The Savvy Networker

Midpoint Check up Time

Amazing, but true.  Here we are at the half time show for 2008.  Where are you in relation to the dreams that you held for yourself for this year.  Are your goals on track?  Are they reachable?

I'm on track for some of mine, and woefully behind on others.  One major goal of mine, I am about 40% on track ... which means for the year, I'm 10% behind.  Ooops.  Must get busy.

Today, I took some time to see where I am in the scheme of things with the stuff I wanted to accomplish this year.  And as mentioned above, I get to pat myself on the back for a couple of my goals.  However, I need to give myself a quick kick into high gear if I'm going to make it on a few others. 

And, one of those goals ... I'm seriously thinking about renegotiating and redirecting efforts for it just isn't that important to me anymore.  You might say, "I'm just not into it."  Because, I'm not.

Now that I can see where I am, I've mapped out what I need to do and accomplish over the next 6 months.  I've taken the big chunks and broken them down into monthly steps.  And with those monthly steps, I can see what I need to accomplish on a weekly basis.  That of course, translates down into what needs to happen daily ... and the hours and minutes will be more focused because of this attention to the bigger picture.

What I do know that I need to get a grip on is the work load of email. 

I've noticed lately that I've been getting automatic responses from people that say something like this:

"Due to my high workload, I am currently checking and responding to email twice daily at 12 noon PT and 5 PM, PT Monday to Friday.  If you require urgent assistance that cannot wait until either noon PT or 5 pm PT please contact me via phone at 555-555-5555 and leave a detailed message if you get my voice mail.  Thank you for your understanding this move to more efficiency and effectiveness.  It helps me accomplish more to serve you better."

Maybe I'll try putting something like that into play ... but don't worry ... I won't set up an autoresponder to tell you how high my workload is for I'm going to assume that yours is just as high as mine (maybe even higher).  I think that I will quietly put this into play and see how it works.  Maybe then I'll get an extra hour in each day that will help me spend my time on the things that will move me closer to my goals.

How about you?  What steps will you take to move closer to your goals?

To a successful and fulfilling 2nd half of the year!

Business Networking, George Carlin & Stuff

The passing of George Carlin got me to thinking about one of my favorite routines that he did about people and our stuff.  Business networking, when it comes right down to it, is really just all about our stuff. 

We are business owners and we have stuff that we want to sell, so we go out and we meet people who we hope will need our stuff.  Of course, they may or may not need our stuff.  This we don't know.  To find out, we have to get to know these people and we need to get to know their stuff. 

Now, some people you do want to get to know better and sometimes you find out that you like them and will hang out with them even if they don't buy your stuff.  Amazingly, you often end up buying their stuff.  And, the really cool part is when you tell other people about their stuff and they tell other people about your stuff.  It becomes the mutual stuff admiration society.  Which is really great stuff!

When it comes to business networking, I think it's a really good idea to remember that nothing happens without other people.  Any break you have ever gotten, came from another person.  Every tip you have received came from another person.  Any hand up, hand out, or pat on the back ... all of that stuff came from another person.  And that when you give good stuff, you get good stuff in return.  More people will pay attention to you and your stuff when you show them first that you are interested in and have a healthy respect for their stuff.

George Carlin was a really great thought provoker.  He made me think.  He made me laugh.  Sometimes he shocked me.  Mostly he entertained me with new ways of looking at things.  He had such a way of taking everyday things that we say and pulling them apart to look at the words and point out how it sometimes just did not make sense.  I still cannot get on a plane without hearing him say, "to hell with getting on the plane, you can get on the plane, I'm getting IN the plane." 

It's kind of weird to think that George will no longer entertain us with new stuff on our stuff ... whatever that stuff might be.  And, it's good to know that we can simply go to You Tube where his stuff will live on and on and on.  To check out George's riff on stuff visit this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

Business Networking Pause

Before your next business networking event, try hitting the pause button.  Take a deep breath, relax, and remember why you are here.  Give yourself the present of, well, being present.

Try this: The day before you plan to go networking, why not actually plan out your networking time?  Pause to think about what it is you want to accomplish in that networking timeframe. 

