You’ve probably heard the old saying that there is no sweeter sound to the human ear than the sound of one’s own name.   It’s true.  You can impress the heck out of new acquaintances if you just remember and use their names, and you’ll be remembered (Name Game bonus!). 

If you want to impress someone you’ve just met, say her name.  You’ll sound like you listen when she talks, like you care what she says, and like she’s important enough to merit your complete focus and attention.

If you want to offend someone, mispronounce her name, or worse, call her by a name not hers.

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve introduced myself (or been introduced) to someone who cannot remember my name three minutes later when a friend approaches to join our conversation.  The conversation typically goes something like this:

“Oh, Jane, have you met, er, ah, this nice lady?” stammers my newest pal.

“Hi, I’m Ronnie Noize, the marketing coach,” I say, introducing myself to the newcomer (Ronnie to the rescue!).  “And you are?”

How do you think that makes me feel? Important? Valued?

And what do I think of those people who can’t be bothered to remember my name? Are they not listening? Am I so boring? Or are they simply not too smart?

(Hey, if you say that you’re just one of those people who can’t remember names, you’re teaching yourself that! ANYONE can learn to remember names, even someone with neurological damage like me.)

We all play the Name Game, with varying skill, and that level of skill is (for the most part) a choice.  If you want to be a winner of the game, learn how to remember others’ names. Just follow these simple (although not as easy as they look) rules to win at the Name Game:

1. LISTEN well.  If we’re not really paying attention in the first place, we will instantly forget others’ names.

2. REPEAT the name immediately.  Repeat it aloud if actually meeting someone, such as “Jane Smith? Nice to meet you, Jane.”  If you’re in a meeting at which everyone is introducing themselves, repeat the name to yourself silently.

3. ANCHOR the name by attaching a physical action.  A handshake is perfect if the interaction is personal, but if you are listening to a round of introductions, spell out each person’s name with your right forefinger in the palm of your left hand as you mentally repeat it to yourself.

4. REVIEW all the names of those who have been introduced as each new person introduces herself.  If there are more than about 20 people, keep mentally reviewing the most recent 20 people’s names as the introductions continue.  If you have just met one person, say that person’s name several times–appropriately.  One great technique is to introduce that person to others.  You can say something like, “Jane, have you met Maggie?  Maggie, this is Jane Smith.”

5. ASSOCIATE the name, if that helps you.  Alliteration may be helpful for large groups, such as Barbara in blue, Mary the mortgage broker, or Frank the financial planner can help you remember who is who.

6. ASK for the spelling.  This is especially important if someone has an unusual name, as listening and repeating the letters and overall pronunciation will help anchor the name in your memory.

And if you forget a name?  Don’t worry too much about it!  The Name Game isn’t over until you quit playing.

 © 2009 Veronika Noize. All rights reserved.

POSTED BY: Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing coach AT 11:23 am   |

By Ronnie Noize, Google’s #1 Marketing Coach  http://www.veronikanoize.com

American industrialist and inventor Henry Ford is credited with saying, “Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.”

So how do we prepare for our most successful year yet? How do we “get ready” for the success we long for?

The best way I know to make something happen is to plan for it, prepare for it, and create a structure that supports it. If you want to make the next 12 months your best year yet, perhaps it is time to finally put in place the structures reflect your planning and preparation.

I find that structures free my mind to focus on the fun stuff, instead of keeping a huge amount of information about my business in my short-term memory, which no doubt slows down my thinking, and keeps valuable data away from the people who want and need it (like my prospects and clients), thus getting in the way of my success. So yeah, I’d rather put a structure in place that prepares me for the success I want. How ’bout you?

Here are my top 11 key structures to put in place to make this next year your best yet (yes, in my priority order):

