» relationships

What Is My Problem?

netfun5 — Sun, 30 May 2010 18:50:02 +0000

Okay, I read in a book by Noah St. John that the reason I haven't reached any of my goals is because something that I'm totally unaware of is holding me back. He said that I have to figure out what it is that is preventing me from moving forward and then deal with it. Is it some deeply held belief? Is it something I "learned" in my life experiences? Is it something I just made up in my head with no basis whatsoever? Is it something I read on a bathroom wall? (that reminds me of a phone call I need to make)

What is my problem?

I stayed awake for several hours last nite trying to come up with the "Great Aha!" Man, it was tough, let me tell you! And I could only think of two things that made an impact on me: 1) it would require lots of work (heck, we're working hard already!) and 2) it would mean long periods without my wife Sara nearby (I don't like that! Maybe I'm co-dependent?) Another possibility is that I have too many expectations of others and don't want to be disappointed (like I'm not already!)

So, what is my problem?

What am I afraid of here? Do I not want to lose friends by outgrowing them? Am I afraid of rubbing shoulders with rich and famous people? Would my responsibilities increase somehow? Would people I don't even know be suspicious of me or think poorly of me out of jealousy or their own prejudices? Should I even care? Would I have to dress better? (God, I hope not!)

What is my problem?

I suspect that this blog will be have a sequel, since I haven't come up with any answers yet. I do know that I need to figure this out and soon.

So…until then…uh, whatever.

P.S. You may think that this has nothing to do with business, but you would be wrong. This has to do with EVERY aspect of our lives and perhaps you could be thinking about what's holding YOU back! Just a suggestion.

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Business Networking – Follow Up Is Not Stalking!

netfun5 — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:03:31 +0000

–>

What is the most important thing, in my opinion, you can do in sales and marketing?

Follow up!!

I’ll say it again, Follow Up!

Somewhere, somehow, sometime, you will get a lead for your business. It may be through the many different advertisements you put out or through your networking. It may be through a referral from an existing customer. It may be through your email campaigns or your Facebook ads or Google ads. It may be through Twitter or some other social network. It may be through your direct mail campaigns. No matter how you get them, leads have to be followed up on. Or with. So I don’t use perfect English here, so sue me.

Statistics show that most businesses follow up only once or twice. Maybe 3 times. And of course, people being as lazy or busy or distracted as they are, they don’t respond to those follow ups. It has been found that the company willing to follow up 6 or more times usually gets the response and the sale. And that’s the truth! Some may call it legalized stalking. Well, don’t forget you want to follow up, not bird dog, harass, harangue or smother. Nor do you want to lurk, ambush, slink, or skulk. Trench coats are not the uniform of the day. Business is hard work and follow up is one of the methods used to get sales. Follow up can be done in many different ways, just as advertising and marketing can be. One of the best methods besides phone calls is to send a greeting card or two. They can be set up to be sent automatically and someone else will do the printing, stuffing and mailing. You can send one for less than $1.00. If you would like to find out more, go to http://www.sendoutnow.com to try it out for FREE. Follow up is the most boring and frustrating part of the sales process and it’s very difficult not to take the non-responses as personal rejection and become discouraged and of course, give up. But once again, the one who perseveres gets the rewards.

You’ve got to be willing to do what most others won’t, and that’s follow up. Do it wisely. Do it consistently. And do it legally. But you gotta do it!

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I’d Rather Die Than Give A Speech

Steve — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:33:17 +0000

My wife Sara's popularity is growing on the speaking circuit. She talks mainly about business networking and associated topics. I must say that this is a GREAT WAY to become perceived as an authority on your area of expertise. And, as an added bonus, it puts you in touch with many more people at one time than the traditional networking one-on-one meetings. Granted, they only get to know you a little better and you don't get to find out what their lives and businesses are all about, but it is a "foot in the door" so to speak. What we like to do is gather the business cards of the audience to draw from for door prizes. Door prizes are generally our products or things we've bought at the store (or sometimes gifts that we've received but don't want) that we give away as drawing prizes. So now we have business cards, hopefully with email addresses or phone numbers that we can respond to by way of a Thank You For Attending Our Event, blah, blah, blah. This begins the personal relationships with those people who chose to come to our speaking event. Can you think of a better way to start personal relationships with small or large numbers of people?

