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Archive for the ‘Networking 101’ Category

September 21st, 2009 Becky No comments

AbigailYou may wonder what Tips for Outlook has to do with Networking Is Not Selling, but if you are trying to grow your business by networking, I’m sure you’ve found, like I have, that you need to stay organized. One of my favorite writers/speakers, Abigail Dougherty, has given us some useful tools to stay organized using Outlook.

 1.  Change Your View

Set up your Outlook page so you see your calendar before you see your email. That keeps you focused on the tasks that must be done for the day, before you risk being sidetracked with email messages.

 On Microsoft Outlook main page click on TOOLS, then OPTIONS. At the top of Options page you have choice tabs:  Preferences, Mail Set Up, Mail Format, Spelling, Security and Other. Click on OTHER.  Under General (the first choice) there are two buttons – select ADVANCED OPTIONS.

 Under “Startup in this folder”:  Browse for CALENDAR
Then OK yourself back to the main screen.

This will prompt the calendar to be the first thing you see when you turn on Outlook.

2.  Turn it OFF!

A. Turn off default meeting reminders – You can manually set this for only your critical appointments. This will save you a long list of reminders for appointments that are passed when you’ve been away from the office for a few hours.

On Microsoft Outlook main page click on TOOLS, then OPTIONS. At the top of Options page you have choice tabs: Preferences, Mail Set Up, Mail Format, Spelling, Security and Other. Select PREFERENCES, go down to Calendar (second choice) and remove the check mark from default reminders. 

B. Turn off all the incoming email notifications

On Microsoft Outlook main page click on TOOLS, then OPTIONS. At the top of Options page you have choice tabs: Preferences, Mail Set Up, Mail Format, Spelling, Security and Other. Select PREFERENCES, go down to email (first choice), click on EMAIL OPTIONS. This opens up Advanced E-mail Options.

The second section “When new items arrive in my Inbox” should ALL be UNCHECKED. You do not need a ding, a ghost, a changed cursor or an envelope to tell you email is there if you get in the habit of regularly checking your email only two or three times a day.

3.  Building Your Contact List
Use your signature block on all new messages.

On Microsoft Outlook main page click on TOOLS, then OPTIONS. At the top of Options page you have choice tabs:Preferences, Mail Set Up, Mail Format, Spelling, Security and Other.

Select MAIL FORMAT, go down to SIGNATURES (third choice) and select your email account(s) that need a formal signature block. Select signature blocks for both the original messages as well as responses to messages. Click on SIGNATURES to see and edit any signature block you currently have set up.

The key is to click on APPLY, rather than OK once you have made your updates/corrections.

 When someone pulls up your message they can easily create the contact page in Outlook to reconnect with you. They will simply drag your message into CONTACTS, which automatically opens a new contact. It’s a quick cut and paste to put the information in the right places in the contacts form.

4. Booking Appointments

Have you ever missed an appointment because critical information wasn’t on your PDA or calendar page?  It’s not even necessary to open the email to turn it into a calendar event.

Simply drag the email message onto the Calendar selection and a new appointment will open – with today’s date and the current time. You will need to edit the date and time to match the actual meeting time. It’s also an excellent time to copy-paste the location or bridge line information into with the subject or the location of the appointment. Now your PDA will show the necessary details. A copy of the email will stay attached to the appointment in your calendar. The original message is still in your in box, so you can file it appropriately.

These simple steps will make your life easier and allow a few more minutes to call that client or talk to that vendor you’ve been needing to meet.

© 2009 Straight Edge News          All Rights Reserved.

Contributed  by Abigail Dougherty

Straight Edge Solutions  

503-297-5798

Abigail@StraightEdgeSolutions.com

Categories: Abigail Dougherty, Networking 101 Tags: , , ,

The Networking Secret to my Success!