• Who do you want to meet? 
• What kind of information are you looking to find? 
• Who can you help to connect while you are there? 
• What info can you share about yourself and your business that will help others to know how to connect with you or with people that they know?

More importantly, why not take a good long look at what you've got mapped out on your calendar before and after your networking event.  If you are racing from one thing to another, you won't have the time nor the energy to be present with the people you are networking with.  So why not block out some pause time before the event and again after the event?  Here are some reasons that little pause can make a big difference:

• Allow yourself 30 minutes to arrive before the event.  Even if you just sit quietly in your car, or in the lobby, you'll gift yourself this time to gather your positive energy so that you can be energetic and enthusiastic with all the folks that you will meet.
• When you allow some "calm" time for yourself, you will appear more at ease and others will find it enjoyable to be with you.  Remember that people do and refer business to people that they know, like and trust.  If you are stressed out, people will know that and be less inclined to want to spend time with you.  A calm, warm, and inviting presence lets others know that you are easy to work with and that you have a healthy respect for your time and for others as well.
• You'll be ready and collected in your thoughts and your conversations.  Because you arrived early, you are better able to see who is coming into the room and you can make better choices of who to talk with and how to spend your networking time at the event.
• You'll have more opportunities to connect and help connect others because you'll be better able to be other focused rather than worrying about where you should sit, who you should sit with, and what you should say.  All of those things fall into place when you allow yourself enough time to let it all play out.

And when the event is over, why rush off to the next busy thing?  Some of the best connections are made after the event and during departing side bar conversations.  The pause after the event can also allow you time to gather your thoughts about who you should follow up with, who you can help connect, and what information you might have to share with key people that you met at the event.

We all enjoy talking about how "busy" we are and no doubt that there is always more to do than there is time to do it in.  However, the art of connecting and building relationships, is an enjoyable task that takes time and the beauty is in the unfolding of the flower.

Please take some time today to stop, slow down, and allow yourself to pause ... your networking results will be much better and you'll be more relaxed!

Kindness in Networking

The # 2 reason why people do not like to network is that they fear that no one will want to talk to them.  Which goes hand in hand with the #1 reason why people don't like to go networking.  The # 1 reason is that people don't know what to say. 

So we have the people who don't know what to say and then we have the ones that are afraid no one will talk to them and what a combination that makes.  Can you imagine if those 2 are standing next to each other for five minutes or more?

And what does kindness have to do with this you might ask?

It is a great kindness to others when we can help them to feel comfortable.  And the easiest way to help people feel comfortable is to include them.  Include them in a group.  Include them in a conversation. 

And how do you do that .... if you don't know what to say?  To that, I say ... forget about it.  Telling yourself that you don't know what to say is just an excuse for lazy thinking.  And that lazy thinking holds you back from many wonderful things.  It helps you to stay safe and small and alone. 

What I'd like to tell everyone is that you can imagine all kinds of things to talk about if you just follow your curiosity about others.  You can ask someone how they got started in the "widget" business (or whatever business they are in).  You could ask them what they like best about what they do.  Or who their favorite client is ... and how you might recognize someone who would be a good referral for them.  There are so many ways that you can start a conversation, you just need to reflect a little bit on what you are curious about and then ask away.

Another way to be kind while you are networking is to be a good listener.  When you ask questions, actually focus and listen to the answers.  You'll be amazed at how good a conversationalist others will think you are when you spend the majority of your time just listening.  Good listeners are so rare ... and if you can train your mind to not wander and pay attention you will serve many with your kindness.  And, people will want to know more about you once you've shown them how much you care about them.

Word of mouth marketing is the best way to spread the good word about your business and you can grow more worthy advocates for your own business by practicing these and other kindnesses as you make your way through the networking jungle. 

At your next networking event, make a point to make someone else feel comfortable and see if that doesn't make you feel more comfortable and confident too!

Concerns about Fast Pitch Networking

Like you, I get invitations every day to join this new social networking site ... or that new social networking site.  And, I know from talking to people that many are getting weary of all the invitations for it just seems like more work, less return, and time aggravation.

