Networking Tips

How can I use networking to grow my business?
• Attitude of “abundance” vs. “scarcity”.  Give before you get.
• High-value people attract high-value people and opportunities.
• Warm leads vs. cold leads – way easier and more fun.
• Longer-term vs. shorter-term solution.
• All business is built on relationships and conversations.
• Network to establish and strengthen your brand. Aim to be as visible as possible.
• Energy is money and money is energy.
• Conversations create energy, move your business forward and open up new opportunities.

How do I decide where to network, or evaluate the networks I already have?
• Clearly identify your target market and value prop.
• If you’re not clear who your target market actually is, network to get clarity.
• “Generic networking” to start (e.g. Chamber of Commerce).
• “Targeted networking” to connect with your specific market (professional
associations, supplier groups, clients’ networks).
• Conferences, trade shows – regular and reverse tradeshow marketing.
• Networking efforts should be bringing new business opps.  If not, change strategies.
• Distinguish between “high-value” (to your business), and “low-value” people.

What should I say to people?
• Even more important to listen.
• Be interested in others. Follow your natural curiosity and ask the questions that
interest you.
• Aim is to connect.  Never to sell. Selling comes much later!
• Be yourself.  If people don’t respond well, get feedback and aim to improve.
• Always ask how you can be helpful to them.  Who is their ideal client?  Who do you
know that you can connect them with?

How can I feel more at ease while networking?
• Notice and acknowledge your anxiety, but put it off to one side.  Don’t let it become the main event.
• Breathe deeply.
• Tell yourself “these people are just friends I haven’t met yet”.
• Never take it personally when someone doesn’t warm up to you. We either resonate or we don’t.
• Watch your self-talk – keep it positive.

How can I actually turn business cards into business?
• The key is in the follow-up.
• Your job at the networking event is to connect with as many people as you can, and
notice which ones you feel attracted to and might like to meet again.
• Write follow-up thank-you notes or emails to strengthen the connection.

How can I use social media to network online?
• Twitter, Linked In, Facebook.  Write your own content that answers questions and
concerns of your target market. Teach them how to think about your industry,
product or service.
• Join groups.  Start conversations with people that interest you.  Ask questions,
answer questions. Create events and use social media to invite people.  Track your
leads and follow-ups.

Growing Your Business Using Linked In

Linked In is a living, breathing network that automatically updates itself 24/7 online. What’s not to like?  If you’re a business owner or professional who is not on Linked In yet…today’s the day to get started.

Last week I was privileged to hear fundraising expert Paul Nazareth provide some excellent tips last week on how to use Linked In to grow your business. Interestingly, he was presenting at a locally-based Linked In group: Social Media Breakfast Waterloo Region.

I’ve put together Paul’s points with some of my own to come up with a Top 10 for Linked In.

1. Best Linked In resources: Linked In Log is a tiny book that takes you step by step from soup to nuts on how to plan and measure business results on your Linked In site. Linked In for Dummies is an excellent general guide and provides a helpful cheat sheet here. Other recommended marketing books: The Power of Pull,  UnMarketing,  and The Best Service is No Service.  Linked In has its own YouTube channel full of how-to videos.  Company Pages has lots of tips for organizing your business page.

2. Create both a personal page and a business page. On both sites, make sure you follow best practices using the resources above.  The most obvious basics are to make sure your profile is 100% complete, have a professional photo, and at least 3 recommendations.

3. To get recommendations, give them first to as many of your 1st degree connections as possible.  People usually want to reciprocate – but they’re busy, and it can help to shape their recommendation by offering content suggestions.  Paul’s tongue-in-cheek suggestion: “Can you just share with others that I didn’t kill you, and what you appreciated about our work together?”

