Recommendations for creating your life of choice in 2011

At this time of year, it is very easy to focus on what didn’t work this year, rather than the things that did work! Particularly when the market is tight and we try different things as well as our usual things and not everything has immediate results!

Sometimes we seem to have so little to show for all the work we have done, the networking events we have attended, the new friends we have made and of course those wonderful “old” friends that we are still connected to and at times neglect. Yet networking is often like planting a garden of seeds, some sprout faster than others, just like friendships and business opportunities. Some days you get connected to a third-party, who has an instant need for your services. Other days, you follow-up, keep in touch, email, blog, connect and just seem to hit brick walls. Never fear  – a new year is here.

My strategy when I seem to hit more than my fair share of brick walls in any one month is to take a day or morning off and focus on ME – not my business. Here’s a list I work through on one of those ME days:

1. What things really make me happy – no matter how simple they are. Make a minimum list of 100 and resolve to do at least 3 of these things each day for the next 21 days.

2. Describe what your life of choice looks like – if it is not quite what you are doing now. Be as explicit as possible – paint that picture in your mind and turn those pictures into words on the page. Then make a list of how you will know when we have created that life of choice. Sometimes when we are busy/busy – we forget why we are doing what we are doing and what the end game plan really is!

3. Diarise regular ME days – don’t wait until you are in overload to put your first. Mark those dates now – before you need them.

4. Commit to watching your language – replace “I have to” with “I choose to”.

5. Realise that it’s okay to make a mistake, as long as you learn from your mistakes.

6. Plan to introduce a daily habit of acknowledging your WIN for the day – what was your win for the day? – no matter how insignificant it may seem. My win for today – was seeing an amazing full rainbow over the horizon. Had I not gone for the early morning walk, I would have missed it totally. But what a brilliant way to start the day – and it was only 6.30 a.m! Nature is full of amazing sights, when we slow down enough to observe them.

It’s got to be a good day when you have had your WIN by 6.30 a.m.

7.  Practise saying NO without feeling guilty. I have a note on my calendar – say no nicely!  It’s hard sometimes to stick to that one – but long-term, it’s one way of clearing clutter and over-commitment in our lives.

8. How much is enough for the next 12 months? It’s great to reflect on the increase in overheads that is often connected to the increase in income. Sometimes the profit is much greater from doing less than doing more – again something to reflect on and discuss with your accountant before you over commit for the next 12 months.

9. Is there a current situation in your life, that would not be acceptable to your son or daughter, but it’s okay for you?

Why is that? and more importantly what example are you setting for your children by accepting poor behaviour?

10. And your final question for your ME session – if this is as good as it gets, is this good enough?

Sometimes these ME sessions make you squirm, feel uneasy and uncomfortable. That’s all part of the process – hang in there – you will feel better. You see this morning, before I saw the brilliant full rainbow, I had already walked through about 5 minutes of rain. And I was tossing up, will I turn back? will I keep going? Finally, I decided, Robyn it’s only water, it won’t kill you, just keep walking – a bit of rain never hurt anyone.

Within 2 minutes the rain had stopped and the rainbow appeared.  I got the message.

And just like the old Hawaiian proverb – no rain, no rainbow, tough times do pass. And they make our networks and our connections stronger – not to mention the better person we become as we find solutions to our challenges.

Wishing you lots of rainbows in the 2011!

PS And when its cloudy, take your umbrella – just in case.

 

 

Recommendation – compulsory happiness testing for all taxi drivers

 

2011  recommendation – compulsory happiness testing for all taxi drivers. I know happy taxi drivers do exist. I once met one. A wonderful 30 year taxi elder called Bob.  Bob loved meeting and chatting to new people all day. His motto – “As long as my taxi is moving and there is a paying passenger in the taxi, I am making money.”

This week I think I met the leader of the unhappy taxi driver movement.

As a frequent traveller, my taxi trips are determined by the client and workload – one taxi fare recently from Sydney domestic terminal to an outer Sydney suburb was over $150.00. And like all jobs, you take the good jobs with the not so good jobs – some there is great profit, other not so. That’s life!

Picture this – Sydney domestic terminal. The taxi waiting queue was short for a change, and as I hopped into the taxi, I told the driver I had two stops, one to the airport hotel where I would drop my bags off, and then on to XYZ in O’Riordan Street – about 10 blocks from the hotel. Immediately he mumbled something jumped out of the taxi and made furious hand signals to the taxi controller – I assume the interpretation – please make a note I have just got a lousy fare. He then proceeded to speed up, slam his brakes on and mumble.

My strategy is always to ignore this behavior. And ponder if he is driving faster, then won’t that mean we get to the location faster and his fare would be less than it would be if he just drove normally – but I digress.

“Where did you come from today?” – he grunted and I responded.

“Humph,  just you wait, we’re lobbying and a year from now – maybe sooner – there is going to be a flat rate for short fares – a minimum fare of $30/ $40 – you wait until then. You just won’t be able to get from A to B like you do today. You just wait. YOU – will have to get a train or a bus – no taxis for you – unless you want to pay $40.00 for the trip – it’s coming in all because of people like you. I hate short fare passengers!” Thanks for sharing I thought to myself!

I pictured a cartoon bubble with the image of me boarding a local bus with my two heavy suitcases and my many short fare friends, while hundreds of taxis are lined up waiting for long fares and the taxi warden with a big tape measure – checking our fare length. It did bring a smile to my face – though I did choose to ignore his comments, which just made him madder as he braked and sped up.

By the time I dropped the bags at the hotel, checked in, arranged for the porters to take the bag to the room, and drove 10 blocks to my appointment – the meter read $16.2o. Normally I would round it up and add a few dollars as a tip. Not today – I counted out the exact fare and asked for a receipt.

I wonder – without short fare passengers, how much income would taxi drivers lose?

Or are taxi drivers like every other business  – there are great jobs, good jobs and not so good jobs. If someone phones, emails or orders one of my books online – – there is a fulfillment system – process payment/receipt, hand written note for inclusion, pack order, address label, decide courier or post office (based on P.O. box or street address) , dispatch.

