The business landscape is undergoing a revolutionary transformation, with remote work becoming increasingly prevalent and professionals navigating through shorter job tenures. In this dynamic environment, the role of mentorship is more crucial than ever, shaping the future of work. The Shifting Workplace Landscape By the end of 2020, half of the workforce is projected to be working remotely, either full or part-time, while the average job tenure continues to decrease. This shift prompts us to envision a new 'future of work' vastly different from what we knew a decade ago. Recent studies reveal that nearly 80 percent of university students prioritise people and culture fit over career potential and longevity. As this becomes the reality for the future workforce, fostering employee growth and development through mentorship emerges as a key component. Embracing Change in Mentorship Acknowledging the changing dynamics, companies are strategically exploring ways to create and nurture mentorship opportunities. Recognising the impact on talent retention, organisations are investing in mentoring as a valuable tool to keep their top talent engaged. Despite skeptics advocating for alternative learning methods such as books or podcasts, the diverse challenges individuals face require a more personalised approach. Virtual mentors may offer information, but true mentorship involves interactive collaboration, addressing individual challenges in real-time. Mentoring into the Future With the younger generation set to dominate the workforce, mentorship takes on heightened significance. The impending talent shortage, as the older generation exits the workforce, coupled with the gig economy's high turnover rates, underscores the importance of mentoring in retaining and developing new talent. Predictions for the Future of Mentoring 1. Mentoring Dominance Mentoring will transition from a small, exclusive service to a widespread practice, catering to the masses and remaining relevant in the evolving business landscape. 2. Technology Integration Career services will leverage technology, employing mentoring and networking software tools to facilitate large-scale mentoring initiatives. 3. Social and Professional Fusion Mentorship goals will extend beyond career advancement to encompass broader social responsibility, creating a more holistic mentoring experience. 4. Speed Mentoring Traditional long-term mentoring relationships will persist, but there will be a shift towards shorter, more focused arrangements, reflecting the evolving needs of professionals. 5. Career-Driving Mentorship Mentorship will emerge as a critical Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for companies, a metric closely tracked by institutional leadership seeking continuous improvement. Seeking Guidance for the Future For those navigating this changing landscape, Robert Durrant offers high-performance mentoring, coaching, and skill development services. To explore these services and embark on a journey of personal and professional growth, visit our Mentor Programs or Coaching Services page. For inquiries, contact us at 03 9429-2293 or email rob@robertdurrant.com.au. Embrace the future of mentoring, where innovation and adaptability are the keys to success in the ever-evolving world of work. Thinking about a Mentor? Learn how to maximise your potential by engaging a mentor for expert support, ensuring success in your business and professional journey. Related links: Robert Durrant Mentoring Professional Development & Mentoring Executive Coaching Services Robert Durrant High Performance Mentor & Coach #Mentoring #BusinessMentoring #MelbourneMentor #GrowthMentor #ProfessionalDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #BusinessDevelopment #BusinessAdvisor #BusinessConsultant #MarketingCoach #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipCoaching

Here are 20 ways that you as an individual OR as a business can help a fellow human being in crisis TODAY! Learn how to help others as an Individual OR as a Business. The world has changed, and it keeps changing. Disasters such as the recent Coronavirus (COVID-19), bushfires, flooding, volcano eruptions, or earthquakes are typically unexpected, sudden and overwhelming. For many people, there are no outwardly visible signs of physical injury, but there can be nonetheless an emotional toll that can result in strong emotional reactions. It’s up to every one of us to do our bit to help each other in these troubled times. In reality, it can cost nothing to simply help a fellow human being with advice, guidance or reassurance. Albeit, it can be inconvenient, BUT it does have a few humble advantages. “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama 20 Tasks YOU can do to help Others! Here is a range of things you can do as an individual or a business that can make a significant difference to others and do your bit to help humanity. 1. Smile and be friendly. Sometimes a simple little thing like this can put a smile and warm feeling in someone else’s heart, and make their day a little better. They might then do the same for others. 2. Call a charity to volunteer. Look up the number, make the call, and make an appointment to volunteer some time in the next month. It can be whatever charity you like. Volunteering is one of the most amazing things you can do. 3. Donate something you don’t use. Drop them off at a charity — others can put your clutter to good use. 4. Make a donation. There are lots of ways to donate to charities online, or in your local community. Instead of buying yourself a new gadget or outfit, spend that money in a more positive way. 5. Redirect gifts. Instead of having people give you birthday or Christmas gifts, ask them to donate gifts or money to a certain charity. 6. Stop and ask to help. The next time you see someone pulled over with a flat tire, or somehow in need of some help, stop and ask how you can be of assistance. 7. Teach others. Take the time to teach someone a skill you have in your business or know yourself. This could be teaching someone to use some new technology or online marketing a charity or volunteer group. 8. Comfort someone in grief. Often a hug, a helpful hand, a kind word, a listening ear, will go a long way when someone has lost a loved one or suffered some similar loss or tragedy. 9. Help someone to take action. If someone in grief seems to be lost and doesn’t know what to do, help them do something productive. Empower others… 10. Buy food or clothing for people left homeless. Purchase some vouchers or supply products to your local charity. 11. Listen – Lend someone your ear. Often someone who is grief-stricken, sad or depressed, angry, or frustrated just needs someone who will listen. Venting and talking through an issue is a huge help. 12. Help people to get active. A supportive person who wants to help you get healthy or active can make a huge difference in their outlook. Once they get started, it can have a profound effect. 13. Do a chore or task. Something small or big, like cleaning up or washing a car or doing the dishes, cutting a lawn or picking up some groceries. 14. Send a nice email. Just a quick note telling someone how much you appreciate them, or how proud you are of them, or just saying thank-you to an organisation offering a service. Write a note and leave it in their post box. 15. Show appreciation, publicly. Praising someone on a blog, in front of others in some other public way, is a great way to make them feel better about themselves and helps an organisation to promote themselves. 16. Be patient. Sometimes people can have difficulty comprehending and understanding things when they are stressed. Learn to be patient with them. 17. Tutor a child. This might be difficult to do today, but often parents can’t afford to hire a tutor for their child in need of help. Call a school and volunteer yourself or business resources for tutoring services. 18. Create a care package. Soup, reading material, tea, chocolate … anything you think the person might need or enjoy. Good for someone who is sick, distressed or otherwise in need of a little pick-me-up. 19. Lend your voice and authority. Often the powerless, the homeless, the neglected in our world need someone to speak up for them. You don’t have to take on that cause by yourself, but join others in signing a petition. Show others how to communicate correctly at meetings and forums, writing letters, and otherwise making their case heard. 20. Create your own ‘give-back’ program. Build a team (business or social) and create ways to fundraise, provide free services, offer education and resources, utilise your systems and networks.  Turn something you take for granted into something others may cherish. “Ultimately, all social change involves moral doubt and moral reassessment. … Only by examining and taking stock of what is can we hope to affect what will be. This is our chance to invent and thus to humanise the future” – Suzanne Keller 1986 In support of others and for making a difference… Robert Durrant High-Performance Mentor & Coach #Coronavirus #COVID19 #AustraliaBurns #BushfireCrisis #VictorianBushfires #SalvationArmy #RedCross #HumanitarianCrisis #StateOfEmergency #ForestFire #CommunitySupport #Humanity #HelpingOthers #VictoriaFloods #NSWFloods #QueenslandFloods #Charity #GovernmentSupport #Cyclone #Storms #Hail #Donations #HelpingOthers

