Thought leaders in demand

There was a time when business organizations would organize cocktails and provide entertainment.

Trips as incentives were offered. And at times, some big time politician or celebrity would grace the scene. Expensive raffle prizes were drawn and these business organizations’ clientele look forward to it with great excitement and consider it a welcome incentive for working so hard in pushing the organization’s products and services.

This was the norm and it was practiced religiously for many years.

It is a good thing for it offers an opportunity for the business organization’s people to come up close and personal with their key dealers, distributors or top clientele and it is a fitting way for them to show their gratitude, present new business plans and cultivate deeper and better relationships.

This business practice continues today but with a major twist in it.

Travel incentives, expensive raffle prizes and a time of socializing still take place but rather than having pure entertainment and cocktails alone many of the clienteles prefer to have learning events. Sessions where they can learn from thought leaders who can inspire them to do their businesses better.

Apart from the expensive raffle prizes they wish to take home with them, the clients, dealers or distributors want to take home thoughts, ideas, lessons and learnings they can apply for their businesses or for their personal lives and consider such activities as really worth their time and participation.

This trend has been increasing for the last five years as I see myself in such occasions more and more each year. I have given this a lot of thought.

Every start of the year I tell myself I need to slow down as the pace of work demands so much from me but at the end of every year I find myself doing more than 300 plus talks consistently. The pace has not slowed, in fact it has increased.

Take product endorsements for example: TV stars and movie personalities rule in this area. You see them in billboards and expensive advertising materials scattered over the tri-media.

With the advent of social media many products prefer “Thought Leaders or Opinion Leaders” to subtly endorse and recommend the usage of their products and all because “Thought Leaders” today render more credibility to product claims that attract the intended market niche and this trend continues to strengthen over the years.

Thought leaders and Opinion Leaders are a brand of their own.

Tom Peters defines a brand as “Your promise to the marketplace and the world.”

What makes a person a “Thought or Opinion Leader?”

The Thought Leader has a reputation as an expert in a particular field that does not only participate in a conversation but actually drives it. This person has a broad public recognition and his or her views are trusted and proven most of the time.

The Thought or Opinion Leader has a very active online presence. This takes time to build a following. Blogs, tweets or posts display and showcase the Thought Leader’s knowledge.

The Thought or Opinion Leader is visible and active giving speeches and has mastery over his or her communication craft. Most of these “experts” start out with civic organizations and then graduate into doing paid keynotes for business organizations.

The Thought or Opinion Leader has the pedigree and awards to back up his or her expertise. Public and prestigious awards are irrefutable proofs of the person’s ability and accomplishments.

The Thought or Opinion Leader appears in TV or talk shows. Many may not have been invited to guest in influential TV programs but they make up their own “TV” shows through Youtube and market them incessantly.

There are many other features of “Thought and Opinion Leaders” but the best proof or evidence that the person has attained this status is his or her credibility. The message and the messenger should sync and the two should be aligned.

I have met many who claim to be “thought and opinion leaders.” They publish their own books, they falsify claims, they tweak Internet searches and they reveal their own inconsistency because they say something and do another thing.

This style won’t hold. People are smart and intelligent and all it takes for another credible source to reveal the hypocrisy of the claimant and this wannabe “thought and opinion leader” is toast.

Competence and credibility do matter.

But doesn’t this principle apply to every area of life as well?

(Send your high potential leaders and experience two inspiring days with Francis Kong learning leadership and life skills in his widely acclaimed Level Up Leadership this October 27-28 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries contact Inspire at 09178985010 or call 632-6310912 or 6310660 for details.)