It takes as much effort to dispatch one book as it does to dispatch a carton of books (50). Obviously I would love to dispatch cartons of books all days, but those orders are the cream – just like my $150 plus Sydney airport to north-west Sydney  fare is not a trip i take every day.  But without all those single book sales, I would not sell as many books as I do. And I would much rather be packing single book orders than not receive book orders at all.

So maybe those angry short fare hating taxi drivers, should take that happiness test in the New Year.

Question 1 will read –  How happy are you most of the time in your taxi driver position?

– On a scale of 1 to 5 – 1 being dislike strongly and 5 being love to bits. –  If they rate 1 or 2, maybe its time to seek out a new job – wherever that may take them.  Or maybe, they could ask around and find a 20 or 30 year taxi driving elder – like Bob – who has survived in the industry for 30 years, because as long as the taxi is moving with a paying passenger inside – he is making money. Bob would definitely answer 5 to Question 1  and might just be able to give Mr. I Hate Short Fare Passengers – a lesson in customer service while he is at it.

My wish for you is that you meet lots of veteran Bobs in the taxis you hail during the coming holiday season!

10 questions to know the answers to before your next briefing

Have you ever sat in a briefing with a potential client and kicked yourself because you had not done sufficient homework to know the answers to some really key questions?

The days of winging it in briefings are well and truly over in this tight and very competitive market. Recently I shared a pre-briefing checklist with a client – and it might be useful for you too:

Here are the questions I need answers to PRIOR to the briefing:

1. How many people do you know in their organisation and how well do you know them?

2. What do you know about this organisation?

3. Who are your competitors and how long have they been a service provider for this firm?

4. Do you know anyone who has a strategic alliance with XYZ?

5. Can you make contact with them prior to the briefing, and gain some insight into their relationship with XYZ?

6. Is there any way you can refer business to XYZ  in the future?

7. What can you offer that their current service provider cannot?

8. If you were XYZ, what would make you change service providers?

9. Assuming you know the names of the people at the future – briefing, do you know anyone in their network? LinkedIn would be a great tool to track these connections – assuming they are on LinkedIn.

10. What do you know about these individuals? – interests, sponsorships, awards, alliances?

If you know the answers to all 10 questions – well done – you are prepared. If you don’t you might research via their website, their industry’s websites, advanced google, their blogs,  Facebook etc.

The one question you absolutely MUST know the answer to is – NO. 3 who are your competitors and how long have they been service providers? If you don’t know who or what you are competing with – you risk making the wrong offer. Or overlooking something that is key to sealing the deal.

Some readers may think – this is way too much effort with no guarantee of return.  Exactly, and that is why you stand out as a professional service provider when you are prepared.

One of the things you are aiming to create with your research is a trilogy of trust connection. The trust that one person has with another, that is passed on to the third-party. John plays golf with James regularly. You know James through a social contact – he is a great friend of your sister-in-laws and you have socialized with James many times and support his charity projects. John certainly knows James well enough to ask the question – what can you tell me about XYZ?

Let’s hope it’s all good news. When faced with multiple suppliers with similar “deals” – we often look for a stronger connection, something that will set us apart from our competitors – maybe we too support a local sporting team or charity, maybe we are fans of the same sport. The more digging we do, the easier those connections become.

Research is never wasted, file it away in your memory bank or better still your key industry information file and you just never know when you refer to that information in the future.

Happy networking until next time

Who motivates the motivator?

Who is the person responsible for motivating you? Is it your boss, your work -mates, your partner, your friends? Who? Although many motivators may disagree with me believing that as motivational speakers – they can motivate anyone, anywhere, anytime. I actually believe that is not true.  I believe WE are responsible as individuals  for motivating ourselves.  We are responsible for staying upbeat when times are tough or we have had major disappointments on any one day.

I am a real film buff – absolutely love watching films – preferably those with interesting stories and not much violence. Yesterday I wasn’t even feeling flat – but after going to the movies came out feeling on top of the world – and I would like to explain why.

I went to see The Social Network – basically the story of Mark Zukerberg  – the founder of Facebook. I had no idea about the legal cases he had fought and lost and really didn’t know much about the film at all. Here’s what I loved about the film – and could totally relate it to networking and being an entrepreneur:

1. Mark had an idea about an online profile system, that people could update themselves – ONE GOOD IDEA – he believed in it, and then shared it with his mate – who encouraged him to go for it! Often that’s all we need, just that one bit of encouragement from a mate  sometimes even a total stranger – someone – who basically says – yes I believe in you and your idea is great. Sometimes they might even add a twist or a slight turn or offer a slight change/improvement to the original idea – all in the spirit of – I want you to succeed with this idea.

Mark met Sean – the founder of Napster who suggested he delete the work THE from the original title – The Facebook – minor alteration – major improvement. Isn’t that they way with some of our own ideas – a minor tweak has a dramatic effect – that’s why we have to be open to constructive feedback from others.

2. Mark borrowed $1000 start-up from the same mate – $1000 for something that grew to be a multi million dollar idea – don’t you wish all your ideas were that “on trend” and successful – for such a small financial outlay. Again that mate believed in him – enough to support him financially. The friend knew he had the knowledge to create the code required to make it happen and was prepared to invest $1000 – and hope for the best. Unfortunately down the track they had a falling out and their friendship was dissolved – but originally there was total faith and trust between the two mates.

3. Mark worked tirelessly to get his system working – and was totally alert for little things that could improve his system – based on the needs of his customers – who in this case were college students. He knew them perfectly, he was one of them, but as a geek – often felt he was on the outside looking in. Yet he was certainly close enough to identify a need when he saw it. And he capitalised on this and adapted his end product as quickly as it was possible.

What inspired me most about the film was Mark Zukerberg’s determination and belief in his idea – just one good idea – that truly became a great idea. As entrepreneurs we have lots and lots of ideas every day, week or month. But only a handful of those do we actually get really strong hunches  about – strong enough to take action.