Mentoring has played an essential role in helping people advance their career with personal and professional development. But does it really live up to all the hype? Does mentoring really live up to its hype? Mentoring has played an essential role in helping people advance their career with personal and professional development. In days gone by, many companies believed that “training” was sufficient enough to help people develop into their roles and careers. Although important, training plays only ONE PART of a total development solution. Over the years, companies providing mentoring and coaching services have been marketing these solutions as a “success package” promising that you would magically “achieve your dreams and goals” when in fact, there really is no silver bullet for success (in the end, you still need to produce your own results) Truth be known, the people signing up for these so-called “success packages” were most probably struggling from the start and believed that a mentor would be a saviour to their problems. While there are no silver bullets, mentoring is important for individuals and also organisations. When applied correctly, it’s had some significant results. For individuals – Professional and personal development can expand your knowledge and skills, help you to gain valuable advice from more experienced people, and ultimately build your professional network and career. For organisations – Strategically develops employee talent, which contributes to the company’s growth, innovation, and bottom-line sales. It also highlights management’s support, interest, and concern for an employee’s development and overall potential within the company. “Company leadership should embrace, promote and value mentoring programs to realise a return on investment” Harvard Business Review writer Anthony K. TJan. Mentoring and Coaching services provided by agencies today need to be tailored to the individual. Every person is different. They not only learn and adapt to change in different ways, but they also have very different challenges to overcome. Traditional broad-based “classroom style” or online courses will not cut it. Before you can even start a mentoring or coaching service, there is a range of factors that need to be understood and qualified first! What are the goals or milestones? What are the challenges you have been facing? What has prevented you from reaching your goals thus far? What is your mental and physical state? How is your routine? What are your positive and also negative traits? What are your strengths and weaknesses? It’s also vital that you find a mentor or coach that you relate with? These people may have achieved something great, or they may just be someone you are comfortable to confide within (and trust) respect = trust. Read our article How to choose a mentor or coach When choosing a mentor or coach, it’s also a good idea to understand clearing what services they provide and also how they operate. Each company operates in different ways, so you need to find something that you feel comfortable with and suits your needs. As an example of this, Robert Durrant Mentoring packages their services up into three components. Mentor Connection (The click factor). Choose a package. Meet and Greet. Ultimately, self-improvement only works when an individual recognises that they could benefit from some help or guidance from others. Whether its personal or professional development, business mentoring, entrepreneur mentoring, sales coaching or even marketing coaching, it’s crucial that you find a Mentor that suits YOU! Ready to dip your toe into Mentoring? 3-Min Online Professional Development Benchmarking. If you feel like you might benefit from some mentoring, why not begin the journey by using our 3-Min Online Professional Development Benchmarking Tool? Our free 3 Minute Benchmark Test is a secure and confidential way of measuring your personal and professional development. Learn More >>> OR Perhaps a 3-month trial program? Sign up for a 3-month trial from as little as $495 +gst. This is a great way to start your journey without a heavy commitment. My goal is to help you to set and achieve your goals.I’ve created these programs in a way that is simple and low-cost. View Programs >>> Need some help? Robert Durrant provides high-performance mentoring, coaching and skill development services to help you set and achieve your personal and professional goals. To learn more about the mentoring and coaching services available from Robert Durrant, please visit our Mentor Programs or Coaching Services page or call 03 9429-2293 or email rob@robertdurrant.com.au Related links: Robert Durrant Mentoring Professional Development & Mentoring Executive Coaching Services Robert Durrant High Performance Mentor & Coach #Mentoring #BusinessMentoring #MelbourneMentor #GrowthMentor #ProfessionalDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #BusinessDevelopment #BusinessAdvisor #BusinessConsultant #MarketingCoach #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #SalesCoach #SkillsDevelopment #CareerDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipCoach #ManagementCoach

FIVE steps which you can easily make that will have a HUGE impact on what you can achieve in the following 12-months. January each year is National Mentoring Month (well it is in the USA), it was initially started to promote youth mentoring and also the support for mental health. Many people seek to change their habits, outlook and lives at the beginning of each year, and what better way to do that than through mentoring or skills development? SO, there is no better reason for you to engage a Business or Professional Development Mentor to help you reach your 12-month goals? Mentors help individuals to set and achieve their personal or professional goals. They provide you with the support, process and framework that ensures you stay focused AND on track. Gain the most out of the next 12-months by planning for it now! Here are five simple steps you can make that will create a HUGE impact on what you can achieve in the next 12-months. 5 Steps that WILL make a difference in your life! 1. Do some research into the benefits of Mentoring Does your workplace provide a mentor program or perhaps provide you with a subsidy as part of its staff training budget? Not every mentor is right for you.  It’s essential to choose someone that you like, relate with and most importantly ‘connect’ with. Take some time to think about the type of person that you. Perhaps it’s someone in a related industry or travelled a similar journey? Be mindful that you need to choose someone who can provide valuable advice and encouragement as a mentor AND someone who you have respect. Choosing a mentor is not necessarily a difficult task, but it also shouldn’t be something you jump into haphazardly.  Use our How to Choose a Mentor Checklist to help you get started. 2. Start to set some Goals It’s important that you take some time to think about your journey forward. This path may take several years and a considerable change from you personally. Create a series of short-term and long-term goals and document them to monitor and measure yourself more easily. Build-in some milestones that can be used to validate your progress along the way and be sure to note any skill-development requirements which may be needed to help you transition more smoothly. Working with a Mentor will also help you to map out this journey and build in the various stages of skills coaching. Some mentors, like myself, also have a mentoring framework that we use to keep you focused and on track. 