1. Your marketing plan. You’ve probably heard the old saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” dozens if not hundreds of times. It’s true. Of course, you’ve probably also heard a few self-made internet millionaires boast that they never bothered with something as mundane as a marketing plan, but they are exceptions, not the rule. Lottery winners are lucky, not necessarily smart. Yes, you can make some great decisions and be in the right place at the right time, but leaving your success up to chance is not only foolish but irresponsible. Get started here or here.
2. Yearly promotional calendar. This is an important document that can help guide you through the times when you don’t know what to do, so do yourself a favor and put your calendar together now. It can be a very simple document, even a one-pager, that lists your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly activities. Check out an example at the bottom of the page here.
3. Support system(s). Having a group of people PLUS a coach who is familiar with and supportive of your goals, and who offer regular support, ideas, and feedback helps keep your energy and momentum up, as well as provides you with the strength you might need when the going gets tough. That group of people can be a board of directors, a mastermind, or even a support group. That one person who is willing to talk to you about your interests, your business, your plans and your challenges will probably either be a business partner or a business coach. Please note that while your spouse or life partner and best friends may offer great support, they might get very tired of you talking about yourself and your business all the time, so make sure you have someone to talk to who is just as interested in your success as you are.
4. Sales processes from lead generation to close to retention. Your marketing plan will ideally include this information, but if for some reason it doesn’t, this is a way to get really clear about how your sales work. Most small business owners think their sales process is simple: Prospect sees our ad (or email, flyer, business card, or website), then contacts (clicks, calls or emails) us to buy, end of process. It ain’t always that simple, because there are distinct phases that buyers go through to make purchase decisions. Yes, there are ways to make it all happen faster, but if you don’t understand those phases of the process, you are destined to make errors that cost you clients.
5. Filing/organizational systems (both electronic and hard copy) are essential for maximum efficiency, and minimal confusion. Searching for “lost” or misplaced data costs you time, credibility, and very often, your confidence, so make getting organized a priority. Work with a professional if you have to, but just imagine how great it would be (for you AND your clients) to be able to instantly access the tools, data, plans or files you want right when you want them.
6. Tracking processes or mechanisms. There are a variety of numbers in your business that you can monitor, and that will give you fantastic insights into your business. Even if you are not a “numbers person,” understanding certain numbers can help you focus your efforts in ways that will bring you more success. Some numbers to track include frequency of purchase; average purchase amount; average number of purchases; sales figures by month, year, category; and so on. Increases or decreases in those numbers give you feedback about what you clients want, and alert you to opportunities as well as impending crises.
7. Standard operating procedures and processes. How do you prepare a new client file, update your website, post your events on LinkedIn, respond to an inquiry, process product returns, confirm appointments, and handle the hundreds of other great and small processes that come up in your business? Leaving it up to chance or the inspiration of the moment wastes time, and presents an inconsistent experience for your clients, and makes it difficult for you to use or train administrative help. My advice: Figure how you want to handle these things, and document the processes, or hire someone to do it for you.
8. Written responses to client FAQs. And not just the standard FAQs about hours, etc., but the questions your prospects and clients really want to know, such as what’s new, why now, and why you.
9. Verbal scripts that answer questions or facilitate conversations, such as your elevator speech, follow up speech, how you answer the phone, how you ask for the sale, and so on. If you’re not prepared, you lose not only opportunities but credibility. Don’t make your prospects work to pull information out of you; have it ready for them.
10. Policies documentation, which is for you as much as for your clients. What are your policies on refunds, no-shows, product returns, dissatisfaction, and free samples? Do you charge for last-minute changes, appointment reschedules, program customization, or mileage? Under what conditions are you willing to make pricing adjustments? How does your guarantee work, and what exactly are the steps your clients need to follow to have that guarantee honored?
11. Client contact mechanism. How will you stay in touch with your clients? An email here and there is great, but consistent contact is far better. What tool you use depends on your style, budget, and needs, but there is no excuse for not having a mechanism in place because you can get them for free.

Who’s Influencing You?
In addition to focus, the people you routinely spend time with play a huge role in the success of your business. We need competitors as well as supporters to keep our businesses focused on meeting the customer’s needs. The Latin root for the verb “to compete” is “competere”, which means “to seek together” or “to strive together”. Product and process improvements seldom happen in the absence of competition. Our competitors, collectively, will come up with more innovations than we could individually dream up in several lifetimes. Know your competitors, learn how to tap into their collective wisdom, and when to use them to solve your challenges.

In addition to competitors, it’s crucial to have supporters. Other entrepreneurs understand the challenges of running a business and are often your best supporters. Being able to commiserate, gain ideas and tap into their resource network is a wonderful boon to your business. When we want to grow, as individuals and as business professionals we don’t want to hang out with people who reinforce our own obstacles. When you routinely spend time with creative, positive people, there is no challenge too big to resolve.
 
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Jim Rohn

 

© 2009 Straight Edge News           All Rights Reserved.

Networking is one of the best business building strategies I have ever used. As a matter of fact, I built my business through networking, so I know that it works. But very often, people tell me that networking doesn’t work for them. I used to wonder why networking was so good to me, but so useless for some folks, until I realized that the people who say that networking doesn’t work for them simply didn’t understand the concept.

Networking is about connecting with others. Those connections might turn into sales, or they may yield a steady stream of referrals, alliances, advice, support, friendship, or extra special care when working on your projects. All of these are valuable, although few will ever happen at the first meeting, because networking is a process that takes time and effort, so if you’re going to network, you have to do it right.

Here are five things you need to know about networking to make it a great strategy for your business:

1. Networking is more than face-time; it’s about really getting to know others. And most people make one of two mistakes when they’re networking — doing too much, or too little.
Doing too much networking means attending meeting after meeting, but failing to really connect with other people in a meaningful way. Just showing up at networking meetings isn’t enough; you need to spend some time getting to know other people, learning about their businesses, and understanding how (and who) to refer to those folks, just as you are hoping they will do for you.
Doing too little networking means joining groups but not attending meetings, or attending meetings but not interacting with others in the group. Just being on a membership roster isn’t networking, and if you really want to network, you have to be prepared to step out of your shell and actually talk with other people.

2. Where you network matters. When you network, you are looking to connect with more than just your prospects — you are looking for referral partners, potential alliance partners, and perhaps even colleagues with whom you can partner on large projects, or send prospects who are not a good fit with you. That means that at least one of your networking meetings should be with colleagues, another with prospects, and third with non-competing businesses who serve the same client you do.

3. Not every person you meet is a prospect, but nearly every person you meet can be a valuable part of your network. Just because someone isn’t a prospect right now doesn’t mean she won’t be in the future. And once you have her trust, she’ll be able to refer others in her circle of influence to you.

4. It is your responsibility to mingle and connect. Too many people go to networking events hoping to make connections, but self-consciousness or shyness keeps them cowering on the sidelines, so the meeting is a waste of time, effort, and money. Everyone at the meeting is there for the same reason — to connect — so there is nothing to feel self-conscious about. Approach someone who is standing alone, introduce yourself, and ask him what he does if you want to get a conversation going. Do this three times at every meeting you go to, and soon you will know everyone there, and will be comfortable (not to mention popular!)

5. People get bored or turned off really easily, so you need to be prepared to speak clearly, concisely, and positively about what you do. If the first words out of your mouth when someone asks you what you do are along the lines of “well, it’s complicated,” or “it’s hard to explain,” then you need to figure out what you can say that will be memorable, interesting, and explain what you do and for whom in just a few words.

Five Things You Need to Know About Networking © 2005 Veronika Noize. All rights reserved.