And often those great ideas come when we are not cashed up, and really have to think creatively about how we can make it happen – how we can crack the code to get this product or idea to market with a limited budget.

3. Without giving the story away, there was another player with the idea – who had  a much smaller profile idea and a tiny version of what ultimately became Facebook. These guys huffed and puffed so much about their idea and how great it would be – but they wanted to keep the concept within the one college – definitely scarcity thinkers, not abundance thinkers who know there is always plenty for everyone. Exclusivity is not abundance thinking.  Their focus was much, much smaller than the end product and the two products really were totally different – even though the lawyers would not necessarily agree with my opinion.

Here are a few things that I do if I am “stuck”, unmotivated or need a boost:

1. Take a day off – or at least an afternoon. Spend that time focusing on what is working, rather than what is going wrong – recharge your batteries.

2. Have a good belly laugh – one that almost brings tears to your eyes. When we change our physiology, our whole body responds positively.

3. Avoid negative people – this is not always possible in a work environment, or if you are sharing a home with negative people – but all that flat energy rubs off after a very short time. So surround yourself with as many positive people as you can.

4. Play – remember how to play? Maybe its a sport, a swim, a run (but leave the stopwatch at home) – run for pleasure not to beat your best – playing is about having fun – not setting a new personal best record. Some may argue that setting that record will motivate you – yes it might – but the task today is to PLAY – not compete.

5. Remember why you are an entrepreneur – and how satisfying it is when you do create something from nothing – when you do take one idea and follow it through to completion and it flies – that is a fantastic feeling.

6. Sean, the founder of Napster, had a great line in the movie – when he was giving an opinion on something – “I don’t have a dog in this fight.” How often do we get hooked in to things that really have nothing to do with us – things that are not our fight. These things are another way that we waste our previous positive energy and enthusiasm.

7. I first heard the phrase gratitude attitude from Oprah Winfrey – what am I grateful for? No matter how tough the day may be – there is always something to be grateful for.

Finally, a quick story. I was presenting at an international  conference where there were 15 women and 800 + men – obviously women struggled to be heard in that country and specific profession and the balance of power was definitely with the men.

At the lunchtime break, one of the woman sat with me and asked my advice on her current problem. For years she had worked for an organisation, where she was continually passed over for promotion – yet she knew that most of the “great ideas” that were put forward to senior management and implemented were her ideas originally  – yet she never received recognition for them. Her bosses had a habit of cutting and pasting her ideas and presenting it as their own and receiving recognition for them.

She was incredibly frustrated as there was a shortage of jobs, and in that country being self-employed was not necessarily an option for a woman. My tip to her was you can’t change what they are doing, but what you can change is your response to what they do. Every time one of your ideas gets over the line celebrate in some way yes you are not being acknowledged for it – in time that may change. But for now celebrate – you will never be in their situation where they are stuck and can’t come up with even one idea. You have unlimited ideas – what a gift you have.

True entrepreneurs are continually thinking up great ideas – and will continue to do so – particularly when they hang out and brainstorm with other entrepreneurial thinkers.

Wishing you your next BIG idea in 2011 – no doubt networking will help you bring your idea to market.

 

Networking face to face – 10 years on

This week I was interviewed by a journalist asking about the changes in face to face networking in the last 10 years. We reflected – Remember when –

* there were a lot less business and social networks to attend

* you received emails by the dozen not the hundred.

* you made and received many more phone calls on a landline

* you knew 50% of the people at any network you attended

* LinkedIn had not been invented

* you received many hard copy invitations by snail mail

* websites only told our business story

Now social media has given us an opportunity to enhance our face to face networking by:

* following up after meeting strangers in multiple ways – yes the phone call is definitely still there, and we can also email, join them in Facebook, follow them on LinkedIn, read their blogs, their website, send them ebooks about our special interests and passions – not to mention http://www.meetup.com – plus we can flick another invitation or email that we find of interest – all without being pushy.

Today there are many more ways of staying connected and expanding our networks.The strong point I made with the journalist was whatever social media tool we choose to use – and many choose multiple options – we need to put the time in every day/week to make it work for us.

I am guilty of letting my blog slip from time to time – and have now introduced a weekly discipline to ensure more blogs go out every week.

The one tool I am using regularly with great results is LinkedIn – and again I must thank Iggy Pintado for encouraging me to take the LinkedIn step earlier this year. LinkedIn has enabled me to connect with so many old connections and contacts – people that were 10 years ago in my address book – and have moved multiple times since I knew them – and I have found them on LinkedIn connected in sometimes a totally obscure way.

This week, I noticed a number of high profile authors linked to my network connections. So I thought – let’s invite them to join my connections – the worst thing that happens is they delete my message. Amazingly 90% of them said yes and 50% of them sent me an individual message. In the case of one author, with my LinkedIn invitation I mentioned where i had seen him present in the States and how much I enjoyed the presentation – so it was not just a cold – link with me.

I believe social media is similar to face to face networking – in that we have to very quickly build a connection – electronically we have to send a message that is warm, polite and hopefully builds a connection. We would not just walk up to someone and hand them a business card – we would talk to them first, build some rapport before asking for their card.

As many of you know I moved from Sydney to the far north coast of NSW about 8 years ago. When I make trips to Sydney I try to ensure that I build a trip around a face to face networking event – or at least create an informal networking event with some connections. As we lead into the Christmas/end of year season, I had planned a trip to Sydney late November – as it turns out there are 4 events that I will be able to go to on this one day – a breakfast, a lunch, a mid afternoon and evening event. I will certainly need to keep my water intake up that day – meeting lots of people can be exhausting. And most importantly make time to follow up with people post event – not all of them necessarily – but at least 25 as I know and have proved many times that 25% of the strangers I meet will become prospects, referees or clients.

I am also recommending that LI connections arrive at events 1 hour earlier or for that matter stay 1 hour later to connect face to face with some of their connections – I have found this ramps up the networking considerably. I also have a theory that Wednesday is the most popular day of the week for holding events – so if you are wanting big numbers at your event – avoid Wednesday!

