Prove You're Human

by Bruce Kasanoff

Do you worry about having your voice be heard? You should.

The people who matter most to you are increasingly deluged by communications from "people" who aren't actually who they claim to be:

  • Many of the comments on LinkedIn are posted by virtual assistants or hired hands.

  • Many of the articles and emails they receive were written by AI or composed in a formulaic manner according to a script.

  • We are even getting to the point at which videos of a person aren't actually videos of that person, but instead an AI composition of a photo and a script.

If you fast-forward two years, the competition to have your voice be heard is going to be fiercer than you can imagine.

This is a big problem if you aspire to do any of the following:

  • Attract customers

  • Grow your business

  • Get promoted

  • Hire the best talent

  • Motivate your team

  • Strengthen your relationships

  • Unearth new opportunities

  • Protect and enhance your reputation

For all of these reasons and more, every time you share a communication, it's important that you prove you're human.

Me and my view at 7:10 am this morning.

I just paused in my writing long enough to give you a taste of my own reality. I'm looking west as the sun is about to rise, and a sole light illuminates my desk. The dogs and other humans in the house are still sleeping and the atmospheric river of rain seems like it's going to pause today.

There are many ways to prove that you're human beyond actually sharing a photo.

You can share genuine, personal and/or quirky experiences that make it easier for others to relate to you.

You can be so true to yourself that only you could have said or done that.

Or, if you are writing a personal note, you can literally include knowledge that only you and the recipient share. "Remember when you fell into the lake that night? I had a similar experience yesterday."

An even better strategy is to recount something the other person told or asked you. "Earlier this year, you asked me to be on the lookout for up-and-coming talent. I just met someone who might make an extraordinary addition to your team."

You might be thinking: this is crazy... have we really reached the point at which I first have to prove that I'm human?

Yes, we have.

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There's still time to join a new cohort I'm launching this month for people who use social media to advance their career and business.