3. Look for some Inspiration Think about where you are heading over the long-term!Why you are on this journey, and what are you trying to achieve for yourself or perhaps your family? For those looking to advance their career, their long-term vision may be to improve their Professional Development to advance through their organisation as far as possible e.g. President/CEO, General Manager etc. For the self-employed, its often to grow their business to the point that it provides them with a lifestyle choice e.g. money, freedom etc. For individuals, it’s typical to be searching for lifestyle freedom, be working for a cause that helps others or the community. And entrepreneurs, they want to leave a lasting impression on the world by building something that will be recognised globally. 4. Build some Structure Trust me, none of this is possible unless you put some structure around your plan.The most common issues for people NOT achieving their goals is the lack of time and focus. Mentors like myself have proven frameworks that not only keep you focused and on track, they also solve the reasons why this hasn’t been possible in the past. 5. Obtain Feedback and Guidance It’s impossible to achieve this by yourself!If it were, there wouldn’t be mentors, would there? It’s important that you have someone that you can share your ideas and thoughts with. That persons needs to be someone you can trust and also respect enough to provide honest and constructive feedback (this isn’t a family member). Business Mentors and Professional Development Coaches provide impartial feedback to the progress you make throughout your mentor program. They are also industry experts or subject matter experts which allows you to valuable insight into ideas and tips to turn your idea into a successful reality. A great place to start is a Professional Development Self-Evaluation. Have a look at my free online 3-Min Professional Development Benchmarking Tool. Measure and Improve - Your plan or mentoring program should run for at least 12-months.Throughout this period, you should have set various milestones which can be used to evaluate your progress and results. Don’t expect quick-fixes, your plan is about changing your life, and lives run for a long time. As part of your mentoring program, your mentor will have measurement factors that help you to review and improve. Mentoring can have a Profound Impact It can help you to connect with people who have been through similar situations and who can provide first-person accounts of how they overcame specific challenges. By creating a culture of openness and support, where knowledge is shared freely, and people are encouraged to experiment with ideas that can be used to solve problems. Mentoring will ultimately help you to pursue personal and professional development opportunities. Now it’s your turn. Make a resolution today to bring mentoring into your life and work. It is absolutely worth it! Need some Help? Robert Durrant provides high-performance mentoring, coaching and skill development services to help you set and achieve your personal and professional goals. To learn more about the mentoring and coaching services available from Robert Durrant, please visit our Mentor Programs or Coaching Services page or call 03 9429-2293 or email rob@robertdurrant.com.au Related links: Robert Durrant Mentoring Professional Development & Mentoring Executive Coaching Services Robert Durrant High Performance Mentor & Coach #Mentoring #BusinessMentoring #MelbourneMentor #GrowthMentor #ProfessionalDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #BusinessDevelopment #BusinessAdvisor #BusinessConsultant #MarketingCoach #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #SalesCoach #SkillsDevelopment #CareerDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipCoach #ManagementCoach #MarketingCoach #Mentoring #MelbourneBusinessCoach

Mentors provide AMAZING value to individuals who have an aspiration to improve themselves or achieve something great. BUT how do you know if YOU need a mentor or if you will benefit from mentoring? Over the past five years, there has been a rapid increase in the demand for mentors. The demand has been driven by a few factors; Traditional training programs only help you so far: Training programs provide you with the necessary skills and tools, but they don’t offer the guidance, interaction, or support to keep you focused and on track. Growing your career has become harder! Individuals who want to improve their career struggle to plan the necessary steps required to secure those positions. Entrepreneurs and start-up growth. Competition in the start-up segment is extremely tough with a large portion failing each year. Entrepreneurs need cross-company knowledge and skills to help them make the right decisions Mentoring, and also coaching for professional development, has now become an integral part of aspiring individuals who want to better themselves. Mentoring is used by successful executives, athletes, sports teams, and also individuals who are seeking a career or lifestyle change. Quality mentors and coaches can help them to plan and achieve their goals. Most of us have friends, colleagues, and family members who they can turn to for some inspirational advice. This provides a great source of motivation, BUT it lacks the experience, structure, and support of a professional mentoring program. What makes a GREAT Mentoring Program? Mentoring programs which are facilitated correctly can provide you with the following; Motivation and inspiration Structured process and framework Various tools and templates Coaching services for skills development Ongoing support to keep you focused and on track! For your mentoring investment, you should be provided with a regular meet-up (face-to-face or remote via Zoom) and a documented summary of each session so you can keep track of the discussion topics and agreed tasks or actions. To help persuade you into engaging a mentor, I’ve put together 10 reasons why mentoring really does work! Why Mentoring Works! They help you to define your goals and ambitions. Help you to identify and resolve the barriers which are stopping you from reaching your potential. Define your career path and the various steps you need to take to get there. Promote the exchange of ideas and provide you with answers to your questions. Bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise and can help you to connect with various subject matter experts. Praise your accomplishments and provide you with constructive feedback. Challenge you to step outside your boundaries and to push yourself. Encourage you to develop new skills to overcome your weaknesses. Become your personal brand ambassador, and are passionate about your success. They keep you focused and on track. Mentors and coaching when used well, can offer the best path to career and professional development success. The benefits that you can gain from a good mentor relationship will far outweigh any skills training, natural ability, or even luck! The key is to have the foresight and humility to ask to be mentored. If you start there, you’ll find that there are plenty of accelerators in your life who can add value, and help you to be your best version. Need some help? Robert Durrant provides high-performance mentoring, coaching and skill development services to help you set and achieve your personal and professional goals. To learn more about the mentoring and coaching services available from Robert Durrant, please visit our Mentor Programs or Coaching Services page or call 03 9429-2293 or email rob@robertdurrant.com.au Related links: Robert Durrant Mentoring Professional Development & Mentoring Executive Coaching Services Robert Durrant High Performance Mentor & Coach #Mentoring #BusinessMentoring #MelbourneMentor #GrowthMentor #ProfessionalDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #BusinessDevelopment #BusinessAdvisor #BusinessConsultant #MarketingCoach #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipCoaching

