Wikispeaks says I have no “cred”? Do they know something I don’t?

Nothing one can do about the weather – so after 2 days away, a storm-caused delay forced a very late homecoming last night. However, despite the long airport and tarmac time, I wasn’t that exhausted since I was feeling pretty gratified by the receptions to the latest talks I gave. In fact, it has been a good few weeks since professional presentations I gave in various settings and cities have all been enthusiastically well received.

But this morning, I discovered that Wikispeaks was checking me out. They told me that as someone new to the speaking business, I should fill out my profile. When I read about how it works, I discovered that I can go from being someone new in the world of professional speakers to a pro if enough people recommend me. Up until now, they told me in no uncertain terms, I have no “cred” in the business.

Hmm… yes it may be true that I have spoken professionally in 33 countries on 5 continents over several decades, but wikispeaks hadn’t heard of me, so all of that doesn’t seem to count. [Now to be fair, I haven’t yet spoken in Australia. That might suggest that the real influence in recognizing quality speakers all comes from the Aussies. Who knew?]

In any case, I filled out the bio info, updated the dated picture they had posted [I wish I were still that young], and activated my profile. Now I am a somebody. But the site then told me I have a long way to go to gain “cred” – in a field in which I thought I was already accomplished.

But wait, maybe….

This got me thinking. In fact, I suddenly remembered something that I have heard from people in different places over the years, including in the last week. “How come we had never heard of you? If we had known how good you are, we would have had a much bigger crowd.” Until wikispeaks spoke, I had just filed those comments away as flattery. But now I realize, they must all be in cahoots. After all, they were both saying, if we hadn’t heard of you, as far as we are concerned you must be brand new and unproven. In the case of the actual [enthusiastic] listeners, they were saying that now – belatedly -I had “cred”. As far as wikispeaks is concerned, until people actually recommend me ON THEIR SITE, I am still without cred. Ah, the difference between the actual and virtual.

Thus, if anyone were to be looking for a speaker in my field, and went to wikispeaks [actually, not really so likely], they would be told that I am not yet a “pro” because I have no “cred”. And most likely, another professional speaker would get the call.

For those readers in the marketing field, you must be salivating at this post. You would tell me that without a marketing strategy, no matter how good you are and for how long you have been, if people don’t know your name, it is as if you never existed.

Don’t think that, even after all this time, I am not willing to learn. So, the lesson seems to be:
Dear friends: by all means, if you liked what you heard when you have heard me speak over the years, tell your friends, speakers bureaus, conference planners, and other influentials, and, of course, tell the wiki-folk. And who knows? Maybe next time someone does look at wikispeaks, I will not just be a wannabe, a newbie, a fresh if wizened face on a page, but I will be something more, much more: I will actually be someone with “cred”.