4. Use the Summary section of your personal site to provide a snapshot of your personality and your value proposition. In my view, the Summary section should read like the “Professional Profile” section of your resume – so that even if a person reads no further, they still have a solid idea about why you’re on the planet. When I write these things with clients, I’m always asking “how”.  As in “Wow, that’s great – now how did you accomplish that?  How did you do it differently from someone else?” It’s a good idea to speak directly to your reader using I-statements, and to avoid jargon-y, empty descriptions like “dynamic” and “effective”.  You can also include your Vision and Mission in this section.

5. Don’t overwhelm people with your genius, or your posts will start to feel like spam.  Paul recommends maximum one status update per day, and minimum one update per week as a good guideline.  Follow updates from your network and make comments on a regular basis.

6. Include a personal note with each of your Linked In invitations.  If it’s a new connection, remind the person about how you know each other and ask for the opportunity to link.

7. Who to link to? People you already know well, people you worked with in the past, people you know professionally.  Take some risks.  Seek connections with your heroes, teachers, and other influencers who are important in your industry. Give them a reason as to why they might want to link with you. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.  You never know who might come up on your “suggested links” list.  Not too long ago I was astonished to see “Barack Obama” come up in in my own!  Talk about six degrees…!

8. Linked In Groups and Linked In Answers are excellent ways to showcase your knowledge and talents.  Seek groups where your target market hangs out and start to add value in those circles.  Aim to OWN your sector by creating your own groups. The best groups are not based around a specific company brand, but are targeted toward a sector, profession, special interest, or common problem.  Groups are about branding – establishing your reputation and getting your name out there – more than they’re about sales. One creative idea is to start an Amazon booklist, and hold meetings to discuss specific books.

9. Linked In Events is not yet the best vehicle for getting the word out about events, since not everyone is a member.  I park my own announcements at Eventbrite.com, but also list them on Linked In and Facebook, and send them out by email.

10. Use a timer.  Social media can be addictive – one could spend one’s whole day writing and talking to people, but making no money.  Set a timer to allow 10 – 15 minutes a day for social media activities to remedy this problem. After all, how long can it take to skim your network’s posts, make a few comments, post one update  yourself or answer one question?  That’s all the time you need to develop a solid reputation on Linked In.

Next:  Growing Your Business with Your Linked In Business Page.

4 Offbeat Ways to Set Goals

Feel like your website is a brochure lost in cyberspace? Scroll down for info re our October 20 Pay-Per-Click Marketing Seminar. In the meantime, here are a few goal-setting ideas to chew on….

4 Offbeat Ways to Set Goals

In life and business, it can be challenging to figure out your next move. Popular goal-setting programs urge us to set goals that are SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Great. But…your first question should really be…

What am I aiming for ?

The most important thing – but often the hardest – is knowing what you want in the first place. Many people would rather just stay busy. But without a clear vision of where you’re headed, it’s tough to set the clear goals that will actually propel you and your business forward. Vision boards and brainstorming sessions are a great start. But here are 4 useful ideas that take no effort at all.

1. Start with what you DON’T want.

When I’m really stuck in figuring out what I truly want in life or business, I divide a piece of paper in half. At the top of the left side, I write “Don’t Want”. At the top of the right side, I write “Want Instead”. Mind-numbingly simple – but it works.

This year, my list looked something like this:

Don’t want: Stuff I don’t care about. Stairs. A basement that keeps filling up with junk.
Want instead: A place that other people take care of, so I can focus on what I’m best at – people and ideas.

Long story short, we’ve downsized and moved into a condo. I don’t have a basement where stuff I don’t need can collect. I don’t have stairs. I do have more time and energy. I’m happy as a clam. When I get clear about what I DON’T want – I get clear about what I DO want.

So here’s the question: what don’t you like about what’s currently happening in your business or life? What do you want instead of that?

And don’t discount it either. Too often we start to imagine what we want different – then talk ourselves out of it. “We couldn’t possibly implement that idea”; “We can’t let him go, what if he sues us?”; “I’d love to go to the islands, but we’ll never be able to afford that…” “I couldn’t possibly do that at this age…” Stop judging your ideas and just write them down. But be careful what you write…because once recorded, your ideas are going to start happening.