Our 8 Essential Steps to Building your Personal Brand. For any individual who is growing their career and professional development, their personal brand is the MOST important asset they need to work on. People think that a personal brand is the number of followers on Twitter (X) or Instagram, the number of Facebook Likes, and the number of blog subscribers. However, building a personal brand means providing so much value in one (or multiple) niche(s) for people to start associating your name with the idea of what it means to be successful in that industry; aka a subject matter expert. It doesn’t matter if you are business professional, thought leader, influencer, sports athlete, or entrepreneur, building a personal brand takes a lot of work, time and interaction from others. Before you start spruiking the good word about yourself, there is a bunch of tasks that MUST be considered beforehand. I’ve created the 8 step plan for building a powerful and dynamic personal brand. How to build your Personal Brand in 8 steps! Step 1. Figure out what you are good at, and the value you present to others The first step is acknowledging what you like doing, what you are good at, and what you want to be doing. Once you know what you like doing, you need to make the commitment to being as great at that thing as you possibly can be and then build your brand image, style and communications around this (including your skills and experience). Your best bet is to engage a mentor to help you to build this vision. They can steer you in the right direction of a skills coach also.  Its also good to network with people in a similar segment and get their views and advice. Step 2. Gain feedback from people who know you What people think and hear about you may not be what you’re saying! This means that in your own, you think you are already perceived at a pretty high-level; however, this may NOT be the case if you asked around. Ask people what their impression is of you, what they think you’re good at, and the value you provide others?  Make sure you choose the RIGHT people though (not your Mum).   These people can provide you with an impartial baseline for you to start from. The most successful brands in the world rely on ongoing feedback and criticism from their customers Step 3. Define your target audience Once you have your vision, it’s best to determine your target audience. Your target audience is simply the people you want to know about you and the value you present to them. You may have a different reason for each audience segment, so we suggest you break your audience into smaller segments, you may find the language or message may differ across each e.g.– Friends (what you are good at)– Industry Leaders (potential employment opportunities)– Work and Industry Colleagues (networking and referrals) etc. Step 4. Building your social platforms There are a number of assets that require attention when you’re building your personal brand. You’ll need to secure domain names and websites to help control your personal brand on search. Find a platform that suits your interest, and start creating the best content you possibly can. Chef: promote food content on Instagram. Motivational speaker: Facebook video and live. Digital Marketing: pretty much all of them. Industry Leader: LinkedIn You’ll also need to secure social media accounts to control your personal brand on social networks. Learn how to build these assets so you can create your overall network (online and offline). Learn the 10 steps to implementing digital marketing. Step 5: Build your website/email list. In parallel to building your following on social media, you should also be nurturing your website. Dedicate time and money into a quality website (not a free Squarespace or Wix) as they do not scale later.  Your website is the face of your brand AND your silent salesperson. Your website should be the ultimate value add to readers. You attract their attention on social media, and you give them all the value in the world on your website via blogs and tools. Learn how to build and market a website. Step 6 Build your brand outreach through collaboration When you start building your personal brand it’s difficult to get exposure. It’s necessary to get exposure in the places where your target audience is spending time. Build as many relationships as you can with other thought leaders within your niche. This will open so many doors for you–and help grow your social following. Find other people who create great content and collaborate with them to build your content marketing plan. Create content together and trade audiences. Everyone wins, everyone grows, and you’ll make some awesome connections and friends in the process. Don’t write off the power of networking via social channels like LinkedIn. Learn how to optimise your LinkedIn Profile. Step 7. Connect with a Mentor Never underestimate the value of a Mentor.  They will collaborate with you BUT also come with a breadth of skills and experience that can leap-frog your progress. Mentors are a great asset for professionals looking to build a personal brand and kick-start professional development. You can learn how they became a success or how they view the world and use the strategies to build your own success. Step 8. Monitor Your Brand Once you’ve established what you want personal brand to be and you’re working to grow it, you’ll need to monitor the growth and the perception. It’s important to see how your target audience associates you with your industry and how they feel about you in general. Use the various tools that are available to you e.g. Google analytics and social media reports to monitor your followers and their engagement. FINALLY – Be yourself, everyone else is taken! Don’t try and be something or someone you’re not. People see through that disguise pretty quickly. You want to take influence from others, including your mentor, but it’s important that you must be yourself. That’s how you’ll separate yourself from the competition. Being true to yourself will by default build honesty, integrity and trust. Need some help? Robert Durrant provides high-performance mentoring, coaching and skill development services to help you set and achieve your personal and professional goals. To learn more about the mentoring and coaching services available from Robert Durrant, please visit our Mentor Programs or Coaching Services page. Thinking about a Development Coach? Unlock potential, drive success, and achieve peak performance with Marketing, Sales, and Executive Leadership Coaching Services. Related links: Robert Durrant Mentoring Professional Development & Mentoring Executive Coaching Services Robert Durrant High Performance Mentor & Coach #ProfessionalDevelopment #SalesCoach #SkillsDevelopment #CareerDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipCoach #ManagementCoach #MarketingCoach #Mentoring #MelbourneBusinessCoach #PersonalBrand #ProfessionalBranding

Module 4: Selling on LinkedIn without being annoying, sending spammy messages, or looking like a sales sleaze. 45% of business marketers have gained customers through LinkedIn 80% of B2B sales leads come from LinkedIn Around 45% of the LinkedIn content readers hold upper-level positions (CEOs, VPs, Directors, and C-Level). LinkedIn has become one of the world’s leading platforms for businesses-to-business (B2B) sales. Unfortunately, ‘business marketers’ have managed to turn LinkedIn into a spammy sales platform which has resulted in LinkedIn profiles being more guarded when it comes to accepting connections and message requests (for good reason). As a result, the LinkedIn platform has become more difficult to perform the simple actions that it was originally designed for, e.g. networking, lead generation, education, showcasing product innovation and achievements. However, all is not in vain. ‘LinkedIn Loyalists’ like myself, teach people how to use LinkedIn for business development the RIGHT way! Over the last 20 years using LinkedIn, and through a heap of trial and error, I’ve worked out how to create trust and credibility on LinkedIn that’s allowed me to successfully promote my brands and generate a decent amount of business. NO, this is NOT another “buy my system for guaranteed $ales results”Those systems are rubbish and do nothing apart from degrading your credibility or have your profile reported. This isn’t a “failsafe system” or “secret to financial success” in reality, it’s a really simple and logical system to use LinkedIn to grow sales while upholding your credibility. After years of trialling various LinkedIn trainers and their various programs, I’ve taken the bits that actually did work and combined them with our systems to which we’ve had some great success. We’ve done the hard part for you! I’ve created the how-to files, tools, templates, and also tips/tricks and bundled them into Module 4 – Engaging with your LinkedIn Audience to Generate Business. If you’re in sales or account management, and you want to use LinkedIn as a cost-effective business development tool without annoying your audience, being spammy, or coming across as a sales sleaze, then book your place for the LinkedIn Sales Module (4). Engaging with your LinkedIn Audience to Generate Business 84% of B2B decision-makers begin their buying process with a referral from a mutual connection. It’s fundamental that you understand that selling on LinkedIn can ONLY be achieved through creating a relationship first! If you do not understand this, nor want to abide by the principles of relationship selling on LinkedIn, then honestly, this module will be a complete waste of time. Module 4 Contents: Develop a LinkedIn sales plan: Have a plan in place that defines the people/companies you will want to target, what you want to achieve, your introduction and value proposition, plus the desired action you want to happen? Develop your messaging plan: Build out your message format and sequence.  