The smart networkers today – realise that it is about the number of touchpoints you have with your connections. I spoke at a business network recently where there were about 35 people in the room and the organiser was apologising for the low numbers. I suggested that they may consider doing an audio recording of the speakers presentations in future – so that people who could not physically be in the room – could actually access the information for a fee. The objection was made – that might mean we have less people in the room, if people know they can get the invitation as a download. On the contrary, if we think abundantly, i believe it is the number of people that we touch with our presentations and information. Reality is the listeners could be anywhere in the world, and that specific network is not just generating extra income, they are also potentially expanding their networks big time.

I summed up with the journalist, 10 years ago face to face networking was more controlled, with the inclusion of social media, your networking is limitless – and your ability to link people, refer business to others and stay connected has never been easier – and  that is very exciting.

Have a great month! – stay connected

 

Is this the new normal? – Lateral thinking for your last quarter business review

“It’s been an interesting year” – is a comment i have heard from many small business owners this year. When I ask – “Interesting in what way?, the responses have ranged from a total need to reinvent an organisation’s products, through to innovative reduction of overheads. Less than 5% have said it’s been a record year. So if this is the new normal, let’s look at some lateral thinking for your last quarter business review to ensure that next year is more buoyant:

1. As attached as we sometimes become to our products and services, in this changing marketplace – maybe it’s time to ask your team – Can we fill a need that our clients may have, even if  we have never offered that service before?

2. And focussing on the law of reciprocity, is there someone within your network, whom you can help with information, connections and potential work?

3.  How can you enhance your client’s revenue by generating regular referrals for them? Hold on, isn’t this about your own business, so why would I suggest helping your client’s business. Well this is the new normal – so it’s not all about YOU, it’s about how you and your clients become allies and jointly help each other’s businesses grow.

4.  Do you need a mentor or coach to take you to the next level of your career? Or will actually allocating time for you to work on your business, be a great start for you to think creatively about your business and your priorities?

5. Are you prepared to be a mentor to another person in your industry? Mentoring can be a great networking tool, particularly if the mentoring is including in a group mentoring program. Not only do you get to share your highs and lows with your mentee, but you also get to network with others and build strong connections. 

6. Are there untapped networks that you need to connect with? Are you making networking a priority for your business? If you are too busy right now to show up at local chamber of commerce or industry specific events, why not send your partner or staff members. Ensure they have business cards and be clear on what you want them to do at this event. My tip would be to encourage them to be friendly, exchange business cards – have some quality conversations with others and ensure they have time the next day to follow-up with any connections they have made.

7. Will you start your own mastermind group in the next 6 months? Too busy, just staying on top of things? I would encourage you to have a priority of brainstorming with others – not necessarily only those in your industry. Fresh ideas often come from those not remotely connected to your industry – those who don’t have blinkers on, or any previous history of how things have to be. You might consider starting a small mastermind group with 4-5 people who make a commitment to meet on a monthly basis for 2-3 hours on brainstorming. Why not trial it for 4 months and see how it goes.

8.  For the next 3 months, ask ‘WHAT IF?’ often. What if we were starting our business from scratch, what would we do differently? What if we relocated our business to another state, another suburb? What if we exported? What if we stopped exporting?

9.  Be open to chance meetings  and opportunities – sometimes those chance meetings when we are in a social environment fast track some serious business connections. Always remember to follow-up and try to under promise and over deliver – far better than the opposite.

10. Finally consider creating your own new normal. When change is constant, flexibility is important. Just because we have always done it this way, doesn’t mean it is the only way to do it. Be open to ideas, spend time reading/researching what’s hot, what’s not – and now more than ever trust your intuition. Your gut feeling, that really strong feeling that you have that there is a better/different  way to do something – even though it might be so different that people tell you, you are crazy.

To quote Carl Sagan – “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” All the best creating your new normal for a prosperous year ahead.

Networking For Leaders

Most leaders would be considered master networkers and live and lead by embracing the basic philosophy of treating people the way they would like to be treated. Leaders know that networking is a life skill, not just something they do when they want something.

They understand that networking is based around three universal laws:

 ABUNDANCE: seeing abundant opportunities for everyone – not fearing competition. The opposite of abundance is scarcity. Leaders, who manage by scarcity, withhold information, often use force with employees and rarely have a profitable and productive workplace.

 RECIPROCITY: the law of reciprocity states that what you give out comes back tenfold – when you give out positivity, you receive positivity, give out referrals, you will receive referrals, give out negativity and you will receive negativity, and not always from the same person.

 GIVE WITHOUT EXPECTATION: great leaders give without remembering and receive without forgetting. They do things for others not to get something back, but to help that person achieve their goals or complete their task at that time.

In my opinion,  there are only 50% of the marketplace leaders currently leading and managing by these universal  laws, they must be prepared to be very strong in their choice of practices. They will often be ridiculed in the media and amongst non-networking peers, but never by their staff.

As more and more media coverage is given to the TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE  model – organizations, which focus on the people, the planet and the profits will be headed by these master networkers. Enlightened leaders realise that profits will only be short-term when focus is not also given to the people and the planet. When focus is given to all three areas, leaders will head organisations filled with GLOBAL CITIZENS – people who answer to their own triple bottom line.

 A global citizen who looks at the bigger picture – the global picture, and adapts the worldview to his or her own community or organisation. As Anita Roddick, founder of the Bodyshop chain says, think globally, act locally. Staff members are aware that good, clear communication is the basis for job security, increased productivity and long-term profit. Their actions impact all staff members. Rather than making profit or money their sole motivator, enlightened organisations are headed by individuals who look beyond the dollars and are creating employer of choice-preferred working environments. Places where people seek employment, not just for the salary packages, but their company’s commitment to the community as well as the environment, that are aware that 10-12 hour days are not healthy for the individual or the company. Preferred work places where senior managers chase their managers out of the building after 6 pm – encouraging them to get home and have a life.

For some, this new way of thinking is frightening and needs some major adjustment. Others have the highest praise for the organisation that they feel part of. It is a community they, as individuals share.

