The Art Of The Vouch
I’m one of those people who always “knows a person.”
Along with my ridiculous memory skills, I also find a lot of happiness and fulfillment in creating relationships with lots of different people. And when I can help those people along in whatever their endeavors are, I feel like I’m part of the whole Universe’s plan to push each of us into our own successes.
Which is why I am a big proponent of The Vouch.
You know, when you do that “cross-my-heart-hope-t0-die” pledge that whomever you are recommending and putting your name to is gonna be a good person.
I did this recently (in reverse) when I got a Twitter direct message from Chris Guillebeau asking for some advice and assistance setting up a book signing in Maine. Now, for those of you who don’t know Chris, he’s kind of a big deal around the interwebz. Published this “little E-Book” called A Brief Guide To World Domination. Writes for his website The Art of Non-Conformity and released a book of the same name with a major publishing house.
When someone that cool and big and important (I guarantee he is both grinning and cringing reading that!) sends you a direct message asking you to help them, you run DO NOT WALK to the bookstore and set stuff up.
Not me.
I called Jenny Blake, who knows Chris well, and asked her opinion.
Yes, I totally background checked Chris Guillebeau before helping him.
But beyond what is in reality a pretty ridiculous and funny story (seriously, who background checks Chris Guillebeau?!) is the power of The Vouch.
And beyond the person being vouched for is the already built vouch of the opinion you seek. Because when seeking out opinions, you should absolutely get The Vouch from someone you uber-trust.
Sure, Chris is a great guy. Everyone I talk to that knows him verifies that he is a great guy. But the difference is that he has a product and reputation that accompany the fact that he’s a “great guy.” Which is what Jenny confirmed for me. And why I offered to set up the signing at Longfellow Books for his Unconventional Book Tour.
Reading AONC lakeside in Maine this weekend
There’s a good number of “good people” running around the world. That does not necessarily mean that their work is good. So you have to be careful when you are laying your name on a vouch.
Some of the sweetest people I know are HORRIBLE in relationships. Some of the most brilliant minds run businesses into the ground. Some of the best intentioned folks fall quickly into “get rich quick” schemes and online glory aspirations.
So my question is “Who do you vouch for?“ Do people come to you when they are seeking opinions or are you such a connection whore that when you cross your heart and hope to die, people barely listen to what you have to say?
Photo Credit: Getty Images – Winfred Evers and from my Facebook page
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Speaking of vouches, hopefully mine is worth a tiny bit and you will check out this free offer from Corbett Barr over on Free Pursuits. At the “vouch” of a couple folks I started following Corbett a couple weeks ago, since he seemed to live a pretty sweet “solopreneur” life and…well…that’s kinda what I’d like to do.
So Corbett, as a way of giving back to the online community that helped him get to where he is (by the by, he makes over 6 figures a year off of online projects and 2 blogs and pretty much works from a beach chair in Mexico if that sounds good to you, too,) is offering a FREE E-Book called 18 Months – 2 Blogs – 6 Figures. Similar programs that have come out cost at least $40-50 if not double or triple that.
I really admire Corbett for giving back to the online community like that, and have already devoured the first section. If you are wondering, I barely knew of Corbett before a week ago and totally have no warm-fuzzy friend reason for promoting his E-Book.
It is seriously just that good. Cross my heart and hope to die.
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