Buzz: It’s Not Just for Bees Anymore

Do you ever wonder how management selects the people to promote?  You may say job skills are what get some people their promotions. I say that’s just part of the formula.  You want to predict the next person to be promoted? Just listen for buzz. 

As I speak with managers today, I see more and more how people get ahead in business.  The people who get promoted generate buzz.  What’s buzz?  It’s when people talk about you and your work.  The type of buzz that gets you a promotion is not the negative buzz.  Positive buzz is what you want.  Here’s how you know you have positive buzz. 

You have buzz if you meet with business peers at your company or other members of the business community and they say, “I’ve been hearing great things about you.”  You might also hear, “Your name keeps coming up everywhere I go.”  When other people say complimentary things about you, you know you have buzz. 

If you’re not hearing buzz, either your business circle of contacts is too small or the people you meet don’t know enough about you.  Listen to how others introduce you at meetings.  Is it just your name and title or department? You lack buzz.  If you hear, “She’s a sales guru” or “He’s the expert on doing business with China,” that’s the type of information you want to hear.  You want to hear positive comments about your work that demonstrate what you do and the results you accomplish. 

So how do you create buzz?  You’ve got to get out of your narrow work area. I make it a point at business functions to meet other people and learn specifically about their customers and what they do.  That way I’ll be able to refer them to my clients and be a useful resource for the people with whom I work. Referring business to someone is a great way to create buzz. You can and should work at creating buzz within your own organization.  Think how you can help other people achieve their business objectives.  People talk. When you are involved in helping other people, your name will undoubtedly surface in a very positive way.  Buzz.   

The additional benefit of being top of mind of so many people is that when job opportunities come up, you are often the first person that comes to mind.  As is often the case, the jobs that surface are not published, but are out of the public arena.  Those with buzz get contacted first.   That’s an advantage. 

So if you’re wondering how to get ahead quickly, ask yourself, “Have I heard any buzz about me lately?”  If not, get busy. Make sure more people know what you’ve done and for whom.  When you are busy as a bee, the bees won’t be the only ones buzzing.  Others will be buzzing about you.