Recognition

Enlightened leaders are aware that 80% of the population does not get recognition on the job – they work for companies who do not value them and never give recognition or praise. An employee would never knock back a pay rise, however the two words THANK YOU are more powerful than any pay bonus. Some recognition programs currently in place include: employee of the month (voted by staff members) employee of the month(voted by guests at a hotel) housemaids at hotels leaving a card stating they have cleaned the room and to contact them if any problems – this is not only accepting responsibility, but also recognition for job well done

Staff incentives – discount on company products, weekends away, and movie passes, dinners for two, etc… awards for most improved staff member (this gets away from only the high achievers being acknowledged) awards for best suggestion from idea in suggestion box naming products after the R&D team through to weekly massage treatments

in- house or close to office, memberships at local gyms as part of employee packages, subsidised canteen allowances,  business cards for all employees (regardless of whether they are front line), name badges for all staff, personalised birthday cards from management.

 The point of recognition is to acknowledge the commitment and effort of all staff members not just those who bring in the business. Without the engine room, the engine (the business) stops running.

Cross networking with competitors

 Enlightened leaders always form strategic alliances with competitors. Remember they don’t see competition, rather opportunities to form working alliances. Having open lines of communication can only help in downtimes and times of industrial conflict. Remember the abundant thinker sees lots of opportunities – and many of these will include an alliance with a competitor. A toy manufacturer set up an informal alliance with a competitor whereby should either run out of a certain widget or a common but hard to get small piece of raw material, used by both companies in production, each could borrow sufficient from the other to get their orders out. No money changed hands and as supplies were delivered, replacements were returned to the other manufacturer. This arrangement worked successfully for years until one manufacturer ultimately took over the other.

Name calling

No, we are not talking about name calling in a negative sense. Calling a person by their name is one of the biggest compliments you can give someone. A well-known Australian CEO of an airline was on first name basis with everyone from the porter in the cargo region to the kitchen hand in the staff canteen. No matter where he walked throughout the tarmac or terminal, he always greeted people by first name. Yes these people wore name tags, but this CEO had a memory for names and faces and had the respect of all the staff. During his reign industrial disputes were unheard of.

 More networking = less advertising

 Smart leaders know that the more they network, the less they need to advertise. Rather than taking full-page advertisement in newspapers and magazines, that money can be put to better use with client functions and carefully targeted networking events. A leading recruitment firm in the health arena, runs personal development and business seminars. Their invitation list includes all the major decision makers from area health, through to nursing, physiotherapy and occupational health and safety. Run as late afternoon events, their major cost is the presenter, comprehensive workbooks and afternoon tea. The guests can justify this time away from their workplace as it is perceived as work-related and the firm has the opportunity to build more trust with their clients, while at the same time giving them recognition.

Today, perceived value is most important before approval is given for attendance. The days of boozy lunches are over and people are becoming much more selective in their personal time investment. They are aware, that the underlying reason they are invited to these events is   to firm up their relationship with the supplier. At the same time, no one wants to be heavied, so suppliers walk a fine line between overkill, showing appreciation and added value. Some government organisations have made staff accountable for any gifts over $20 received from a supplier. These gifts must be logged into a directory and close scrutiny is given to ensure favouritism is not shown to a supplier. Knowing this, the wise leader, ensures that there is a written strategy on business protocol. How much will be spent on gifts, what is the procedure on gift giving and more importantly, what is appropriate at internal events where clients are invited.

Networking via client functions

 Millions of dollars are invested every year in client functions, but most organizations don’t realise that it is not just about the event. Of equal importance are the preparation, the event itself and the follow-up. The wise leader does not have well paid marketing people handing out name badges at these events. Their time is much better spent actually entertaining the guests, improving the communication lines and building trust. Leave the name tags to a well briefed junior, who has been shown a photo of the key participants (readily available these days from their company website). They are then often able to greet the guest by name. Checklists become a standard part of any function where clients are invited. This checklist becomes part of the procedures manual. More importantly the leader has worked with the team to create this checklist to achieve the desired outcome.

The preparation for each event is clearly divided into three stages:

 Pre event

At the event

Post event

This preparation would be clearly defined in the procedures manual, so that any area running a function would follow this plan. The more prepared you are, the more you ensure that clients enjoy themselves. Leave nothing to chance. Many events fail because of short time frame prior to the event – not giving clients sufficient notice, holding events at inappropriate times. It’s not about what suits you but what suits your clients. Venues and location, sufficient parking, easy access, all determine the enjoyment of the individual.

VALUED AND APPRECIATED CLIENTS = MORE BUSINESS = a great return on investment.

Most importantly at the event, the clients are the most important people present. Ensuring that each client is entertained, never left to stand alone and is introduced to others throughout the event is critical. The leader is not necessarily present at every client event. Depending on the size of the organisation, this may be impossible. However, even if not there in person the leader is acknowledged during any speeches and presentations.

One of the key objectives is that every client leaves satisfied that their time was not wasted, they were not oversold and they met other interesting people – maybe even some that they could do business with in the future. Standard procedure at these events may also include having available a list of attendees – stating the guest’s name, their company name and their position. This networking list is not given as a prospect list, rather a reference for those attending.

After the event it is invaluable for clients following up with other guests. The effective leader knows that follow-up is a critical part of networking, sets this organisation apart from the competitors. This follow-up is not left to chance.

Prior to the event:

 The more prepared you are, the more you ensure that clients enjoy themselves. Leave nothing to chance. Prior to the event, it is decided whether thank you notes would be sent or phone calls made to acknowledge the client’s presence at the event. This job is also delegated BEFORE the event, rather than afterwards and is completed within 48 hours of it. A good leader knows that there will be opposition to the follow-up. It may sound something like – “we spent all this money on the clients, they should be thanking us”. Some clients may say.

However, to stand out in the marketplace, always do the things that others do not.

 Income building versus income generating

Income generating is the core business of the organization – how it makes its money in the short-term. It is an obviously critical task. Income building is where networking, following up, keeping in touch, showing you care, giving referrals and maintaining your network happens. Income building is not critical or urgent and this is why it is often left to chance. However, it is a very important task.

