I’ve had this conversation with many of the groups that I’ve spoken to.  I have encouraged those I coach to blog.  If you have ever wondered if you should blog, this post is for you.  Note:  A free PDF version of this post is available to download at the end of this post.

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Some of you have probably heard of Jeffrey Gitomer.  He’s an author and speaker regarding sales.  Almost all of you have heard of Roger Staubach.  He is a Heisman Trophy winner for the Naval Academy. He was a Super Bowl MVP for the Dallas Cowboys.  He also started a multi-billion dollar commercial real estate company – the Staubach Company – which sold to Jones Lang LaSalle for $612 million in 2011.

One day, Jeffrey Gitomer walked into Roger Staubach’s office in Dallas without an appointment.  He just walked in and asked to see Roger.  As you might expect, the gatekeeper was not giving him access.

Then something remarkable happened.  Roger heard Gitomer’s name from his office.  He came racing down the hall and escorted Gitomer back to his office.  Why on earth was Roger Staubach that interested in meeting with Jeffrey Gitomer?  How could Gitomer succeed in just walking in and getting a meeting?

Jeffrey Gitomer wrote (maybe he still does) a syndicated column on sales that appeared in many newspapers at the time.  Staubach was a fan.  When Rodger the Dodger heard Gitomer’s name – he had to meet him.

Blogging can produce the same results for you.  Specifically, you should blog for the following 8 reasons.

8 Reasons Why You Should Blog

1. Visibility – A blog helps you to be seen!  And take it from a short guy, you need all the help you can get.  Think of this as a platform you can stand on.  This is the analogy Michael Hyatt uses in his book Platform which is a must read for anyone who is starting to blog.  Simply put – I read his book and did what he said.
2. Amplification – What do you do if you want to get the attention of a large crowd?  One great option is to stand on something.  A blog does this for you.  It gives you something to stand on so you can be heard.  Try being 5’7″ in a crowd of a thousand and getting everyone’s attention.  Not easy.
3. Demonstrate Your Expertise – If this was a list of one, this would be the one.  You may have heard the term content marketing.  This is what we are talking about.  Writing gives you the ability to demonstrate your expertise without having to toot your own horn.  You can educate.  You can tell deal stories – or any stories.  Produce great content on a regular basis.  The content demonstrates that you are an expert in your field.  And you are an expert at something.  You are.
4. Build Your Tribe – This is a term made popular by the great Seth Godin.  The idea here is to create a following of people who are passionate about your product, service, or cause.  These people are your brand evangelists.  They spread your message.  They buy your products.  They augment your presence.
5. Educate the Next Generation of Customers – Every huge investor at some point did their first deal.  Whether you are in Commercial Real Estate or any other industry, the next generation of clients will do their first deal.  How top of mind do you think you would be if you were the one who helped educate them?  Think about that for a minute.
6. It Goes Before You – This is the effect that Jeffrey Gitomer enjoyed in the office of Roger Staubach.  His presence went before him.  Roger knew who he was before he walked into that office.  It was the only way he could get an audience.  Blogging helps you become known – and known as an expert.  It helps you prospect.  It effectively greases every other wheel in the sales process.
7. 24/7 Worldwide – Think about the cashflow generated by an apartment building.  The owner literally makes money while he sleeps, does his day job, etc.  Blogging builds your online presence in the same way.  It is working 24/7 for you.  It is engaging your tribe.  It is warming up your prospecting.  It is increasing your online presence.  And it does so worldwide.  Beautiful!
8. Repository of Your Best Thinking – Michael Hyatt claims this is the reason he started blogging.  It was a place for him to collect his best thinking – and share it with others.  I started blogging to create presence, but this point has surprised me.  Anytime I have a conversation with a coaching client more than once, it generally becomes a blog post.  Now that I have an outlet for my thoughts, it is as if my brain thinks differently.  And I like it!

So here is my question for you:  What are your reasons not to start a blog? My next post will contain the ones I hear the most, but I want to hear yours. You can leave a comment by clicking here.

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