Sharing Opinions Instead Transcription
Wait, what? Really? Okay. Okay. With your host, Loren Weisman. This is a fully licensed theme song for the show about stuff that makes you say, wait, what? Really? Okay, okay. Sharing opinions instead of trying to state facts may help your business, your messaging, your marketing, your reach, your advertising, both from an engaging standpoint, from a psychological standpoint, and even from the algorithm and the compliance standpoint. My name is Loren Weisman. This is the Wait, what? Really? Okay. Brand messaging podcast. It’s been a little bit of a burp in between episodes. I would call this season nine, episode two, number 135. The last one was in July. So other things have been going on. That’s where I go with this kind of thing and that’s my opinion. I don’t think that you need to podcast every single day. I don’t think that you need to post on Twitter 20 times a day. I don’t think that you need to overly pressure if you don’t have anything to say. However, I state that and lead with that by saying I think and I share reasons why I feel that way. I don’t try to yell, sell or tell people a method that might not work for everyone because there’s some people that podcast every single day and they do incredibly well at it. However, when you follow certain molds or models with certain pieces missing, it might not work the same for you. What Joe Rogan has been able to do with his podcast is not a model to follow. It may be something to aspire to. He may be an inspiration. But all the pieces and all the fame and the immense knowledge and the guests that he has and the reach that he has is a lot different than someone perhaps 19 years old starting out with zip. It’s not saying that what he did and how he did it was wrong. It might just not be realistically or strategically relatable. We’ve come into a time and this part I state objectively and I’m very careful to differentiate the facts from the opinions because we are in a time right now where it’s very challenging for many people. They will take an opinion and move it into a fact. And that doesn’t help anyone. But we have come into a time where the push of the headline, where the opinion, if it was just stated like, you know, an op ed, an opinion editorial, I would love to see that come back. I think the news would benefit from that. To be able to state, here’s an opinion and why, so that people can’t just come blasting. And this, this is where it ties to your business or your product or your service. What you believe, it’s what you believe. When you preface it with an opinion and why you believe it. You open up the doors for conversation. You open up the doors for engagement. There are many of the top level business coaches that force this idea of you have to pound confidence. To me it sounds like arrogance and oftentimes inside of that arrogance, it’s a pressure that because they have to use these tones and because they have to push things they’re unsure of, it doesn’t really show showcase a foundation of authority. I can tell you things about messaging, but it’s not my place to tell you what to do with your messaging. I can showcase examples of what Fish Stewarding group does and the elements of how we approach things. It still might not work for you, and that’s fine. But in humility, in authenticity, and in honor to be able to state, here’s what I feel, here’s what I think, here’s what I think might help you, that is a lot more true and gifting and foundational and engaging than saying, you’ve got it all wrong. You’re doing it wrong. You need to do this. I have no right to tell you that and you have no right to come and tell me. We have a lot of information that gets shifted from an opinion or gets shifted from unsubstantiated facts, and then it’s pushed into the fact thing. We see that everywhere. That’s nothing new. Podcasters, vloggers, bloggers, influencers, they’re using an arrogant, overly dominant tone to push something. And if it was that true and if it was that authentic and if it was that good, couldn’t they move to sharing a little bit more about an opinion? Why does it need to be the best? I don’t agree with, and I came from the music business, I don’t agree with the best rock drummer or the best album or the best song. Because music is all subjective. It’s art. It’s the same thing with food. We have a local magazine around here and the way that they review certain area stuff. And again, I don’t like how they present because they make it like they’re covering the area. No, it’s an advertising magazine. If you advertise with them, if you pay them, they will present how great you are. But the front of their message is all about, no, this is the area. So where does that work? Well, now, inside of all these issues, it’s not that we’re going to solve this, it’s not that it’s all going to come together. However, we can become a little bit more aware. And if we become aware, if you choose to be aware, you might end up making better decisions both in the people that you engage, the people that you purchase from, the people that you work from, as well as those that work with you. So coming back to the title, sharing opinions instead of facts. Well, what if I know this to be an absolute, you know, just completely objectively true? Okay, go with it. However, because so many people have stated opinions as facts and so many people have experienced that wasn’t true, or this isn’t true, or that doesn’t seem right, to respectfully understand the perceptions you may be able to break through when you go to that humility and phrase something that may be factual even as an opinion. The other side of that too is from a compliance standpoint, from a liability standpoint, from things that you put