 The enlightened leader encourages all staff to network on behalf of the organization for a minimum of 15 minutes every day. This time may not actually occur during prime business hours but in a dead spot during the afternoon, when a client is delayed and you have a few spare minutes, or even stolen minutes between appointments.

This income building time must be done regularly and does NOT include attending networking functions. This is a stand alone task and is critical for the future of the business. A leader may use the example of a real estate agent in an income building versus income generating discussion. A real estate agent buys and sells properties and this generates their income. Many real estate agents run out of property listings because they don’t income build – they don’t network regularly. If they don’t keep in touch with past clients, prospects, spheres of influence in the community, and their referrals sources, they will soon have no properties to sell and they stop income generating.

The enlightened leader encourages all staff whether they are in the back room or the front line dealing with customers all the time, that they are the FACE OF THE FIRM – and as such a very important asset. Income building becomes the future growth of the organization.

Business cards for every staff member

 To assist with the income building tasks, each staff member is given a personal business card and asked to use it regularly. A junior may not be considered someone who would network with prospects as such. However, the same junior has uncles, 13 aunts, and parents’ friends who could well become clients. No one is a nobody – everyone has a sphere of influence. Business cards are better referred to as name cards. This takes a lot of pressure away from people in non-business development roles giving out cards. Basically when you give a name card you are saying, this is my name and this is how you contact me.

 Tracking new business

 Creating systems to track where new business comes from is essential. Again the procedures manual includes a number of simple questions to ask new customers, once they have been identified as such. How did you hear about our company? Have any of our business development people made contact with you previously? The allocation of someone to look after every customer is very important. New customers need to know the name of one or two people who can help them when there is a problem or a general enquiry.

 Systems, systems and more systems Leaders know that staff need leadership, clearly defined boundaries and systems in place. Systems are guidelines, 95% of the time they work. Enlightened leaders know that 5% of the time situations may fall out of the normal pattern. This is when personal initiative is need. An entrepreneurial radio station CEO in New Zealand, gives EACH staff member (front line or not) authority to spend up to $250 to fix whatever is the client’s problem. Knowing this, empowers the staff member immensely. To date, five years later, the money has never been spent, staff morale is high and client retention is at all time high. Revenue enhancement Revenue enhancement is making money for your client. The leader knows this is a non traditional way of selling – and that it works. Whether it occurs by introducing informally or formally one client to another, at a lunch meeting, client event or social event, revenue enhancement is one of the quickest ways to create loyalty. You are earning the right to do repeat business. Alternatively have each business development person create a complete profile of the kind of people your clients are looking to do business with.

A brainstorming session with this information, can result in lots of matchmaking and connections. Then it is just one instance of making the introductions and creating a comfortable space for one client to meet another. An easy way to cross network with clients is to ask for five business cards from each. Create a business card holder that becomes your referral folder. A folder that can be included with your everyday diary or briefcase etc. When someone asks, “do you know a good xyz?” . . . “as a matter of fact, I do. One of my clients provides that service, Here is their card, please mention my name when you contact them”. With today’s e-mail system, it is very easy to copy one client to another with contact details and mention they can expect a call from xyz. The law of reciprocity states that what you give out is what you get back.

When you start giving away referrals, you start to receive them, not necessarily from where you gave them. 

 Networking ladder of loyalty

 Enlightened leaders communicate clearly, regularly and succinctly with their staff. This communication is also replicated from staff member to customer. All staff members are critically aware of the networking ladder of loyalty: On the lowest step is the STRANGER classification – people whom the company does not know, have never supplied and are a potential prospect. Next step is the ACQUAINTANCE classification – people a staff member has had contact with, discussed the company services, communicated not just about the company, but most importantly about the person they met or made contact with. A certain amount of trust was built. Next step is the FRIEND classification. People buy from people they know like and trust. Trust can only be built through communication. Respect and trust are earned not bought. The friend definition does not mean someone who you will spend every weekend with. Rather it is someone whom you trust and who trusts you. In such a relationship you know a reasonable amount about each other’s business and personal interests and activities.

PEOPLE DO NOT BUY FROM PEOPLE THEY DO NOT LIKE

 Communication is the key to sharing ideas, information and more important building trust. No one places an order with someone they do not trust. The next step on the networking ladder is CUSTOMER – someone trusts you enough to buy from you and they place one order. The world is made up of thousands of single transaction customers – people who bought once and never went back. The next critical step on the networking ladder is CLIENT – the customer who bought more than once, who came back the second and third time. The client is someone who trusted you and has now included you in his or her own network. The final step is the ADVOCATE – the customer who buys from you every time. When your industry or profession is mentioned, your name is immediately mentioned and you are described in glowing terms. Leaders communicate very clearly that advocates are the backbone of the company cash-flow. Often targets are set to increase the number of advocates from the client base. Even a 10% increase in advocacy can make a huge difference to an organisation’s growth.

Complacency

 Avoiding complacency is critical in today’s competitive marketplace. As we generate more and more advocates sometimes we fall into the trap of taking clients for granted. We stop returning calls within 24 hours, acknowledging e-mails, solving little problems as they occur. When little problems are not dealt with, they become big problems. Unresolved big problems become lost advocates. The leader knows no organization can afford to lose advocates and communicates this clearly and regularly. Cultivating broad networks Another trap great leaders advise against is falling into the trap of networking only within their industry or profession, dismissing people because they are nobodies (in their opinion) or presumably of no use to them. Good networkers aim to network across the board agewise, industry-wise and geographically. The easiest way to remain aware of what is happening in your industry, city and community is cross networking. Initially MTV years ago and now technology has changed the face of the entertainment industry worldwide. Having recently celebrated their 30th anniversary and still a global  marketplace leader, they are renowned for listening to the marketplace and changing their product as community needs change and evolve. In this way they maintain their leading edge.

