I came across a Facebook post from Sé Reed today that really got my mind going. Sé wrote, “So I get this question a lot, so I decided to finally Chris Lema my answer” and proceeded to share a post. I actually “liked” the post without reading it, simply because I was engaged with the status update (sorry, Sé, will get to reading it once this is finished).
When I say engaged, I mean I laughed out loud, alone, in the Starbucks drive-thru line. Because at that moment I realized that Chris Lema had really accomplished something pretty fantastic. An active blogger in the Word Press community, Chris hadn’t just made a name for himself in a competitive blogging arena. He had provided enough value over time that he actually has had his name converted to a verb! When Sé (and many others) think of descriptive blogging, they equate it to Chris. Amazing and well deserved. Chris has made his name a verb that means “to blog.”
What verb do your clients use to describe you?
Is your name a verb?
Do they even value you enough to do so?
I haven’t earned “verb” status in the business world – and I likely never will since ghost blogging is a relatively anonymous profession – however I can tell you that it’s not uncommon for my clients to repeat the phrase “everyone loves Jen.” The reason for that is because they understand that my focus is on taking care of them and on ensuring that any content released by me or my companies will serve them well.
There’s another aspect in my life where a phrase has been coined about me. And I will admit I hadn’t quite appreciated it until today when I saw that comment.
One evening my daughter overheard me on the phone with my mobile telecommunications provider. I’m guessing you’ve had similar experiences… Well, as the conversation went on I responded with some particularly insightful comments on their business methods in a tone that I rarely use. My daughter sat listening, her expressions alternating between extreme amusement and horror as I detailed the way in which my telecommunication needs were not being met.
Later, she recounted the story… “She went all mom on them.”
Backtracking a little, my daughter explained to our family a story where she was being treated unfairly and I stepped in and took charge of the situation to make it right. While she was grateful for the intervention, she was also horribly embarrassed because that was just not something she’d ever seen me do. It was a clear Mama Bear scenario where I needed to defend my cub.
So now, whenever there is a seemingly unjust scenario being told by anyone in our home, the phrase is asked, “Did you go all mom on them?”
While I hope my skills as a mother will be remembered for much more than that, it was nice to see that I had achieved verb status – at least in my household. Not quite “Chris Lema,” but close! 😉
If you are striving to become a “verb” or seeking to improve your client engagement, I’m giving out real world website advice and the answer to the question, “Is Your Website at Risk” at a free teleconference on the 9 Dangerous Content Marketing Trends tomorrow. Join in by signing up here.
Jen Miller has been writing since she was a child and spent her early career years soaking up all the information she could discover as a journalist of newspapers and magazines. Getting out the message and spreading truth has always been a high priority for Jen. Jen began writing website content for clients in 1996 and started blogging in 2008 for Today.com. That experience created a love for the blog and she has been an avid blogger ever since. Today she writes for her clients on a variety of topics as a ghostwriter/ghostblogger and connects their messages with personality through social media to deliver the most impact possible.