September 10th, 2009 Becky 1 comment

doorA wonderful woman I met at a meeting I spoke at (Sellwood B2B) on Effective Internet Marketing You Can Do Yourself for Free mentioned when we spoke again that she hadn’t been able to attend recently because she felt she had to choose between clients and a networking group, and what follows is what I wrote back to her hours later when the comment resurfaced in my mind – that she said she greatly appreciated.  Becky asked me to post it because it has some very good points about networking – and the one at the end has been one of my secrets to success for my business!

“You commented earlier about weighing priorities as in clients vs the network groups, and it just popped in my head again, but I think the two can and should be complimentary.  But I’m not selling you on networking groups – this is my intuition telling me to email you back and let you know: in networking we work together to bring each other more clients (we are each other’s part time sales force), to foster a better reputation, and to grow personally by surrounding ourselves with like-minded professionals.

I actually have a great group of professionals, a majority of them are quality women, that meet on Tuesdays at noon at Kennedy School McMenamin’s. I have no idea how far that is from you or what your Tuesdays look like, but I think you would be a stand out contributor and find great value in it.  I happened to invite another woman today that may also be a good fit, she’s in payroll which we need – but actually I see you as an ideal fit.

I gave a networking tip today to the group that was EXTREMELY well received and it has worked wonders for me – invite your prospects and clients to the meetings.  How does that serve them and you?  They are able to do business with people at the group, able to receive referrals from the group and they get to hear about you from some of your closest (networking) partners who may also be client’s themselves (as I would).  I personally make it a point to do business with people in my groups so I can give a testimonial as a client.

Just a few cents I hope make sense.”

——————————————

Charles Montgomery

Northwest eSource

(503) 922 – 1446

charles@nwesource.com

http://www.NWeSource.com

NWeSource Logo

Categories: Charles Montgomery, Guest Authors, Networking, Networking 101, Northwest eSource, Power Partners, i Take The Lead Tags: , ,

Networking is not Selling, but you can Build an Incredible Business by Networking!

September 6th, 2009 Becky No comments

Noize_Headshot_ezr

 

Build Your Business with Networking
By Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach

Being successful in business is less about having all the answers yourself than knowing where you can access expertise. Since you can’t know everyone, you often rely on your friends or trusted colleagues for referrals, which is where your professional network comes in handy.

After all, a basic truth of business is that people do business with people they know, like and trust.  Happily, this model works both ways. The more people who know you or about you, the more business will come your way.

Creating an extensive professional network is not nearly as time-consuming or intimidating as you might think, but it does take conscious effort. I call my network my “Team 100″ but of course, you can call yours whatever you like. I learned of the Team 100 concept from Thomas Leonard, who was the founder of CoachVille, and widely hailed as the father of the professional coaching industry.

What Is A Team 100?

A Team 100 is a group of one hundred people with whom you have a professional relationship, either as a colleague, vendor, or client, and who have expertise in various areas. The relationship is reciprocal, in that members of your team get as much value from the relationship as you expect to get.

A Team 100 can fill several functions in building your business: It can help you develop a strong professional network, tap into expertise and knowledge, help you resolve problems or at least point toward someone who might help you, and of course, provide referrals to you.  You provide the same services to your contacts (your Team 100 members). 

Setting Up the Meeting

To get started, think about what type of expertise and contacts you wish you had, and then start making phone calls. When I started putting mine together, I set up a series of lunches with people I admired to meet and get to know them, share information, and so on. These meetings were NOT sales opportunities.  I explained to each person that I was developing my “dream network” for my Team 100 of professional contacts, and I wanted to get to know them to add them to my Team 100. (I had heard that most people are flattered and pleased to be invited, and so it was in my experience.)

If you’re not up to cold calling people with whom you have no previous connection, you can leverage those networking relationships that you already have, such as approaching the membership of the networking groups to which you belong. Call a certain number of members (say one or two per week), and set up individual meetings for coffee with them. Explain that in order to refer business to him or her (which is the purpose of networking, right?), you need to know more about what that person does, and you would like to set up a time to find out.