On an individual basis, the advantage of cultivating a broad spectrum of networks is that you start to be noticed by decision makers as a problem solver. You have a variety of contacts so that you know who to connect with to find the answer to most problems. People seek you out – if you don’t know the answer yourself, you know someone who will. Connecting from the heart Great leaders make heart to heart connections – they listen with their heart as well as their ears. They are present, they are in the moment. When you speak to them, you know they are with you, not distracted, not mentally working on a deal somewhere else. Your connection and conversation may at times be brief, but they are focussed on you. As a result you feel comfortable questioning, at times even challenging their comments – because you know you are being listened to.

 Leaders also know that teams and organisations are only as strong as their weakest link. So they nurture their staff, encourage them to take risks and constantly move out of their comfort zone. The leader also knows, that the days of someone working for 10 or 20 years for an organization are over. If they can encourage, inspire and bring out the personal best in each staff member and that person gives back 1-2 years for that organisation, then they have done well. Staff members will leave one day and they will always look back on that leader as a value part of their own network, a contact never lost – a leader of the kind they aspire to be.

10 Ways to Boost your Associations’ Membership

EFFORT + TIME + MONEY + ENERGY

Master networkers make great committee members – usually because they know lots of people. For this very reason you might be invited to form part of a committee for your peer group, association or institution. However, once you accept this invitation, you may f nd that membership is flagging, attendance is down and you have a tough job ahead of  you.

As networking becomes the norm for business generation today, rather than the exception, more and more networks are springin up. And as there are a finite number of people attending any of these events, sometimes attendance is low, membership wanes and membership renewals often drop off. We also know that it takes as much effort to arrange a function for 50 people as it does to arrange one for 250. So lets look at some practical, inexpensive ways of boosting membership and attendance to make the R.O.A. – (return on attendance) valuable, measurable and effective.

More members = more networking opportunities.

1. NAME TAGS.

Always, always, always provide nametags. Reports show that 80% of the population forget names within 30 seconds of hearing  them for the first time. To avoid this embarrassing situation, providing nametags with the names typed in approx. 32-point type will enhance networking opportunities.

2. COMMITTEE NAME TAGS.

Most committee members are volunteers, who give freely of their time. Providing a different nametag for committee members not only gives them recognition, but also makes it easy for first timers to know who to ask questions, find out information and seek guidance.

3. PROFESSIONAL EMCEES

A great emcee can make an event. Seeking out a professional from the ranks of your membership is an obvious solution. However, just because Jack Smith has been emceeing for 10 years, doesn’t mean he is good at the job. Seek out a professional, who is a good communicator, can keep to time, is not sexist and has a general interest in the growth of the network. Many professional emcees may consider a contra for their services with a view to building their profile within this network. 

4. PROMPTNESS.

It is important to reward the members and guests who arrived on time. Always start and f nish your meetings on time. Starting late to accommodate late-comers is only rewarding negative behaviour.

5. MEETERS AND GREETERS

Are members who position themselves close to the registration area. Their job is to “meet and greet” guests, first timers and regular members with a smile and a self-introduction. Most of the fear associated with attending networks for the first time is specifically related to the first 10 minutes from arrival. A meeter and greeter takes the pain out of this process and can introduce first timers and new members to others with common interests.

6. ASK ME

Encourage some of your committee members to wear an ‘ASK ME” badge or ribbon at meetings. This person will be acknowledged by the emcee and encouraged to mix and mingle throughout the event answering questions and providing information as needed.

7. LIST OF ATTENDEES.

Providing a list of attendees is a great way to facilitate networking during and post event. Including a person’s name, company name and position with or without an email address, enables contact to be made post event. It’s also a good idea to make a note on the list that confidentiality of this information is appreciated. As you meet people during the event, it helps if you highlight the person’s name, to enable you to follow up more efficiently.

8. BUSINESS CARDS ON CORK BOARD.

As an alternate to the attendee list, some networks provide a double sized corkboard filled with pin tacks. As people arrive at the venue, they put a business card in the lucky door prize and then pin a second business card on the corkboard, which is located in a central area. In this way, you are able to see exactly who is in the room and the meeters and greeters can connect you with whomever you want to meet.

9. MEMBERSHIP FORMS AT MEETINGS.

Most networks want members, yet less than 50% of networks actually have membership forms on display at meetings. Such a simple thing that is often forgotten. Some networks say, “go to our website, we accept memberships on line”. That’s fine, but why not have membership forms on hand to capture that potential member while they are hot!

10. TESTIMONIALS from happy members.

Often membership officers become a little tired of promoting memberships, even though it is their role. Why not invite one of your “advocates” to do the membership spot for you. By selecting enthusiastic, visible members, who attend regularly and asking them to say in 2-3 minutes what they have gained from membership is a far better advertisement for the group and again is an opportunity to give a member recognition.

Happy networking until next time.

Help! Where will i find my next client?

this specific post has been written for Registered Exercise Professionals and Personal Trainers

And where can I go to meet lots of potential clients?

As a Registered Exercise Professional this question does not have a one size fits all answer. Because . . . . .. it depends:

1. Which networks are your current clients and prospects attending?
2. Which networks are your peers and competitors attending?
3. What is the best time/day of the week for you to network?
4. Why do you want to attend a networking event?

And if you are not sure of the answer to 1 and 2, go along and find out for yourself – or ask your clients where they go to network. Today a lot of networking is social e.g. golf, sailing, running, book clubs, special interest groups. A very busy Sydney based personal trainer generates more than 80% of his work from his local sailing club. While another high achiever generates her leads at the races. This is a fun way to combine your interests, your networking and business development. However, if you want a more business-like approach to networking, you may feel more comfortable attending a traditional business network.

The time of day best suited for your availability – may vary from a breakfast meeting (usually 7 a.m. for 7.30 a.m. start) to a business after hours (normally 6p.m.-8 p.m.) Instantly I can imagine many personal trainers dismissing business networks because that is “potential client time” for you. However, most of these networks are either fortnightly or monthly – and they are a great investment of your time. If you wanted to be really clever, you could invite a group of your clients to the event – and cross network them with each other as well as prospects for their business.