"But…" you complain. "This means I have to speak in front of crowds."

Yes, you do.

"But…" you cry piteously. "I am terrified of speaking! I'd rather die than give a speech in front of a crowd. I might even pee in my pants!"

O.K. I hear you. This isn't for everyone, I'll give you that. But for most of us, that's no excuse. Now, no one's going to just throw you up in front of a crowd. First of all, you probably won't get invited to speak until you make it known that you A) want to and B) are capable. You won't want to until you feel you ARE capable. So how do you become capable?

First, you deliberately decide that you want to do this. As with anything else, you take one step at a time. And the best first step is to buy yourself a microphone and speaker and then set up on the sidewalk in front of your house. (HEY, I'M KIDDING HERE!) The best first step is to join a local Toastmasters club. They will teach you how easy it is in a step-by-step fashion and before you know it, you'll be totally comfortable speaking in front of 5 or 10 people. They will become your friends and supporters. That makes it even easier. Speaking in front of a group is to be regarded as telling stories in front of a group of friends you just haven't met yet. They don't want to see you fail – after all, they may have spent good money to listen to you. They don't want to get ripped off and you REALLY don't want them to feel that way. (By the way, always make sure there is a rear exit from wherever you're speaking. If you can afford a body guard, you might consider that as well.) Seriously, they would feel embarrassed for you, so do not think that the audience is out to be hostile towards you. And, you don't have to be perfect! Do you occasionally stumble when you are telling jokes and stuff to your real friends? Of course you do. We all do. That makes you seem genuine.

Secondly, get up in front of people every chance you get. It's called "stage time." The more stage time you get, the better and more relaxed you become. This is no overnight thing, folks. As I mentioned before, like anything else, it takes time.

Third, have FUN with it! It makes you feel powerful to have the crowd laughing at your quips, sitting on the edge of their seats with your stories, taking furious notes from your valuable information which you are SHARING with them for THEIR benefit. You are actually doing this to help people! That is the key!

Sara and I were in Toastmasters for about 2 years and loved it! Sara continued to become a Distinguished Toastmaster, which is the highest achievement you can get in the organization. I chose not to go that far, but I know how to give a good speech and I'm fairly comfortable doing so. Now, I can tell you stories about the times I've screwed up in front of a crowd here, but frankly, I don't have the time.

So…if you want to turbo charge your business networking, and possibly get a little cash on the side, you should consider public speaking related to your industry. And let me know when you do – I'd love to come listen to you and I don't heckle!

To your business success!

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Profound Bumper Sticker?

Steve — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:48:05 +0000

I saw a bumper sticker today during my travels. It said, "If you die of natural causes, you're a wussy." At first glance, that's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. But then, it got me thinking… What did that really mean in my everyday life? And here's what I came up with: Life is for living, and that means taking risks. If I spend my entire life playing it "safe," then at the end I'll probably have regrets about all the things I was afraid to try. It could be not asking that pretty girl to dance at the school sock hop (remember those?), and unfortunately, I didn't. It could be not traveling to that exotic spot I've dreamed about (I need to make a Bucket List). It could be not pursuing the vocation I wanted or using my God given talents, instead of doing "what was expected of me" by my family or friends (that's what I did, sort of). It could be as simple as not telling my spouse my deepest desires and fears (which I don't). It could be not telling my kids that I love them and assuming that they know instead (fortunately or not, I don't have any kids). Basically, it could be ALWAYS living in my comfort zone. Happily, I'm glad to report that I don't live in my comfort zone anymore. At this late stage in my life (don't go there!) I've finally begun a journey of New Things, some of which scare the crap out of me AND my wife, but at the same time are giving me more satisfaction than I can ever remember having. Have you seen that Jack In The Box commercial about Jack bungie jumping? New Things! No, bungie jumping is not on my list. So, back to that bumper sticker. Did it mean something really…uh.. meaningful? I think so. I think it was a reminder to live life, not just survive it. So, to that end – here's to NEW THINGS! (Thanks, Jack!)

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Is Your Life Deliberate?