out on the web, from things that you put up on YouTube, from things that you put into podcasts. Many of these algorithms are looking for issues that could get certain sites or certain people sued. You want to get onto some of these news networks, you want to become one of those media people, that’s fine. However, trying to come out and becoming the expert, it’s a challenge today because everybody’s a so called expert coming out with your opinion, where you built that opinion from and off of how you see things, how you can be subjective, how you can handle someone countering that opinion is a beautiful thing and very newsworthy and very media worthy to come into a voice. And look at this. I mean, you could say this from a Facebook standpoint. People say they blocked this post. They did this to me. They did that to me. Yes, they did, because they have every right to, because it’s in their terms and conditions. They can do that. You’re not, or most of the people I’m talking to, you have no stake or control of these social media platforms or online platforms. And so the firing back of saying this isn’t fair kind of comes off to some whiny. Now, if you want to continue to amplify your view, your opinions, then play by the rules to get your voice through. So, for example, some of the flagging and the tagging, the penalization, I’m not being seen. No, you’re not. Because you chose certain words, you chose certain phrases, you chose to use caps, you chose to do things that are getting penalized. I have to spend so much more money to be seen. Okay, maybe, but maybe it’s also spending a little less money and following some of the measures to get your voice across, it’s not numbing you, it’s not nulling you. I saw some influencer that sent this thing and it was one of those gym, they were in the gym and it was, you know, beautiful women in spandex and big guys with big weights. And they’re like, if they’re not hearing you for who you are, you don’t need them. Okay, again, I’m not judging that. That’s one way to go, but that’s a very challenging way to go. It means you’re going to have to do a lot to get through to that audience. Now you flip it around and state, okay, what are the compliant messaging measures? Where am I standing? Where I could be viewed as a claim. And that’s something to move away from. We are the best X product in the world. That is a claim that can easily be refuted because somebody else can have an opinion that something else is the best. Now at the same time you got the psychology behind it of people just tired of hearing of the best and the best things that they got, they weren’t so much the best. And now you’re in the vicious circle switching it around to sharing. If you’re looking for this, you may like this. Here is what this may do for you. CBD is another area that’s getting in so much trouble with this. Their CBD and THC and cannabis part of the slow up. They continue to blame the government, they continue to blame social media. They continue to blame, blame, blame as opposed to taking the accountability to putting out the messaging around how CBD and THC can work. They this industry as a whole, not everyone in their overly objective statements and claims, they’ve kept this thing from being legalized. Now move from the CBD is the answer to everything. And CBD can cause can fix your arthritis and your depression and this and that. And everybody needs cbd. That’s not true. We all do have an endocannabinoid system in us. It reacts differently with different people and different levels of CBD affect us differently. Somebody could take CBD that has arthritis and because of their physical makeup and because of what they experience, their life, their diet, their health conditions prior where they live, their fitness level, all of that. Yes, it could completely solve arthritis. It’s been proven in examples as an objective fact. However, three more people could be in the same scenario and try it with arthritis. Maybe they have different parameters with their bodies and it has no effect whatsoever. And even other people, they can have a Bad effect. It can give them headaches. This is the same thing for every element of business, for every product that’s out there we have as a culture. And not saying this is everybody, but many. And many in the business market. I’m sorry. I personally find it appalling, the excessive push of confidence with the Tony Robbins, the Grant Cardone, the Gary Vee angle, the push, push, push pressure, and then a minute later, they’re coming. No, no. It’s all about love. We all need to. I think we all need to learn what love is. I don’t say need a lot of the times, but I also feel like love is not pressure. And the way that they push this and the way that many of these sales systems and especially those MLMs put this thing out, that this is the greatest thing in your world. That seems a little off and it seems a little uninviting now. The opinions of this person had this experience. Jump back to the CBD for a second. These people had this experience. It was really good for them. Would you like to see if this lines up and works for you? It’s not being soft. It’s not being passive. It’s not even being submissive. It’s being engaging. It’s sharing. It’s building a conversation as opposed to reading off a script or pressuring or pushing, you know, some of these. I was listening to a podcast very early in the morning, and I try to listen to every single side and then from there, dig in a little deeper. And is this person just really emotional and like, you know, just into it? Great. If they are. However, when that emotion and that excitement begins to shift and move an opinion to effect, I have a problem with that. And I want to see personally, more