You may find that setting a time limit to these networking meetings will help allay any fears the other person might have about wasting time. I usually set mine for 30 minutes, because most people can spare that much time for a one-time meeting, and also because they know they’ll get to talk about their business.

What To Talk About During the Meeting

There are three questions you want to ask to gather the type of information you need to be able to refer business appropriately:

1. Who is your ideal client? Ask for both demographic and psychographic info here. If the person just says something general, gently press for more specifics, or ask for a description of the perfect client for his or her business. If this question doesn’t get much of a response, ask a hypothetical question, such as: If you could clone just one of your clients, who would it be, and why? What is it that makes this particular client so good for your business?

2. How will I recognize that client? Is there a situation, such as divorce, inheritance, or opening a new business that is present in your ideal clients’ lives? Or is there a certain phrase that your clients often use, such as being overwhelmed or needing help with something specific, that I should listen for?

3. What would you like me to tell any referrals about you when I give them your contact information? This could be anything, such as results, like you’ve never lost a case or your clients usually get a 100% return on their investment within 30 days; or about you personally, like you’re a classically trained pianist in addition to being a jazz composer, or that you come from a spiritual base. This is your opportunity to include some significant information about yourself or your practice that will resonate with your ideal client.

How The Meeting Flows

It has been my experience (although yours may be different) that these meetings generally follow a pattern. The first five to ten minutes are spent getting coffee and in general chit chat; the next 15-20 minutes are spent on the other person, and the last five minutes are spent on you.

It is important that the other person get plenty of time to share, not only so that s/he sees that you are not trying to sell anything at this meeting, but so s/he feels understood and valued (VERY important in relationship building). This means you must be prepared to respond to the same questions quickly, concisely, and completely. Of course, since you already know the questions, you can come to the meeting prepared to do just that!

The outcome is that the other person will (usually) have warm, kindly feelings toward you, and is flattered to be included in your professional network. If the opportunity arises, this person will likely refer business to you.

Dealing With Temptation

Of course, there is always the possibly that this person recognizes him- or herself in your ideal client description and will want to talk to you in more detail. Although it will be very tempting to extend this meeting and turn it to your advantage this way, DON’T do it. If the other person really is a prospect, you can set up another time to chat so that your meeting will have a different agenda than networking. If you don’t do this, you will be remembered as someone who “baited and switched” that person into a meeting. Bad karma, I’m telling you!

Ending The Meeting

Part of maintaining your professional network is staying in touch, which you can do through notes, calls, invitations and such, but the easiest way is probably through your newsletter. But how can you offer to do that without sounding like you’re selling something (which is not how you want to end this meeting)?

After The Meeting

Following a networking meeting, I send a note of thanks, add that person to my mailing list, and then make a point of personally touching base every quarter or even every six months, depending on my schedule. Result: Another resource for my professional network (I LOVE to refer people!), plus another person who knows, likes and trusts me, and equally important, another person in my network who is now in the position to refer business (my ideal clients!) to me.

This article was written by Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach. Ronnie’s web site is a comprehensive marketing resource for small office/home office business professionals. For free marketing resources including articles and valuable marketing tools, visit her web site at http://www.veronikanoize.com/, or email her at Ronnie@VeronikaNoize.com. 

 

 
   
 

Categories: Building Strategies, Networking 101, Ronnie Noize, Vancouver Wa, Veronika Noize Tags:

Are you one of “those” relatives or friends?

July 23rd, 2009 Becky No comments

people shaking handsI received a phone call from one of our I Take The Lead members this week.  http://www.itakethelead.com  The call went something like this:  “I’m not sure if I’m going to make the meeting today.  I’m not feeling well, and really don’t feel up to having “Marie” (the name is changed to protect the guilty) hover over me, trying to sell me her products.  She just can’t seem to take ‘no’  for an answer, and I want to support the other members. Last week she kept me in a conversation about why her products work better than what I’m using,  for a good 45 minutes after the meeting. I simply don’t feel up to that today.” 