In the last few days I've received 3 invitations to join Fast Pitch Networking (2 were from strangers and 1 was from a person that I barely know).  Before I join any social networking site, I like to check it out to see what is going on inside the network.  So, I spent some time looking around inside Fast Pitch.  After looking through 10 pages of profile thumbnails, I did not recognize one person.  After doing searches on 8 different categories, I saw 2 people that I recognized their names but do not personally know.

Then, I googled Fast Pitch and there are a number of favorable articles about it from Dr. Ivan Misner.  I found that to be a little surprising and here is why.  My early take on Fast Pitch Networking is that it is not about building relationships as much as it is about hitting as many people as you can with your message in the hope that someone will be interested in what you have to offer (kind of like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see how many noodles will stick).  I've read and admired much of what Dr. Misner has to say about networking and building relationships so I was a little taken aback that he is giving Fast Pitch Networking a "thumbs up."  Turns out that he really likes the publicity aspect of Fast Pitch and that surprised me even more.

Why do I say that?  Well, one of their big (and I do mean BIG) selling points for joining Fast Pitch Networking is that you can easily send your marketing message to a targeted 50,000 members of Fast Pitch with just a few clicks of your mouse and your keyboard.

Oh goody!  Ka-ching, ka-ching, is what most spammers would be thinking about right now. 

But what most people forget is this, it is just as easy for 50,000+ people to be sending you their marketing messages as well.  And that, my friend, is a sinkhole that I don't want to fall into.

Personally, I like being involved in the social networks that create safety barriers to make it a little more work for people to contact me.  And I don't mind at all that I have to take a few extra steps to reach out and touch the people that I want to be in contact with as well.

It all comes back to "with all things being equal, we do business and refer business to people we know, like, and trust."  Just because "Fast Pitchers" can fill my inbox with their offers does not mean that I'll be inclined to do business with them.  It is an assured way to end up in the roundfile or the electronic trash bin.

My recommendation is to hang out in the social networks that respect the value and theory of building relationships.  Take and make the time to build your business by showing up in your social networking circles on a regular basis.  Give people an opportunity to learn about who you are and what you do as you also learn about them.  Build your business relationships over time and you will see the results that you desire through your strong and diverse relationships.

Throwing a plate of spaghetti against the wall may get some of the noodles to stick ... but it's not a pretty picture!  And remember, if you are "fast pitching" ... I'm not catching!

The Five High Impacts in Your Life

I've had several people ask me recently, "Who are the 5 people that you spend the most time with?"  And since that question kept coming up, I did  a little research and found that this is a theme in Jack Canfield's books.  I also found that Jim Rohn, a self made millionaire and successful author is quoted as saying, "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with."

So, I got to thinking about this idea and noticed something I had not focused in on before ... I don't have 5 key people that I hang out with. 

What I have are circles of fives.

• There are the people that I talk with the most about my goals and my plans; my successes and my struggles
• There are the friends that we made while our son was involved in sports from elementary school through high school
• There are key family members
• There is my assistant and key people in our local organization (but way more than 5!)
• There are my friends who have been friends for more than 30 years
• And there are different groups of friends based on the different activities that I have enjoyed over the years

This exercise helped me to realize that I am the sum of who I am based on the journey I've been on and each person along the way contributes to the richness and the tapestry that is my life. 

I have a lot of people in my life that make me smile and give my heart a warm glow when I think of them.  And I realize how truly blessed I am!

I also realize that every day, I make choices.  Most times, I choose based on my own thinking patterns and my goals.  I look at where I am now and where I want to be and will this thing or that thing move me closer ... or move me further away from where I want to go. 

And sometimes, when I'm not sure of what the next step is, I think of someone I admire from my many "groups of fives" and I think to myself, "what would this person do?"  Or I recall a discussion and draw on their wisdom that has now become my wisdom too.  And, when I'm really stuck and need a gentle push or a prod, I know I have a mental rolodex of people that I can call to ask for their input.  And, that, my friend ... is a very beautiful thing!

 

Biznik 2 Minute Networking Strategy

Here's a quick strategy to increase your networking connections if you are a member of Biznik.  (And if you aren't a member yet, check it out at www.Biznik.com )

While you are logged into Biznik, go to your Profile.  Underneath your Profile is a section called "Your Network."  Hopefully, there are people listed there already and if there are not please read on for a strategy that will help you to build your network.  For this example, let's say that you have 6 people who are listed under Your Network.  Here is an easy 2 minute task that you can do that will increase your networking social capital and help you gain top of mind awareness with the folks that are already in your network.