people be able to take those two steps back and say, I’m going to walk in the subjective. In the opinion, certain things I might even know are absolutely, objectively true. But I’m also going to walk in the humility of and the understanding that other people and the perceptions and the connotations of what people have received from so many that they’re tired. I’m going to think when I record a podcast, when I do a video, when I add a quote that how many people have heard something similar to that? How many people have heard something different from that? How many people have heard it from a contradicting standpoint? And at the same time, maybe this isn’t for everybody. Maybe you think my podcast sucks. How do I respond to that? Thank you. You’re probably not going to want to Listen anymore. I have no right to change your mind if you don’t engage with the episodes that I’ve had. If you don’t engage with me, if you don’t engage with Fish Stewarding Group, if you don’t like what we’re about, fine. That’s your opinion. And that should be the same to me, the same opinion with any business, with any product. It’s not converting people over to like what they don’t like. It could be instead a shift of engagement of stories, of different podcasts, of videos. Fish Stewarding Group, our key line inside of our stamp is stewarding strategic solutions. The second part of that is building authoritative businesses with authentically sound people. We don’t work with everybody. We can’t work with everybody. And not everybody would probably want to work with us, but we’re not trying to present that. And that’s what I ask you to consider. Don’t try to be everything for everybody. These real estate agents, many of them, not all of them this aggressive, I can do, I can do this, I can work with anybody. No. And then, and then a second later it’s, but you have to have this credit score and you have to have this and you have to have that or this can work for everybody until it can’t. So many claims get buried. It’s not that you’re being overly exclusive, but to stand your ethical, moral and authentic ground can make all of the difference. Think of how you could share something inside of a quote. Excuse me? Think of how you could add a thought where you’re not commentpreneuring all over LinkedIn. And I’m so tired of that personally. These people that go on and they have in their schedules, they have in their schedules spend X amount of time putting up this many comments, make sure always to say happy birthday. Make sure always to on a work anniversary to, you know, send a little note for me on my LinkedIn. If I get a note, if I haven’t heard from you in any way, shape or form, or you haven’t heard from me, and all of a sudden I see a note, congrats on your work anniversary, I immediately disconnect because to me it’s not a connection and I’m not trying to build up some kind of false numbers. Maybe it’s just not how I approach social and you might approach it differently, but to stay away from that feels a lot more authentic to me. This person is not a connection to me in that too. From the idea of what you’re sharing online, do you really need I’m just so humbled to have 10,000 followers that usually to me, tends to make me one less of a follower. I’m not trying to be mean, but if the only content that you have is to try to brag, where does that present the perception to the first couple people that followed you, the first hundred, the first thousand? It doesn’t. We can, if you choose, share and give in an engaging way that touches on the audience that already knows you, the people that may have heard of you in passing and have no idea who you are. I’m sorry. Third. And the people that have no idea who you are. In that we’re honoring all three of our audiences. And then in adding the understanding of perception, that moment right before you post, how many people maybe posted the exact same thing? Or maybe it’s so true to your intention and true to your heart. And true. And yet it’s been flagged, it’s been tagged, it’s been penalized. It’s taking that one extra step. It’s not trying to hold you down or cover up or take away your creativity. It’s allowing you to take a second to decide how you want to be perceived. I was on a podcast a couple weeks ago with a guy, and I really enjoyed what he was about, but it was a lot of talk because the practices of authenticity went out the window when it came time to promote for him. I don’t believe in the whole Amazon, like the snapshotting of, you know, buying ads and then stating, oh, look at me, I’m the number one book in this, or I’m a top bestseller here. I think I did an episode a while back talking about that with the Amazon books people congratulating themselves of being a top bestseller when they have positioned themselves and paid so they could get a whole bunch of downloads all at once, get a screenshot that within that minute and a half or so, they were number one, or they were, you know, very high up. And then, oh, this is so wonderful. Some of these Better Business Bureau flags and awards, oh, we’re so proud to be a part of this. You paid in, you signed up, you got this thing. I mean, so great. That seems a little bit quick that you’re bragging there that that’s something you paid for these awards. So many of these awards and so many of these award shows, you pay to be nominated, you can even pay to win. And then they’re going, I’m so humbled and honored. No, that’s a lie. And in that. And maybe they are humbled and honored that they paid for their own. So I guess I can’t call that a lie. But still, it’s running rampant of a lack of authenticity, a lack of morals, a lack of ethics, and maybe some of this. It doesn’t bother you, and that’s fine, and