2. Figure out your questions – before you go looking for answers.

What questions are floating around in your head right now? You know… the things you wonder about while you’re in the shower, driving your car, drifting off at a lecture? Everything from…
“Which target market would be best to pursue?”
“Which supplier should I choose?”
“What should my tagline be?”
…to:
“What colours should I paint my house?
“Which of these three guys should I date?”
“What should I do with my life?”

Too often we ignore or discount our questions. But listening and honouring them provides the key that can unlock the door to our next move.

In her excellent book “Write It Down, Make it Happen” Henriette Klauser has a cool idea. She cuts a piece of paper into strips, writes one question on each strip, puts the whole lot in an envelope, and sticks it in a drawer. Don’t knock it – it works. I’ve done it myself. One time I totally forgot about the envelope until a couple years later. And lo and behold – through events and people in my life, every single one of my questions had been answered.

So, what questions are currently on YOUR mind about your life, career or business? Write them down, and before you know it, your next move will start coming into focus.

3. Look backward before you look forward.

In this age where everything moves so quickly, this tip goes against the grain. “If it’s not making me money, it’s a waste of time…”; “We should be pursuing the next big thing…”; “While we’re thinking, the competition will get ahead…” etc. etc.

But neglecting this step can lead to confusion and inefficiency. We re-invent the wheel because we forget what we’ve already done. We overlook what we’ve accomplished, and feel like we’ve done nothing – when in fact we’ve actually made great progress.

One easy way to take stock is to is to start with a simple 3-column chart. I get my clients to do this exercise every 90 days. On the left, record areas that are important in your life and business, like big dreams, leadership, finances, etc. Beside each area, record the successes and progress you’ve had in that area. Once you’ve noted your progress, your next steps practically leap onto the page. “Okay, I’ve got this done – great! Now I need to do that…”. These next steps become your goals. It’s a painless way to get clear on your priorities for the next phase.

4. Get some fellow-travelers.

Hey, it’s just way more fun. Every year, I form a little mastermind group of whatever favourite helpful people there are in my life at the time, and we meet regularly to clarify our goals and hold each other accountable. Because one of the hardest things about goal-setting is keeping it fun and staying accountable. Let’s face it – we can have the best of intentions to do something new, but life intervenes, priorities change, and we drift off track. Our companions can help us stay motivated and focused.

So – who in your life would you like to stay accountable with? Set up a meeting and form your own group of fellow travelers who can help you “goal for the gusto”.

Speaking of fellow travelers…watch for details of our upcoming Anticipate 2012! 1-day Goal-Setting Workshop on December 2.

Upcoming Events:

October 20: Pay-Per-Click Marketing
8-10 a.m., Your Kitchener Market.
If your online business feels like a brochure lost in cyberspace, consider using low-cost pay-per-click marketing to boost visibility and sales.
Click here for details and registration.

December 2: ANTICIPATE 2012!
8:30 – 4 p.m. Location TBA.
This 1-Day workshop will help you organize your vision into a comprehensive growth plan for life and business in 2012. Plus it’s a great opportunity to network with lots of other interesting and motivated fellow travelers.
Click here for details and registration.

For helpful daily business growth links and tips, follow us on Twitter: @lois_ready2grow

Yours in growth & learning,

Lois

Lois Raats MEd CCC BCC
Principal
Ready2Grow Associates
t: 519.883.8838 | lois@ready2grow.com | www.ready2grow.com

The Ins and Outs of Career Development

I seem to have one of those creative brains that wants to know something about everything. Thus not everyone realizes that in addition to business coaching I’ve also been coaching professionals in career transition for over 25 years. If you happen to know someone in that situation, please pass this email on to them.

For clients in career transition, there are always two streams of enquiry: the internal and the external.

The “internal” examines who the person is, and what he or she is all about. The usual way to explore this is to assess interests, skills, talents, values, personality, and experience.