• Click on the photo of the first person in Your Network - Their full profile will come up and right under their larger photo, is a little heart that says "Send Compliment"
• Click on the "Send Compliment" and a little type box pops up.  Think of something that this person has done for you, or how they have positively impacted your business, and then type in a testimonial for that person.  Once they read it and approve it, your compliment will show up on their page at Biznik. 

This short 2 minute exercise serves you both in several ways.  The person you did this for will be pleasantly surprised that you made the time to leave them an unsolicited testimonial and they will remember you for your kindness.  You will benefit from the goodwill, the top of mind awareness that you just created for your friend and also for yourself.  AND, you have added to your own Social Capital because others who know your friend will also see your comment and they will think highly of you as well.

There, in just 2 minutes, you've spread plenty of goodwill in your corner of the internet and the universe!

Now, for those of you who have not yet added anyone to your network.  Let's tackle that, but please know that there is not a 2 minute strategy for this.  You can start by going through your most recent week's worth of email correspondence.  Who have you been talking with via email?  Would they be a good person to recommend Biznik to?  Biznik is an easy place to grow your relationships with people you already know - so why not invite them?  When you do invite them, please do not use the canned script that pops up in the invite window.  I would encourage you to invite them to join you on Biznik so that you can help each other to grow your connections.  Then invite at least a dozen people.  Once they sign on and show up on Biznik, go back up to the top of this post and put into practice today's 2 minute networking strategy for Biznik.

Try this strategy every day for a week.  Just go do it and let me know how it's working for you. 

Keep coming back here or subscribe via email to receive more 2 Minute Networking Strategies!

Networking the Walmart Way

The first time you meet me, please don't act like you are a buyer for Walmart.  Don't ask me to discount my product or my services just to get you as a customer.  It will not endear you to me and it teaches me way more about you than you may want to be revealing.

Walmart is well known for its strong arm practices in getting its suppliers to reduce prices so that they can offer "lower daily pricing" to Walmart customers.  Once you are caught in the vortex of doing business with Walmart, it is very hard to escape the ever increasing assault on decreasing your profit margin.  In essence, your profit margin becomes Walmart's profit margin.  Yes, you might be selling more widgets because Walmart has the distribution channel to move product ... but at what price? 

When you are networking with people, requesting a discount should be the farthest thing from your mind and from your discussion.  You should be focused on building relationships that are mutually beneficial and uplifting to both parties.

There is no mutual benefit in requesting a discount.  Please keep that in mind.

While networking, you want to learn the valuable ways in which people serve their clients.  You want to learn the "Who, What, How, Where, and Why" about a person's product or service so that you can help to spread the word about this person ... or become a connector for them.

The last thing that I want if I value my time, my service, my products, and my current customer base, is someone who does not value these things operating in orbit near me or for me.

I want to surround myself with people who will listen, learn, and value me ... just as they also value themselves and offer good and viable products, vision, and service to their clients.

People who are focused on "what things cost" and are always looking for "discounts" or getting what they want in the cheapest way possible ... well, in my experience, these folks are often operating from low self esteem and do not value themselves or what they have to offer.

Additionally, if you are a discount seeker, you will get a reputation as a "10 foot pole" person.  That means someone who most people will work hard to avoid.

And why do we avoid "10 foot pole" people?  Most usually, it is because they are the least desirable clients to have in your client base.  They will, often, suck the very life right out of you and out of your business.  AND if we rely on referrals to build our business (and who doesn't?) "10 foot pole" people tend to have friends who are just like them.  If you have one ... trust me, you don't want more.

Is this how you want to be seen?  Didn't think so.  So, please take that big yellow smiley face pin off your jacket, hang up your Walmart smock, quit asking people for discounts ... and you may find more people will be interested in learning about you and your business. 

What's the Weather Got to do with Networking?