Think about your introduction / elevator pitch, value offer, plus your desired action or outcome. Engage your LinkedIn targets: Study each profile and learn a bit about them before you create a connection and direct message. Join and contribute to the online groups:  Identify the key influencers within groups and make contact with them. It’s a great idea to skim through the group feed and find relevant topics that you can reply to and develop a common interest. Track who viewed your profile:  This tool can be used as part of the LinkedIn engagement process we teach you. Get the most of each profile you connect with: Take your time to research each profile by reviewing the “Highlights Section”, “People also Viewed”, and the “Mutual Connections”. You might open additional business opportunities from their connections or at least have more in common to talk about. Use LinkedIn to build market intelligence: Don’t forget to also use the information on LinkedIn to improve your market intelligence and understanding about your segment and competitors. Personalise the conversation: Each of your connection requests or messages should be customised and personalised. This vastly improves the chance of being accepted. Partner up to run online campaigns: Work with another company to run online campaigns like webinars and promotions. Utilise each other’s networks to market to a far greater LinkedIn audience. Take the conversation off LinkedIn: It’s important that you take the connection to the next level. This is also a great way for you to re-qualify the lead to see if they are genuine or interested. Investment: $695 +gst Bundled Offers Module 3 + 4 for just $1,195 +gst (Save $195) This Selling on LinkedIn Module has been specifically designed for business owners, managers, sales or account managers to quickly begin generating new business via LinkedIn. Once you have learnt and adopt our Selling on LinkedIn principles, it should take you between 10-20 mins per day (as a minimum) to processes the notifications and action the various sales engagement tasks we teach you. Do you prefer a ‘Self-Run’ LinkedIn Program? I’ve also created self-run LinkedIn Business Development Program which is sold by rev Branding as part of their Sales Training and Development Toolkit. Selling on LinkedIn 'Service' Selling on LinkedIn Service is a 4-module system which has been designed specifically for business owners, managers, sales or account managers to want to use LinkedIn as a cost-effective business development tool. Module 1. Creating my Professional Brand Learn More >>> Module 2. Optimising your LinkedIn Profile Learn More >>> Module 3. Growing your Audience and Networking Learn More >>> Module 4. Selling on the LinkedIn Network to Generate Business [This Module] Who is Robert Durrant? Robert Durrant provides high-performance mentoring, coaching and skill development services to help you set and achieve your personal and professional goals. To learn more about the mentoring and coaching services available from Robert Durrant, please visit our Mentor Programs or Coaching Services page. Robert Durrant High Performance Mentor & Coach #LinkedIn #LinkedInTraining #LinkedInBusinessDevelopment #LinkedInMarketing #LinkedInNetworking #HowtodobusinessonLinkedIn #HowtonetworkonLinkedIn #HowtosellusingLinkedIn #LinkedInPrograms #BusinessDevelopment #LeadGeneration #SalesDevelopment

Module 3: How to grow your LinkedIn network and increase online impressions. 91% of Australian executives rate LinkedIn as their first choice for professionally relevant content B2B Marketers globally prefer to use LinkedIn over Facebook 65% of buyers feel that the vendor’s content had an impact on their purchase decision. LinkedIn has become far more than just an online business networking platform. In our last article, we spoke about how to create a kick-arse LinkedIn profile by creating a Professional Brand and incorporating this within a LinkedIn Profile Makeover. Once you have these two essential tasks completed, it’s now time to Grow your LinkedIn Network ready to commence your engagement and interaction process (next article). The goal of this task is to: Be noticed more often (online impressions) Appear in more searches Build credibility and trust Grow your network. Growing your LinkedIn Network Research suggests 65% of buyers feel that the vendor’s content played a significant impact on their final purchase decision. What does this mean? Well, it means that you need to be publishing more articles, more often! I can hear you already “Writing articles takes so much time and I’m not really good at it” well you don’t have to write a 5000-word article each day. As part of this Growing your LinkedIn Network module, we show you a bunch of ways for you to generate content that doesn’t lock you at a typewriter… Growing your LinkedIn network does require you to ‘go and get’ contacts as opposed just to waiting (hoping) that they come and read your articles. We recommend that you develop a sales target list that can be used to search and engage profiles on LinkedIn. DO NOT just go and start randomly adding people on LinkedIn. You’ll be in a worse situation than before you started (and also have your profile reported).  There is a methodology that we use to ensure your connections are welcomed and accepted (and messages returned). Growing your LinkedIn Network and Increasing Online Impressions Module 3 Contents: Develop a LinkedIn sales plan: In your plan, think about the people/companies you will want to target, what you want to achieve, your introduction and value proposition, plus the desired action you want to happen? Plan out your content marketing: Grow your audience and impressions by creating a range of articles and posts. Make sure you engage with people who comment or like your posts. LinkedIn Groups: Think about how you can utilise ‘subject-related interest groups’ on LinkedIn Learn how to use the search functionality properly (free or paid): Identify the people and company profiles that you want to engage with, and start to follow them on LinkedIn. You can also find connections easily by importing your contact list. Get the most of each profile you connect with: Take your time to research each profile by reviewing the “Highlights Section”, “People also Viewed”, and the “Mutual Connections”. You might open additional business opportunities from their connections. Utilise Referrals: Don’t be scared to ask for a referral on LinkedIn (That is what it’s for) Use the “Who viewed your profile”: We can show you some creative ways to use this feature to create quality connections. Keep visible: Publish short-form posts 1 to 3 times per week to keep your profile visible. Use the LinkedIn Publisher: You can post quality ‘long-form articles’ that will build your credibility and position you as a subject matter expert. Take advantage of LinkedIn Stories: Post short-term stories like you would on Facebook or Instagram to grab people’s attention. Review your LinkedIn notifications: It’s important that you review your LinkedIn notification EVERY day to ensure you do not miss out on important updates or messages. Install the LinkedIn app to make this easier. To learn how to grow your LinkedIn network and increase your online impressions by booking your place in our Selling on LinkedIn: Module 3 – Growing your LinkedIn Network. Investment: $695 +gst Bundled Offers Module 3 + 4 for just $1,195 +gst (Save $195) Selling on LinkedIn My Selling on LinkedIn Service is a 4-module system which has been designed specifically for business owners, managers, sales or account managers to want to use LinkedIn as a cost-effective business development tool. Module 1. Creating your Professional Brand Learn More >>> Module 2. Optimising your LinkedIn Profile Learn More >>> Module 3. Growing your Audience and Networking [This Module] Module 4. Selling on the LinkedIn Network to Generate Business Learn More >>> Who is Robert Durrant? Robert Durrant provides high-performance mentoring, coaching and skill development services to help you set and achieve your personal and professional goals. To learn more about the mentoring and coaching services available from Robert Durrant, please visit our Mentor Programs or Coaching Services page. Robert Durrant High Performance Mentor & Coach #LinkedIn #LinkedInTraining #LinkedInBusinessDevelopment #LinkedInMarketing #LinkedInNetworking #HowtodobusinessonLinkedIn #HowtonetworkonLinkedIn #HowtosellusingLinkedIn #LinkedInPrograms #BusinessDevelopment #LeadGeneration #SalesDevelopment

