I received a very formal letter in the mail, nice envelope and stationary, from Biltmore Who's Who. The letter stated, "You were recently chosen as a potential candidate to represent the professional and business community...in the Biltmore 2009 Honors Edition of Who's Who Among Executives and Professional Women." All I needed to do was return my completed verification by the deadline.
The verification form asked for the typical information such as company name, job title, phone numbers, and web address. However, there were two particular fields that caught my attention - the fields asking for industry and personal specialty. Now, it seems to me that if I'd been chosen and approved by their Committee, Biltmore would know the answer to both of these questions and would only need for me to confirm what they had listed was correct. Oh, I forgot to mention that "there is no cost to be listed. However, it is by Committee invitation only". So you mean to tell me that this presumed prestigious organization just goes around randomly selecting folks to invite without any clue as to what their "potential candidates'" professional background entails? Are you serious?
Well thanks to my good friends over at Google, within minutes I had all the information I needed to make an informed decision about Biltmore and Ms. Mandy Lowe, Registry Administrator. Take this phoney invitation and shove it! I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night! Take a look at this feedback and you be the judge.
As you continue to build your business, be heard, and have a stronger web presence, the easier it is for perpetrators like Biltmore to find you. Sad but true. Don't let this deter you and your efforts. Keep doing great work and service in your community and legit organizations will seek you out. Incorporate public speaking into your business model and marketing strategies and the word will spread even faster. If you need any help and have any questions, I'm just a click or phone call away. You are never in this alone.
Talk to you soon...