These areas are important – but I never stop here, particularly with clients in mid-life. People are way too complex to be figured out using simple algorithms. I’ve had plenty of clients say “That [other helping professional] told me I should be an X – well, ha ha – that’s ridiculous”. Unfortunately, their inner world had been simplified in a way that ignored other highly significant parts of them. No wonder they scoffed.

I tend to use a more organic approach to explore a person’s inner world. We glance at the bits – but we study the whole. What common themes and patterns have been repeated throughout this person’s life? Why have they made the decisions they’ve made? What is their vision for their life? What’s their mission and their enduring purpose? Their personal brand? What motivates them? What’s on their “bucket list”? Why or why not?

My view is that people most often have inklings about what their next phase involves. My role is to uncover these inklings, discern their shape, and help the person figure out how to move forward right away in their new direction.

I find that where a person is headed and who’s supporting them is far more important than any test results. Because once a person knows what they’re aiming at and has people they can call on for help, literally anything is possible. It doesn’t really matter what their personality style is. It doesn’t matter if they have all the skills. If they want something badly enough, and can connect with the right people to help them move forward…it’s going to happen.

Which brings us to our next stream of inquiry: the “external” stream. Once a person has figured out a general direction, how can they get the external world to cooperate in providing it for them? This is where personal branding, networking, influence, and social media enter in. Feel free to read my other blog posts on these topics…or just stay tuned…

3 Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Business Network

Are your networking efforts netting new business? Owners often mistakenly assume that if they attend enough networking events, their business will magically grow. Job seekers tend to make the same mistake when seeking a new career situation.

There is only one way for networking to produce business growth: by connecting in a natural way with your ideal clients during your various activities. If you notice that you’re not meeting many of these folks at your current networking events, it’s time to re-evaluate where you’re hanging out. Socializing is fun – but let’s face it – it doesn’t pay the bills.

I was talking about this issue last week with one of my clients. “Robert” has been seeking to increase sales at his marketing organization. Rob’s been networking a lot, but finding it hard to meet high-value connections – the ones that actually have the potential to boost his revenue.

So we spent our coaching session rethinking Rob’s networking strategy. As we listed the characteristics of his ideal clients, we decided that it would make sense to target CEOs and VPs of Marketing in specific industries. These individuals would understand the strategic marketing value his organization can provide – and would also have the power to make a buying decision.

Now, think about it. Are CEO’s and VP’s of Marketing likely to attend leads groups, networking breakfasts etc.? Only somewhat likely. So, paradoxically, it will be important for Rob to extend his networking efforts past groups whose main purpose is networking.

Where is Rob going to find these people? Here are a few ideas:

1. Conferences. Business leaders think strategically, and value the input from issue-related conferences. For a list of conferences related to a specific industry, start with a simple Google search such as “professional associations Canada” and you’ll find a variety of lists. Pretty well every association has some kind of annual conference. Choose a few key ones and allot part of your marketing budget toward attending them.

While you’re there, figure out how your business or skills can contribute to this particular community and start working toward becoming a speaker. Think outside the box. For example, I’ve been invited to speak to hard-nosed engineers, project managers, and logistics people about the soft-skills topic of “Dealing with Difficult People”. So while you’re at the conference, make connections and map out how you can become a speaker at their next event.

2. High-end Networking Events. This includes charity balls, galas, golf tournaments, that sort of thing. Of course these tend to be expensive – that’s why you need to go. Executives can afford them. Always regard these events as an investment, never an expense.

3. Professional Associations. While you’re checking out conferences, remember that most professional groups have a local monthly or bi-monthly meeting. This is a great place to make helpful connections at the local level. Focus on providing value and building relationships, NOT selling your services. Save your sales process for one-to-one meetings after you’ve developed solid connections through effective networking.

To receive helpful web links, tips, etc. on a daily basis, please link with me on Linked In and Facebook, and follow me on Twitter @lois_ready2grow.

Yours in growth & learning,

Lois