Steve — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:04:46 +0000

Here it is, a brand new day. You just woke up and you're preparing to go to work or just start your day in general. What are you thinking? How are you feeling? Do you turn on the morning crap…I mean, news on your radio or T.V.? Why in the world would you sabotage yourself that way? Haven't you had enough doom and gloom, blame and recriminations, death and destruction? Do you DELIBERATELY decide what your day, week, month or year is going to look like? If you're like most people, you DON'T. We belong to a very big club, you and I. Oh we may make some quick plans in the morning but as soon as we hit the door we're fighting fires, solving problems – in short, we're reacting to things that happen around us. We've been doing this all our lives. It's second nature, isn't it? On the one hand, we want results. We want answers. We want sales and referrals. We don't want to waste time and money. We don't want to feel frustrated. We don't want mistakes. And yet, it seems that those things are just what we get. In fact, it seems that those things are almost ALL we get! How can we turn this around? Well, you've come to the right place, Bunky, 'cause I can tell you. We need to live DELIBERATE lives. What does that mean, you ask? Well, it means, first of all, that we do things on purpose. It means that we stop rubbing elbows with the woes of the world. Stop feeding ourselves with the trash of other people's sorry lives. Stop listening to the media. By media, I mean newspapers (remember those?), radio, T.V. What could they possibly offer us? They are nothing but negative information. They evoke just about every bad feeling imaginable – horror, fear, anger, shame, guilt, you name it, they serve it up. And does it make a single difference in our lives? Can we do one damn thing about any of it? You bet your ass, we can't! Not really. We've seen the T.V. reports. We've heard that horrific language and anger of today's excuse for music. Next, let's focus on things we want or want to happen. Let's write them down and get specific. For example, today, I want to meet 3 potential clients and make 1 new sale. I will remain calm no matter what happens at work. I will call my wife today and tell her how much I love her. I will look for a shortcut home from work to avoid traffic and if I cannot do that, I will listen to a self improvement CD while sitting in traffic. Tomorrow I will make 4 phone calls to (fill in names here). I will eat a healthy meal for lunch, with no carbs, no refined sugars, no saturated fats. See how this works? Plan everything. Sure, there will be setbacks. But instead of reacting like we used to, let us deliberately resolve to stay calm. Each setback is not the end of the world. This is important: we don't feel guilty if we have a rough time getting started and make some mistakes or can't follow through. If we can't do it today, we can do it tomorrow. Let's set aside some time during each day to just relax and count our blessings. All we need is 5 minutes. Just doing this alone will transform our lives and our business. There is so much more of these types of things that can be done, but this is the beginning of a new day, a rebirth of ourselves, if you think of it that way. Its the first step on a new journey. Small changes in our attitudes or actions can, over time, make such a huge difference! What's easier, staying stuck in the same old knee-jerk rut of a sucky, frustrating life, or making some small simple changes that can transform us and everything around us?

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10 Ways To Tell That You’re Too Drunk To Drive Home From A Networking Event

Steve — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:24:54 +0000

1. All you can see are the backs of road signs 2. You’ve passed the same guy hitch hiking 6 times 3. You see 3 of everything 4. All the other cars are going the wrong way 5. All the red lights look beautiful as you pass them 6. For the first time in as long as you can remember, you’re having fun driving 7. The lane you’re in keeps moving away from you 8. You can see fine, even though your lights are off 9. You keep hearing screams as your car goes over bumps – how annoying 10. You can only see the back of the policeman’s head from the back seat

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10 Ways To Lose Customers and Clients

Steve — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:36:19 +0000

Completely ignore them
Stay in touch, but only to try to sell them more stuff
Constantly ask them for referrals, but don’t tell them specifically what a good referral would be
Contact them only on Christmas and of course, prominently display your business info which implies that you’re looking for more business from them
When they call you, wait for at least 5 days or more before returning their call
Keep sending them promotional material
Keep sending them questionaires about their satisfaction
Make sure you continually send them junk mail
Be rude or act put upon when they need customer service
Always try to upsell them, even to the point of becoming pushy

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16 Things NOT To Do At A Networking Event