Module 1 & 2: How to create a kick-arse LinkedIn profile using our LinkedIn Profile Makeover and Professional Brand Development service. 50% of buyers avoid sales professionals with incomplete LinkedIn profiles. Let us perform a personalised LinkedIn Profile Makeover that will build your brand, attract recruiters, and also grow your business network. With a database of over 600 million professional users around the world, LinkedIn is one of the most important social networks for sales professionals and entrepreneurs. Did you know that LinkedIn has been around longer than Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram? The size of the LinkedIn network means that most of your prospects are most likely already using the platform?  You can quickly and easily start a dialogue, rather than having to make cold calls or attend conferences and industry events. However, before you can begin to use LinkedIn effectively, you really need to get the basics right like a professional brand and a well-designed LinkedIn profile. We can show you how to create a personalised LinkedIn Profile Makeover that will build your brand, attract recruiters, and also grow your business network. 1. Creating your Professional Brand If you’re interested in doing business with like-minded industry professionals, you first need to create your own professional brand. Having a strong professional brand allows you to stand out from others in your industry, highlights what makes you valuable; it can even position you as a subject matter expert. Before you begin marketing yourself on LinkedIn, it’s essential that you’ve got a well-crafted professional brand identity, message and value offer. This Brand Development Service helps you to define your professional brand e.g. what you stand for and the value you bring to your customers! I’ll work with you to design your: Brand profile description Elevator pitch Value proposition Skills and expertise summary Target market & audience segmentation Credibility & subject expertise plan. Investment: $495.00 +gst 2. Profile Optimisation Do you want to have a kick-arse profile on LinkedIn? Our LinkedIn Profile Makeover shows you how to create an award-winning, stand-out profile. Using your professional brand, I’ll work with you to review and design your profile, adding in industry-relevant profile sections that will make you stand out from the crowd. LinkedIn profiles can be customised with different section modules to help you explain your work history, skills, education to help you build and promote your online professional brand. Together, we’ll refine and improve the profile content PLUS benchmark it to others in your industry segment. We’ll make sure your LinkedIn profile is client-focused, informative and also personal, thus allowing you to connect with your audience easily. We’ll review and improve your: Brand Experience & Perception review Profile design & layout Profile message and industry positioning Credibility, trust & industry relevance strategy Client engagement & sales strategy and tactics. Investment: $495.00 +gst Selling on LinkedIn My Selling on LinkedIn Service is a 4-module system which has been designed specifically for business owners, managers, sales or account managers to want to use LinkedIn as a cost-effective business development tool. Module 1. Creating your Professional Brand Learn More >>> Module 2. Optimising your LinkedIn Profile [This Module] Module 3. Growing your Audience and Networking Learn More >>> Module 4. Selling on the LinkedIn Network to Generate Business Learn More >>> Bundled Offers Module 1 + 2 for just $895 +gst (Save $95) Meet Robert Durrant? Robert Durrant provides high-performance mentoring, coaching and skill development services to help you set and achieve your personal and professional goals. To learn more about the mentoring and coaching services available from Robert Durrant, please visit our Mentor Programs or Coaching Services page. Robert Durrant High Performance Mentor & Coach #LinkedIn #LinkedInTraining #LinkedInBusinessDevelopment #LinkedInMarketing #LinkedInNetworking #HowtodobusinessonLinkedIn #HowtonetworkonLinkedIn #HowtosellusingLinkedIn #LinkedInPrograms #BusinessDevelopment #LeadGeneration #SalesDevelopment

How to sell on LinkedIn WITHOUT the advertising costs or looking like a sales sleaze. LinkedIn is considered the world’s MOST important business networking platform! B2B Marketers globally prefer to use LinkedIn over Facebook 80% of B2B sales leads come from LinkedIn networks 45% of business marketers have gained customers through LinkedIn 91% of Australian executives rate LinkedIn as their first choice for professionally relevant content. Around 45% of the LinkedIn content consumers are in upper-level positions (managers, CEOs, VPs, Directors, and C-Level Management). With more than 500 million professional profiles, LinkedIn provides an almost unlimited supply of business network connections, career options, and brand marketing opportunities. With extensive investment in software development across modules such as LinkedIn Recruitment, LinkedIn Learning, Professional Groups, and Sales Navigator now sees LinkedIn as the world’s leading business platform. Over the years, marketers have abused the sales opportunity of LinkedIn and have been pestering the business profiles with spammy sales messages and offers. Today, reputable business people who use LinkedIn have become more protected of their profile information and the acceptance of connection and message requests (for good reason). As a result, the LinkedIn platform has become more difficult to use and can be a challenge for authentic business people who are trying to use it for networking, lead generation, education, and showcasing product innovation & achievements. Using LinkedIn the RIGHT way! ‘LinkedIn Loyalists’ like myself can teach you how to use LinkedIn the RIGHT way. Over the last 20 years using LinkedIn through trial and error, I’ve worked out how to build trust and credibility on LinkedIn, the foundation that has allowed me to successfully promote my business brands, create some amazing business connection, and also generate sales. NO, this is NOT another “buy my system for guaranteed $ales results”Those systems, as you know, are rubbish, and do nothing apart from destroying your credibility or worse, have your profile reported. Nothing I have created here is rocket science trust me…Yes, you can do all of this yourself (if you have the time). After years of dealing with so-called LinkedIn training professionals, each trying to flog their “secret formula to success,” I’ve taken the bits that actually did work and combined them with the systems we created and used ourselves; we’ve done the hard part. The result is a well-documented process of all the things that have worked for me, PLUS the supporting tools, templates, tricks and tips all bundled into my ‘Selling on LinkedIn’ Service. Selling on LinkedIn service is not another long-winded subscription program where you pay me, download the files, and then forget about it. This one-on-one service is a 4-module series that we do together, keeping you focused and on track. I am really happy with this program, and I feel that its best suited to business owners / managers, sales and account managers, plus entrepreneurs launching a start-up business. If you want to use LinkedIn as a cost-effective business development and branding tool without annoying your audience, being spammy, or coming across as a sales sleaze, then my Selling on LinkedIn service is PERFECT for you… Selling on LinkedIn Modules Selling on LinkedIn Service is a 4-module system which has been designed specifically for business owners, managers, sales or account managers to want to use LinkedIn as a cost-effective business development tool. Module 1. Creating your Professional Brand 7 out of 10 professionals describe LinkedIn as a trustworthy source of professional content. Brand profile description Elevator pitch Value proposition Skills and expertise summary Target market & audience segmentation Credibility & subject expertise plan. Investment: $495 +gst View Program Details Module 2. Optimising your LinkedIn Profile 50% of buyers avoid sales professionals with incomplete LinkedIn profiles. Brand Experience & Perception review Profile design & layout Profile message and industry positioning Credibility, trust & industry relevance strategy Client engagement & sales strategy and tactics. Investment: $495 +gst View Program Details Module 3. Growing your Audience and Networking Research suggests 65% of buyers feel that the vendor’s content played a significant impact on their final purchase