It’s important to find the network that suits YOU and also to be very clear on why you are attending in the first place.

Is it because:
a. Your competitors are there (a great reason for you to attend)?
b. You know that these networks attract the sorts of clients you are wanting to work with
c. Attending business networks will certainly make you stand out as being very professional and business focused

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

My rule of thumb is – try before you buy. Attend a network as a non member, before you actually commit to becoming a member. Most good networks will allow you to attend at least once, before encouraging you to join. From experience, I normally attend a new network at least twice before I join. In that way, I can feel out of my comfort zone the first time when everything is new and then I know what to expect the second time – which is when I normally decide to join a network or not – and just attend future events as a non-member and play a slightly higher ticket price. If ever I feel pressured into joining a network, that is normally a sign that this network is NOT for me. No one likes to be sold to.

Networks like Business Network International (BNI) encourage people to be invited by a member before attending. Originating in the States with founder Ivan Misner, BNI is a fast growing international business referral network group, who – normally meets for breakfast (although there are a smattering of lunch groups sprouting up Australia wide). The ethos is simple – Givers Gain! All members are encouraged to show up every week for their chapter meeting and bring one or more referrals for members of the group. The value of the referrals are then tracked and monitored. http://www.bni.com.au Plus there is only one person representing a profession e.g. one mortgage broker, one professional trainer etc.

Which networks are right for you will often depend on:

• Which networks do your current clients and prospects go to?

Chambers of Commerces are always filled with lots of prospects and you get to attend an event in the location where you want clients to be.
If you google Chamber of Commerces and preferred locations – you will find a stack of potential events. Work out your budget and book today!

We could fill pages listing the thousands of Australian associations, networks, chamber of commerces, business enterprise centres, special interest groups etc. Trust me there is no shortage of networking opportunities – if you can’t find any – ask your clients or associates for help. Remember if your competitors are attending something – maybe you should be there too.

Whichever networks you decide to attend – stick to the basics:
Be friendly, act like the host and not the guest
Ask questions and listen to the answers
And most of all – follow up without being pushy.

Happy Networking

Is it time for a networking audit?

Is your net working for you or is it time to review your network?

The busier we get the less time we seem to have to maintain our networks. As we dash from one meeting to another, one networking event to a family dinner, one rushed haircut to another children’s party – we sometimes feel that we are juggling way too many things. And if we think that, we are probably right!

It’s time for a networking audit! Somewhere in that busy diary, blackberry or schedule – we need to allocate at least 2 free hours for an appointment with ourselves. Done? Turn off the phone, the computer, close the door, block out any possible distractions – you are about to do a networking audit – without distraction.

A networking audit is a bit like looking at old photo albums – you have no clue who many of the people in the photographs are. Your networks are often filled with people who are no longer relevant in your life – you can’t remember who they are and vice versa.

Our currency today is information and out of date information or contacts are worthless and time wasters in our busy life. Master networkers are those who can access the most relevant and accurate information in the shortest time.

Here is a 5 step audit action plan that may assist you in this very important task:

1. Identify your short and long term plans – how many widgets do you want to sell this month, first quarter, this year? How many widgets do I want to sell within 2 years? Whether you are selling hours of your time or specific products – an idea of how many and by when must be established. No plan usually means no results.
2. List the names of people who are key players in your networks now. This may include spheres of influence, clients, lapsed clients, peers, competitors, friends, social connections, school friends. Most people have stacks more people in their networks, than they can physically manage – so consider creating a number 1 and number 2 list. This doesn’t mean that the number 2 lists are any less important to you -just not people you will necessarily contact in the next 6 months. Just that one thought can often take away a huge amount of pressure – and will assist to prioritize your networking time for the next quarter.
3. Establish how many people you have in your databases – and how out of date this information may be. Email addresses are probably the item that people change the frequently these days – and complete postal addresses are usually missing from people’s contact details these days. You want your databases/contact lists to be as “clean” and current as possible. Look at your mobile phone directory, how clean is this list? Do you have a copy of these contacts saved to your phone as well as your computer? If not, why not?
4. Make contact with your databases – It may be worth planning the exercise of emailing your database with a blind copy update message and see how many bounce backs you have. Although time consuming, auditing is a bit like gardening – , pruning your networks to a manageable (for you) size, pulling out the weeds – the contacts whose names you don’t even recognize plus reconnecting with those connections that may need a little care and attention – a little like watering a bed of flowers. You may have to plan a number of these 2 hour auditing sessions to really get your garden blooming – but the investment of time is worth it!
   Planning a hard copy mail out – for the next quarter is also a quick way of updating your list. Make sure you send something that follows the 90/10 rule – 90% of what you send is of value and interest to the receiver and only 10% is about you promoting you.
5. Who would you like to include in your networks? Are there some peers, competitors, industry experts etc, whom you would like to add to your list? Can you make a list of these people? It’s surprising how quickly those people may pop up in your networks, once they are identified. Alternately, you may have people in your networks now who already know people on this list – remember the six degrees of separation is now only three!

Just like a maintaining a healthy garden, sometimes you have to throw things away. This doesn’t mean that you don’t value your old contacts, it just means sometimes that you have to put them in a different file or maybe a file labeled 12 months ahead – and if you have not contacted them within 12 months – chances are you won’t contact them in the next 12 months.

Before you know it, your two hour time slot has gone – it is your call whether you extend this one, while you are on a roll or plan another auditing session ASAP.

In this short time, you have established where you want to go – and with that focus you can create networks of people who can support you in your quest. Auditing doesn’t mean that you don’t care about your connections; it purely means for the next 6-12 months, you actually identify with whom you want to maintain connections. And then, it’s up to you to plan what those connections will look like – spending a day on the phone have “tele-coffees” (10 minute chats over coffee) is a great way of catching up without leaving your office. Maybe your attending a great networking event next month and reconnecting is as simple as forwarding/emailing the invitation with a note – hope to see you there.

Your time is your most valuable asset and your networking audit will help you spend your asset wisely.