Steve — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:40:12 +0000

1. Dress with your pants halfway down your butt or wear a see-thru blouse (thong underwear is allowed, as long as nobody knows but you) 2. Eat anything with that has to be eaten with fingers (‘cause then you have to wipe them on your clothes before you shake hands) 3. Eat anything that may get stuck in your teeth, tastes like onions or garlic, or can spill on your clothes (this reminds me of me) 4. Get drunk on your ass and try to pick up women 5. Get drunk on your ass and try to pick up men 6. Give a limp fish handshake or a bone crusher handshake 7. Tell anyone that they look hot (even if they do) 8. Talk to a woman’s chest (unless….never mind) 9. Talk to a guy’s crotch (unless…ah, never mind) 10. Try to talk to everyone 11. Go around handing out your business cards and say, “Call me” while making that University of Texas gesture by your head (you Aggies know what I’m talking about) 12. Yammer about yourself or your product/service (people will begin to avoid you) 13. Sit in a corner picking your nose (people see these things)(And it's crass!) 14. Go to the event without a plan and goals 15. Show up late 16. Try to sell, sell, sell. (did I mention “sell”?)

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After The Networking Event

Steve — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:44:17 +0000

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Business Networking – Pick A Card, Any Card

Steve — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:00:59 +0000

Ever go to a business networking event and not bring any business cards with you? Believe it or not, we've seen that happen many times. We meet someone whose business seems interesting or the person seems interesting and we ask for a card. Lo and behold, they forgot to bring them! Or they didn't have one for a number of different reasons. We've heard them all – "My dog ate them," "I'm having them made," "I forgot," "They're in my other car," "They're in my other pants." How pathetic! Let's say that you're not one of those folks. Let's say that you DO have business cards with you and you're eager to hand them out. Ah, but what do they look like? What I mean here is, is this a good card design or a bad card design? You didn't know that there was a difference? Let me introduce you to the world of Bad Business Card design. Imagine you have your own construction firm. Your business card tells absolutely EVERYTHING that your business does: commercial construction, home construction, general contracting, plumbing, electrical, air conditioning/heating, roofing, siding, concrete work, fencing, landscaping, windows, garbage removal, we name it, you do it! Then you have 14 phone numbers to be reached at. You have 2 business addresses. You've been in business since the beginning of the century. You service 5 different cities. You have 1389 satisfied customers who can give references. You have a motto. You have graphics. And this is just on the front. I can't wait to see what the back says. Or how about this: you're a real estate agent. You card has your company logo. That's good. You have your basic contact info and a small picture of yourself. Excellent. Unfortunately, you chose a red background and your printing is in black. No one can see it because of the dark background. Also the font is in script. Not good! I've actually got a card in front of me right now that would look O.K. but she's got SIX telephone numbers on it! And a fax number. And an email address. And a web address. I've got another card here that has a leopard skin background. Oh, my! Folks, you have to stop and think what image you're trying to portray here. This business card is one of the first things people will see, and if they actually keep it after you leave it's perhaps the ONLY thing they will have to remember you by. Is it important to you that you don't look like an idiot? What should a business card look like? It should be simple, to the point and perhaps eye-catching, but not for the reason that it's U.G.L.Y. It should look clean. It should have a picture of you so that others recognize you when they see your business card or remember you from your last meeting, whenever that was. Your picture should be as good as you can get it. Your name should be prominent on the card. Your card should have BASIC contact info on it. Perhaps either your cell phone number or your direct line number should be large enough to attract the reader's eye. You don't need to put every phone number that you've ever had on the card. In many cases, you probably don't even need a mailing address or a fax number. If someone wants to mail you something, they can call you for the address. Then you get to talk to them in person if you're not so busy that your machine talks to them instead. Your card might have your logo on it. If you do dark colored background, make sure your printing is in white. If your background is light, make your printing black or blue or some other dark color to contrast with, so people can easily read the information. And don't make the printing so teeny tiny that folks have to squint to read it! If you insist on putting lots of info on the card like experience, licenses, mottos, etc, then put that stuff on the back of the card. Remember, first impressions count even with business cards. Take your time and think out the design. Approach others for impressions and opinions on prototypes before committing to print, and choose a good printer. Many times they can help you with your design. As a business person, EVERYTHING you do reflects on you and your business, whether you know it or not. If you give people extra cards to refer others, if you hand out cards to anyone who asks for them or give them to anyone and everyone, your "reputation" is getting around. Make sure you look professional and competent. Oh, and make sure you actually have them with you! Don't leave them in your other pants! To your business networking success!! If you've enjoyed this article, then please visit www.businessnetworkingmistakes.com for a FREE report on networking mistakes that can cripple your business.

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