decision. Developing a LinkedIn Sales Plan How to use relationship selling Growing your LinkedIn audience How to connect with existing clients on LinkedIn Identifying target people and companies Using the search functionality properly (free or paid) Using LinkedIn referrals and recommendations Creating a Content Marketing Plan Building your brand credibility and trust Publishing quality articles specific to your field of expertise Interacting with prospects who comment on articles or posts Keeping your profile visible Using LinkedIn Publisher to drive engagement How to get the most from LinkedIn Groups Reviewing your LinkedIn notifications. Investment: $695 +gst View Program Details Module 4. Selling on the LinkedIn Network to Generate Business 84% of B2B decision-makers begin their buying process with a referral from a mutual connection. Develop your engagement messaging plan How to participate and interact within LinkedIn groups How to research your target profiles using Sales Navigator How to correctly analyse your prospect’s profile (About, Highlights, Activity, Experience) Selling via LinkedIn referrals and recommendations How to use the ‘who viewed your profile’ function to connect with prospects Using LinkedIn for competitive intelligence How to create partner campaigns and promotions How to keep your profile visible and active on LinkedIn Personalising the conversation and experience for prospects Tips and tricks that guarantee engagement with your prospects How to move the conversation off LinkedIn. Investment: $695 +gst View Program Details Bundled Offers Module 1 + 2 for just $895 +gst (Save $95) Module 3 + 4 for just $1,195 +gst (Save $195) Do you prefer a ‘Self-Run’ LinkedIn Program? I’ve also created self-run LinkedIn Business Development Program which is sold by rev Branding as part of their Sales Training and Development Toolkit. LinkedIn No No’s Don’t use software tools to automate your LinkedIn Connections or messages Don’t just send out a bunch of connection requests to random people on LinkedIn Don’t try and flog something on your first messages Don’t ignore rejection messages. Be professional and follow through and thank people for their time. It’s fundamental that you understand that selling on LinkedIn can ONLY be achieved through creating a relationship first! If you do not understand this nor want to abide by the principles of relationship selling on LinkedIn, then honestly, this will be a complete waste of your time and it will not work. Once you have learnt and adopt our Selling on LinkedIn principles, it should take you between 10-20 mins per day (as a minimum) to processes the notifications and action the various sales engagement tasks we teach you. Meet Robert Durrant? Robert Durrant provides high-performance mentoring, coaching and skill development services to help you set and achieve your personal and professional goals. To learn more about the mentoring and coaching services available from Robert Durrant, please visit our Mentor Programs or Coaching Services page. Robert Durrant High Performance Mentor & Coach #LinkedIn #LinkedInTraining #LinkedInBusinessDevelopment #LinkedInMarketing #LinkedInNetworking #HowtodobusinessonLinkedIn #HowtonetworkonLinkedIn #HowtosellusingLinkedIn #LinkedInPrograms #BusinessDevelopment #LeadGeneration #SalesDevelopment

Why its SO important to have a profile on LinkedIn, the world’s MOST recognised business networking platform. LinkedIn is a professional social networking platform which has been around longer than Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. With more than 500 million professional profiles, LinkedIn provides an almost unlimited supply of business network connections and job opportunities. For today’s industry professionals, it’s CRITICAL that they have a LinkedIn profile! Did you Know? 91% of Australian executives rate LinkedIn as their first choice for professionally relevant content. Why LinkedIn is SO Important! 1. You can build your professional brand If you’re interested in professional development, one part of this journey is to build your professional brand. Having a strong professional brand allows you to stand out from others in your industry, highlights what makes you valuable; it can even position you as a subject matter expert. LinkedIn profiles can be customised with different section modules to help you explain your work history, skills, education to help you build and promote your online professional brand. Around 45% of LinkedIn content consumers are in upper-level positions (managers, VPs, Directors, and C-level management). It is absolutely critical that you correctly build AND maintain your LinkedIn profile! 2. Boost your online visibility If you apply for a job, one of the first things an employer does is Google your name. If your LinkedIn profile has quality industry-related articles and content, potential clients have a far greater chance of finding you. LinkedIn profiles rank high on Google, as opposed to your employer or personal websites. Having a GREAT profile on LinkedIn will boost your visibility and help you; Appear in more employer searches Increase your business networking ability Drive your sales and business development Promote your professional or business brand. 3. LinkedIn recruitment LinkedIn is a powerful search and review tool for job seekers AND employers. You can use LinkedIn to search through its extensive job board and even submit an application? Search jobs by keywords and location. Even if you’re not actively seeking new employment, you can set job alerts based on your career interests to regularly receive email updates and stay in the loop. Each month, 100 million job applications are submitted on LinkedIn. Why not try a LinkedIn Premium Account?This will give you more access to training and additional information about job openings. 4. LinkedIn education LinkedIn Learning is their online learning education centre.  You can explore over 16,000 free and paid courses. Advance your career by learning business and technology skills using a range of online video tutorials and learning tools. Please take advantage of their first-month free option. 5. Business Development – your BEST sources of business contacts! 80% of B2B sales leads come from LinkedIn.45% of business marketers have gained customers through LinkedIn.B2B Marketers prefer to use LinkedIn over Facebook. LinkedIn, with its 500 Million+ profiles, has quickly become the central location to search and engage with business professionals. Profile visibility and content on LinkedIn makes the research and personalised engagement process MUCH more effective. Because of the transparency between LinkedIn profiles, LinkedIn messages have a 300% higher response rate than traditional email. LinkedIn Premium members who subscribe to their Sales Navigator tools can utilise advanced business development functions.  LinkedIn third-party plugins can also integrate into various social networks or even your website. Want to improve your LinkedIn Networking Ability? Purchase the self-run LinkedIn Business Development Program 6. Industry news and articles 7 out of 10 professionals describe LinkedIn as a trustworthy source of professional content.50% of B2B buyers use LinkedIn when making purchasing decisions.LinkedIn Posts that include a link receive a 200% increase in engagement. Just like other social networks, LinkedIn provides you with a timeline news feed which provides you with a range of news updates and articles. You can also connect to the hundreds of thousands of industry specialist groups that are available on the LinkedIn network.  You can interact with other professional people with common interests or dealing with similar challenges. 