborah Cole Micek
and John-Paul Micek
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How to keep your Web site authentic
By John-Paul Micek
Authenticity and transparency are the new buzz words -- sometimes referred to as the "currency" of social media.
That's fine. The danger is when these buzz words are used by social-media "experts" in a way that leads people to think the words are cash creators.
There are literally billions of "authentic" people around the world who are completely "transparent" in their daily lives yet who are poor. Most of these people struggle from day-to-day trying to make ends meet.
When's the last time you paid your car payment with authenticity? Are you earning interest on your transparency account at the bank? Sure, "currency" is just a word, but, words do have power -- the power to focus, stir up emotions, and make connections between what's known and what's new. That's why the currency concept is a profit killer.
The definition of currency is a unit of exchange that facilitates the transfer of goods and/or services. So, when people say authenticity and transparency are "currency," it implies that there is transactional value. But authenticity and transparency cannot be exchanged, stored or compounded like currency.
Authenticity and transparency are merely the lenses by which people perceive congruence, character and trust. To harness their power you must act like an optometrist who manipulates a person's vision using an optical refractor. Instead of using a complex machine with lots of numbers, you develop the skills to control and adjust what people see when they look through the lenses of authenticity and transparency.
Authenticity and transparency are the lenses; self-influence and persuasion are the adjustment dials.
Self-influence and persuasion are the things you can actually control. Understanding the inter-relationship between these lenses and adjustment dials makes the difference between success or failure in today's marketplace.
Self-influence -- being obviously self-focused -- identifies and gives you control over your strengths. Persuasion allows you to influence others. This is manipulation, just like the optometrist manipulates the lenses. So, when did manipulation become a bad word?
Remember those billions of poor "authentic" people around the world who are completely "transparent" in their daily lives? They think manipulation is a bad word. This puts them at the mercy of anyone who understands the power of the lenses and dials.
Ultimately you determine what manipulation means by how you use it and what you achieve with it. With the power to focus people on your strongest assets, and the ability to control transparency, you'll increase rapport, trust and connections. Once you've mastered these skills, you'll have the ability to attract, stack, and spend as much real currency as you want.
John-Paul Micek is the lead business coach at RPM Success Group Inc. Reach him at
JPM@RPMsuccess.com or toll-free at (888) 334-8151.
Deborah Cole Micek, chief executive officer of RPM Success Group, is a business success coach and life strategist. Reach her at
DCM@RPMsuccess.com or toll-free at (888) 334-8151.