Are you one of those people?  You know the ones I’m talking about.  Do your relatives dread seeing you at weddings, family reunions, holiday parties, and worst of all, funerals, for fear that you are going to try to sell them something?  Or do your relatives look forward to seeing you again because it’s ‘been too long.’ 

Remember: Networking (even when going to family functions) is not Selling.

Categories: Networking 101 Tags:

Business Networking: You’re Going To Eat Lunch Anyway!

July 11th, 2009 NWeSource 1 comment

I’m quoting myself, how egotistical is that?

A business luncheon should be a retreat from the grind, an escapade of ideas, and an accolade of success stories!”

Becky Loves My Hat! :)

Becky Loves My Hat :)

I really enjoyed speaking to the Tigard B2B group yesterday, and what a turnout!  Half of the people there were from other ITTL groups and came out to hear my topic “Effective Internet Marketing You Can Do Yourself for Free!” and the other half came from the post on Meetup.com (if you were there feel free to leave a comment here and on Meetup)… I think we hopefully gained one or two new members to I Take The Lead, specifically one in the Lake Oswego B2B I attend on Mondays, Mr. Church that does OSHA Compliance Programs.  Additionally, Honeymoon and Jerry joined us all the way from Denver’s I Take The Lead franchise and contributed greatly to the conversation.

I Take The Lead Members that were there included: Me, Tom Cochrane, Peter Grote, Jodi Colbert, Norm Baker, Stephanie (Owner of Sezchuan Kitchen), Lisa Lynne, Michael Neuman, Neil Robbins, and our superstar Becky Tengwall herself!  Thanks to everybody for coming out and showing support! IMG_0013IMG_0012

As promised I did post a lengthy article with the details of the conversation, again on Free Effective Internet Marketing that you can do yourself over on my blog dedicated to supporting I Take The Lead members, Locally-Social.com.  I took some time to add email and RSS subscription buttons as well as links to my Linked In, Twitter and Facebook Profiles.  Please take a few minutes, visit, comment, and add me to your social networks!

One thing I have to mention is that the ClubSport Conference Room is a perfect place for a large meeting… Read more…

Categories: Becky Tengwall, Networking 101, Northwest eSource, i Take The Lead Tags: , ,

How Are You Showing Up?

July 7th, 2009 Becky 3 comments

 We’d like to believe people pay more attention to what we do or say than how we look. However, people believe what they see far more than what they hear.

Abigail Dougherty

Abigail Dougherty - Straight Edge Solutions

My work is talking to business people. Sometimes I hire them. Sometimes they hire me. Sometimes we are peers meeting on a collaborative project or being a support team for one another. The more business people I work with, the more I realize that deal breakers often hinge on how you show up.  Here are five areas that can kill a business deal regardless of the product, service or price.

On time:

Everyone has a different definition of what “on time” means; however, few business people accept a 2:15 arrival as being on time for a 2:00 meeting. Calling 10 minutes before your appointment to let the other person know that you will be on time or are stuck in traffic is more professional than apologizing for being late. Many businesspeople plan to arrive 15 minutes earlier than scheduled to eliminate traffic concerns.

Dress:

We’d like to believe people pay more attention to what we do or say than how we look. However, people believe what they see far more than what they hear. Deals can fail for a number of seemingly petty reasons such as unpolished shoes, unkempt hair or inappropriate dress. Most business people see attention to a professional appearance as a reflection of your attention to details in a job.  Having a dress code for your employees is a basic component of your business brand.

Read more…

Categories: Guest Authors, Networking 101 Tags: ,

Does Social Networking really create relationships?

June 16th, 2009 Becky 2 comments

by Taylor Ellwood

One of the questions I’m asked about social networking is whether it really creates relationships the way that in-person networking creates relationships. It’s a good question to ask, and is often asked by people who want to determine if they really need to be on these different social networking sites, in order to do business. My answer is that social networking does allow you to create and sustain relationships in an online environment and that some of those relationships can even lead to business. However, just as a relationship in in-person networking needs mutual work from everyone to be successful, the same is true with relationships you cultivate on social networks.

