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Today’s co-host of The Solopreneur Hour is best known for his work as a White House aid during the Bill Clinton Administration, but has also dabbled in the entertainment industry working for DreamWorks (think Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen).
John Corcoran now runs a successful law practice from Silicon Valley focusing on entrepreneurs and small businesses. His web site, smartbusinessrevolution.com, is filled with fantastic ideas of how to leverage your relationships to succeed in your career, amongst other things. Listen in as we discuss all of that and more on episode 218 of The Solopreneur Hour.
More About This Show
John was grew up in the DC area, but wasn’t born into a family of connections or influencers. Nor did he attend an Ivy League school where he could network with other well-leveraged people. So how did he land a position as a White House aide at the age of 23? How did he get an internship at DreamWorks, or a gig as a speechwriter for the governor of California? And how has he built two successful businesses: his Silicon Valley law practice and his Smart Business Revolution blog and podcast?
One word: relationships. Over the years he’s uncovered how to connect, engage and build relationships with people. He’s learned how to build trust and grow the relationship, before asking for a sale, or anything else.
Today we talk about many topics including what Bill Clinton can teach us as solopreneurs (all politics aside), the critical role copywriting plays in any online business and how he sets goals and achieves them.
The Finer Details of This Show Include:
- Where is the birthplace of mountain biking?
- How did he meet Aaron Sorkin?
- The Thanksgiving Proclamation Joh wrote as a White House aide was the source of an episode of The West Wing: true or false?
- How he accomplishes his goals on a weekly basis, John explains.
- Where did the concept of a mastermind group come from?
- And so, so much more!
Whatever your political leanings, Bill Clinton has long been known and will continue to be known for his ability to connect with people in a meaningful way. John says he experienced this many times while in the White House during the former President’s term. President Clinton did this by being present with the person he was talking to, noticing something personal about them and making that connection. He got to know them on a personal level, on an even playing field so to speak.
And that’s a lesson we can all implement in our lives: the next time you’re chatting with someone, put your phone down and actually engage with them fully. Don’t look around the room for who else is there, but make eye contact and find something about them that is personal and matters to them. You could notice something they are wearing, or a book they’re carrying or you can simply ask them what they are most excited about right now in their lives.
John says when you do those things you’re connecting and starting to build rapport, you’re beginning a relationship with them. And what you do next is critical: continue to grow trust with them before you ask for anything.
In fact, offer to help them in some way or do something that shows you care about them from sending them an article that may be of interest to them to offering to make an introduction to someone you think they’d like to get to know. All of those acts show you value them as a person and you value having them in your network, all before you ever think of asking for a favor or a sale.
These are all examples of building a relationship in person, but what about building relationships with an online audience? The same principles apply: connect, get to know them as a person and then add value to their lives.
If you are a podcaster you want to think about simply connecting to one person and getting them to download your show. You’re adding value to their lives through the content you provide with your podcast. Your blog, your videos, your social media all work the same way: connect, build rapport, then provide value with no strings attached.
Copywriting plays a critical role in the online relationship building process and we discuss the intricacies of that mode as well as the real way to become an influencer: you must focus on one thing until you dominate it, then and only then can you move on and expand your brand to other offerings.
There’s so much more in this episode with John Corcoran, be sure to download it and get all the valuable nuggets he shares! Special thanks to John for generously sharing his time with us, he’s also graciously offered his ebook for all of you! Find it here. And as always, to you for being here and making this show possible. See you next time on The Solopreneur Hour.
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Episode Resources
John Corcoran’s web site
John Corcoran’s podcast
Free ebook for The Solopreneur Hour listeners from John
John Corcoran on Twitter
How to Win Friends, and Influence People (audio version), by Dale Carnegie
How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less (audio version), by Nicholas Boothman
To Sell Is Human, Dan Pink
Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
Proudly Unemployable, the Facebook group
SoloLab: A Unique Mastermind
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