Many consider discussing the weather to be appropriate small talk.  Perhaps great stuff to spend 5 or 10 minutes talking about.  Well, think again.  When you spend a great deal of time talking about the weather, especially around here in Seattle, you are going to be doing a fair amount of complaining.  And complaining is not a good thing to be doing when you are networking with other people.

Remember, networking is about building relationships with folks.  It is about teaching people about what you do, who you serve, how you serve them, and why anyone should care about that.  It is about creating the knowing, liking, and trusting that is so important to the growth of your business.  It is quite more powerful and good for you and your business if you spend that same 5 or 10 minutes engaged in meaningful conversation.  And what is meaningful conversation?

Meaningful conversation includes dialogue aimed at either learning more about another person and their business or sharing helpful information about yours.  Meaningful conversation helps both parties to better understand the who, what, where, when, and why as it relates to your and their respective businesses.

Here are 5 "Feel Good Questions" from Endless Referrals by Bob Burg to help you get started on meaningful conversations:

• "How did you get started in the Widget Business?"
  Let them share their story with you while you actively listen
• "What do you enjoy most about your profession?"
  This is a question that elicits a good, positive feeling.
• "What separates you and your company from the competition?"
  Bob Burg says that this is a "permission to brag" question and one that most people really enjoy answering
• "What advice would you give to someone just starting in the widget business?"
  Give your new networking friend a chance to feel like a mentor by asking this question
• "What one thing would you do with your business if you knew you could not fail?"
  We all have dreams, don't we?  What are their dreams?  This one gives them permission to fantasize about the future.

Focus on asking questions and truly listening to the answers and you'll find that folks tend to think that you are a great conversationalist ... and great conversationalists don't waste precious time talking about the weather!

Bob Burg is coming to the Greater Seattle area on June 10th to present a half day workshop called Endless Referrals Live Seattle.  To learn more about the event go to www.endlessreferralsliveseattle.com

Things Not To Do When You Want Something from Someone

Let's see if this approach makes sense to you.

Earlier today, I had a phone call from a woman who let me know that she would like to be considered to make a presentation to our eWomenNetwork chapter here in Bellevue.  She is currently representing a local radio talk show and they want to tap into our network to get more people to attend their September event and she felt that speaking at one of our events would be the best way to spread the word about their program.  She is hoping to get attendees and sponsors out of the deal. 

And then she shared with me that while she has been aware of eWomenNetwork here locally for some time now, she hasn't felt a need to participate or join in our events because our members are not her target market for her main business.

Oooops.  Mental end of the discussion on my side of the conversation.

Would you like to know what went wrong here? 

First, this person let me know that she operates from a taker mentality.  She wants to come to speak at an eWN event so that she can get eWN members to sponsor her client's event.  Not one word was mentioned about what value she would be bringing to our members with her presentation.

Second, whether she knew it or not ... she let me know that our members aren't people that she would ordinarily spend time networking with.   

Third, since she hasn't been to one of our events, she doesn't know how our events work and she wanted me to explain that to her. 

How could this have been handled better?

Well, first, she could have done some research.  If there is something you want, you need to do your own research.  If you decide that someone is your target market and it is a networking group - heck you might want to actually attend an event and see how things work. 

Had she ever been to one of our events, she would know that she would have to come from a place of giving.  Networking is about building relationships first.  The giving comes first and the getting comes later.  With a giving mentality, she could have called with an idea of a presentation that would have offered value for our members. 

And lastly, if you want someone to help you ... don't insult them.  Telling me why she hasn't taken time to learn about our network in the terms that she did reminds me of a story that my friend, Nancy Juetten, always tells. 

Nancy says, "If you are trying to get a story about your business in the local newspaper, don't call up the editor and tell him/her that you never read their newspaper but you want to have a story about your business featured in an upcoming edition."  That's not a smart PR strategy!

So, the lesson is ... if you want to speak at an event to get exposure for your business, do the following:

• Research the organization where you want to speak
• Go to an event as a guest to see if the culture is right for what you want to achieve
• Craft your presentation so that you show value for the audience - what's in it for them?
• Be careful of what you say about the organization that you want to speak at
• Craft your pitch to the decision maker in such a way that you show total respect for that person's time and for the organization as well