Networking Is Not Selling

How do you market your business? Do you network? Do you have an Elevator Speech, or do you wing it? i Take The Lead (http://www.itakethelead.com/) helps their members understand the value of having a prepared Elevator Speech.

An ‘elevator speech’ is your opening, your introduction. It’s succinct, memorable, a defining statement that explains who you are, what you do, and how/whom you can help. Keep it to no more than 15 seconds. When people need information, they want condensed versions, that only take seconds to deliver; are easy to grasp; lock in their mind; and are easy to recall. In 10 to 15 seconds, your elevator speech must explain: Who you are; What you do; and Why you make a difference. Solve a problem.

For more information, I encourage you visit Ronnie Noize, the Marketing Coach’s website. http://www.veronikanoize.com/ She offers more than 100 pages of free information to everyone.

Taylor Ellwood helps professionals understand the value of networking and how to have success with workshops that he calls Networking 101. He will be touring several of our Portland/Vancouver area i Take The Lead http://www.itakethelead.com/ to help teach others how they can take their natural network of friends and family and interests and mesh them with their network of business associates. He will cover: What networking is and the do’s/don’ts of networking; how to recognize a networking opportunity in everyday interactions; and how to mesh your natural network with your business network and have everyone benefiting from it. Taylor helps small businesses attract great clients and writers get published. http://www.imagineyourreality.com/As Taylor shares, “I’ve been in your situation and I’ve worked with people in your situation. I know the challenges an author faces when s/he wants to publish a book, but unlike most other writing coaches, I also have intimate experience working in the publishing industry and can bring that experience into any coaching relationship I set up with a writer. Likewise, as a business coach, I know what it’s like to run a small business. In fact, while my coaching business is a small business, it’s not my first small business, so I already have some experiences that I bring with me to the coaching relationship I set up with small business owners. Additionally, my familiarity with online social networking, social book marking, podcasts, and blog technology, allows me to show you how to put these potents tools to work for your business.”

Do you belong to a networking organization?

1. The people in your referral group are willing VOLUNTEERS to join your business development team. YOU must provide the tools and motivation.

2. The tools are the easy part – information about you and your business. Make sure that they have a number of your business cards, brochures, etc.

3. Your 30 second speech and 10 minute talk are only “refreshers” for your teammembers to keep them up to date about your business.

4. The IMPORTANT PART is for you to provide the MOTIVATION for your team members to help you build your business. By the way, it’s hard to motivate a team if you don’t show up for practice.

5. Friends are highly motivated to help their friends, not out of obligation or expectation of reward, but out of friendship. The people in your leads group are volunteering to be your friends.

6. Friendships take time and effort to cultivate. Spend the time to make new friends and over time you will see your business grow in unexpected ways.

7. Make it a goal to spend the time to make one new friend per week. In 3 monthsyou will have 12 new friends that are educated and motivated to help you build your business. And you will be educated and motivated to help them build theirs.

8. You will find that coming to meet with your FRIENDS once a week is an activity that you won’t want to miss. It’s not a chore to go to a weekly meeting hoping that someone will have a lead for you.

9. It’s much easier to invite friends to come and meet a bunch of your business friends rather than a bunch of business acquaintances. The more friends you have in your group, the more fun you’ll have, and amazingly, the more business you’ll get.

10. BE PATIENT.

By Bland McCartha

Lisa Perry, owner of SNAP! Office Organization, is a saviour for some! She is also a much-sought out Special Guest Speaker for i Take The Lead. http://www.itakethelead.com/

Are you buried in papers? Don’t know where to start? Want to incorporate a greener and leaner way of working? This is the right gal! The benefits you will get from working with Lisa will amaze you and astound you. Together you and she will create a calm work environment and help you become more productive through work flow management and complete office organization. She loves to help people take control of what they do best — their work! And learn how to work green!

http://www.snaporganization.com/

It seems that networking is quickly becoming the #1 method, business professionals are utilizing, to take their business to the next level, or unfortunately, in some cases, to keep their business afloat. Fortunately, the majority of our i Take The Lead (http://www.itakethelead.com/) members are unaffected by the economic downturn. On the contrary, they see this time as an opportunity to gain new clients and build a stronger business.

One of our very successful business owners, also a Special Guest Speaker for i Take The Lead, will be presenting some information at one of our Vancouver meetings on April 14th – Hazel Dell AM – Tuesday 7:30 AM @ NW Bagel Deli, 512 NE 81st St Suite H in Vancouver. Who, you ask? Tom Cochrane, owner of TKC Solutions (http://www.tkcsolutions.com/) Tom is a business advisor, who is accredited as an Executive Associate by the Institute for Independent Business, A Business Mentor by CMT Mentors Inc. and a Community Leader by the Organization for Entrepreneurial Development. His career spans over 35 years across several industries including paper, consumer products, and high technology in executive and consulting roles Tom is currently focused on advising and coaching business owners in the Pacific Northwest. If you’d like to take advantage of Tom’s expertise, we invite you to attend our April 14th Hazel Dell AM meeting that meets at 7:30 AM every Tuesday. Tom will be presenting some basic tools that will help you know the Three Critical Things you must do/have to get Your Business Message Right. Best of all, attendance at this session entitles you to a free business review, courtesy of the Institute for Independent Business. You can reach Tom at 503-635-7741 or tom@tkcsolutions.com

This week in Battle Ground, WA, i Take The Lead (http://www.itakethelead.com/) will have the privilege of promoting one of our most popular Special Guest Speakers!!! Abigail Dougherty, CEO and owner of Straight Edge Solutions, a business management consulting and coaching practice based in Portland, will be presenting some useful…and fun….information for business owners. http://straightedgecoaching.com/Abigail Dougherty discovered, early in her career, two essential components for success; effective business processes to accomplish the work and excellent communication skills to explain the outcome.Those two components directed her career path as an Auditor, Engineer, and Business Communicator. Today, as a business management consultant, national speaker, trainer, coach, and writer Abigail is passionate about working with her clients to build effective systems to support their people, process, and profit needs. On April 10th, Abigail will be speaking at our Battle Ground i Take The Lead meeting at 7:30 AM. This is open to the public. We’d love to have you there! Bait Your Hook: Abigail will be providing some tips how kick starting your business!!