how do you know that you're working at the right level, making the right moves, operating on the optimum step on those stairs?
My RACE system is perfect for speakers, business owners, or someone in a career to measure their progress.
The way that externals will view you, is a combination of these four things:
REPUTATION
ASSETS
CREDIBILITY
EXPERIENCE
Easy to remember:R.A.C.E
An easy example of how this works is this - think abut your favourite music or movie star. They are judged on their bank ability, on this race. That same rule of thumb applies to you and your world. When you recognise this, you can see that that same rule of thumb applies to you and also everyone that you know.
The great thing is whenever you go for or do a job, in whatever field, you're adding to yourRACEbank. Becoming credible, creating moreASSETS, gaining moreEXPERIENCE, improving yourREPUTATIONare all equally precious.
*Assets are 'things' that are effectively social proof to validate your place as an expert in your field. For me as a speaker, assets are images of me speaking in different environments, testimonials from clients, client logos on the website, shiny flyers showing off how clever I am... you get the picture...
Of course, you're going to have that difficult start-point vicious cycle going on here - when you're just getting going, how do you spend time generating the ASSETSyou need in order to earn moreCREDIBILITYwithout anyCASHin place to support you while you're doing it??
There is no easy answer to that - it's just a question of fast-tracking yourREPUTATION, ASSETSandEXPERIENCEtally as quickly as you can whilst still finding ways to pay the mortgage.
I did this by delivering pizzas at the weekend to pay the bills, speaking for free at as many events as I could to get the ball rolling. I then neededASSETSsuch as a video show reel and photography of me in action as a speaker. I used theEXPERIENCEof every event to hone and develop my style and build my confidence until bingo!
REPUTATION, ASSETS, CREDIBILITYandEXPERIENCEall moved along at about the same pace!
And that's the point where things finally got on a bit of a roll. It's a whole lot easier to land paid speaking gigs when you are prepared to walk away from free ones!
R.A.C.E = R ACE, A SSETS, C REDIBILITY, E XPERIENCE
Try to keep your RACE points moving up roughly in line with each other. Take a regular audit of what you have in your other columns and pretty soon, you can pat yourself on the back at how much you've accumulated.
Maximise the value of those - they are worth something to the right clients!
Don't be shy. Make everyone aware of them in the most relevant way.
Use this to keep you on track. It's a document I created for members of my NowWhat club to use in order to help them position themselves as the expert in their field.
Focus on the small picture and the big one will paint itself and remember always,
"You can't skip the steps."