7. Networking, Networking, and more Networking… We cannot place enough emphasis on the networking ability that LinkedIn provides you. If you are serious about growing your career or working on your professional development, it’s CRITICAL that you have a quality and up to date LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn drives more than 50% of social traffic to B2B sites and is considered the most credible source of content. Even if you’re a bit of an introvert, or perhaps dislike networking events, you can still achieve much of the same outcomes using LinkedIn and LinkedIn Groups. Learn the right way to use LinkedIn for networking and business development. How to build a GREAT LinkedIn Profile Need some help to update and market your LinkedIn profile? We can help you with a personalised LinkedIn Profile Makeover that will build your brand, attract recruiters, and grow your business development network. LinkedIn Profile Optimisation Want to have a kick-arse profile on LinkedIn? I’ll work with you to review and design your profile, adding in industry-relevant profile sections that will make you stand out from the crowd. We’ll refine and improve the content and benchmark it to your others in your industry segment. Service includes: Brand Experience & Perception review Profile design & layout Profile message and industry positioning Credibility, trust & industry relevance strategy Client engagement & sales strategy and tactics. Investment: $495.00 +gst View Program Details Professional Brand Development Before you begin marketing yourself on LinkedIn, it’s essential that you’ve got a well-crafted professional brand identity, message and value offer. This Brand Development Service helps you to define your professional brand e.g. what you stand for and the value you bring to your customers! Service includes: Brand profile description Elevator pitch Value proposition Skills and expertise summary Target market & audience segmentation Credibility & subject expertise plan. Investment: $495.00 +gst View Program Details Selling on LinkedIn Service My Selling on LinkedIn Service is a 4-module system which has been designed specifically for business owners, managers, sales or account managers to want to use LinkedIn as a cost-effective business development tool. Module 1. Creating your Professional Brand Learn More >>> Module 2. Optimising your LinkedIn Profile Learn More >>> Module 3. Growing your Audience and Network Learn More >>> Module 4. Engaging with your LinkedIn Network to Generate Business Learn More >>> Bundled Offers: Module 1 + 2 for just $895 +gst (Save $95) Meet Robert Durrant? Robert Durrant provides high-performance mentoring, coaching and skill development services to help you set and achieve your personal and professional goals. To learn more about the mentoring and coaching services available from Robert Durrant, please visit our Mentor Programs or Coaching Services page. Robert Durrant High Performance Coach & Mentor #LinkedIn #LinkedInTraining #LinkedInBusinessDevelopment #LinkedInMarketing #LinkedInNetworking #HowtodobusinessonLinkedIn #HowtonetworkonLinkedIn #HowtosellusingLinkedIn #LinkedInPrograms #BusinessDevelopment #LeadGeneration #SalesDevelopment

Here is the opportunity to invest in your Professional Development and Career. It’s time you stopped focusing on work outcomes, and invest in some professional development mentoring and skills coaching! Professional Development can be defined as a set of activities that improve awareness and identity, develop your skills and potential, and build human capital (value). In English, it simply means doing things that improve you and the world around you. Professional Development is no different to performing repairs to your house or car. Even when you think everything ok, things deteriorate, wear down, or simply become outdated. This is when we can become too comfortable, and take things for granted! When you are comfortable, it’s easy to overlook the need for change, BUT when your professional career takes a turn (perhaps for the worst), it’s often too late to take that leap of faith to a new career or ‘sea change’. When you become stale or stuck in a rut, it’s hard to get that momentum in place to make the necessary changes that may benefit you in the long term. 7 reasons that highlight the opportunity to invest in your Professional Development 1. Your industry is going through changes Disrupters are causing industries and businesses to change faster than ever before.  As technology advances, what you have been trained in may no longer be relevant or applicable. Even if it’s not a company requirement, it’s a good idea to keep up with what’s happening in your field by reading professional journals and research papers, attending industry events, conferences and workshops or participating in online forums and discussions on Twitter. This type of self-directed learning will help you keep your knowledge current, and can even boost your confidence at work. 2. You’re stuck in a rut If you are doing the same thing each and every day, it’s easy to fall into a rut.  Even if you are happy with what you are doing, there is always the need to learn new skills and listen to experienced people around you are conferences and events. Look around you. Are your colleagues being promoted and moving up through the ranks while you continue to perform the same tasks you were originally hired to do? If this is the case, there’s a good chance you’ve become too comfortable with your routine and need to shake things up a bit. Taking professional development courses and networking with other professionals will not only inspire you about new possibilities and give you something to work toward, but will also show your boss or HR managers that you’re willing to take initiative. 3. Your resume hasn’t been updated in years It’s easy to neglect your resume when you’re not actively looking for a job, but the longer you’ve been with a company the more difficult it will be to remember key information about the different roles you had over the years. Keeping your resume updated as your career progresses will help you track your professional accomplishments and ensure that you’re ready for any opportunity that may present itself. Take out your resume and read it as critically as possible. Does it still accurately represent your current skill set and expertise? Would it convince a new employer that you possess the know-how to excel in your job? If you haven’t added to or updated your resume for more than a year, it’s probably time to invest in your professional development. 4. Your network isn’t expanding Networking IS important.  Over time, contacts at companies tend to move on as they also develop their career.  It’s important that you continue to network, bit developing new connections BUT also reconnect with past. Try attending seminars, expos, and business networking events.  Be more active online in discussion forums and develop your LinkedIn. 5. You’re lacking a specific skill or qualification Rather than throwing in the towel and looking for a different type of jobs just because you do not have a specific skill or qualification, you should consider how you can work towards meeting those requirements. While you may not have the time to complete a course or degree before applying for the job of your choice, enrolling in a relevant learning program or attending workshops and seminars that focus on areas where you lack expertise will send employers the message that you’re willing to learn the necessary skills and are serious about pursuing this opportunity. 6. You don’t have career visibility over the next 5-10 years The best thing about working with mentors is being able to focus on your professional development plan and career goals. If you have no idea what you’ll be doing in five to ten years from now, taking professional development courses, volunteering or finding a mentor can help you understand your career goals and form a plan of action. 7. Everyone you know has moved onwards and upwards except for you Look, it’s not a bad thing if you have found the career and role that you love. BUT if you are thinking that everyone you know is changing jobs, achieving qualifications and meeting goals and milestones, then perhaps it’s time for you to also think about a change. Don’t just throw everything into the air because others are doing things differently.  You need to think about engaging a mentor to help you develop your own professional development and life plan. Professional Development 3-Min Benchmarking If you think that it’s perhaps time for a change, but not sure where to start? We recommend that you take advantage of the online tools available such as our 3-Minute Professional Development Benchmarking. This is a secure and confidential way of evaluating your own personal development.  It’s free, and the results are sent to you via email together with my advice and recommendations. Need some help? Robert Durrant provides high-performance mentoring, coaching and skill development services to help you set and achieve your personal and professional goals. To learn more about the mentoring and coaching services available from Robert Durrant, please visit our Mentor Programs or Coaching Services page or call 03 9429-2293 or email rob@robertdurrant.com.au Related links: Robert Durrant Mentoring Professional Development & Mentoring Executive Coaching Services Robert Durrant High Performance Mentor & Coach #ProfessionalDevelopment #SalesCoach #SkillsDevelopment #CareerDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipCoach #ManagementCoach #MarketingCoach #Mentoring #MelbourneBusinessCoach