I teach people how to automate their social networks as much as possible, because I think it’s important to know how to manage your networks effectively. But I also think it’s important to spend some time cultivating your online network. It can help you quite a bit in promoting your business and more importantly establishing relationships that can last a lifetime. That last part is more important because your business may change or go away, but the relationships you create and the networks you build can be there for you through all periods of your life, if you allow them to be.

Networking is a relationship building activity. What that means is that some kind of relationship needs to exist in order to make networking viable. People go to networking meetings on the premise that by getting to know each other, they can confidently refer business to each other. The idea is that people do business with the people they know. This principle also applies on online networks. We connect with people we know online, and we do so to either strengthen an existing relationship or to create a new one. So while we can automate our online networks, we also need to balance that automation with some focus on building relationships on those networks.

I don’t think that spending lots of time on online social networks is the answer, even as I don’t think spending all your time at in-person networking events is the answer. But I do think choosing to spend some time participating on the networking sites you find useful can really go a long way toward creating relationships that can help you build your business and also help you out in other situations. To discover what networks are really useful for you, spend time on those networks, even if it’s just devoting a few minutes to post a response or two in the forums. If you find that you get responses, spend some more time on the site. Keep building your presence, and thus your relationships.

As you get to know the people on those sites, don’t hesitate to tell them about what you do and what a good lead would be. They might be able to help you and help someone who needs your services. Remember that networking works because it’s not just people doing business with people they know, but people also doing business with people who are recommended to them by people they trust! Cultivating online relationships in your network can help you and help people that your network knows. Additionally, there may come a time when someone in your online network needs your help and you can help them.

I don’t spend a lot of time on the social networking sites. I spend perhaps two hours, maybe up to three on a given week, but I limit my time on them, because I have clients to take care of, articles to write, and other activities to do, to keep my business on track. But the small amount of time I do spend on those sites is focused on building stronger relationships or creating new ones. And in building those relationships, sometimes I’ve gotten some business, but throughout I’ve never lost sight of the main reason I’m on those sites. I want to help other people out. That’s why I do my business and that’s what motivates me to build a strong network, so that I can help other people and someday they can return the favor if I need help. And the truth is, you are only as strong as your network is, and that includes online networking too.

Taylor Ellwood is the Business, Writing, and Social Media coach. He focuses on teach businesses how to automate their business processes and gets great writers published. Visit his blog at http://www.imagineyourreality.wordpress.com. Visit his website at http://www.imagineyourreality.com

Categories: Networking 101 Tags:

How to Increase Your Sphere of Influence

June 6th, 2009 Becky 1 comment

Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach

What is influence, and why would you want to increase your sphere of it?

Influence is the ability to effect change in the actions, beliefs, and choices of others.

Increasing your sphere of influence will boost the number of people who hear your message, and that alone will have a positive impact on the bottom line of your business. As your influence grows, so does your reputation, increasing your value in the marketplace. More visibility and more credibility add up to more business (and more profits).

The good news is that becoming influential does not require wealth, beauty, or even above-average intelligence. The better news is that the more power, influence, and access to others of influence you appear to have, the more you will have.

The bad news is that becoming (more) influential does require some effort on your part, and it can be elusive for those lacking in personal integrity. Pursuing influence for the sake of self-aggrandizement or the exploitation of others is never a good idea, as people have an uncanny way of divining your true motives, and the backlash can be brutal.

Remember that to have the ability to influence is to wield great power, and that power should never be abused. To quote Spiderman’s Uncle Ben, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Assuming you’ve chosen to use your considerable talents and influence for the greater good, here are my four suggestions for increasing your influence:

1: Connect with established communities. Join local groups, clubs, associations, organizations, and committees to access ready-made networks. Attend meetings, participate in the activities, and make yourself visible within the organization.
Even if you hate networking, you can connect easily with others online through virtual networking groups such as Linked In, Plaxo, Biznik, Twitter, and even FaceBook.

