klout influence scores valueToday I kicked off my day with an awesome coaching client. He is a financial exec for a large corporation. We are working with him to build a business platform to enable him to at one point break free from the chains of corporate America. We are helping him build a strategy for social media, develop a brand architecture and a business platform for which to build a community that he can share his knowledge and help others. Yes, we are building social media profiles, twitter feeds and eventually a do I dare say the word “website”. As anyone knows that follows us, we don't build “websites” we build platforms that support business and life!

What's wonderful about this client is that he doesn't know the first thing about social media tools and technology. We are teaching him these things. What he does know is his area of expertise. He knows what his audience needs and he knows he can help them.

What he also knows is that his focus should be on leveraging the knowledge that is exploding from his head to help other people in his industry and niche. I didn't have to teach him this, it's already in his DNA. Yes, it is being further nurtured via our coaching sessions and his engagement with the communities he is engaging with in his current phase of social listening.

The best thing about this client's experience is that he is already seeing success. The only network he has engaged on to date is LinkedIn as it is the priority we set forth in his engagement strategy. Even though it's only been a couple weeks since he hopped on LinkedIn he is seeing results. People are connecting with him. People are already viewing him as a thought leader. They are trusting him and value his opinion.  They are ready to join his Facebook page, read his blog before he's ready to create it!

When I met with him today by the end of the session we were both almost teary eyed. It is simply wonderful to see in real life form the benefits of social media work through both the giver and the receiver. It is the result of two business leaders connecting via the right foundations, goals and personal connection. It's simply what makes being an entrepreneur the greatest life career and job ever.

When your focus is to give in social media and help others as a first objective it makes the entire process that much more enjoyable. He is a perfect example of a thought leader that has realistic expectations for social media and online marketing. He knows he has to invest time, energy and give of himself before he will see result. He knows he must share and give without expectation to receive anything back. He has entered the first phase of social media with this mindset and it's already paying off, earlier than anticipated.

What is your social mindset?

What are your expectations for social media? Do you have the right goals and objectives? Are you being realistic with your expectations? Are you expecting your audience to give you more than you are willing to give them?

What makes you think your audience owes you anything? The truth is they don't. You need to earn their Facebook “like”. You need to earn the retweet for them to share your content.

If you don't connect with the leaders, the people and the hearts behind the avatars you'll miss out on the greatest benefit of giving. When we give we receive.

The retweet means so much more when it comes from someone who shared your content because they learned from it versus someone only retweeting your content because you have a high Klout score and they're trying to increase theirs.

Klout scores are only as good as the people who's lives are positively influenced as a result of knowledge gained.

If you don't share yourself, share your best content you are unlikely to connect in a genuine way that people will want to engage with you.

If your number one objective as a thought leader is not to share your best to help others, then are you really a thought leader?

I simply love how I can spend two hours coaching a client and they end up coaching and teaching me in return.

As you build your plans for 2011, be sure to include the focus on relationships.  If you focus on being you and sharing your best, you will organically attract friends, partners and clients who bring you joy and you them the same.  By sharing your best and attracting clients who desire your knowledge they'll also be willing to pay you for such.

At the end of the day, people buy from people. If you don't let people know the real you, they'll never move to make the purchase. It's hard to buy from an Avatar.

What is Your Social Mindset?

What is your social mindset? Is it where it needs to be? Or have you became caught up in the whirlwind of influence rankings, tweets, webinars and tools? What experiences have you had that can help others who are getting caught in the wrong mindset? How do you stay focused on giving while building a business that produces a positive return on investment at the same time.