I don’t judge you for it. But if it does bother you, then consider being true. Consider moving to the subjective over the objective. Consider having enough humility to recognize an audience not for where you need to penetrate, but for where you need to engage, for where you can get together with someone and they can see something, and you consider the overwhelmed audiences of what they’re being told. From politics to viruses to products to promises. I heard this, and this is that. All right, I, you know, I enjoy some of the conversations when someone says, I, you know, I believe this. Okay, where did you garner that from? I read it somewhere. Can you give me a little more? What, you don’t believe me? No, I just want to learn. I like to learn. And I’d like you to consider educating your audience. And some of the things that you can share that might even be indirectly or only vicariously related to your products and services could serve you well in building trust and real trust, authentic trust, not this no like trust crap. I don’t like that. You got to build no like trust. What if you’re untrustworthy? These business people. I will get any business up to a point of $1 million in revenue by this point. Do you really want to do that? If they’re saying they can do that for anybody, then that means their ethics in many cases are probably out the door. We’re coming into a time, I believe, of authenticity and hopefully true authority. We’re coming into a time where algorithms are changing, sites are being pushed down, people are being penalized that should be penalized because it’s all looking like sales hype. It’s different ways of how you phrase and what you phrase and what you do and those that stand in subjectivity, those that consider the compliance and are careful to state, okay, could this come back and bite us in the butt? Well, it shouldn’t. Okay, maybe it shouldn’t. However, if something is going to happen like that, are you prepared and are you prepared, regardless of what you say and how you say it, are you prepared for whatever comes back? Because if you’re not, don’t put it out there. We’re in a very sensitive time, a sensitive culture. It’s. This morning, I saw the. There was something about an actor who. And again, I haven’t read all the articles on this, so I don’t know 100%. But he was saying he was very thankful for his beautiful wife and his beautiful and healthy new baby. I’m a father of a daughter. Be thankful of that too. Apparently he was married to another celebrity and they had a special needs son together. I don’t understand that for him to make a statement, to state this, that it is throwing shade at his son and his ex. I bring that story up because this is the perception and regardless of what his intention is and not saying that he should have said anything differently. But right now, you’re going to watch certain things go into crisis management with his agent. You’re going to see certain things come out from elections. We had a recent election and you watch how stuff what was said before and then when winners won and losers lost and people that were hoping to win lost, and then they flip around and they flip around a message and it continues to flip and flip and flip and it looks like a very confusing thing because there’s no foundation to it. And that’s the summary and that’s the point that I want to try to get to. Let’s try or please consider the idea of finding that foundation, that subjective foundation that will back up your opinions and people will begin to see if your opinions are objectively true, that you are a source that can be trusted, that you’re not chasing after trust, but you’re earning trust, that you’re sharing and understanding the perceptions of others, that while it might be so true and correct to your heart, it might be read wrong. When you’re able to take those couple steps back in that subjectivity, in that humility and in that strategy while staying compliant. Because right now, inside of subjectivity, compliance is a winner. Compliance is a winner because in that it won’t push you down, maybe you say, okay, you know, I’m going to save this for a website and I’m not going to pop it on Twitter or I’m not going to go over here or I’m going to, you know, I’m going to make sure to continue to get my words out, but I’m going to be careful where I choose them because this overarching, I’m just going to scream this to the world. It may push you down and not give you as much of an audience as you may like. Especially in these days, websites get put, oh, this isn’t fair. This isn’t right. This is their platform. They can do whatever they want. When you consider your voice strategically ethically, subjectively and with a humility and an understanding that perceptions can be way different than intention. Think telephone game like when you were a kid, that one kid that started in one spot and it ended a completely different thing somewhere else. Keeping those things in mind as you create your content, as you put out your message, as you build your press releases, as you choose what you’re advertising and how you’re doing it, all of those thoughts doesn’t mean that you need to be a perfect messaging and optics strategist. Doesn’t mean you need a messaging and optic strategist. But to take that second, to take those pauses and think about the state that we’re in, the way people are communicating, the way things are being read, the compliance issues that are coming up, just keeping that in the back of your mind, pausing for a second and then making decisions with those elements inside of your toolbox. Your content, your message, your brand may be able to reach and engage that many more people that much more often. Wait, what? Really? Ok.