2: Make your voice (meaning your ideas, values, and areas of expertise) heard, through active participation in discussions (live or virtual), blogging, articles, letters to the editor, petitions, public speaking, private conversations, press releases, statements to the media, direct mail, signage, and even advertising. Start by establishing your specific expertise first, and as you become more known, you can add to your message.
Warning: Nobody likes a “know-it-all” and acting like one will diminish your credibility. Position yourself as an expert on a specific topic, and maintain your humility.

3: Cultivate relationships with other people of influence. Influence has a halo effect, so association with others of influence, such as leaders, “movers and shakers,” or celebrities, extends your sphere of influence.

4: Choose to lead, and others will follow. The truly influential generally have “herds” of followers. This in no way implies that the followers are sheep, but that the leader is valued and trusted by a number of people?even those without a personal relationship with the leader.
To start your own herd, create a way for your followers to receive the benefit of your skill set, expertise, or efforts. Volunteer to head up a committee, send out a newsletter, produce an event or series of events, or start a special interest group to begin building your herd.

Keep in mind that you must give to get. The more you have to offer, the more quickly your influence will grow.

Read more articles or view Top 10 lists.

About the authorVeronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach, is the author of “How to Create a Killer Elevator Speech” and “The 30-Minute Networking Secret Complete Toolkit.” A dynamic speaker and unconditionally supportive coach, Ronnie helps small businesses attract more clients. Ronnie’s web site is a comprehensive resource with free articles and valuable marketing tools for small office/home office business professionals. Visit her web site at http://www.veronikanoize.com/, or call her at 360-882-1298.

Categories: Networking 101 Tags:

Be on the Watch for the Big NO-NO’s of NetWorking

May 10th, 2009 Becky 2 comments

1. Don’t act desperate.
People prefer to associate with successful people. If they think you are desperate, they will avoid you like the plague.

2. Don’t sell.
Never enter into any networking situation with the intention of selling. Networking is not sales; it’s relationship building.

3. Don’t monopolize.
Respect the value and short supply of other people’s time. Appreciate that your contacts are also attending to meet people and build relationships.

4. Don’t ask too soon.
Avoid asking for help until you’ve developed a relationship with your contact.

5. Don’t solicit competitors.
Don’t ask for or expect help from those who are in direct competition with you. Be realistic.

6. Don’t show off or brag.
Nobody likes braggarts and blowhards, except their mothers, and even that isn’t always so.

7. Don’t interrupt.
It’s rude and turns everyone off. It tells people that you think that what you have to say is more important than what they have to say.

8. Don’t just talk about you.
Besides irritating others, you won’t learn anything by talking only about yourself.

9. Don’t play it by ear.
Anticipate and be prepared. Have a killer 15-second “elevator speech” prepared to deliver along with the follow-up information that they might request.

10. Don’t misrepresent yourself.

The purpose of networking is to build long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. If you pretend to be what you are not, sooner or later you will be caught.

11. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.

See above.

12. Don’t pry.

Be clear about information you need, but don’t ask questions about areas that seem confidential.

13. Don’t linger with losers and “hangers-on.”

Your time is valuable and if you let them, some people will take as much of it as you allow. They latch onto you, try to take whatever they can get that could help them and are hard to shake.

14. Don’t overextend.

Select a few prime targets that you think you can realistically reach and put them on you’re A List. Be realistic; concentrate your utmost efforts on a few worthy targets, and place the rest on

your B List. (All of your fellow group members SHOULD be on you’re A List. These are the people who will sell you. Your meeting should be the most important appointment for the week.)

15. Don’t be discouraged.

Most good things take time, patience, and work. When you try to build relationships, you are attempting to become a part of someone’s life and many desirable people won’t let you right in.

(Taken from “Networking Magic”)

Categories: Networking 101 Tags:

"Elevator" Speech

April 27th, 2009 Becky No comments

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.

Categories: Networking 101 Tags: